Born January 12th 1953, La Wanda was the youngest artist on Chart's impressive roster. La Wanda became interested in country music at the age of 5; the same age she performed on the stage for the first time. Her father, N.H. "Lefty" Lindsey, was the manager of WEAS, a country music radio station, in Savanna, GA and fronted his own band, the Dixie Show Boys. Four years later she made her first radio appearance. By 1964 her father had renamed the band La Wanda Lindsey and the Dixie Show Boys. La Wanda's talents came to the attention of Conway Twitty and she moved to Nashville where she stayed with Joe Taylor (her booking agent) and his family. She worked for Conway for 2 years and in 1967 signed with Chart Records. Her first single, "Beggars Can't Be Choosers", was released early in 1968 but didn't make the charts, though it did sell well. At the start of 1969 a duet with Kenny Vernon, "Eye To Eye", made the Top 60 charts and later that same year she hit with her first solo Top 50, "Partly Bill". 1970 saw another hit duet with Kenny Vernon, "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries", Top 30, and she was voted "Teen Country Queen". In November 1972 La Wanda's career was taken over by Buck Owens. She signed with Capitol Records and in 1974 had another Top 30 with "Hello Out There". In the mid-70's La Wanda moved from Nashville to Bakersfield and began appearing on Hee Haw. In 1977 La Wanda signed with Mercury Records and had two Top 100 hits, "Walk Right Back" in 1977 and "I'm A Woman In Love" in 1978. Shortly after that she married Bill Smith Jr, a club owner, and now live in Albuquerque, NM.
- Margaret P. Dotzewitch, Starship Magazine, 1983 -
...however, I would like to correct some of your information. My first record, "Beggars Can't Be Choosers", 1968, DID make the Billboard Charts... I never had a record that didn't make Billboard charts except for the last record released in 1979 on Mercury produced by Jerry Kennedy entitled, "Gone Forever"...
Conway Twitty's manager heard me on the radio while he and Conway were traveling through Savannah, GA. and called my Dad and asked for a demo tape to take to Nashville. I didn't work with Conway until after I had signed and recorded my first record with Chart Records. Conway's manager opened the doors for me... I enjoyed every show I was blessed to do with Conway. One of the greatest compliments was when he and Loretta recorded "Pickin' Berries" on one of their albums following mine and Kenny's single... Without any need to do so,they always acknowleged Kenny and me everytime they sang it on stage! I even had the pleasure of singing it with Conway on a few stage shows...
Just to update you... I do still live in Albuquerque, NM... My children are grown... My son, Trevor, is 29 and lives in Phoenix, AZ. He has a 5 yr. old son, MY GRANDSON! MY BIGGEST HIT RECORD! My daughter, Tara is 26 and lives in Newport Beach, Ca.
- La Wanda Lindsey, Aug/2007 -