Leona Williams
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Leona Williams | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leona Belle Helton |
| Born | January 7, 1943 |
| Origin | Vienna, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, Honky Tonk |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals Bass guitar Acoustic Guitar |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Labels | Hickory MCA Elektra |
Leona Belle Helton (born January 7, 1943, in Vienna, Missouri, United States) is an American country music singer known professionally as Leona Williams. Active since 1958, Williams has been a backing musician for Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard and The Strangers. She also charted eight times on Hot Country Songs, with her only Top 40 hit being a duet with Haggard titled "The Bull and the Beaver."[1]
Biography
[edit]Leona Belle Helton was born January 7, 1943, in Vienna, Missouri.[2] Active in her family's band since childhood, she had a radio program on KWOS in Jefferson City, Missouri, when she was fifteen.[2] Later, she worked as a bass guitarist and backing vocalist in Loretta Lynn's road band.
In 1968, Williams signed to the Hickory record label and released two singles: "Once More" and "Country Girl with Hot Pants On."[2] In 1976, she recorded the album San Quentin's First Lady for MCA Records, which was the first country album recorded by a female artist inside a prison.[2]
In the mid-1970s, Williams joined Merle Haggard's road band The Strangers, supplanting his estranged wife, Bonnie Owens. She wrote several of Haggard's songs, including two of his No. 1 hits, "Someday When Things Are Good", and "You Take Me For Granted". She also wrote songs for Connie Smith ("Dallas"), Loretta Lynn ("Get Whatcha Got And Go"), Tammy Wynette ("Broad-Minded") and George Jones ("Best Friends"), among others. In 1978, Williams and Haggard charted in the country Top Ten with the song "The Bull and the Beaver."[2] In 1981, she charted another duet with Haggard titled "We're Strangers Again."[3]
Williams continues to tour with her son, Ron Williams.[4] In 2017, she won the Honky Tonk Female honour at the Ameripolitan Music Awards.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Between 1978 and 1983, Williams was married to Merle Haggard. In 1985, she married singer-songwriter Dave Kirby[3] and remained married to him until his 2004 death. From 2005, she was with Ferlin Husky, and remained with him for the last six years of his life.
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Year | Album information | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 1970 | That Williams Girl
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— |
| 1972 | The Best Of Leona Williams
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— |
| 1976 | San Quentin's First Lady (with The Strangers)
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— |
| 1983 | Heart to Heart (with Merle Haggard)
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44 |
| 1984 | Someday When Things Are Good
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— |
| 1999 | Melted Down Memories
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— |
| 2001 | Old Love Never Dies (with Merle Haggard)
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— |
| 2002 | This is Leona Williams Country (with Merle Haggard)
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— |
| 2004 | Honorary Texan
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— |
| 2005 | I Love You Because
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— |
| 2008 | Sings Merle Haggard
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— |
| 2008 | New Patches
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— |
| 2011 | Grass Roots
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| 2011 | Duets
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| 2012 | By George This is...Leona Williams
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— |
| 2013 | Yes Ma'm, He Found Me in a Honky Tonk
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— |
| 2022 | Keepin' It Country
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— |
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [3] | |||
| "A Woman's Man" | 1968 | — | That Williams Girl |
| "Papa's Medicine Show" | — | ||
| "They'll Never Take His Love from Me" | 1969 | — | |
| "Once More" | 66 | ||
| "Baby, We're Really in Love" | — | ||
| "When I Stop Dreaming" | 1970 | — | |
| "Yes Ma'am, He Found Me in a Honky Tonk" | — | — | |
| "Watch Her Go" | — | ||
| "Somewhere Inside" | 1971 | — | |
| "Country Girl with Hot Pants On" | 52 | ||
| "Country Music in My Soul" | — | ||
| "Happy Anniversary, Baby" | 1972 | — | |
| "Out of Hand" | — | ||
| "I'd Rather Die" | 1973 | — | |
| "I Can't Tell My Heart That" | — | ||
| "Your Shoeshine Girl" | 93 | ||
| "Anything Goes ('Til Everything's Gone)" | — | ||
| "I'm Not Supposed to Love You Anymore" | 1974 | — | |
| "Just Like a Prayer" | — | ||
| "Shape Up or Ship Out" | 1975 | — | |
| "I Wonder Where I'll Find You at Tonight" | 1976 | — | San Quentin's First Lady |
| "San Quentin" | — | ||
| "Mama, I've Got to Go to Memphis" | 1978 | — | — |
| "Bright Morning Light" | — | ||
| "The Baby Song" | 1979 | 92 | |
| "Good Nights Make Good Mornings" | — | ||
| "Any Port in a Storm" | 1980 | — | |
| "I'm Almost Ready" | 1981 | 54 | |
| "You Can't Find Many Kisses" | — | ||
| "Always Late with Your Kisses" | 84 | ||
| "Rock Me to Sleep" | 1986 | — | A Taste of Life |
| "No Love Line" | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Collaborative singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [3] |
CAN Country [6] | |||
| "The Bull and the Beaver" (with Merle Haggard) |
1978 | 8 | 25 | — |
| "We're Strangers Again" (with Merle Haggard) |
1983 | 42 | — | Heart to Heart |
| "Waitin' for the Good Life to Come" (with Merle Haggard) |
— | — | ||
| "It's Cold in California" (with Merle Haggard) |
1984 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Leona Williams". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Loftus, Johnny. "Leona Williams biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 467–468. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "Leona Williams". Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Vinson, Christina (16 February 2017). "2017 Ameripolitan Music Awards Winners Crowned". The Boot.
- ^ "Search results for Leona Williams under "Country Singles"". RPM. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
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