b. Mary Ann Ward, 4 July 1935, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, d. 19 December 1999, Madison, Tennessee, USA. Ward learned to play piano as a child (later adding guitar) and after initially starting nursing training, decided to pursue a singing career. She first sang with her sister, before appearing on local radio and television in Birmingham. In 1957, she gained a number 12 US country hit with her self-penned Are You Willing, Willie, recorded on the tiny Cherokee label. In 1960, another self-penned song, Thats My Kind Of Love, recorded on Happy Wilsons Guyden label, reached number 5, which resulted in her joining Columbia Records (she also married Wilson). She became a regular on WSMs Friday Night Frolics. In 1961, her first Columbia hit, I Think I Know, made the Top 10, with the follow-up, Therell Always Be Sadness, peaking at number 21. Between 1963 and 1968, she achieved eight more Billboard chart entries, with Shake Me I Rattle and Crazy Arms both making the Top 20. She also gained Top 25 status with Slippin Around, a duet with George Morgan. In 1967, she moved to Decca Records, but after the self-penned Mama Sez in 1968, she failed to make the charts again. Her ability to change from sultry ballads to lively barn dance-type numbers made her a popular performer on the Grand Ole Opry, where she was deemed a singers singer, and she was one of the first country stars to play Carnegie Hall in New York. She continued to tour in the USA and Canada and, in later years, became a popular performer in various Las Vegas venues until her death in 1999.