ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of Norma Jean

(born on Jan. 30, 1938 )

Career Highlights

Barn Dance Affiliate: Ozark Jubilee -1955

Grand Ole Opry Member -1964

Stage Name: Pretty Miss Norma Jean

Radio, Film & TV

• Porter Wagoner Show (1961--1967)

Billboard Chart Data 

• No. 1 Singles: 0
• Top-20 Singles: 5
• Crossover Single: 0
• Charted Singles: 22
• Years Active: (1964-1982)

Career Label: RCA

Billboard Top-20 Singles

1. Let's Go All the Way -1964
2. Go Cat Go
3. I Wouldn't Buy a Used car From Him -1965
4. The Game of Triangles*
5. Heaven Help the Working Girl -1967

*With Bobby Bare & Liz Anderson

Norma Jean was a member of The Porter Wagoner Show from 1961--1967. She had a number of country singles in the top-20 between 1963 and 1967 and was instrumental in opening doors for other female country singers. She is a former member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Norma Jean Beasler was born on January 30, 1938 in Wellston, Oklahoma and grew up admiring country singer Kitty Wells, who she considers her biggest influence. She got her start performing on radio stations in the Oklahoma City area and by age twelve, Norma Jean had her own radio show on KLPR-AM. Norma Jean toured Oklahoma with various bands, starting with Merl Lindsay and His Oklahoma Night Riders at age sixteen, followed by the Bill Gray Band at eighteen. Early on, she befriended soon-to-be country star Wanda Jackson.

In 1955, she secured a regular spot on the ABC-TV show Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri, where she stayed for two years and broke into the national spotlight. Host Red Foley suggested calling her simply Norma Jean and she made it official. She also became known on the program as Pretty Miss Norma Jean. Norma Jean met Porter Wagoner on the show and in 1959, signed a recording contract with Columbia Records.

A string of unsuccessful singles followed and she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Wagoner invited her to audition for his syndicated weekly TV program, The Porter Wagoner Show. Norma Jean became a regular on the show in 1961 and stayed for six years. She toured and performed across the country with Wagoner and RCA producer Chet Atkins signed her to a recording contract with RCA Records.

In 1963, Norma Jean released her first single with RCA, Let's Go All the Way. She released an album of the same title which spawned three top-40 singles. Because of her surging success, she was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.

In late 1965, she released an album titled, Pretty Miss Norma Jean. It was the most successful of her career, rising to No. 3 on the Top Country Albums list. The first single from the album, Go Cat Go, became a top-10 hit. Two more singles were released: I Cried All the Way to the Bank and I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car From Him, making her one of the most popular female country singers of the era.

It's pretty safe to assume that once Norma Jean lost Porter's powerful backing that it became all too easy for RCA to put her career on the back shelf, which was a mistake. At first glance, Norma Jean seemed like a generic Nashville second-stringer.

However, her dusty blond hairdo and alluring persona challenged some to see her as something other than window dressing. Given the proper support and attention, she proved to be a really great singer, not emotionally wrenching or charismatically magnetic, but solid and sincere. Hopefully country music history will redeem Norma's legacy as the dust settles over the remains of the Nashville recording industry.

The RCA Recordings (1964 -- 1973)

In 1963 Norma Jean released her first single with RCA, Let's Go All the Way. She released an album of the same title which spawned three top-40 singles. Because of her surging success, she was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.

In late 1965, she released an album titled, Pretty Miss Norma Jean. It was the most successful of her career, rising to No. 3 on the Top Country Albums list. The first single from the album, Go Cat Go, became a top-10 hit. Two more singles were released: I Cried All the Way to the Bank and I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car From Him, making her one of the most popular female country singers of the era.

RCA Album Catalogue.

• Let's Go All The Way, RCA LPM-2961 (1964)
• Pretty Miss Norma Jean, RCA LSP-3449 (1965)
• Please Don't Hurt Me, RCA LPM-3541 (1966)
• A Tribute To Kitty Wells, RCA LPM-3664 (1967)
• Sings Porter Wagoner, RCA LPM-3700 (1967)
• The Game Of Triangles, RCA LPM-3764 (1967)
• Jackson Ain't A Very Big Town, RCA LPM-3836 (1967)
• Heaven's Just A Prayer Away, RCA LPM-3910 (1968)
• Body And Mind, RCA LPM-3977 (1968)
• Love's A Woman's Job, RCA LSP-4060 (1968)
• Country Giants, RCA LSP-4146 (1969)
• Another Man Loved Me Last Night, RCA LSP-4351 (1970
• It's Time For Norma Jean, RCA LSP-4446 (1970)
• Norma Jean, RCA LSP-4510 (1971)
• Sings Hank Cochran Songs, RCA LSP-4587 (1971)
• Thank You For Loving Me, RCA LSP-4691 (1972)
• I Guess That Comes From Being Poor, RCA LSP-4745 (1972)
• The Only Way To Hold Your Man, RCA APL1-0170 (1973)

Researched, written and compiled by Richard Bell. Roots of Country Music. Jun., 15, 201o.