Whatever happened to the country singer Norma Jean? She was on The Porter Wagoner Show.
—Edmund R., Ohio
Norma Jean moved to Branson, Mo. (pop. 6,050), about three years ago, where her big project is The Cowboy Church, a come-as-you-are, non-denominational church that provides a healthy dose of country gospel music. “It’s more music than preaching,” says Norma Jean, who also has a new CD, I’m the Loneliest Star In Texas, which includes her hits Let’s Go All The Way and Go Cat Go, as well as some new material. Born Norma Jean Beasley, she started playing guitar at age 5 when her family moved from Wellston, Okla. (pop. 825), to Oklahoma City, where she grew up. By age 13, she had her own radio show on KLPR. She became a regular on Red Foley’s Ozark Jubilee television show in 1958 and dropped her surname. She moved to Nashville, Tenn., in 1960, becoming the featured vocalist with Porter Wagoner on both his network television show and also on the Grand Ole Opry. She had several hits that charted before she married in 1967 and left the show. Most recently, she performed reunion shows with Wagoner and Buck Trent in Parsons, Kan. (pop. 11,514), and West Plains, Mo. (pop. 10,866).
