Married at age 15, Howard had three sons before she turned 21. After two divorces, she headed to Los Angeles and took on jobs as a waitress and a secretary to support her family. Through singer Wynn Stewart, she met and later married then up-and-coming songwriter Harlan Howard. Although she had no musical training or experience, Harlan convinced her to record demos of his songs. This brought her the attention and encouragement of Johnny Bond and Tex Ritter. In 1959, she and Stewart recorded the duet “Yankee Go Home.” That same year she made her Opry debut; it was one of the first times the $65-a-week secretary had ever sung on stage.
The Howards moved from California to Nashville in 1960. Her first solo single, “The One You Slip Around With,” was a Top 10 hit, and both Billboard and Cash Box magazines named her their Most Promising Country Vocalist.
In 1964, she signed with Decca Records and had another hit in 1965 with “What Makes a Man Wander.” That same year she joined Bill Anderson’s syndicated TV and road show and sang with him regularly on the Opry. For seven years they won many top-duo awards, and she enjoyed her greatest chart success with their duets: “For Loving You” went to No. 1 and was followed by four Top 5 hits.
At the same time, her solo single “Evil on Your Mind” (named one of country music’s 500 greatest singles by the book Heartaches by the Number) went Top 5. “Bad Seed” reached number 10 in 1966, and, over the next seven years, she charted several more singles.
Her single “My Son,” a song that began as a letter to her son Jimmy in Vietnam, was released just a few weeks before he was killed in action in 1968. She wrote of coping with the tragedies of his death and that of her youngest son David in her 1987 autobiography, Sunshine and Shadow.
In 1992, Howard’s efforts on behalf of the armed forces, mental health, the Veterans Administration, Vietnam veterans, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial earned her the Tennessee Adjutant General’s Distinguished Patriot Medal, its highest civilian honor. In 2005, the Commander in Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars presented her with the Medal of Merit, which is awarded for “exceptional service rendered to country, community and humankind.”
A regular guest on the Opry for years, Howard formally joined the cast in 1971. She continued to tour periodically and to work for causes related to military veterans. In 2005, she was recognized by her home state with her induction into the Missouri Country Music Hall of Fame.
She subsequently appeared on albums by other artists. In 2007, she recorded a duet with Bill Anderson and Vince Gill for Anderson's studio release, Whisperin' Bluegrass. In 2017, Howard and Jessi Colter appeared on Jeannie Seely's studio album Written in Song, singing on the track "We're Still Hangin' in There, Ain't We Jessi". In 2019, she celebrated her 90th birthday at the Opry, making her the show's oldest living member. On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Jan Howard among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Son of a Preacher Man
Jan Howard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when his daddy would visit he'd come along
When they gathered around and started talkin'
That's when Billy would take me walkin'
Out through the backyard we'd go walkin'
Then he'd look into my eyes
Lord knows to my surprise
The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was, ooh, yes he was
Bein' good isn't always easy, no matter how hard I try
When he started sweet-talkin' to me
He'd come'n tell me "Everything is all right"
He'd kiss and tell me "Everything is all right"
Can I get away again tonight?
The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was, ooh, yes he was
(Yes he was)
How well I remember the look that was in his eyes
Stealin' kisses from me on the sly
Takin' time to make time, tellin' me that he's all mine
Learnin' from each other's knowin'
Lookin' to see how much we've grown and
The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was, oh yes he was
(The only one who could ever reach me)
He was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man
(The only boy who could ever teach me)
Was the son of a preacher man
(The only one who could ever reach me)
Was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man
"Son of a Preacher Man" is a song about a woman's relationship with the son of a preacher whom she finds irresistible. The song starts with the introduction of Billy Ray, the preacher's son, whom the singer meets during visits to his family. During these gatherings, when the conversation turns boring or stilted, Billy takes the singer for a walk in the backyard. During these walks, he looks into her eyes, and this is when the singer is surprised by his gentle and loving gaze. She realizes that Billy is the only one who can reach her and the only boy who can teach her about love.
The songwriter talks about how being good is not always easy, no matter how much we try. However, when Billy starts sweet-talking to her, she feels reassured that everything is all right, and she can get away with him for a while. The song describes how Billy steals kisses from the singer on the sly and how they learn from each other's love. The singer feels that she has grown with Billy, who is both the only boy who could ever teach her and the only one who could ever reach her.
In conclusion, "Son of a Preacher Man" tells the story of a woman's journey into love, which she finds with the son of a preacher. The song is about the unique connection that they share, how they feel understood by each other, and how they learn from their love. As a listener, one can identify with the woman and her desires and feel the raw emotions she feels.
Line by Line Meaning
Billy Ray was a preacher's son
Billy Ray's father was a preacher
And when his daddy would visit he'd come along
Billy Ray would accompany his father when he visited
When they gathered around and started talkin'
When the adults got together and talked
That's when Billy would take me walkin'
That's when Billy would take me for a walk
Out through the backyard we'd go walkin'
We would walk out through the backyard
Then he'd look into my eyes
Then he would look at me deeply
Lord knows to my surprise
I was surprised by how I felt
The only one who could ever reach me
Billy Ray was the only one who could truly connect with me
Was the son of a preacher man
Billy Ray, the preacher's son, was the one who understood me
The only boy who could ever teach me
Billy Ray was the only boy who could teach me
Bein' good isn't always easy, no matter how hard I try
Trying to be good is difficult, even when I try my best
When he started sweet-talkin' to me
When he started talking to me in a loving way
He'd come'n tell me 'Everything is all right'
He would tell me that everything was okay
He'd kiss and tell me 'Everything is all right'
He would kiss me and tell me that everything was okay
Can I get away again tonight?
I wonder if I can sneak out to see him again tonight
How well I remember the look that was in his eyes
I remember the expression in Billy Ray's eyes vividly
Stealin' kisses from me on the sly
He kissed me secretly
Takin' time to make time, tellin' me that he's all mine
We made time for each other and he assured me that he was only for me
Learnin' from each other's knowin'
We learned from each other
Lookin' to see how much we've grown and
We would compare how much we've grown and changed
He was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man
Billy Ray was the charming and persuasive preacher's son
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Music Rocks! Shorts
Love this version! This song belongs to Dusty, but Jan sang it very well
Melba Ogletree
The old country was some of the best songs! Thank you for these songs!!!
Jruus1
I love this version!! :)
W. Walter Watson
@parker19891 Good music & good singers never grow old.
hadasdana
like this version
W. Walter Watson
Thank you for commenting; it is appreciated.
W. Walter Watson
@melba1945 Thanks, again, for your comments. Yes, the old country is among the best there is.
Devin Melancon
Not a bad version, and I'm a huge fan of 1960s country music BUT...did she have to change the lyric to "cousin Willy?" Why oh why?