Bonnie Lou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bonnie Lou
Bonnie Lou in a 1972 publicity photo
Background information
Birth name	Mary Joan Kath
Also known as	Bonnie Lou
Born	(1924-10-27)October 27, 1924 Towanda, Illinois, U.S.
Died	December 8, 2015(2015-12-08) (aged 91) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Country, rock and roll, rockabilly
Occupation(s)	Singer Musician TV and radio host
Years active	1940s–1980s
Labels	King Records Fraternity Records
Associated acts	Janis Martin, Wanda Jackson, Jo Ann Campbell

Mary Joan Okum (born Kath; October 27, 1924 – December 8, 2015), known as Bonnie Lou, was an American music star. She was one of the first female rock and roll singers. She also became famous in both country music and rock and roll.

Bonnie Lou was a top performer on the first country music show broadcast across the country on TV. She was also one of the first female hosts of a popular TV talk show. She appeared on many popular TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s. She helped start rockabilly music and is in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Start in Music

Mary Joan Kath was born in Towanda, Illinois. Her parents were Arthur and Eva Kath. She once said her name, Mary Joan, came from her grandparents, Mary and Joe. When her family's home burned down, they moved to Carlock, Illinois.

Bonnie Lou grew up listening to country singer Patsy Montana. She learned to yodel from her grandmother, who came from Switzerland. She started violin lessons at age five. Her father bought her a guitar when she was 11.

In 1941, at 16, she was singing on the radio station WJBC (AM) in Bloomington, Illinois. At 17, after high school, she sent a recording to KMBC in Kansas City, Missouri. She got a five-year contract to perform on the Brush Creek Follies show as "Sally Carson." This show was broadcast across the country on CBS. It was one of the biggest music shows at the time.

In 1945, Bill McCluskey from WLW in Cincinnati heard about "Sally Carson." He asked her to send a recording of her singing and yodeling "Train Whistle Blues." He hired her, but she had to change her name because KMBC owned the rights to "Sally Carson." She told him her real name was Mary Jo. He said that wasn't "country enough" and named her Bonnie Lou. She then performed on Boone County Jamboree, which became Midwestern Hayride.

Bonnie Lou often performed in Nashville, Tennessee, on weekends. This included several times at the famous Grand Ole Opry. She continued performing on radio until the late 1940s. She became a well-known recording artist in the 1950s.

From Country to Rock and Roll

In 1953, Bonnie Lou signed with King Records in Cincinnati, Ohio. At first, she sang country music songs. She quickly had popular country hits like "Tennessee Wig Walk" and "Seven Lonely Days." Each of these songs sold about 750,000 copies!

Bonnie Lou then started recording rock and roll music, in a style later called rockabilly. In 1954, she recorded "Two-Step Side-Step." In 1955, she released her first rock and roll song, "Daddy-O." This song reached number 14 on the Billboard chart. It made Bonnie Lou a rock and roll star very quickly. In 1958, she had another hit, a duet with Rusty York called "La Dee Dah."

When her contract with King Records ended, Bonnie Lou could have signed with a bigger record company. But she chose to stay in Cincinnati with Fraternity Records. She said she wanted to stay close to her family. Because she stayed local, she couldn't tour much to promote her songs. This was a challenge for her career. She felt her music was a mix of country and R&B, which might have confused listeners.

Later Career and Life

As TV became more popular than radio, Bonnie Lou easily moved to television. She was featured on WLWT, a TV station in Cincinnati. For 20 years, she co-hosted and performed on the popular Paul Dixon Show. She was known for her quick wit and ability to improvise.

Bonnie Lou also stayed true to her country roots. She was the main star on WLWT's TV version of Midwestern Hayride. This show started as a local program and became the first country music show broadcast regularly on a national TV network, NBC. Bonnie Lou was called "Queen of the Hayride." She appeared on the show until 1972. She also regularly appeared on the 50-50 Club, a live talk and entertainment show. In 1958, she helped record a Christmas album that sold about 250,000 copies. She also hosted Six Star Ranch, a radio music show broadcast nationwide.

After the Paul Dixon Show ended in 1974, Bonnie Lou mostly retired from show business. She lived in Monfort Heights, Ohio, near Cincinnati, with her second husband, Milton J. Okum. They married in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1966. For a few years in the mid-1980s, she hosted a country music show on WPFB radio. Because of her many years on radio and TV, she was a well-known name in Cincinnati and across the country. Even in her 80s, she still performed sometimes.

Bonnie Lou was a tireless entertainer for many years. She performed on radio, TV, at fairs, and many other places. People loved her friendly personality and talent. In 2008, Cincinnati honored Bonnie Lou with a key to the city. In 2014, her fan club celebrated 50 years of being active. In 2015, her hometown of Towanda, Illinois, also honored her achievements.

Renewed Interest in Her Music

In 1971, a BBC radio DJ played Bonnie Lou's "Tennessee Wig Walk." This song had been very popular in Britain in 1953. Its catchy rhythm made it a favorite among football fans. They even made up new lyrics for it! Even after her death, the song was still one of the most popular football anthems.

In the 2000s, people became interested in early country and rockabilly music again. This led to new interest in Bonnie Lou's recordings. In 2000, a CD called Bonnie Lou - Doin' the Tennessee Walk: The Best of the King Years was released. It included all her hits from King Records. In 2009, another collection of her songs, Friction Heat (1953–58), was released. Many of her songs are now available to download or stream online. Her song "Tennessee Wig Walk" was also featured in the 2010 movie The Infidel.

In March 2015, The Pantagraph newspaper published a long article about Bonnie Lou's career. It also wrote about how long her fan club had been around.

Death

Bonnie Lou passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 8, 2015, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was 91 years old.

After her death, many news outlets around the world paid tribute to Bonnie Lou. The New York Times published an obituary for her. Bonnie Lou is buried in the Arlington Memorial Gardens in Mount Healthy, Ohio.

Discography

Albums

Albums featured on

Singles

Images for kids

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  Bonnie Lou in a 1972 publicity photo