LifeNotes: Veteran Music Row Personality Ruth White Passes

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Ruth White (Front row, far left), along with her fellow SOURCE Honorees in 2010, Frances W. Preston, Carol Phillips, Liz Thiels, Celia Froehlig, and Sherytha Scaife. Photo: Denise Fussell

Ruth White (front row, far left), along with her fellow SOURCE Honorees in 2010, including Frances W. Preston, Carol Phillips, Liz Thiels, Celia Froehlig, and Sherytha Scaife. Photo: Denise Fussell

Ruth B. White has passed away at age 87.

A 2010 SOURCE honoree, White spent her life involved in the music business, working in publishing, office management, record label operations and music retailing. Late in life, she became a country historian with several published books.

She began her career as a teenager playing piano in a Nashville dance band led by Bill Wiseman. She graduated from East Nashville High School in 1947 and majored in music at Ward-Belmont College. She then played piano to sell sheet music at Strobel’s Music Shop in the Arcade downtown. At the time, this was Nashville’s leading music emporium.

She next managed Zibarts’ record store. By the 1960s, she was employed at WSM radio’s Music Library. Steel guitarist Howard White (1926-2008) approached her to run his publishing company, Locomotive Music, in 1964. She married him a year later.

Ruth White spent the bulk of her career as a copyright administrator. Among the songwriters she aided were Carmol Taylor, Norro Wilson, Sonny James, Gary Gentry, Joe Stampley and the Nashville Superpickers.

But her odyssey also includes stints with Hickory Records, October Records, Sounds of Nashville, Reed Music, Inc. and Sound Factory Records. By the mid-1980s, Ruth White was running Porter Wagoner Enterprises, handling the star’s publishing, booking and production operations. Next, she worked at Country International Records, an independent label owned by Sherman Ford.

Husband Howard White yearned to tell the story of his life in country music as a picker for Country Music Hall of Fame greats Hank Snow, Don Gibson, Minnie Pearl, Jim Reeves, Ferlin Husky, Jean Shepard, Grandpa Jones, Mel Tillis and others. So Ruth co-wrote Every Highway Out of Nashville with him. In 1990, it was published as her first book.

Her subsequent music-history books included The Original Goober (with Goober Buchanan, 2004), You Can Make It If You Try (with Ted Jarrett, 2005), Nashville Steeler (with Don Davis, 2012), Every Highway Out of Nashville Volume Two (2014) and Knoxville’s Merry-Go-Round (2016).

She was honored by SOURCE as one of the behind-the-scenes women who built Music City. Her fellow 2010 honorees of that organization were Liz Thiels, Celia Froehlig, Sherytha Scaife, Frances Preston and Carol Phillips.

Ruth Carolyn Bland White died on Dec. 30, 2016. She is survived by son Robert C. Kirkham and by daughter Kathleen E. White. Per her wishes, no services will be held. Contributions to any local animal shelter in her name are welcomed.

 

‘Hee Haw’s’ Gordie Tapp Dead At Age 94

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gordie_tappCanadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Gordie Tapp has passed away at the age of 94.

He is best known in the U.S. for his long-running tenure in the cast of the Hee Haw country comedy TV series. The show aired for an impressive 25 years, first as a network series and then in syndication. It was launched in 1969 and endured until 1994.

Tapp portrayed “Cousin Clem” on the show, a member of the “Culhane family.” These deadpan characters sat on a parlor sofa and humorously related their tribulations. He and Archie Campbell also sang and spoke the “Pfft! You Was Gone” and the “Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me” segments each week on the telecasts.

Tapp also starred in the “Samuel B. Sternwheeler” bits, offering nonsensical homilies. Following his ridiculous recitations he would be hit over the head with a rubber chicken or be handed an exploding bomb that left him covered in soot. “Sternwheeler” was also the plantation daddy of Marianne Gordon’s pampered Southern-belle character.

He was the proprietor of the fictional Kornfield Kounty establishment “Gordie’s General Store,” wherein he traded comedic banter with his incompetent employee Gailard Sartain. He partnered with Roni Stoneman to enact the squabbling backwoods couple “LaVern and Ida Lee Nagger.” And like the other cast members, he popped up to deliver one-liners in the show’s cornfield set.

Gordie Tapp and his fellow cast member Charlie Farquharson were both already well known in their native Canada prior to Hee Haw. Tapp had been a broadcast personality for years. During the 1950s, he was a founding cast member of Main Street Jamboree, a radio and TV series produced in Hamilton, Ontario. Between 1956 and 1965, he hosted the national CBC radio program Country Hoedown.

Despite his TV success in the U.S., Tapp was resolute about staying in his homeland. He was very proudly a Canadian.

After Hee Haw ended, he appeared in TV commercials for Ultramafic beds. He also raised funds for Easter Seals and for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He annually portrayed Santa Claus on the Hamilton radio station CHML, taking calls from children and talking to them about their Christmas wishes.

In recent years, Gordie Tapp and his wife were residents of a Canadian retirement center. He died there on Sunday, Dec. 18. He is survived by his wife Helen and his children Kate, Jeff and Barbara.

UMPG On Andrew Dorff: ‘A Heart of Gold and Unparalleled Talent’

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umpg-dorff

 

Universal Music Publishing Group today issued a statement about the unexpected passing of their songwriter and friend Andrew Dorff.

Today we mourn the tragic loss of prolific songwriter Andrew Dorff, a man with a heart of gold and an unparalleled talent for songwriting.

He was beloved in the Nashville community. To us, he was family and a fixture in our office and in our writers rooms. As a songwriter he was extremely gifted and dedicated to the craft. It wasn’t unusual for Andrew to have two, or even three co-writing sessions a day.

So many great Nashville artists recorded his songs including Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Jake Owen, Cole Swindell, and The Cadillac Three. Most recently Andrew co-wrote four No. 1 country singles: by Kenny Chesney (“Save It For A Rainy Day”), two by Blake Shelton (“My Eyes” and “Neon Light”), and Hunter Hayes (“Somebody’s Heartbreak”).

Yet with all his success, Andrew remained so humble and giving. He never met a stranger, nor walked away from anyone who needed help. He was an incredible mentor to younger writers. Everybody in Nashville reminisces how Andrew always packed an extra sandwich for his co-writer each day. He never wanted anyone to go hungry.

Finally, he was a brilliant lyricist with a process that he described as staring at a highway of words streaming across the ceiling. He said he would just simply reach out and grab the ones that fit together.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Andrew Dorff. We will truly miss our friend and hold him in our hearts.

Statement from Kent Earls, EVP/General Manager, Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville: “Andrew Dorff was family to all of us at UMPG Nashville. We’re completely heartbroken and saddened. His words will forever live in song and his light will forever shine on. Our thoughts and prayers are with Steve and the rest of the Dorff family.”

Statement from Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group: “I’ve known Andrew’s dad, songwriter Steve Dorff, for many years. It was Steve who introduced me to Andrew in his early 20’s. We lost him too soon. My heart sincerely goes out to his family and all the people who loved him.”

Statement from Jody Williams, BMI, VP, Writer Publisher Relations, Nashville: “The BMI Family is incredibly shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of songwriter Andrew Dorff. The Nashville music business community will miss his kind and generous spirit, his unparalleled talent, and his gift of friendship. BMI was so fortunate to be a part of his career from the very beginning. Whether swinging by our office for a quick meeting or receiving an award at our annual dinner, Andrew’s presence was always a welcome one in the room. He will be sorely missed by our entire staff.”

Pictured (L-R): Front Row: BMI’s Phil Graham and Jody Williams, BMI songwriter Andrew Dorff, Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls. Back Row: BMI’s Bradley Collins, business manager Anna Marsh, Universal Music Publishing’s Cindi Forman, Missy Roberts, BMI Songwriter Steve Dorff, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Universal Music Publishing’s Travis Gordon and Ron Stuve. Photo: Steve Lowry

Andrew Dorff and his team in July 2016 at Park Cafe, when he was honored with four BMI Million-Air Awards. Pictured (L-R): Front Row: BMI’s Phil Graham and Jody Williams, BMI songwriter Andrew Dorff, Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls. Back Row: BMI’s Bradley Collins, business manager Anna Marsh, Universal Music Publishing’s Cyndi Forman, Missy Roberts, BMI Songwriter Steve Dorff, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Universal Music Publishing’s Travis Gordon and Ron Stuve. Photo: Steve Lowry

LifeNotes: Hit Songwriter Mark Gray Passes

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Mark Gray

Mark Gray

Singer-songwriter Mark Gray has died at age 64.

As a Columbia Records artist in the 1980s, Gray had five Top 10 country hits. He also co-wrote big hit singles for Alabama, Janie Fricke, Gary Morris and several other stars.

He was born Mark Eugene Gray, the youngest of seven children in Vicksburg, Mississippi. His mother died when he was two years old, and he was raised by an aunt and uncle in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

His aunt was a gospel singer, and Mark Gray was brought up in a strict, religious environment. He began playing piano as a youngster and was soon performing with gospel groups.

As a teenager, he competed and became a finalist on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour in Memphis. Gray also worked as a commercial jingle singer early in his career.

By the early 1970s, he had formed a gospel group called The Revelations. While performing in it, he was spotted by The Oak Ridge Boys in 1972. The group brought him to Nashville to work for its publishing company and to fill in as its occasional piano accompanist on the road.

mark-gray-magicGray then joined the gospel act The Downings. He recalled that the group fired him after one of its members saw him having a beer. He spent the next several years developing his songwriting while performing in nightclubs in Jackson, Mississippi.

He was invited to join the rock band Exile in 1979. He remained with the group until 1982, and co-wrote its first country single, “The High Cost of Leaving.”

Janie Fricke recorded Gray’s co-written “It Ain’t Easy Being Easy” and made it a No. 1 hit in 1982. Alabama had chart-topping successes with his co-written “Take Me Down” (1982) and “The Closer You Get” (1983). Gary Morris hit the Top 10 with Gray’s “Second Hand Heart” in 1984.

By then, Mark Gray had been signed as a solo artist by Columbia Records. He debuted on the country charts in 1983 with “It Ain’t Real” and “Wounded Hearts,” both of which he co-wrote. That winter, he was featured on the first country music Caribbean cruise, headlined by Ricky Skaggs, Reba McEntire and The Whites.

The label poured promotional money into Gray’s career, showcasing him in Chicago with media flown in, placing his albums prominently in stores, touring him with top pop stars, offering radio-station giveaways and funding concept videos. Gray’s extended clip for “Left Side of the Bed” made history as country’s first mini-movie music video. In 1984, the song became his first Top 10 hit.

“If All the Magic Is Gone” (1984) and “Diamond in the Dust” (1984) also became top-10 country successes for him. Mark Gray scored his biggest hit in 1985 via a duet with Tammy Wynette on a remake of the Dan Hill pop song “Sometimes When We Touch.” Later in that year, he had his final top-10 hit, “Please Be Love.”

He continued to provide successful songs to other artists. Melissa Manchester’s “Nice Girls” (1983) and Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Til You and Your Lover Are Lovers Again” (1983) were both co-written by Mark Gray.

Others who recorded his songs include Tanya Tucker, George Jones, Razzy Bailey, The Temptations, Ray Stevens, Aretha Franklin, Lobo, Mac Davis, Shelly West, Rita Coolidge, Helen Cornelius, Steve Winwood, Don King, The Four Tops and Dobie Gray.

Mark Gray’s Columbia albums were Magic (1983), This Ole Piano (1984) and That Feeling Inside (1986). He left the company in 1987 and thereafter recorded for independent labels. His later work included duets with singer Bobbi Lace.

Mark Gray passed away on Friday, Dec. 2. Visitation with the family began yesterday afternoon and continues on Monday from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. The funeral service will follow at Sellars Funeral Home in Lebanon, Tennessee. Mark Gray will be buried in Learned, Mississippi.

Lifenotes: Tony Martell, Founder of T.J. Martell Foundation

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t-j-martellTony Martell, founder of the T.J. Martell Foundation for leukemia, cancer and AIDs research, died on Sunday, Nov. 27. He was 90.

Martell launched the T.J. Martell Foundation in 1975, in honor of his son T.J., who died at age 19 after battling leukemia.

Tony Martell was a music industry senior executive from the 1960s through the 1990s. He earned Executive Producer credits on more than 50 albums from artists including The Isley Brothers, The O’Jays, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more. He was instrumental in bringing Stevie Ray Vaughn and Ozzy Osbourne to Epic Records. In the 1980s, Martell was head of the imprint label CBS Associated Records, where he continued working with Osbourne and signed artists including Joan Jett to the label.

The T.J. Martell Foundation has raised more than $270 million to date for scientific research.

His wife of 65 years, Vicky, died in February. Martell is survived by daughter Debbie Martell.

Memorial plans have not yet been announced.

Songwriter Mentor Williams Passes

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Paul Williams and Mentor Williams

Paul Williams and Mentor Williams

Mentor Williams, songwriter of the Dobie Gray song, “Drift Away,” died Wednesday (Nov. 16) in Taos, New Mexico.

The 1973 classic was revived by Uncle Kracker in 2003 and became a major hit for the second time. “Drift Away” has been covered by artists including Roy Orbison, Rod Stewart, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks Ray Charles, Michael Bolton, Bruce Springsteen, a country version by Narvel Felts and a gospel version by Lynn Anderson.

A longtime songwriter and producer, Williams’ other credits include Alabama’s “When We Make Love,” Eddy Raven’s “She’s Gonna Win Your Heart,” and Randy Travis and George Jones’ “A Few Ole Country Boys.”

Through the years, the award-winning songwriter worked in Los Angeles, Nashville and London at Apple Studios. His film music work ranged from The Muppet Movie to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Williams is the brother of ASCAP President Paul Williams. He resided in Taos with Lynn Anderson until her death in 2015.

LifeNotes: Rock Legend Leon Russell Dies In Nashville

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Leon Russell

Leon Russell

 

 

Original post, published on Nov. 14, 2016 at 8:58 a.m.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame member Leon Russell passed away on Sunday (Nov. 13) at his Nashville-area home.

Russell, 74, was recovering from heart-bypass surgery he underwent in July. His wife Jan Bridges reported yesterday that he died in his sleep.

The legendary singer, songwriter and pianist is best known for such pop hits as “Tight Rope,” “Lady Blue” and “Back to the Island.” But he also had country success with records made as “Hank Wilson.” And he won many kudos for his collaborations with Willie Nelson, New Grass Revival and Elton John, among others.

Born Claude Russell Bridges in 1942, Leon Russell was a native of Lawton, Oklahoma who began playing piano at age 3. Lying about his age, he played at dances and nightclubs in Texas and Oklahoma in 1956-57. Still a teenager, he moved to Los Angeles in 1959 to seek a career as a professional musician.

By the early 1960s, his abilities on piano, trumpet, guitar, bass and other instruments had made him a sought-after session musician. He backed The Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Rita Coolidge, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, The Monkees, The Ventures and more.

Russell played on The Byrds hit “Mr. Tambourine Man,” on Herb Alpert’s instrumental “A Taste of Honey” and “California Girls” by The Beach Boys and “Surf City” by Jan & Dean. Russell played on all of the hits recorded by Gary Lewis & The Playboys and also co-wrote the group’s hits “Everybody Loves a Clown” (1965) and “(You Don’t Have to) Paint Me a Picture” (1966).

He was in the house band for the 1964 rock movie The T.A.M.I. Show. He was a member of The Shindogs, the backing musicians in the network pop TV series Shindig.

After a number of unsuccessful solo records, Russell teamed up with musician Mark Benno to form The Asylum Choir in the late 1960s. He also performed on the records, concerts and TV appearances of Delaney & Bonnie.

Pictured (L-R): Leon Russell, Willie Nelson, and Charlie Monk. Photo: Courtesy Charlie Monk

Pictured (L-R): Leon Russell, Willie Nelson, and Charlie Monk. Photo: Courtesy Charlie Monk

Through Delaney & Bonnie, Russell became acquainted with Joe Cocker. He was soon leading Cocker’s band and recording sessions. In addition, he provided the singer with the 1969 hit “Delta Lady.” Russell’s reputation was also enhanced by his organization of Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour, album and documentary film.

Striking out on his own again, Leon Russell released his first solo album in 1970. Titled Leon Russell, it contained his ballad “A Song for You.” More than 100 other artists have since recorded this song. The LP also contained Russell’s “Hummingbird,” which became a 1970 hit for B.B. King.

Russell took part in 1971’s all-star Concert for Bangladesh in New York’s Madison Square Garden. This event co-starred George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar and Ringo Starr alongside Russell. Its resulting recording won the Grammy Award as Album of the Year.

In 1971, The Carpenters scored a huge pop hit with “Superstar.” The song was co-written by Russell with Bonnie Bramlett.

Russell earned his first solo Gold record for his 1971 LP Leon Russell and The Shelter People. His second came for the 1972 LP Carney, which contained his hit “Tight Rope.” His tour with this music led Billboard to name him the world’s top concert attraction of 1973. Appropriately, he earned his third consecutive Gold record for 1973’s Leon Live.

He changed direction that year with the release of his country debut, Hank Wilson’s Back. Its tracks “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms” and “A Six Pack to Go” both made the country charts. He shifted gears again with the 1974 collection Stop All That Jazz.

Russell returned to the pop hit parade with his 1975 hit “Lady Blue” and its 1976 follow-ups “Back to the Island” and “Rainbow in Your Eyes.” He wrote all three singles. His 1975 LP Will o’ the Wisp earned him his fourth Gold Record. The Best of Leon Russell (1976) was his fifth.

George Benson earned a Record of the Year Grammy Award for singing Russell’s song “This Masquerade” in 1976. But Russell’s own new recordings — 1976’s The Wedding Album (with then-wife Mary McCreary), 1977s Make Love to the Music (with McCreary) and 1978’s Americana — received comparatively little attention.

His reputation as a live performer remained high, however. With his mane of white hair, ringmaster top hat, tent-revival intensity and dramatic flare, he was a charismatic stage presence. He was dubbed “The Master of Space and Time” and attracted a fanatical following dubbed Leon Lifers.

In 1978-79, he toured with Willie Nelson. These concerts were widely praised and highly successful. A 1979 double LP titled One for the Road documented them, yielded the No. 1 country smash duet “Heartbreak Hotel” and became his sixth Gold Record.

Leon Russell married the former Janet Lee Constantine in 1979. They relocated to Nashville shortly afterward.

He embarked on a second series of acclaimed concerts in 1980-81. These were in collaboration with New Grass Revival and were also preserved on vinyl.

Leon Russell issued a steady stream of solo albums in the 1980s and 1990s, including three more as “Hank Wilson.” In 1993, Ray Charles won an r&b Grammy for his rendition of Russell’s “A Song for You.” Russell, himself, won a country instrumental Grammy in 2001 for “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” from the CD Earl Scruggs and Friends.

He enjoyed a huge career revival in 2010, thanks to The Union, a duet CD with longtime admirer Elton John. The album was produced by T Bone Burnett and led to a joint tour by the piano-playing greats.

Leon Russell was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. This was also the year he was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Russell’s solo comeback CD appeared in 2014. It was titled Life Journey. In 2015 came the release of A Poem Is a Naked Person, a documentary film about him that been shot by Les Blank in 1973-75, but never before released.

Leon Russell was honored by the Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) last Wednesday. This was for his lifetime of achievements as a live performer and top showman. At the time of his death, he was planning to return to the road in January.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by six children — Blue, Teddy Jack, Tina Rose, Sugaree, Honey and Coco.

Funeral services were open to the public and conducted on Friday, Nov. 18 at Victory Baptist Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, beginning at 1 p.m. CT. Visitation was private.

 

 

LifeNotes: Holly Dunn Passes In New Mexico

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Holly Dunn

Holly Dunn

Country singer Holly Dunn has lost her battle to ovarian cancer, surrounded by family and friends at a hospice facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 59 year old was diagnosed with a rare form of the cancer in February of this year.

“Daddy’s Hands,” Dunn’s self-written, breakthrough 1986 hit, earned recognition from the singer ACM, BMI, CMA and the Grand Ole Opry.

In the early 1990s, Dunn left Nashville to pursue a career as a visual artist but spoke with MusicRow in an article released earlier this month surrounding the 30th anniversary of “Daddy’s Hands.” In part, the interview touched on Dunn’s diagnosis and treatment.

“Since February 2016, I’ve been dealing with a rare form of ovarian cancer,” said Dunn.
“That was a fork in the road I never saw coming. I’m still making and selling my artwork, but my biggest daily focus is on my health, and frankly, trying to stay alive. I’m hanging tough and keeping a positive attitude and a grateful heart. None of us really know what lies ahead for us no matter how many plans we make.

“This may sound weird, but while I hate having it, this disease has taught me so much about what is really important in life, and how truly valuable it is to live in the present. So much of my music career was spent worrying about the next song, the next hit, the next show, the next…whatever. Now I just wake up every day feeling so incredibly blessed that I can look at this amazingly beautiful world, feel the sunshine on my face and the love of my family, friends and countless others out there who are praying for me. They don’t give awards for that. Life is its own gift.”

LifeNotes: Music Industry Veteran Jerry Wayne Flowers Passes

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Jerry Wayne Flowers

Jerry Wayne Flowers

Jerry Wayne Flowers, who spent 30 years as a Music Row executive, has died at age 68.

Flowers is best known for his stints at RCA Records and the Opryland Music Group. In later years, he became known as a local, right-wing political gadfly.

He majored in journalism at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. In the late 1970s, he became one of the pioneering Nashville record-label publicists when he was hired by Jerry Bradley at RCA Records. As the company’s publicity director, he facilitated Dolly Parton’s landmark cover story in Playboy magazine.

By 1981, he was RCA’s manager of country artist development. At the time, Flowers urged the company to sign The Judds.
Joe Galante took over the label in 1982. Flowers and the rest of Bradley’s team soon departed the label to be replaced by a Galante-chosen staff.

Next, Flowers was put in charge of the new Nashville office of the Oklahoma-based booking agency The Halsey Company. He was a Halsey vice president in 1984-85.

After Gaylord bought Acuff-Rose Publishing in 1985, Jerry Bradley was put in charge of the newly formed Opryland Music Group. He again hired Flowers, who joined OMG as a vice president in 1987.

While at the publishing company, Jerry Flowers successfully pitched its songwriter, Aaron Tippin, to RCA as a recording artist. He left OMG suddenly in 1997 with neither side commenting on his exodus. Sony-ATV bought the OMG/Acuff-Rose catalog in 2002.

Flowers became a self-employed consultant in intellectual property and marketing by forming The Flowers Group. Around 2002-2003, he became a conservative activist. He founded a Christian group called Nashvillians for a Brighter Future. Flowers particularly focused on being an anti-homosexual rights campaigner.

Despite being a longtime resident of Williamson County, he regularly chastised Nashville’s Metro Human Relations Commission. Flowers was also a frequent opinion-letter contributor to The Tennessean. His most recent targets have included Hillary Clinton’s emails and the Affordable Care Act.

Jerry Wayne Flowers passed away on Nov. 7. He is survived by his wife, Sharon Huff Flowers, son Tyler, daughter Megan Tull, father Pernell Flowers and sisters Donna Barnett and Teresa Burnette.

A celebration of life is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home. Visitation will take place two hours prior to the service.

LifeNotes: Country/Pop Singer Kay Starr Dies At 94

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starr-bright

Kay Starr, an artist who hopscotched back and forth through the jazz, country, pop, blues, and rock worlds throughout the ’50s with hits like “Wheel Of Fortune” and “Rock And Roll Waltz,” passed away on Thursday (Nov. 3)  from complications of Alzheimer’s at her home in Los Angeles, according to the New York Times. She was 94.

Her career began as a teen and ran all the way into her ’80s, and included initial success as a big-band era singer who hit it big as a pop/country artist, then scored one of her biggest hits during the emerging rock scene of the mid-1950s.

She was born Katherine Laverne Starks on July 21, 1922, in Dougherty, Oklahoma, to an Irish-American mother and a Native American father, and by seven was already appearing on local radio with her own show twice a week.  Moving to Los Angeles after high school, she signed with Capitol Records in 1947 and released her breakthrough hit, “You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love)” in 1948. Her big break came with her recording of the country song “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” following Pee Wee King’s instrumental version in 1950. Her version of the tune sold a million copies, and her crossover into country was complete when she recorded four duets with Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Starr’s version of “Come On-a My House” (by then already a hit for Rosemary Clooney) reached No. 8 on the pop chart in 1952, and that same year she released her best-known song, “Wheel of Fortune,” which topped the chart for 10 weeks. She signed with RCA Victor in 1955, and her last big hit “My Heart Reminds Me,” was released two years later.

Starr had a loyal following of fans up until the end, and continued recording long into her career. In 2001 she recorded a duet with Tony Bennett on his album Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues.