Leona Williams
{{short description|American singer-songwriter}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Leona Williams
| image = Leona Williams.jpg
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name = Leona Belle Helton
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|01|07}}
| origin = Vienna, Missouri, U.S.
| instrument = Vocals
Bass guitar Acoustic Guitar
| genre = Country, Honky Tonk
| occupation = Singer
| years_active = 1958–present
| associated_acts = Merle Haggard, The Strangers
}}
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."{{cite web |title=Leona Williams |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/909771-Leona-Williams |website=discogs.com |publisher=Discogs |access-date=13 March 2025}}
Biography
Leona Belle Helton was born January 7, 1943, in Vienna, Missouri.{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p138451|pure_url=yes}} |title=Leona Williams biography |last=Loftus |first=Johnny |work=Allmusic |access-date=2 August 2010}} 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."{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|year=2008|pages=467–468|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}
Williams continues to tour with her son, Ron Williams.{{cite web|url=http://www.leonawilliams.com/|title=Leona Williams|access-date=30 July 2011}} In 2017, she won the Honky Tonk Female honour at the Ameripolitan Music Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://theboot.com/2017-ameripolitan-music-awards-winners/|title=2017 Ameripolitan Music Awards Winners Crowned|first=Christina|last=Vinson|website=The Boot|date=16 February 2017 }}
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.
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Album information ! Chart Positions |
| width="65"| US Country |
|---|
| 1970
| That Williams Girl
| align="center"| — |
| 1972
| The Best Of Leona Williams
| align="center"| — |
| 1976
| San Quentin's First Lady (with The Strangers)
| align="center"| — |
| 1983
| Heart to Heart (with Merle Haggard)
| align="center"| 44 |
| 1984
| Someday When Things Are Good
| align="center"| — |
| 1999
| Melted Down Memories
| align="center"| — |
| 2001
| Old Love Never Dies (with Merle Haggard)
| align="center"| — |
| 2002
| This is Leona Williams Country (with Merle Haggard)
| align="center"| — |
| 2004
|Honorary Texan
| align="center"| — |
| 2005
|I Love You Because
| align="center"| — |
| 2008
|Sings Merle Haggard
| align="center"| — |
| 2008
|New Patches
| align="center"| — |
| 2011
|Grass Roots
| align="center"| — |
| 2011
|Duets
| align="center"| — |
| 2012
|By George This is...Leona Williams
| align="center"| — |
| 2013
|Yes Ma'm, He Found Me in a Honky Tonk
| align="center"| — |
| 2022
|Keepin' It Country
| align="center"| — |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3.7em;font-size:90%;"|US Country |
|---|
| scope="row"| "A Woman's Man"
| rowspan="2"| 1968 | — | rowspan="6"| That Williams Girl |
| scope="row"| "Papa's Medicine Show"
| — |
| scope="row"| "They'll Never Take His Love from Me"
| rowspan="3"| 1969 | — |
| scope="row"| "Once More"
| 66 |
| scope="row"| "Baby, We're Really in Love"
| — |
| scope="row"| "When I Stop Dreaming"
| rowspan="3"| 1970 | — |
| scope="row"| "Yes Ma'am, He Found Me in a Honky Tonk"
| — | rowspan="14" {{n/a}} |
| scope="row"| "Watch Her Go"
| — |
| scope="row"| "Somewhere Inside"
| rowspan="3"| 1971 | — |
| scope="row"| "Country Girl with Hot Pants On"
| 52 |
| scope="row"| "Country Music in My Soul"
| — |
| scope="row"| "Happy Anniversary, Baby"
| rowspan="2"| 1972 | — |
| scope="row"| "Out of Hand"
| — |
| scope="row"| "I'd Rather Die"
| rowspan="4"| 1973 | — |
| scope="row"| "I Can't Tell My Heart That"
| — |
| scope="row"| "Your Shoeshine Girl"
| 93 |
| scope="row"| "Anything Goes ('Til Everything's Gone)"
| — |
| scope="row"| "I'm Not Supposed to Love You Anymore"
| rowspan="2"| 1974 | — |
| scope="row"| "Just Like a Prayer"
| — |
| scope="row"| "Shape Up or Ship Out"
| 1975 | — |
| scope="row"| "I Wonder Where I'll Find You at Tonight"
| rowspan="2"| 1976 | — | rowspan="2"| San Quentin's First Lady |
| scope="row"| "San Quentin"
| — |
| scope="row"| "Mama, I've Got to Go to Memphis"
| rowspan="2"| 1978 | — | rowspan="8" {{n/a}} |
| scope="row"| "Bright Morning Light"
| — |
| scope="row"| "The Baby Song"
| rowspan="2"| 1979 | 92 |
| scope="row"| "Good Nights Make Good Mornings"
| — |
| scope="row"| "Any Port in a Storm"
| 1980 | — |
| scope="row"| "I'm Almost Ready"
| rowspan="3"| 1981 | 54 |
| scope="row"| "You Can't Find Many Kisses"
| — |
| scope="row"| "Always Late with Your Kisses"
| 84 |
| scope="row"| "Rock Me to Sleep"
| rowspan="2"| 1986 | — | rowspan="2"| A Taste of Life |
| scope="row"| "No Love Line"
| — |
| align="center" colspan="4" style="font-size: 8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
= Collaborative singles =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3.9em;font-size:90%;"|US Country ! scope="col" style="width:3.9em;font-size:90%;"|CAN |
|---|
| scope="row"| "The Bull and the Beaver" (with Merle Haggard) | 1978 | 8 | 25 | {{n/a}} |
| scope="row"| "We're Strangers Again" (with Merle Haggard) | rowspan="2"| 1983 | 42 | — | rowspan="3"| Heart to Heart |
| scope="row"| "Waitin' for the Good Life to Come" (with Merle Haggard) | — | — |
| scope="row"| "It's Cold in California" (with Merle Haggard) | 1984 | — | — |
| align="center" colspan="5" style="font-size: 8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Merle Haggard}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Leona}}
Category:American women country singers
Category:American country singer-songwriters
Category:Hickory Records artists
Category:Elektra Records artists
Category:Singer-songwriters from Missouri
Category:People from Vienna, Missouri