Died August 26th, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee

Born and raised in Orlando,FL Wilma Burgess attended Stetson University to study for a degree in physical education with no intention of a career in music, although she had performed on local television. She was initially only interested in pop music but a visit to an Eddy Arnold concert changed her mind.

After graduation in 1960, she was persuaded by a friend to go to Nashville to demo some of his songs for music publishers. Charlie Lamb of Sound Format Publications was more interested in her singing than the songs and persuaded her to move to Nashville.He hired her to do demos, became her Manager and eventually brought her to the attention of famed Decca Records Producer Owen Bradley, who had been looking to fill a void with the label left by Patsy Cline. In 1962 she cut a single for United Artists, “Confused” b/w “Something Tells Me”. Once she was free to sign with another label, Bradley, one of the main architects of the "Nashville Sound" and well known for his recordings with Cline, Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn among others, signed Wilma to Decca in 1964. Her first single release for the label was “Raining On My Pillow“ b/w “This Time Tomorrow“. Two more singles were released all with moderate success.

Then in 1965 Wilma had her first Top 10 record with “Baby”,penned by Canadian Ray Griff, which went all the way to number 7 on the Billboard Charts. The same year she purchased Jim Reeves' former touring bus "Big Blue", as well as the late Patsy Cline’s “Dream house” from Patsy’s Husband Charlie Dick. Included in the sale was one of Patsy’s cars. She had been among the guests at Patsy's 30th Birthday celebration and house warming at the home shortly before her untimely death in 1963 and was also among the friends who helped manage the flow of visitors to the home after the plane crash.

At the 8th Annual Grammy Awards held on March 15th, 1966, Wilma was nominated for a Grammy for “Best Country Vocal Performance – Female” for “Baby”. The other nominees that year were Molly Bee, Dottie West, Skeeter Davis and Jody Miller, who took the Award for “Queen of the House”. 1966 also saw the release of her debut album “Don't Touch Me”, from which the title track went all the way to number 12 and the album placed number 3 on the Billboard “Top Country Albums” for that year. Her follow up album would reach number 5 in the same category the following year. Titled after one of the biggest hits of 1967 and the song she would become most identified with, “Misty Blue” went all the way to number 4 and cemented Wilma’s place in music history. The song was soon covered by everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Eddy Arnold who had been such an influence early on.

Over the next several years with the Decca label, more Billboard chart hits would follow with "Tear Time”, "Fifteen Days" and “Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow” among others.

In 1973, she left Decca and joined Shannon Records, owned by Jim Reeves' widow and close friend Mary Reeves Davis. Mary had been wanting to pair Wilma with Bud Logan, one time leader of Reeves' band, the Blue Boys, and the two had a Top 20 duet on “Wake Me Into Love”. Another single of her own titled "I'll Be Your Bridge" also did well. It was also on the Shannon label that Wilma recorded “Love Is Here”, which was a Top 50 chart hit and her personal favorite of all her cuts.

She then signed with RCA, but the label only released a couple of singles from 1975 to 1978 with little promotion. Most notably another Ray Griff composition, "Darlin", appropriately rounding out her major label career with a song from the writer who had provided her first major Billboard hit, "Baby" and later on "Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow". Her last album release was the 1982 album ''Could I Have This Dance'' on the independent 51West Label.

After her RCA contract expired, Wilma left the music business, or one could say she was finally driven out in frustration. Wilma was the first and only openly gay Country singer in an industry and genre with zero tolerance. Even in the ‘60s she made no bones about her sexuality behind the scenes, but as long as she was making a lot of people a lot of money, most turned a blind eye. She was, however fodder for constant gossip and rumor and treated very badly by most of her peers. She was blacklisted for membership with The Grand Ole Opry while others with much less “Star” power were welcomed.

The "Nashville Sound" she had been a major part of that had put the city on the map was also being killed off by the early '70s,but not before Wilma had several years of great records and hits, especially with Decca. She had a mutual love and respect for her first Producer, the Legendary Owen Bradley with Decca Records. Like Patsy Cline before her, the only time they “butted heads” was over material. Wilma insisted on recording songs that were “gender correct” for her. In other words, the singer could be singing to either a man, or a woman. To record “Ain’t Got No Man” in particular didn’t sit well with Wilma, but the very few she recorded that “didn’t work” were usually worked out with “trade offs” for songs she wanted to record that Owen didn’t particularly like and the two never seriously disagreed.

In the late ‘80s she took her earnings from her recording career and opened Nashville's first women's bar, "The Hitching Post" where "Zanie's"Comedy Club now resides, and sometimes performed there. Wilma also worked with Mary Reeves Davis off and on running the Jim Reeves Museum in Nashville during those years. Wilma's life was closely intermingled not only with her Mother, who eventually moved to Nashville with her and lived with Wilma until she passed away, but also with Mary Reeves Davis from the time she came to Nashville. The two shared a passion for golf and playing cards and Wilma was known for her regular weekly poker games.

In later years Wilma fell on hard times. She stored her personal affects, memorabilia and awards in a storage unit owned by Mary Reeves Davis for temporary safe keeping. Shortly after, Mary developed aggressive Alzheimer’s disease. Now remarried, Mary was convinced to sign everything over to her then Husband, who promptly sold the entire Estate to a Carnival owner.The Jim Reeves Museum,a Nashville landmark built in 1792 called “Evergreen Place” at Gallatin Road and Briley Parkway fell into disrepair and was left to slowly disintegrate, as was Mary who was placed in a nursing home. She passed away in 1999 and several years of legal fights over Jim Reeves' estate followed. Even though there were assurances Wilma would be able to retrieve her possessions, she never saw them again. As well, all efforts to save “Evergreen Place”, the second oldest home in Davidson County were lost when a “stop work order” was ignored and a Home Depot now sits in it’s place.

Wilma passed away unexpectedly Monday, August 26th, 2003 at 4:05 a.m. at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, largely forgotten and without even a mention in the Nashville press. She had been hospitalized for a week for tests and had seemed to be on the road to recovery, but suffered a massive heart attack. She was only 64.

Wilma Burgess was one of country music's best and most underrated female vocalists of all time. She never compromised who she was and I admired that. She was a friend and she is missed.

Bruce A. McGuire 2008