Billie Jo Spears

Billie Jo Spears, born January 14, 1937 in Beaumont, Texas as Billie Jean Spears, is a country music singer who was particulary popular in the 1970s. Spears moved from Texas to Nashville in 1964. She earned a Capitol Records contract in 1968. Her first hit was 1969's "Mr. Walker, It's All Over." Spears won country fans over with her tough, bluesy style; however, it was not until 1975's "Blanket on the Ground" that she broke through to major stardom. The song hit number one on the country charts in the United States. The song did well in the United Kingdom, as well; the song climbed into the top five in the pop hits there. Spears' followed up "Blanket on the Ground" with the top ten "What I've Got In Mind." "What I've Got in Mind" did even better in the United Kingdom, turning out to be a second top 5 British hit for her across the sea. Spears had successes with "Misty Blue," "'57 Chevrolet," "Love Ain't Gonna Wait For Us," "If You Want Me," and others. 1981's remake of Tammy Wynette's 1960s hit, "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," was Spear's last voyage into America's country top 20. Her Greatest Hits album was a top 10 best seller, and furthered her fan base. By the mid-1980s, her success in the United States had tapered off. However, she retained a following in the U.K., and remains a popular live performer there. Spears has recorded a number of albums for the British market that had limited or no release in America. This level of fame in Britain was summed up by the the magazine entitled Country Music People during the 1990s when an article described Spears as "The Queen Mother of Country music." In 2005, Spears released the album "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry".