Bonnie Lou | |
|---|---|
 Bonnie Lou in a 1972 publicity photo | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mary Joan Kath |
| Also known as | Bonnie Lou |
| Born | October 27, 1924 Towanda, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 8, 2015 (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 |
| Formerly of | Janis Martin, Wanda Jackson, Jo Ann Campbell |
Mary Joan Okum (née Kath; October 27, 1924 – December 8, 2015), known by her performing name Bonnie Lou, was an American musical pioneer, recognized as one of the first female rock and roll singers. She is also one of the first artists to gain crossover success from country music to rock and roll. She was the "top name" on the first country music program regularly broadcast on a national TV network.[1] Bonnie Lou was one of the first female co-hosts of a successful syndicated television talk show, and a regular musical performer on popular shows in the 1960s and 1970s. She "was a prime mover in the first days of rockabilly,"[2] and is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.[3]
- ^ "Rising Costs Bring 'Hayride' To A Halt". Google books. Billboard. November 10, 1956. p. 14. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ "Bonnie Lou: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ "RHOF Inductees with Certificates". Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2014.