Billie Jean Horton ( née Jones; born June 6, 1933) is an American country-music singer-songwriter and former music promoter who is best known for her high profile marriages, first to iconic country musician and singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1952 until 1953 and subsequently to singer Johnny Horton from 1953 until 1960.

Biography

Horton was the daughter of a police chief from Bossier City, Louisiana. She divorced her first husband Harrison Eshleman when she was introduced to Hank Williams by her then-boyfriend, country singer

Faron Young Faron Young (February 25, 1932 – December 10, 1996) was an American country music producer, musician, and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. Hits including "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" and "Live Fast, Love Hard, Di ...

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'', September 20, 1987. They married in a private ceremony in Minden, Louisiana, on October 18, 1952, then repeated their vows before sold-out audiences at two Williams concerts at the Baton Rouge High School gymnasium and the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was 19 years old at the time of her marriage with Williams. Williams

died Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

from heart failure on New Year's Day, 1953, five days before his daughter Jett Williams with Bobbie Jett was born. That September, she married country singer Johnny Horton and became important in promoting his career. They had two daughters, Yanina and Melody, and Horton adopted her daughter Jeri Lynn. Horton died on 5 November 1960, in a traffic collision with a truck, widowing Billie Jean a second time. She then worked as a recording artist; her record "Ocean of Tears" hit the country top 40 in 1961. She had a relationship with Johnny Cash (while he was still married to his first wife, Vivian Liberto). Later she married insurance executive Kent Berlin, whom she subsequently divorced."She's living off two country music legends"

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'', October 1, 1975 In 1971, a judge ruled that despite her divorce from Eshleman not being finalized before her wedding with Williams, she entered the marriage in good faith and thus their union was entitled to a presumption of validity. Horton became known for her energetic efforts on behalf of the reputations and estates of both of her famous husbands. As of 2016, she resides in an assisted-living facility and her three daughters live in Shreveport.

Film depiction

Horton is portrayed by actress

Maddie Hasson Madelaine Hasson (born January 4, 1995) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Willa Monday on Fox's television series ''The Finder''. She also co-starred in the ABC Family series '' Twisted''. She starred in the YouTube Premium s ...

in the 2015 biopic film about Hank Williams' life titled '' I Saw the Light'', based on ''Hank Williams: The Biography''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Horton, Billie Jean 1933 births Living people American women country singers American country singer-songwriters Music promoters People from Bossier City, Louisiana Singer-songwriters from Louisiana Country musicians from Louisiana 21st-century American women