JEANNIE C. RILEY
Jeannie From Anson, Recorded A Somewhat Controversial Song For It's Time, A Tom T. Hall Tune, "Harper Valley PTA". The Timing Was Right,The Arrangement Was Right, & The Singing Was Right Resulting In A Smash Hit That Went to #1, On Both The Country And Pop Charts, Selling 6 Million Copies. Maybe The Public Expects Too Much On Follow-Up Singles Of This Magnitude, And Contrary To What Most People Think, Jeannie Recorded Many More Country Hits, 22 To Be Exact, And Even Wrote Over 75 Songs. One Of Her Own Compositions "Gone With The West Texas Wind" May Have Something To Say About Her Early Years. She Had Already Moved To Nashville, Leaving Behind The West Texas Winds, And Was Working In And Around Recording Studios When She Was Given The Chance To Do "Harper Valley". Jeannie Had Wanted To Be A Country Singer Since She Was A Child.
In The Early Years She Sang In Her Uncle Johnny Moore's Band That Included Steel Player Weldon Myrick, Once A Month, At The Jones County Jamboree In Truby (Near Abilene). At The End Of Her Senior Year, Anson, Texas, Jeannie Stephenson Married Her High School Sweetheart, Mickey Riley, And They Moved To Nashville. In Nashville Mickey Worked Long Hours At A Service Station While Jeannie Walked Music Row With Demo Tape In Hand. After Many Months Of Frustrations, False Promises From Record Promoters, And Personal Problems, Jeannie Recorded A Novelty Song That Would Change Her Life, Entitled "The Old Town Drunk". The Record Was Played For Shelby Singleton Who Immediately Thought About Jeannie For Tom T. Hall's New Composition. Jeannie C. Riley's Life-Long Dream Had Finally Arrived. Waiting In The Studio For Her When She Got Off From Work On This Friday Were Some Of Nashville's Top Session People. (Plus A Song Written By One Of Nashville's Best And A Top Producer) On The 2nd Take, The Last Line Was Changed To: "The Day My Moma SOCKED IT To The Harper Valley P.T.A" And This Became The Master.
Note: Johnny Moore Is Listed In The 1998 Texas Music Directory (Music Pioneer Section) Weldon Myrick Was Raised In Jayton And Performed Some With Buddy Holly. In 1960 He Moved To Big Spring Where He And Ben Hall Had TV Shows. Sometime In The 60's He Moved To Nashville And Became A Member Of The Grand Ole Opry Staff Band. And Jeannie? Won A Grammy In 1968.
Stamford, Texas
Most Famous Native Daughter,
Miss Jeannie C. Riley
With The President Of The United States, Jimmy Carter (1980)
