Replacing Jan Howard as the “girl singer” on The Bill Anderson Show, Mary Lou Turner and Bill Anderson became a formidable duo. In the late 1970s, the pair recorded two albums and charted four duets, including the number-one hit “Sometimes” in 1976. But Turner was also a country star in her own right, sending two solo singles to the top 40 that same year. Today we’re diving into the life and career of Mary Lou Turner, born in Hazard, Kentucky, on this day (June 13) in 1947.
About Mary Lou Turner: The Early Years
Mary Lou Turner was just an infant when her parents left the mountains of Kentucky for Dayton, Ohio. As a teenager, she made guest appearances on the popular Cincinnati-based radio program Midwestern Hayride.
Videos by American Songwriter
After graduating from high school, Turner landed a recurring role on the Wheeling Jamboree. During her eight-year stint with the program, she recorded an album on the Jamboree label.
Her big break arrived in 1973, when Bill Anderson’s longtime female vocalist, Jan Howard, left to pursue a solo career full-time. Turner took her place, joining both his touring show and syndicated TV series.
In 1976, the pair released their collaborative debut Sometimes, produced by the legendary Owen Bradley.
The album reached number six on the country charts and spawned a chart-topping hit in the title track, which Anderson wrote while riding on a bus in England: Hello, Beautiful, are you married? Sometimes / Tell me, are you happy? Yes, sometimes.
Also from Sometimes, “That’s What Made Me Love You” climbed to number seven on the U.S. country charts.
The following year, Anderson and Turner released their only other duet album, Billy Boy and Mary Lou. Two of the LP’s singles—”Where Are You Going, Billy Boy” and “I’m Way Ahead of You”—reached numbers 18 and 25, respectively.
In addition to her work with Anderson, Mary Lou Turner also recorded a handful of solo singles. Her highest-charting entry, “It’s Different with You”, reached number 25 on the U.S. country chart in 1976.
Where Is She Now?
In the mid-1980s, Mary Lou Turner and her husband, pianist David Byrd, moved to Branson, Missouri.
[RELATED: “Freak Accident” Forces 87-Year-Old Country Legend To Cancel Grand Ole Opry Performance]
The couple spent several seasons performing at country singer-songwriter Boxcar Willie’s theater.
Featured image by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images