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Norma Jean (Country)
Biography
"Pretty Miss Norma Jean" may be best remembered as Porter Wagoner's stage partner before he was paired with Dolly Parton, but she was also well known for an often hard-edged group of songs that spoke of poverty, hard work, and the instability of romantic relationships. Although she didn't have the songwriting creativity of Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton, she was comparable to those stars in her general outlook. Norma Jean Beasler was no stranger to poverty herself, born into a hard-working farm family near Wellston, OK. As a child, she wanted to be a country star like Kitty Wells, whom she tried to emulate. She made her professional debut singing "If Teardrops Were Pennies" at age 12 on the radio in Oklahoma City. In high school, she toured with a few Western swing bands, including those of Billy Gray and Merle Lindsay.

Her big break came in 1958 when she became a cast member of the Springfield, MO-based ABC-TV show Ozark Jubilee, where Red Foley suggested shortening her name to "Norma Jean." She recorded briefly for Columbia and then moved to Nashville in 1960, becoming a backup vocalist for Porter Wagoner's touring and television shows. She had met Wagoner on the Jubilee, and her new level of exposure led to a contract with RCA Victor.
Selected Discography
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