K. T. Oslin
Kay Toinette Oslin was an American country music singer-songwriter. She had several years of major commercial success in the late 1980s after signing a record deal at age 45. Oslin had four number one hits and placed additional singles on the Billboard country chart during that timespan; in addition, she won three Grammy Awards and is an inductee of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Oslin moved to Alabama after the death of her father, then to Texas. She developed an appreciation for folk music while studying theater in college and later started a folk trio. In 1966, she returned to theater after being cast in the touring production of Hello, Dolly! She then moved to New York City, where she continued acting in Broadway musicals and television commercials. At the same time, she began songwriting as a hobby. After a demo recording was made of her music, Oslin briefly signed to Elektra Records in 1981 without much success. She later signed to RCA Records in 1986 and had her first major hit the following year with "80's Ladies". Her 1987 debut album of the same name would sell over one million copies and produce three additional hits, including the number one single "Do Ya'".
Oslin released This Woman and Love in a Small Town, which reached the top ten of the Billboard charts. The albums spawned hit singles including "Hold Me", "Hey Bobby" and "Come Next Monday". In the early 1990s, she left her recording contract and went into a hiatus following several personal setbacks. In 1996, she returned with the studio album "My Roots Are Showing..." and then in 2001 with Live Close By, Visit Often. Oslin released her final album in 2015 titled ''Simply.''
Early years
Oslin was born in Crossett, Arkansas, in 1942 to Larry and Kathleen Oslin. When Oslin was 5, her father died from leukemia, leaving her mother widowed. His death resulted in her becoming shy and withdrawn. The family moved to Mobile, Alabama, following her father's death, which is where Oslin spent her childhood. When she was a teenager, her mother moved her family to Houston, Texas, where she would eventually graduate from high school. She became fond of music during her formative years in music inspired from her mother. Oslin's mother had once performed Swing music on local radio and also was offered a job singing in the Les Brown orchestra. She studied drama at Lon Morris College in Texas, where she also drew a deep appreciation for folk music.While in college, Oslin formed a folk trio with David Jones and singer-songwriter Guy Clark. Together, they performed in local clubs, restaurants and other venues in Texas. The trio eventually recorded a song for a 1963 folk compilation titled Look, It's Us! On lead vocals, Oslin performed the tune "Brave Young Soldier". She would later form a folk duo with Frank Davis. In Hollywood, California, the pair—billed as "Frankie and Johnny"—recorded an album, which was not released. Oslin returned to Houston following the stint. In 1966, a touring production of the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! came to the Houston area in search of "chorus girls" for their ensemble cast. Oslin auditioned, got the part and began touring the same year.
Career
1966–1986: Broadway, commercials and beginnings in Nashville
In 1966, Hello, Dolly!s national tour ended and Oslin moved to New York City to pursue acting. She remained in the city for 20 years where she got several small stage role parts. Oslin appeared as part of the ensemble in the Broadway shows Promises, Promises and West Side Story. She also found work singing commercial jingles. She was often cast in hygiene-product commercials. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Oslin recalled being cast in a hemorrhoid commercial: "Hemorrhoids! Lord! I had a hemorrhoid commercial that had people I knew from the 3d grade calling me up saying, 'Is that you?'" Oslin also developed an interest in songwriting after being given a piano. She taught herself chord patterns and wrote music that went along with it. Her interest in country music also developed after New York started their first country radio station. She found the music to be more sophisticated than what it previously had been and began writing country songs after that. While performing as part of a synthesizer troupe, Oslin was inspired to write her first country song from writing she saw on a bathroom wall. Written on the wall were the words, "I ain't gonna love nobody but Cornell Crawford." Oslin wrote the song with friend Joe Miller and she would later record it in 1990.Oslin eventually made a demonstration tape of her compositions and brought them to the attention of the performance rights group SESAC. From there, it was brought to the attention of their Nashville executive, Dianne Petty. Petty encouraged Oslin's musical talent and helped bring her music to the attention of Nashville record executives. At the same time, Oslin also found work singing with Guy Clark on his 1978 self-titled album. Through Petty's assistance, Oslin acquired a "singles-only" recording contract with Elektra Records. Only two singles were issued on the label, "Younger Men" and "Clean Your Own Tables", the latter of which became a minor hit on the country chart. "My first record, 'Clean Your Own Tables,' managed to get on the charts for about 15 minutes," she recalled in 1987. Elektra ultimately dropped her from their label in 1982. She returned to New York where she went into a depressive period and gained 40 pounds. She continued commercial work, but found it unsatisfying. Yet Petty continued advocating for Oslin and her original compositions were recorded by Judy Rodman, Dottie West, Gail Davies and The Judds.
In 1986, Oslin decided to make a final effort to regain a recording contract. She borrowed seven thousand dollars from her aunt, lost 40 pounds, rented a Nashville nightclub and invited record executives to a one-time music showcase. "The next morning, I sat waiting for the phone to ring. It did not," she recounted. Yet, through her connections, Oslin contacted Nashville producer Harold Shedd, who had recently been successful recording Alabama. Shedd convinced Oslin to record three of her original tunes and he eventually became her full-time production collaborator. She also met RCA Records executive Joe Galante in 1986. Galante believed Oslin had potential and signed her to RCA in 1986 when Oslin was 45 years old.
1987–1993: ''80's Ladies'' and commercial breakout
In January 1987, RCA released Oslin's first label single, titled "Wall of Tears". Despite breaking into the top 40, the song failed to become a major hit. In April, the label issued the self-penned "80's Ladies", which became her first major hit. Oslin had written the tune several years prior in small chunks over time. "I thought it was one of those show pieces. I never dreamed or thought it would be a single," she stated in 2011. The single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in July and went to number four on the RPM Country Singles chart in Canada. It would later win the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. Oslin became the CMA's first female artist to win the Song of the Year accolade. "80's Ladies" also received a positive response from critics. Steve Huey of Allmusic called the track "anthemic," while Mary Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann called it "the anthem of a generation." Bill Friskics-Warren of The New York Times compared its piano sound to that of Jackson Browne. On June 30, 1987, Oslin's debut studio album of the same name was released on RCA. It became the highest-charting album by a female country artist in 20 years, topping the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in February 1988. It was also her highest-charting release on the Billboard 200 reaching a peak of 68 in March 1988. It would later certify platinum in the United States for selling over one million copies. Both of the follow-up singles to "80's Ladies" reached number one on the country chart.Oslin's musical success allowed her to become more financially stable. By 1988, she purchased her first house, but was rarely home due to a demanding tour schedule. That year, she toured with Alabama and George Strait, and recorded her second album for RCA. In August 1988, This Woman was released. Oslin wrote all ten of the album's tracks. According to Oslin, This Woman reflected the modern thinking of middle-aged women of the eighties. The project received critical acclaim from various publications. Alex Henderson of Allmusic gave it a three-star rating, calling it "a generally appealing release that successfully balances commercial and artistic considerations." Rolling Stone named it one of their "12 Classic Albums" in 2018 and found it to define female independence. Rock critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "B" rating, praising the album's defiance of gender roles in the Nashville establishment. It produced the number one hit, "Hold Me", which would also win her a second Grammy award. It was followed by the top five hits, "Hey Bobby" and its title track.
Oslin had continued success into the 1990s. That year, she performed at Carnegie Hall alongside new singer Clint Black, who also served as the opening act of her newly established headlining tour. However, her constant road schedule was negatively affecting her mental health. She took several months off from appearances to refocus and readjust her mental health. "It took me months to become a human," she told the Chicago Tribune in 1990. Oslin also took time to write and record her third studio album. In late 1990, Love in a Small Town was released on RCA Records. The project peaked at number five on the Billboard country albums chart and spent 71 weeks there. Despite the album's first single becoming only a minor hit, the second single, "Come Next Monday", would be her fourth number one single on the country chart. It was followed by the top 40 hit, "Mary and Willie", and the charting singles "You Call Everybody Darling" and "Cornell Crawford".
Oslin spent more time away from music as the decade progressed. Her last album project for RCA would be the 1993 compilation, Greatest Hits: Songs from an Aging Sex Bomb. The compilation peaked at number 28 on the Top Country Albums list and number 126 on the Billboard 200. Along with eight of her major hits, Greatest Hits also included three new songs. Notably included was a re-recording of "New Way Home". It was later released as single and spent three weeks on the Billboard country chart. Jack Hurst of The Chicago Tribune found its new tracks to be "pop sounding" but also found it to blend effectively with her previous hits. Allmusic's Rick Anderson rated it four out of five stars, yet also observed it to have pop inflections. However, he found the quality of the writing and sound to be quite high: "This is great pop music, no matter what bin you find it in."