Laura Lee Owens McBride (b. Laura Frances Owens, 16 May
1920, Bridport, Oklahoma, USA, d. 25 January 1989, Bryan, Texas, USA.)
McBride first sang
with her sister Dolpha Jane as Joy And Jane on their father Tex Owens’ radio
programme on KMBC Kansas City, Missouri, in the mid-30s. She then formed her
own group Laura Lee And Her Ranger Buddies. After an early marriage to the
Texas Ranger’s guitarist Herb Kratoska and a stint with the Oklahoma Wranglers
she was hired by Bob Wills and joined the Texas Playboys at the end of 1943.
She became not only the first female vocalist with Wills but, in fact, the
first featured woman singer of western swing music. She devoted her life to the
genre and became affectionately known as the Queen of Western Swing.
She recorded with Wills on Armed Forces Radio Transcriptions
in 1943/4. Also as Wills’s Playgirl she appeared in three movies, two with Russell
Hayden and a third entitled “Melody Master, the story of Bob Wills and his
Texas Playboys.” In January 1945 the Playboys and Laura Lee recorded in
Hollywood on the Columbia labeland made radio and television appearances.
Laura Lee poses with Bob Wills (center) and Tommy Duncan
|
She married Wills’s guitarist Cameron Hill and when Hill
entered the army in 1945, she relocated to Houston, Texas and joined Dickie
McBride’s band. A year later she married McBride.
Following their marriage the McBrides worked mostly outside Houston; they made tours with Bob Wills and worked in California in 1948 – 1950. It was during 1950 she recorded with Wills what was to become her signature tune, ‘I Betcha My Heart I Love You’. Although the McBrides usually recorded as a team (for Decca, MGM and several smaller labels) they continued to record separately on independent labels such as Dafton, Ayo and Freedom.
She was inducted into the Sacramento Western Swing Hall of fame in October 1987. She died in Bryan, Texas after a long battle with cancer in 1989. (Info edited from AMG and mainly bio by Kevin Coffey, The Encyclopaedia Of Country Music)
2 comments:
Hi Bob- Are their any files for Laura Lee Mcbride available?
Thanks!
-Rick
Bob, do you have that BACM collection disc of Dickie McBride and Laura Lee? I thought I had it but it must have got away from me or on an hd that crashed... Thanks for your great posts, ups and informative bios!
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