June Stearns born 5 April 1939

June Stearns (born 5 April 1939) is an American female Country singer.

During the late 60’s and early 70’s, June Stearns could be considered to be one of the ladies-in-waiting for the Country Queen crown. However, she had a career that went back much further. Born Agnes June Stearns in Albany, Kentucky, but raised in Franklin, Indiana in a prominent local musical family, she learned guitar and was singing locally in her early teens. Spotted by Charlie Gore she sang a few times on n his TV show. 

June with Roy Acuff

June landed a job with WLW’s Midwestern Hayride in Cincinnati, immediately on leaving high school in 1957. She stayed with the Hayride until 1958. In 1960, she wrote to Roy Acuff, enclosing a photograph with her sister under which she wrote, "I’m the one with the guitar." Almost certainly, Roy would have heard about her work on the Midwestern Hayride. To June’s surprise, she became a member of Mr. Roy’s"Smoky Mountain Gang." She stayed with the group until 1965, appearing on the Grand Ole Opry and on live dates.

                                   

While appearing with Acuff, June also took time out to appear at the Louisiana Hayride in 1963. In July 1965, she was involved in the car crash that caused serious injuries to Acuff and several of his band members. She luckily escaped with a broken ankle but the incident unnerved her and she never returned to the group. She can be considered the last regular "Smoky Mountain Girl." 

June released some singles on Starday from 1963 with Gene Martin and then she signed to Columbia in 1967. 

After a couple of singles, June got together with Lefty Frizzell as Agnes & Orville, in 1968, releasing one single, Have I Ever Been Untrue/If You’ve Got the Money (I’ve Got the Time).

Her first solo single after this, Empty House, reached the Country Top 50. She followed up that year with Where He Stops Nobody Knows, which only went Top 60. Immediately, Columbia released Jackson Ain’t a Very Big Town, a duo with Johnny Duncan, which just failed to reach the Top 20 at the end of 1968 and became her biggest hit. That year, she was voted third "Most Promising Female Artist" by Cash Box. 1969 was June’s final year with Columbia and although she charted four times, her most successful entrants were Walking Midnight Road and Drifting Too Far From Your Arms, both of which went Top 60. The following year, June moved to Decca, where she scored with Tyin’ Strings (Top 50, 1970) and Sweet Baby on My Mind and Your Kind of Lovin’ (both Top 60, 1971). Since then, June has faded from the public limelight and the music scene.

Post Script. I could find no more news regarding June after her last single in 1972, that is until I noticed on the Rate Your Music web site that she released an album "Many Sides of Country" during 2009 also that same year a few videos were posted on YouTube of June singing Crazy Arms and Kansas City at Larry's Grand Ole Garage country music jam in Madison, Tennessee. 

The atmosphere at the Grand Ole Garage isn't the best for acoustics on jam nights as it is open mike and everyone participates by playing along.  Unrehearsed and everyone gets to play, so there are often more players than should be.  But, all the pickers are having a great time and June is such a warm heart she gives it her all.. Also in a 2021 on a radio interview with Scott Wikle on his show My Kind Of Country June shared some new songs for a future album.

(Edited from Rocky 52, Discogs & YouTube)