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Artist
Jan Howard
12+ albums
countryfemale vocalistsoldiesAllclassic country
about
Jan Howard (born Lula Grace Johnson in Gallatin, Tennessee, on 13 March 1929; died 28 March 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter and author. As a singer, she had 30 singles on the Billboard country songs chart, was a Grand Ole Opry member, and was nominated for several major awards. As a writer, she wrote poems and published an autobiography. Married at age 15, Howard had three sons before she turned 21. After two divorces, she headed to Los Angeles and took on jobs as a waitress and a secretary to support her family. Through singer Wynn Stewart, she met and later married then up-and-coming songwriter Harlan Howard. Although she had no musical training or experience, Harlan convinced her to record demos of his songs. This brought her the attention and encouragement of Johnny Bond and Tex Ritter. In 1959, she and Stewart recorded the duet “Yankee Go Home.” That same year she made her Opry debut; it was one of the first times the $65-a-week secretary had ever sung on stage. The Howards moved from California to Nashville in 1960. Her first solo single, “The One You Slip Around With,” was a Top 10 hit, and both Billboard and Cash Box magazines named her their Most Promising Country Vocalist. In 1964, she signed with Decca Records and had another hit in 1965 with “What Makes a Man Wander.” That same year she joined Bill Anderson’s syndicated TV and road show and sang with him regularly on the Opry. For seven years they won many top-duo awards, and she enjoyed
