In 1968, country singer Jeannie C. Riley scored a massive international hit with her debut single, “Harper Valley PTA.” The song sold more than 6 million copies and made Riley the first woman to top both the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.S. Hot Country Singles charts with the same song. Around the same time, another woman trying to break into country music also recorded the Tom T. Hall-penned track. Her name was Billie Jo Spears, and while none of her songs achieved the widespread recognition of “Harper Valley PTA,” she was certainly a force to be reckoned with on Music Row. Today we’re taking a closer look at the life and career of Billie Jo Spears, who died of cancer on this day in 2011 at age 73.
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Born Jan. 14, 1938 into a blue-collar family in Beaumont, Texas, Spears first performed publicly at age 13. At some point, she was discovered by songwriter and talent scout Jack Rhodes, who helped her land an appearance on the Louisiana Hayride TV show. Her performance attracted the attention of the Abbott label. Spears released her first single “Too Old for Toys, Too Young for Boys” in 1953 at age 15.
Billie Jo Spears Sang Directly to Assertive Women
Deciding to try her luck in Nashville, Spears (born Billie Jean Moore) recorded for United Artists and Capitol. In 1969, she cracked the Top 10 with “Mr. Walker, It’s All Over.” The song chronicled the tale of a New York City secretary who fought back against sexual harassment and workplace discrimination.
With her first Top 10 hit, Billie Jo Spears had tapped into the same well as artists like Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Self-assured women became a recurring theme in her work. “She sang anthems for women about women asserting themselves,” her sister-in-law, Debbie Smith, told the Beaumont Enterprise after Spears’ death.
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Her second single, 1975’s “Blanket on the Ground,” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart and reached No. 6 on the UK pop charts. In a similar vein to her first hit, “Blanket on the Ground” took the perspective of a middle-aged woman looking to reignite the “spark” in her marriage. It was reportedly rejected by several producers for its overtly sexual themes. Which, if anything, made it a perfect fit for Billie Jo Spears.
Although many of her songs flirted with pop territory, Spears always stood firm in her country roots. “I have no desire to be a pop artist,” she said, according to the Guardian. “I couldn’t go pop with a mouthful of firecrackers.”
Featured image by David Redfern/Redferns
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