Sandy Mason was born in
Tarentum, Pennsylvania in 1939. As a child, she performed on the Pittsburgh radio and TV. In 1965, she started her own local television show on
WTAE. In 1966, she was signed to
Hickory Records. The song "There You Go", recorded on the label, was her lone chart success as a recording artist. Mason provided backing vocals for other artists, Crystal Gayle: 1976 studio album
Crystal (top 10 on the
Billboard Top Country Albums), 1977 studio album
We Must Believe in Magic; and
Johnny Cash: 1982 studio album
The Adventures of Johnny Cash.
Songwriting The song "All I Wanna Do in Life", co-written with
Allen Reynolds, was recorded by
Marianne Faithfull and included on her studio album ''
Dreamin' My Dreams (1976). The song was also recorded by Crystal Gayle (for her 1977 studio album We Must Believe in Magic) and George Jones (for his 1984 album Ladies' Choice''). Mason's other songwriting credits include "Only Love", co-written with
Roger Cook and
John Prine. It was recorded by
Johnny Cash (for his 1982 studio album
The Adventures of Johnny Cash),
Don Williams (for his 1982 studio album
Listen to the Radio), and Prine's version appeared on his studio album
Aimless Love (1984). Australian singer
Colleen Hewett, recorded Mason-written songs "Since I Loved Like That" and "When I Dream" for her studio album
Colleen (1983). "When I Dream" was also recorded by
Helen Reddy for her studio album
Play Me Out (1981),
Willie Nelson for his studio album
Partners (1986), and
Nanci Griffith for her studio album ''
Ruby's Torch'' (2006). Her other songwriting credits include songs recorded by
Dottie West: "I Heard Our Song" (from the 1969 album ''
Makin' Memories), "You Take Me Home, Honey" (from the 1973 album Country Sunshine''); Crystal Gayle: "What You've Done for Me" (from the 1975 studio album
Somebody Loves You; top 20 on the
Billboard Top Country Albums), "You'll Be Loved Someday" (from the 1979 album
We Should Be Together), "Hands" (from the 1981 album ''
A Woman's Heart'');
Debby Boone: "I'd Even Let You Go" (from the 1980 album
Love Has No Reason); Johnny Cash: "After All" (recorded during the 1980s sessions, was released on his 2014 posthumous album
Out Among the Stars). ==Death==