Biography
Born Mary Ann Ward on 4 July 1935 in Birmingham, Alabama, and passing away on 19 December 1999 in Madison, Tennessee, the future performer first studied piano during childhood and later took up guitar. Although she began training as a nurse, she ultimately chose a career in music. Early performances included appearances alongside her sister, followed by local radio and television spots in Birmingham. Her self-written “Are You Willing, Willie,” issued on the Cherokee label, climbed to number 12 on the country chart in 1957. Three years later she placed “That’s My Kind Of Love,” another original composition released on Happy Wilson’s Guyden imprint, at number 5; the success prompted her signing with Columbia Records and her marriage to Wilson. She soon became a fixture on WSM’s Friday Night Frolics. Her Columbia debut, “I Think I Know,” reached the Top 10 in 1961, while the follow-up “There’ll Always Be Sadness” peaked at number 21. Eight additional Billboard country entries appeared between 1963 and 1968, among them the Top 20 singles “Shake Me I Rattle” and “Crazy Arms.” A duet with George Morgan, “Slippin’ Around,” also attained Top 25 status. After moving to Decca Records in 1967, she charted once more with the self-penned “Mama Sez” in 1968 and then disappeared from the listings. Her facility for shifting between sultry ballads and energetic barn-dance material made her a favorite on the Grand Ole Opry, where colleagues regarded her as a singer’s singer. She was among the first country artists invited to Carnegie Hall in New York, and she maintained an active touring schedule across the United States and Canada. In later years she became a regular attraction at several Las Vegas venues, remaining so until her death in 1999.
Albums
