Sultry-voiced, blues-influenced singer-songwriter Billie Jo Spears made her professional debut at age 13 at an all-star country show in Houston featuring George Jones and Jean Shepard. With help from songwriter Jack Rhodes, she signed to Abbott Records in 1953 and released “Too Old for Toys, Too Young for Boys,” which appeared as the B-side to Mel Blanc’s “I Dess I Dotta Doe.” On that single she appeared as Billie Jo Moore, and she later performed the song on the Louisiana Hayride.

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After high school, Spears became a nightclub singer and signed with United Artists in 1964, working with producer Kelso Herston. She followed Herston to Capitol Records, where she recorded “Harper Valley P.T.A.” She scored early success with “He’s Got More Love in His Little Finger,” and her single “Mr. Walker, It’s All Over” reached the top five on the country charts.

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Spears had to pause her career when a nodule was discovered on one of her vocal cords. She spent six months unable to speak and a full year recovering. After returning to performing, she recorded for several independent labels. In 1974, doctors found polyps in her larynx, raising fears she might lose her voice permanently. She again spent six months in silence but eventually returned to United Artists and recorded “See the Funny Little Clown.” Her greatest success came shortly after with her first No. 1 hit, “Blanket on the Ground,” in 1975.

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The following year was her most successful, beginning with the major trans-Atlantic hit “What I’ve Got in Mind.” She ended 1976 with five charting singles, including “Sing Me an Old Fashioned Song.” Spears continued to record and perform internationally until her passing in 2011.