Early life and rise to fame Norma Jean Beasler was born in
Wellston, Oklahoma, United States, she also became known on the program as
Pretty Miss Norma Jean. She met
Porter Wagoner on the show, and in 1959, signed a recording contract with
Columbia Records. In late 1965, she released an album titled,
Pretty Miss Norma Jean (titled after how Wagoner frequently introduced her on his television show). It was the most successful of her career, hitting number three on the Top Country Albums list. The first single from the album, "Go Cat Go", became a Top 10 hit, peaking at number eight. Two more singles were released, starting with "I Cried All the Way to the Bank," which also proved successful. After that, "I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car From Him", written by
Harlan Howard, was another Top 10 hit, making her one of the most popular female country singers of the era. From 1965 to 1967, Norma Jean produced a series of solid country singles and albums and continued to appear on Wagoner's show. On television she projected a wholesome image, contrary to her singing hurting and cheating songs relevant to her personal life, which included an affair with Wagoner. Norma's biggest hit came in 1966. It was an unusual recording with
Bobby Bare and
Liz Anderson, "The Game of Triangles", a wife-husband-other woman drama that hit number five on the
Billboard chart, and earned the trio a
Grammy nomination. Norma Jean left Wagoner's show in 1967 after marrying Jody Taylor (whom she later divorced), and was replaced by newcomer
Dolly Parton, who went on to become one of country music's leading female stars. Parton said later she had a hard time replacing Norma Jean, because she was so loved by country fans. That year, her single, "Heaven Help the Working Girl" (an early feminist song) was a Top 20 hit, the last one of her career. Despite a lack of major country hits, her albums continued to sell, like 1967's ''Jackson Ain't a Very Big Town'', which peaked at number 11 on the Top Country Albums list. She later struggled with alcoholism and became a
born again Christian. ==Discography==