January 26 , 2017 The SEGway News Page 3
January 26 , 2017 The SEGway News Page 3
Personality Nancy Owen : Upland native still performing
By Max Showalter
When Nancy Dawn Owen graduated from Jefferson Township High School in 1962 she had already embarked on a singing career that took her to many places throughout the Midwest and keeps her performing in 2017 .
Music was a family affair for Nancy , who was born and raised in Upland . Her father , John , was a choir director , and her mother , Lavonne , was an organist at church . And Nancy still has the red chair she stood on to sing in a trio with her sisters , Barbara and Peggy .
While in junior high school , under the professional name Nancy Dawn , she recorded a song - “ Glue Me Back , Jack ” - for Salem Records in Chicago . With the Hi-Fi Guys singing background , the 45-rpm record was released in 1957 and earned airplay on radio stations around the Midwest , Florida and Texas .
“ The girl ( Rose Lynne Albright ) that wrote both sides of my record , the other side “ Long Road ”, was from Cicero , Indiana and had heard me sing on Indianapolis TV shows ,” Nancy said . “ She asked me to record her songs and she booked the studio and The Hi-Fi Guys . That was the only time I ever worked with them .”
In his book “ A Rocket in My Pocket : The Hipster ’ s Guide to Rockabilly Music ,” author Max Dechame gave the record and the singer high marks .
“ Then of course there are women who made just one or
two excellent singles for small labels , and who , like many rockabilly performers , seem to have appeared almost out of nowhere and left behind little trace except their music ,” Dechame wrote . “ Fine example of this was ... “ Glue Me Back , Jack ” by Nancy Dawn with the Hi Fi Guys on Salem Records from Chicago , a nice easy-rolling boogie-style rockabilly number .”
But the record was only another step for the singing career of Nancy Dawn . While she was performing on “ Indiana Hoedown ,” an Indianapolis-based television program hosted by Charlie Gore , her mother had sent the record to executives with “ Midwestern Hayride ,” a television program in Cincinnati .
Following a successful audition Nancy was hired to perform with the “ Hayride ” cast that included Bonnie Lou , The Hometowners , Dean Richards and the Lucky Pennies , Helen and Billy Scott , Zeke and Bill and Kenny Price , who later was a cast member on the national TV show “ Hee Haw .”
Acceptance continued as Nancy Dawn was called on to perform numerous times on two other television programs based in Cincinnati - the highly popular “ Ruth Lyons 50-50 Club ” and the “ Paul Dixon Show .”
“ Because I sang on both Indianapolis and Cincinnati television , I sang in Columbus and Dayton , Ohio and many towns in between ,” said Nancy . “ I made personal appearances in Kentucky also because all three states carried the “ Indiana Hoedown ,” a daytime talk show in Indy and “ Midwestern Hayride .” Then Ruth Lyons and “ Bob Braun 50-50 Club ” from Cincinnati .”
After graduating from high school Nancy married Tom Childs , a 1958 graduate of JHS . His career as a teacher and school principal , and her career as a singer took them from Fairmount to Columbus , Ohio , Wabash and Muncie , as their family grew to include three children - Lori Ann , Angela and Owen Robert ( Rob .)
With increasing responsibilities at home , Nancy eventually
scaled back her performances on Bob Braun ’ s program , after he took over for Ruth Lyons . She also sang on the “ Avco Hour of Stars ”, which featured talent from Avco Broadcasting and was broadcast from the Ohio State Fair .
Now living in Muncie , Nancy has sung the National Anthem at various sporting events including 15 Indiana Pacer games , four Indiana Fever games and induction ceremonies at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle . Her favorite type of singing is church choir and praise music and she is a member of the choir at her church in Muncie .
She also still sings in a group called Child ’ s Play , which consists of Nancy , her two daughters and one son .
“ We did many programs around Indiana mainly , and our whole family recorded a CD of Ruth Lyons Christmas songs ,” Nancy said . “ We do fewer bookings now as our family grew to 15 and we ’ re all wonderfully busy living life .
“ I have always had a very soft spot in my heart for Upland . In nearly every article or interview I ever did , I spoke of my love for my hometown and what the people meant to me . It was a wonderful place to grow up and I still lean on my roots from there .”
Photos by Tom Childs
Owen sang at WLW-C TV in Cincinnati ( top , right ), and sang the national anthem at the Indiana Pacers game ( at left ). She and Kenny Price , who went on to be a cast member of “ Hee Haw ,” were on the “ Midwestern Hayride .” ( second from top , right ). At far left , bottom , is an advertisement for a talent show held in Muncie .