Janie Fricke
Jane Marie Fricke (/ˈfrɪki/ FRIK-ee; born December 19, 1947[1][2]), known professionally as Janie Fricke,[a] is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and clothing designer. She has placed seventeen singles in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Eight of these songs reached the number one spot on the Country music chart.[4] She has also won accolades from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association and has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
Janie Fricke
- Singer
- songwriter
- producer
- actress
- clothing designer
1972–present
-
Randy Jackson(m. 1982, divorced)
-
Jeff Steele(m. 1995)
Janie Frickie
- Vocals
- piano
- guitar
- Columbia
- Intersound
- JMF
- DM
- New Music Deals
Fricke was born and raised in Indiana. She was surrounded by music from a young age and began performing locally. Fricke attended Indiana University Bloomington, where she participated in the vocal group the Singing Hoosiers. Her participation in the organization led to further opportunities as a commercial jingle singer. She later moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she was hired as part of a background vocal group called The Lea Jane Singers. As part of the quartet, Fricke sang background vocals on songs recorded by country artists in the 1970s. On one occasion, Fricke was asked to sing a solo part on a song by Johnny Duncan called "Stranger". It was released as a single and her uncredited vocal part attracted attention within the country music community. Nashville record label Columbia Records took particular interest in Fricke and signed her to a solo contract in 1977.
Fricke's early material explored diverse styles of music. Unsure of how to identify her material, disc jockeys gave her singles limited airplay. Songs like "What're You Doing Tonight" failed to become major hits and her producer suggested that she focus on one musical style. With a focus centered on ballads, Fricke's next releases proved to be successful. In 1981, she reached the top ten of the country charts with the song "Down to My Last Broken Heart". Over the next decade, Fricke had a series of top ten country singles. Six of these songs reached the number one spot including "Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby", "Tell Me a Lie" and "Your Heart's Not in It". In the 1980s, Fricke also acted on The Dukes of Hazzard television series and designed belts and other clothing products.
In the early 1990s, Fricke left Columbia Records and signed with the smaller Intersound label. During the early 1990s, the label released three albums of her material including a collection of gospel songs called Crossroads: Hymns of Faith (1992). At the end of the decade, Fricke formed her own record label and released several albums of material beginning with Bouncin' Back (2000). In 2004, she revived her catalog with a reworking of her former hits on the studio album The Bluegrass Sessions. Fricke has since continued to perform and record, most recently releasing a Christmas collection in 2020 called A Cowgirl Country Christmas.
Early life[edit]
Jane Marie Fricke was born in South Whitley, Indiana, United States,[5] to parents Waldemar and Phyllis Fricke.[6] Both her parents had an appreciation for music.[7] Her father taught her to play the guitar, while her mother taught her the piano. Her mother often brought home sheet music that Fricke would play and sing. "All I ever wanted to do was sing," she told author Sheree Homer in 2019.[2] Fricke also performed outside the home at school functions.[7] Inspired by folk artists Joan Baez and Judy Collins, Fricke also performed at local coffeehouses with her guitar.[8] After high school, Fricke attended Indiana University Bloomington. While at college, Fricke joined the student performance group the Singing Hoosiers. The group performed nationally and internationally.[6] Following a rehearsal, she saw an advertisement that was looking for singers who could record commercial jingles. Fricke eventually took the position and later performed commercial jingles for national advertisement campaigns including Red Lobster.[7] In 1972, Fricke graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor's degree in elementary education.[6]
Career[edit]
1972–1979: Background singing and early releases at Columbia Records[edit]
In 1972, Fricke moved to Los Angeles, California, in hopes of finding work as a background singer for recording studios.[7][6] She found limited opportunities in California but did win a talent contest.[6] Watching the contest that day was a country music producer who offered Fricke a secretarial job if she moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Fricke accepted and moved to Nashville in 1975. While working as a secretary, she auditioned for The Lea Jane Singers, a singing quartet that added background vocals to Nashville recording sessions. Fricke joined the quartet[9][10] and sang soprano.[11]
Other career ventures[edit]
In the 1980s, Fricke began taking career opportunities outside of music. In 1984, she started designing belts and clothes. Fricke's apparel was featured in several department stores during the decade. In regards to her different ventures she commented, "I am not a goal-setter. I would never do that. I just like to work hard and take it like it comes. Everything will work out for the best."[56] Also in 1984, Fricke guest starred in one episode of The Dukes of Hazzard. She played the role of Ginny, a jewel thief who hid money in the dashboard of a getaway car that was later to become the General Lee.[57] In 1985, Fricke established the Janie Fricke Scholarship at Indiana University to benefit gifted students in the School of Music. The scholarships are open to active members of the Singing Hoosiers vocal ensemble who demonstrate financial need.[41] She has also participated in the Country Music Hall of Fame Fundraising Campaign with other artists such as Naomi Judd and Gretchen Wilson.[58]
Personal life[edit]
Fricke has been married twice. She began dating Johnny Rodriguez's road manager Randy Jackson in the early 1980s. Jackson proposed to Fricke over the telephone through a radio program.[59] In September 1982, she wed Randy Jackson in a small ceremony at her mother's farm in South Whitley, Indiana. Hours after their wedding, Fricke gave a free concert to seven thousand fans at a local Indiana festival.[60] Jackson would later become Fricke's manager.[59] For many years the pair lived on a historic farm located in Lancaster, Texas, that was home to a variety of animals including buffalo.[61] The pair later divorced and she remarried musician Jeff Steele in 1995.[1] Steele later became Fricke's manager and a drummer in her touring band. When she began performing with less frequency, Steele began a career in local politics and was elected mayor of Wilmer, Texas, in 2009.[62]
Studio albums