Leona Williams "That Williams Girl, Leona" (Hickory Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Don Gant)
Leona Williams "The Best Of Leona Williams" (Hickory Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Don Gant)
The album title is more aspirational than anything: this isn't really a "best of" set, not quite. Following her debut album above, Williams recorded a long string of singles for Hickory Records, including many of the songs gathered here. Highlights include the topically-themed 1971 novelty number, "Country Girl With Hot Pants On," which was the highest-charting solo single of her career, peaking at #52 in Billboard. There are a bunch of other singles-only tracks as well, though nothing you could really call a "hit": unfortunately Williams never really had any. But it's still fine, twangy material, so you could consider these songs her best, jut in a different kinda way.
Leona Williams "San Quentin's First Lady" (MCA-Tally Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Merle Haggard, Hugh Davies & Fuzzy Owens)
An album recorded for Merle Haggard's MCA vanity imprint, Tally Records, later reissued on the Heart Of Texas label... This album, recently reissued on CD, featured Williams doing a Johnny Cash/Mere Haggard-style prison concert (the first one headlined by a woman) with lively backing from the Merle Haggard band, the Strangers.
Leona Williams & Merle Haggard "Heart To Heart" (Mercury Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Merle Haggard & Ron Reynolds)
This duets set was recorded at the end of Leaona Williams and Merle Haggard's 1978-83 marriage and includes several intriguing participants, ranging from members of Merle Haggard's band The Strangers (such as bassist Dennis Hromek and guitar player Roy Nichols) to bluegrasser Tiny Moore and songwriter/sideman Freddie Powers, whose career was championed by Merle. Also notable is guitarist-songwriter Dave Kirby, who Williams married in 1985 and lived with in Texas until he passed away in 2004.
Leona Williams "Someday When Things Are Good" (Mercury Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Reynolds, Rick McCollister & Lynn Peterzell)
Leona Williams "Melted Down Memories" (Loveshine Records, 1999)
Leona Williams "Honorary Texan" (Heart Of Texas Records, 2004)
(Produced by Justin Trevino)
Leona Williams "I Love You Because" (Heart Of Texas Records, 2005)
(Produced by Justin Trevino)
Leona Williams "Sings Merle Haggard" (Ah-Ha! Records, 2008)
(Produced by Charles English, Wood Newton & Todd Tidwell)
Leona Williams "New Patches" (Heart Of Texas Records, 2008)
(Produced by Justin Trevino)
Leona Williams "This Is Leona Williams Country" (Ernest Tubb Record Shop, 2008)
Leona Williams "Duets" (Leona Williams Records, 2009)
Leona Williams "Grass Roots" (Loveshine Records, 2010)
(Produced by Bruce Hoffman)
Leona Williams "By George This Is Leona Williams" (Ah Ha! Records, 2013)
One of many George Jones tributes to come out after the King of Country passed away in '13. Nice stuff.
Leona Williams "Keepin' It Country" (Double C Records, 2022)
(Produced by Chuck Howard & Mike Schrimpf)
Leona Williams "A Woman Walked Away" (DJM Records, 1977) (LP)
Like many American country artists, Leona Williams found a secondary market (and audience) in Europe. This collection came out in the UK and draws on her tenure at Hickory Records, with about a half dozen tracks off of each of her first two albums, as well as some songs that had only come out as singles: 1973's "Anything Goes ('Till Everything's Gone)" and its flipside, "I Spent A Week There Last Night," as well as "I'm Not Supposed To Love You Any More." Williams released a ton of singles-only tracks early in her career, dating back to 1969, more of which was finally reissued decades later on the Bear Family collection below.
Leona Williams "Yes, Ma'm, He Found Me In A Honky Tonk" (Bear Family Records, 2013)
Here's another great -- and long overdue -- Bear Family reissue collection. Leona Williams had been a solo artist for years before joining Merle Haggard's road show, cutting her first singles in the late '60s and recording a bunch of albums and countless singles. Her major label days ended with after her hits with Haggard, but she's been a mainstay of the Texas indie scene, and continues to be highly respected by singers across the stye. This 3-CD set gathers all of her studio recordings, from her early work on the Hickory label to an entire unreleased album recorded with "outlaw" producer Tompall Glaser. And of course there are a bunch of the soulful duets she's known for... Great stuff!
Leona Williams & Merle Haggard "Old Loves Never Die" (Bear Family Records, 2001)
A swell collection of classic Williams-Haggard duets...
Missouri-born singer and songwriter Leona Williams is a little-known though highly-regarded country singer, perhaps best remembered for the duets she sang with Merle Haggard in the 1980s. She got her first break as a member of Loretta Lynn's band, and had modest success as a solo performer before working with Merle Haggard, singing harmony on several albums, as well as a number of fine duets on several of his albums. They were married from 1978-84; after their split, Williams recorded a few albums, faded from view, and has since reemerged as an indiebilly icon. Here's a quick look at her work...
