Leona Williams

Biography

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."

Biography

Leona Belle Helton was born January 7, 1943, in Vienna, Missouri. Active in her family's band since childhood, she had a radio program on KWOS in Jefferson City, Missouri, when she was fifteen. 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." 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.
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." In 1981, she charted another duet with Haggard titled "We're Strangers Again."
Williams continues to tour with her son, Ron Williams. In 2017, she won the Honky Tonk Female honour at the Ameripolitan Music Awards.

Personal life

Between 1978 and 1983, Williams was married to Merle Haggard. In 1985, she married singer-songwriter Dave Kirby 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.