Arlene Harden

Born on 1 March 1945 in England, Arkansas, not far from Pine Bluff, Arlene Harden performed alongside siblings Bobby and Robbie as the Harden Trio while the three were still teenagers appearing on Barnyard Frolics in Little Rock. The group later gained exposure on Ozark Jubilee and The Louisiana Hayride, and they reached the Grand Ole Opry stage in 1966. Signed to Columbia Records, the trio scored a crossover country and pop success early that year with Bobby Harden’s composition “Tippy Toeing,” followed by another of his songs, “Sneaking ’Cross The Border,” which reached the Top 20 on the country chart. Their final single, “Everybody Wants To Be Somebody Else,” proved oddly prescient when the act dissolved in 1968.

Arlene had already launched her solo career the previous year, registering modest successes with “Fair Weather Love” and “You’re Easy To Love.” Between 1967 and 1978 she placed seventeen additional singles on the country charts, the highest being “Lovin’ Man,” her gender-flipped take on Roy Orbison’s chart-topping “Oh Pretty Woman.” She also recorded a version of Orbison’s “Crying.” After joining Capitol Records in 1974 she cut a country rendition of Helen Reddy’s pop hit “Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress),” although the release credited her as “Arleen.” In 1968 Bobby joined his sister for the duet “Who Loves Who,” and he later notched a minor solo country entry in 1975 with “One Step.” Arlene signed with Elektra Records in 1977; her final chart appearance came the next year with the modest hit “You’re Not Free And I’m Not Easy.”