Country star Billie Jo Spears, who had a no. 1 American country hit with ‘Blanket On The Ground’ in 1975, has passed away at the age of 73.
Billie Jo Spears I Will Survive
Her local newspaper, The Orange Leader in Texas has reported her death. She died from cancer.
Billie Jo lived in Vidor, Texas about 85 miles northeast of Houston.
Her style was called ‘Countrypolitian’, a kind of pop version of country music also accredited to Kenny Rogers and Ronnie Milsap.
Spears was born in Beaumont, Texas and made her professional debut at age 13. Her first single as a teenager was ‘Too Old For Toys, Too Young For Boys’.
She made the country chart at no. 4 for the first time in 1969 with ‘Mr Walker Its All Over’.
‘1975’s ‘Blanket On The Ground’ was her biggest hit. It also went top 10 in the UK.
Spears underwent triple bypass surgery in 1993 but went on to tour for another 16 years.
Her last album was ‘Billie Jo Spears Today’ in 1983.
