Died On This Date (August 26, 2003) Wilma Burgess / Country Music Singer
themusicsover Wilma Burgess
June 11, 1939 – August 26, 2003
Wilma Burgess was a popular country singer during the late ’60s and early ’70s. While attending college, Burgess thought a career in physical education was in her future, that is, until she heard the great Eddy Arnold sing live. She new she could hold her own as a singer, so in 1960, she packed up and headed to Nashville on the advice of a friend to record some demos. Within a couple of years, she had released her first record and found a believer in the highly regarded producer, Owen Bradley, who was looking for the next Patsy Cline who had recently died. With Bradley’s help, Burgess landing a significant deal with Decca Records, and proceeded to release a series of singles that included 15 that landed on the Country charts over the next decade. She continued to make records until she retired from recording in 1982. A short time late, Burgess opened the Hitching Post, Nashville’s first lesbian bar. And contrary to recent claims that Chely Wright was the first country star to come out as a lesbian, Burgess was openly gay throughout her entire career. On August 26, 2003, Wilma Burgess died following a massive heart attack. She was 64.
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