Janie Fricke
Encyclopedia
Janie Fricke is an American country music
singer, best remembered for a series of country music
hits in the early to mid 1980s.
Janie Fricke was one of the most popular female country singers of the '80s, racking a string of hits and proving herself a versatile vocalist with a particular flair for ballads.
She won the Country Music Association
's "Female Vocalist of the Year" awards in 1982 and 1983.
and Judy Collins
.
Despite growing up in a musical family and spending much of her childhood singing at home, school, and church, it did not occur to Fricke that music might be a profession. While studying for her bachelor's degree in elementary education at Indiana University
, she kept active musically. It remained a hobby, though, not a serious career choice. It was only when Fricke started earning extra money by singing commercial jingles that she began to see that music could actually earn her a living.
, where she became an in-demand background vocalist. Fricke sang background for other Country music singers at the time, including Crystal Gayle
, Ronnie Milsap
, Tanya Tucker
, Conway Twitty
, and Eddie Rabbitt
. However, it was her work as background vocalist on several recordings by Johnny Duncan that first brought Fricke to national attention. After supplying uncredited background vocals for such Duncan hits as "Jo and the Cowboy," "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous
," "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better
," and "Stranger," she was finally rewarded when she was given equal billing with Duncan on a single entitled "Come a Little Bit Closer." It was likely her contribution to Duncan's number one hit "Stranger" in 1977 that generated the most interest. In that song, Fricke sang the line, "Shut out the light and lead me....".
People soon began to speculate who was the mysterious singer singing those words in Duncan's song. Because of this, Fricke was able to gain a recording contract of her own from Columbia Records, where she remained for over ten years, starting in 1977.
(the number one hit "On My Knees") and Duncan (the Top Five "Come a Little Bit Closer") kept Fricke going strong through 1978, but her solo singles over the next couple of years had a hard time taking off.
Fricke did have two Top 20 hits between 1978 and 1979, "Please Help Me I'm Falling (In Love With You)", which reached #12 and "I'll Love Away Your Troubles for Awhile", which peaked at #14. However, Country radio still failed to regularly play her material, and because of this most of her other singles did not chart very high between 1978 and 1981. She also was a part of the Louise Mandrell special "Diamonds, gold and platinum" 1983. Among other TV specials.
During this time, Fricke had already released three studio albums, starting in 1977 with her debut album, Singer of Songs. The album produced her first three singles, "What're You Doing Tonight?", "Please Help Me I'm Fallin' (In Love With You)
", and "Baby's It's You". In 1979 Fricke released her second and third studio albums, Love Notes and From the Heart. Only Love Notes produced one Top 20 hit. None of Fricke's albums at this time had charted yet on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.
noticed Fricke's limited success and realized the issue could be changed. Sherrill advised her to establish an identity by focusing on one style, and Fricke began to record ballads. As a result, Fricke had a breakout year in 1981, when she landed two Top Five hits with "Down to My Last Broken Heart" and "I'll Need Someone to Hold Me (When I Cry)
."
Fricke had her breakthrough success over 1982-1984, when she scored six number one hits — "Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby
," "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy
", "Tell Me a Lie
," "He's a Heartache
," Let's Stop Talkin' About It
," and "Your Heart's Not In It
."
Three of Fricke's #1s were spawned from her 1982 album, It Ain't Easy
which became a successful-selling album. In 1983, Fricke toured with country band Alabama
.
By this time, she'd broadened her style to include more up-tempo tracks as well.
In 1982 and 1983, Fricke was awarded "Female Vocalist of the Year" from the Country Music Association
. In 1983, Fricke also released her next studio album, Love Lies, which peaked at #10 on the Top Country Albums chart. The album spawned a #1 single, "Let's Stop Talkin' About It" and a Top 10, "If the Fall Don't Get You". In 1984, Fricke released her next album, First Word in Memory. The lead single, "Your Heart's Not In It" was a #1 hit in 1984, followed by the title track, which became a Top 10 hit the same year. In the 80s, Fricke also played one of the criminals, Ginny, who hid loot in the dash of a getaway car that was to become the "General Lee" in the Dukes of Hazzard
episode "Happy Birthday, General Lee", Episode 131.
Her 1985 album, Somebody Else's Fire peaked at #21 on the Top Country Albums chart, and yielded three top ten hits. Fricke was featured on Merle Haggard
's 1985 single, "A Place to Fall Apart
" which became a #1 hit. In 1986, Fricke released her next album, Black & White
. The album included her last #1 hit, "Always Have, Always Will", as well as her last Top 20 hit, "When a Woman Cries", which peaked at #20 in 1986.
Annoyed by mispronounciations of her name, she changed the spelling to "Frickie" in 1986, but a few years later, reverted to the original spelling.
As Neo-traditional Country music artists began to become popular in 1987, including Patty Loveless
and Randy Travis
, the Country-pop styled music Fricke had been recording since the early part of the decade was no longer in style on Country radio. Fricke's success began to decline. She recorded a Top 25 hit with Larry Gatlin
called "From Time to Time (It Sure Feels Like Love Again)", released on Gatlin's 1987 Partners album. Fricke's 1987 album, After Midnight released one Top 40 Country hit, "Are You Satisfied", which peaked at #32. The other singles from the album did not peak within the Top 40. In 1988, Fricke's Saddle in the Wind album peaked at #64 on the Top Country Albums chart. After 1989's Labor of Love album, Fricke and Columbia records parted ways. Her last charted single was also released in 1989, "Give 'EM My Number", which peaked at #43 on the Billboard Country Chart
.
Fricke's album Bouncin' Back was released in 2000 under her own label, JMF Records. She decided sell her album on the Internet exclusively. Fricke continues to tour extensively, but she sets aside time to spend with her family on her Texas ranch near Lancaster
.
In 2004, Fricke released a Bluegrass
album under DM records, The Bluegrass Sessions. The tracks from the album were Fricke's previously-recorded Country hits recorded in Bluegrass style for the album.
Fricke continues to be actively involved in the music industry today. In 2005, she attended the Country Music Association Awards
. Fricke was the Firefighters' Marshal for Winchester, Virginia's "80th Annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival" in May, 2007.
Fricke has also participated in the "Country Music Hall of Fame Funraising Campaign". Other artists who also support the project include, Big & Rich
, Kenny Chesney
, Kate Campbell
, Amy Grant
, James Otto
, and Gretchen Wilson
.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer, best remembered for a series of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
hits in the early to mid 1980s.
Janie Fricke was one of the most popular female country singers of the '80s, racking a string of hits and proving herself a versatile vocalist with a particular flair for ballads.
She won the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
's "Female Vocalist of the Year" awards in 1982 and 1983.
Childhood & teen years
Fricke was born in South Whitley, Ind., in 1947 (CMT.com lists Fricke's birthdate as 1952) and learned piano and guitar as a child; her first vocal influences were folk artists like Joan BaezJoan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
and Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
.
Despite growing up in a musical family and spending much of her childhood singing at home, school, and church, it did not occur to Fricke that music might be a profession. While studying for her bachelor's degree in elementary education at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, she kept active musically. It remained a hobby, though, not a serious career choice. It was only when Fricke started earning extra money by singing commercial jingles that she began to see that music could actually earn her a living.
Career discovery
In 1975, Fricke moved to Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where she became an in-demand background vocalist. Fricke sang background for other Country music singers at the time, including Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle is an American country music singer best known for her 1977 country-pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". An award-winning singer, she accumulated 18 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s...
, Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
, Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
, Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
, and Eddie Rabbitt
Eddie Rabbitt
Edward Thomas "Eddie" Rabbitt was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974...
. However, it was her work as background vocalist on several recordings by Johnny Duncan that first brought Fricke to national attention. After supplying uncredited background vocals for such Duncan hits as "Jo and the Cowboy," "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous
Thinkin' of a Rendezvous
"Thinkin' of a Rendezvous" is a country music song written by Bobby Braddock and Sonny Throckmorton, and recorded by Johnny Duncan.Featuring harmony vocals, and a solo line at a key point in the song's third verse by session vocalist Janie Fricke, "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous" became Duncan's first...
," "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better
It Couldn't Have Been Any Better
"It Couldn't Have Been Any Better" is a country music song written by Ray Griff, and made famous by Johnny Duncan.One of several Duncan singles to feature session vocalist Janie Fricke on harmony vocals, "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better" became his second No. 1 song to top the Billboard Hot...
," and "Stranger," she was finally rewarded when she was given equal billing with Duncan on a single entitled "Come a Little Bit Closer." It was likely her contribution to Duncan's number one hit "Stranger" in 1977 that generated the most interest. In that song, Fricke sang the line, "Shut out the light and lead me....".
People soon began to speculate who was the mysterious singer singing those words in Duncan's song. Because of this, Fricke was able to gain a recording contract of her own from Columbia Records, where she remained for over ten years, starting in 1977.
1977 – 1980: Country beginnings
Fricke's 1977 debut single, "What're You Doing Tonight," just missed the Top 20. Collaborations with Charlie RichCharlie Rich
Charles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
(the number one hit "On My Knees") and Duncan (the Top Five "Come a Little Bit Closer") kept Fricke going strong through 1978, but her solo singles over the next couple of years had a hard time taking off.
Fricke did have two Top 20 hits between 1978 and 1979, "Please Help Me I'm Falling (In Love With You)", which reached #12 and "I'll Love Away Your Troubles for Awhile", which peaked at #14. However, Country radio still failed to regularly play her material, and because of this most of her other singles did not chart very high between 1978 and 1981. She also was a part of the Louise Mandrell special "Diamonds, gold and platinum" 1983. Among other TV specials.
During this time, Fricke had already released three studio albums, starting in 1977 with her debut album, Singer of Songs. The album produced her first three singles, "What're You Doing Tonight?", "Please Help Me I'm Fallin' (In Love With You)
Please Help Me, I'm Falling
"Please Help Me, I'm Falling" is a 1960 song written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair and first recorded by Hank Locklin. The single was Locklin's most successful recording becoming his second number one on the country charts...
", and "Baby's It's You". In 1979 Fricke released her second and third studio albums, Love Notes and From the Heart. Only Love Notes produced one Top 20 hit. None of Fricke's albums at this time had charted yet on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.
1981 – 1989: Breakthrough success
In late 1980, Fricke's producer, Billy SherrillBilly Sherrill
Billy Sherrill is a record producer and arranger who is most famous for his association with a number of country artists, most notably Tammy Wynette...
noticed Fricke's limited success and realized the issue could be changed. Sherrill advised her to establish an identity by focusing on one style, and Fricke began to record ballads. As a result, Fricke had a breakout year in 1981, when she landed two Top Five hits with "Down to My Last Broken Heart" and "I'll Need Someone to Hold Me (When I Cry)
I'll Need Someone to Hold Me (When I Cry)
"I'll Need Someone to Hold Me " is a single by American country music artist Janie Fricke. Released in July 1981, it was the third single from her album I'll Need Someone to Hold Me When I Cry. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and #1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in...
."
Fricke had her breakthrough success over 1982-1984, when she scored six number one hits — "Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby
Don't Worry 'bout Me Baby
"Don't Worry 'bout Me Baby" is a song made famous by country music singer Janie Fricke. The song was released in 1982 and became her first solo Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart that summer....
," "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy
It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy
"It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy" is a 1982 single written by Mark Gray, Les Taylor, and Shawna Harrington-Burkhart and recorded by Janie Fricke. "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy" was Janie Fricke's second number one on the country chart as a solo artist. The single went to number one for one week and spent a...
", "Tell Me a Lie
Tell Me a Lie
"Tell Me a Lie" is a popular 1983 Country Music song, made famous by 80s Country recording artist Janie Fricke.In 1983, Janie Fricke picked up the song "Tell Me a Lie" as to be released as her next single in 1983. During this time, Fricke racked up a good amount of hits, like "It Ain't Easy Bein'...
," "He's a Heartache
He's a Heartache
"He's a Heartache " is a name of a 1983 popular country music song by country artist Janie Fricke."He's a Heartache" was Janie Fricke's third number one on the country chart. Overall in her career, she scored 8 No. 1 hits...
," Let's Stop Talkin' About It
Let's Stop Talkin' About It
"Let's Stop Talkin' About It" is a 1984 single written by Deborah Allen, Rafe VanHoy, and Rory Michael Bourke and recorded by Janie Fricke. "Let's Stop Talkin' About It" was Janie Fricke's fifth number one country hit as a solo artist. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total...
," and "Your Heart's Not In It
Your Heart's Not In It
"Your Heart's Not in It" is a 1984 single written by Tom Shapiro, Michael Garvin, and Bucky Jones and recorded by Janie Fricke. "Your Heart's Not in It" would be Janie Fricke's sixth number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of thirteen...
."
Three of Fricke's #1s were spawned from her 1982 album, It Ain't Easy
It Ain't Easy (Janie Fricke album)
It Ain't Easy is the name of a 1982 Country Music album by Country music recording artist Janie Fricke. This was one of her most successful albums. The album featured her four big hits that year; "He's a Heartache ", "Tell Me a Lie", "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy", and "You Don't Know Love"; the...
which became a successful-selling album. In 1983, Fricke toured with country band Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
.
By this time, she'd broadened her style to include more up-tempo tracks as well.
In 1982 and 1983, Fricke was awarded "Female Vocalist of the Year" from the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
. In 1983, Fricke also released her next studio album, Love Lies, which peaked at #10 on the Top Country Albums chart. The album spawned a #1 single, "Let's Stop Talkin' About It" and a Top 10, "If the Fall Don't Get You". In 1984, Fricke released her next album, First Word in Memory. The lead single, "Your Heart's Not In It" was a #1 hit in 1984, followed by the title track, which became a Top 10 hit the same year. In the 80s, Fricke also played one of the criminals, Ginny, who hid loot in the dash of a getaway car that was to become the "General Lee" in the Dukes of Hazzard
Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
episode "Happy Birthday, General Lee", Episode 131.
Her 1985 album, Somebody Else's Fire peaked at #21 on the Top Country Albums chart, and yielded three top ten hits. Fricke was featured on Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
's 1985 single, "A Place to Fall Apart
A Place to Fall Apart
"A Place to Fall Apart" is a 1984 collaboration by Merle Haggard with Janie Fricke. "A Place to Fall Apart" was written by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Freddy Powers and was the first single where both Haggard and Fricke worked together...
" which became a #1 hit. In 1986, Fricke released her next album, Black & White
Black & White (Janie Fricke album)
Black and White is a studio album by American country music artist Janie Fricke. It was released by Columbia Records in 1986. "Always Have, Always Will" and "When a Woman Cries" were released as singles...
. The album included her last #1 hit, "Always Have, Always Will", as well as her last Top 20 hit, "When a Woman Cries", which peaked at #20 in 1986.
Annoyed by mispronounciations of her name, she changed the spelling to "Frickie" in 1986, but a few years later, reverted to the original spelling.
As Neo-traditional Country music artists began to become popular in 1987, including Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and...
and Randy Travis
Randy Travis
Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...
, the Country-pop styled music Fricke had been recording since the early part of the decade was no longer in style on Country radio. Fricke's success began to decline. She recorded a Top 25 hit with Larry Gatlin
Larry Gatlin
Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country music singer/songwriter. He is perhaps best known for teaming up with his brothers Steve and Rudy in the late 1970s, becoming one of country music's most successful acts of the 1970s and 1980s. Gatlin has had a total of 33 Top 40 singles...
called "From Time to Time (It Sure Feels Like Love Again)", released on Gatlin's 1987 Partners album. Fricke's 1987 album, After Midnight released one Top 40 Country hit, "Are You Satisfied", which peaked at #32. The other singles from the album did not peak within the Top 40. In 1988, Fricke's Saddle in the Wind album peaked at #64 on the Top Country Albums chart. After 1989's Labor of Love album, Fricke and Columbia records parted ways. Her last charted single was also released in 1989, "Give 'EM My Number", which peaked at #43 on the Billboard Country Chart
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
.
1990 – present: Current music career
She recorded two albums for the small Branson label in 1992 and 1993, and issued the gospel record Hymns of Faith on Intersound in 1996.Fricke's album Bouncin' Back was released in 2000 under her own label, JMF Records. She decided sell her album on the Internet exclusively. Fricke continues to tour extensively, but she sets aside time to spend with her family on her Texas ranch near Lancaster
Lancaster, Texas
Lancaster is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 25,894 at the 2000 census.Lancaster is a suburb of Dallas, Texas and is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes Lancaster, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Duncanville. Most of the city is in Dallas County. But a...
.
In 2004, Fricke released a Bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
album under DM records, The Bluegrass Sessions. The tracks from the album were Fricke's previously-recorded Country hits recorded in Bluegrass style for the album.
Fricke continues to be actively involved in the music industry today. In 2005, she attended the Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
. Fricke was the Firefighters' Marshal for Winchester, Virginia's "80th Annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival" in May, 2007.
Philanthropic efforts
In 1985, Fricke established the "Janie Fricke Scholarship at Indiana University" to benefit gifted students in the School of Music. The scholarships are open to active members of the Singing Hoosiers vocal ensemble who demonstrate financial need.Fricke has also participated in the "Country Music Hall of Fame Funraising Campaign". Other artists who also support the project include, Big & Rich
Big & Rich
Big & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich. Both members alternate as lead vocalists and play rhythm guitar...
, Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
, Kate Campbell
Kate Campbell
Kate Campbell is an American folk singer/songwriter.Her songwriting is strongly influenced by her southern roots and authors in the literary world, as on her most recent album, Save the Day...
, Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
, James Otto
James Otto
James Allen Otto is an American country music artist who is a member of the MuzikMafia, a group of country musicians known for their "country music without prejudice"...
, and Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Frances Wilson is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman," a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party...
.
Awards
| Year | Award Program | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Music City News Country | Most Promising Female Artist of the Year |
| 1982 | Country Music Association Awards Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... |
Female Vocalist of the Year |
| 1983 | Female Vocalist of the Year | |
| Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | |
| Music City News Country | Female Artist of the Year | |
| 1984 | Female Artist of the Year |