Jody Miller dies at 80: 'Queen of the House' singer battled Parkinson’s disease for 7 years
BLANCHARD, OKLAHOMA: ‘Queen of the House’ country singer Jody Miller died at 80, on Friday, October 7. The artist had been battling Parkinson’s disease for seven years. The Grammy Award-winning star breathed her last while being surrounded by her family members in Blanchard, Oklahoma.
The news of her death was revealed by daughter Robin Brooks on her Facebook page, Middle-Sister Music. She wrote, “Middle Sister is sorry to announce the passing of Jody Miller this morning, music icon and mother of Robin Brooks. First Fridays will resume next month in November. Please remember the family as they deal with this great loss.”
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Life and legacy of country singer
Jody Miller was an Arizona native, born Myrna Joy Miller, and her family later relocated to Blanchard, Oklahoma. She soon discovered her hidden talent and became a popular voice and the first person to bag Grammy Award from Oklahoma in 1966.
She was signed in 1965 by Capitol Records, which later served as a launching pad for her singing career. Among several highlights of Judy’s career, performing for President George HW Bush’s 1988 Inaugural Ball was surely on top of the list. Her debut album, 'Wednesday’s Child is Full of Wo' was launched in 1963. In 1964, she managed to sneak into her first Billboard Hot 100 with ‘He Walks Like a Man'.
The country-pop singer gave hits like ‘Let’s All Go Down to the River’ and 'Home of the Brave'. However, what really brought the world’s attention was ‘Queen of the House’, a response to Roger Miller’s smash ‘King of the Road’. It managed to reach Top 5 on the Hot Country Singles chart, and No 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It was this song that got her a Grammy in the best country and western vocal performance-female category. Moreover, she also got nominated for best new country & western artists in 1966. Interestingly, during that event, Roger Miller was decorated with six Grammy wins for ‘King of the Road’ and his album 'The Return of Roger Miller'.
After Jody’s husband Monty Brooks' death in 2014, the legendary singer performed with her daughter and grandchildren as Jody Miller & Three Generations. The in-house group even released their single, ‘Where My Picture Hangs on the Wall’, in 2018. Later in her career, she was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame in 1999.