Norma Jean

Norma Jean Beasler (born January 30, 1938), known professionally as Norma Jean, is an American singer who found popularity in the country music genre. She was also known for her collaboration with Porter Wagoner (preceding Dolly Parton) on his television program and touring shows during the 1960s. Her solo recordings also became commercially successful and discussed themes about the working class and women's independence.

Raised in Oklahoma, Norma Jean got her start performing on local radio. With the help of childhood friend and future singer, Wanda Jackson, she became a cast member of the Ozark Jubilee television show in 1955. She also met Wagoner on the show, who made her a cast member of his newly-created television program in 1960. Her popularity with Wagoner's show led to a recording contract with RCA Victor. The label issued a series of singles during the 1960s that made the US country songs chart, including the top-20 "Let's Go All the Way" and the top-10 single "Go Cat Go". RCA also released a series of studio albums of Norma Jean's material during the 1960s, most of which made the US country albums chart. She also became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry during the decade.

Norma Jean left Wagoner's show in 1967 but continued recording for RCA through 1973, releasing about a dozen more albums with the label. She later left the cast of the Grand Ole Opry and went into a period of semi-retirement in Oklahoma during the second half of the 1970s. She married and divorced three times during this period as well. In 1983, she returned to country music industry where she released an album that was sold on television. Norma Jean also became more religious and began performing gospel music later in life. In 2005, her first album of new material in several decades was released called The Loneliest Star in Texas. Her most recent album was issued in 2014 and titled Aged to Perfection. She was later inducted into Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2013.