Fricke Sang On Elvis’ Last Studio Album, Recorded Jingles,
And Even Played A Bank Robber on The Dukes Of Hazzard Series
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Raised on a farm in Indiana, Janie Fricke began singing in church and later turned that talent into a career that began as one of the marketing industry’s most successful jingle singers. Long before her success as a country artist, millions of people became familiar with Fricke’s voice through ads for United Airlines, Coca-Cola, 7-Up, McDonald’s, and Red Lobster. She soon became a session singer where she was singing background in the studio with some of the biggest country stars of the late 70s and early ’80s, including Loretta Lynn, Eddie Rabbitt, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, and Mel Tillis.
After a string of duets with such greats as Merle Haggard and Moe Bandy, Fricke landed a solo recording contract in the early ’80s and scored several hit singles, including “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby,” “He’s a Heartache” and “You’re Heart’s Not In It.” She won CMA’s coveted “Female Vocalist of the Year” in 1982 and ’83 and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. She has been credited with over 1,600 album projects and scored 36 hit singles.
The 80s were also a time when country stars made special appearances on television programs and Fricke was no exception. Janie Fricke practically gave birth to The Dukes of Hazzard’s General Lee during an 8-year flashback show (in which, Fricke played Ginny, a bank robber) she along with her sidekick robbed a bank and, in an effort, to get away crashed their 1969 Dodge Charger (it was black at the time). That vehicle was hauled off to the junkyard where the ‘Duke Boys’ discovered it and with the help of Crazy Cooter Davenport got it fixed up, painted orange, and ready for Boss Hogg’s Hazzard County Race. It then officially became the General Lee!
In recent years, Sony Music Entertainment made four of Fricke’s classic albums available to fans on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other digital platforms via the Legacy Digital Vault campaign, including The First Word In Memory, The Very Best of Janie Fricke, Black & White and Saddle in the Wind! The collection of albums features the 18-time chart-topper’s biggest hits, including “It Ain’t Easy Being Easy,” “Tell Me a Lie,” “She’s Single Again” and more. Legacy Recordings also released The Essential JANIE FRICKE to all digital service providers.
JANIE FRICKE ON TOUR:
5/5/22 – Leo J Welder Center for the Performing Arts – Victoria, TX
5/6/22 – Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre – New Braunfels, TX
6/4/22 – The Big Dance – Dallas, TX
6/16/22 – Sesser City Park – Sesser, IL
7/8/22 – Cactus Theater – Lubbock, TX
7/10/22 – Cailloux Theater – Kerrville, TX
7/16/22 – Tri-Lakes Center for Arts – Palmer Lake, CO
7/22/22 – Sisseton Performing Arts Center – Sisseton, SD
7/30/22 – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center – Shipshewana, IN
8/6/22 – Old Town Theatre – Huntsville, TX
8/26/22 – Music Ranch Montana – Livingston, MT
9/23/22 – Arlington Music Hall – Arlington, TX
12/2/22 – Janie Fricke’s A Country Cowgirl’s Christmas – Granbury, TX
12/11/22 – Janie Frickie’s A Country Cowgirl’s Christmas – Hopewell, VA
1/7/23 – Rosemary Clausen Performing Arts Center – Holstein, IA