‘Queen of the House’ Singer Jody Miller Dies at age 80
Associated Press - October 7, 2022 12:44 pm
Jody Miller sits in front of a wall with memorabilia from her singing career in the entryway of her old high school in Blanchard, Okla., Thursday, June 28, 2018. Miller won a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1966 and was nominated for another in 1971. Photo by Anya Magnuson, The Oklahoman
BLANCHARD, Okla. (AP) — Jody Miller, whose “Queen of the House” won the 1966 Grammy Award for best country performance by a woman, died Thursday at age 80.
Miller died in her hometown of Blanchard, Oklahoma, of complications from Parkinson’s disease, according to Universal Music Group, owner of Capitol Records, which released most of her hits.
“Queen of the House” was released in 1965 as an answer to Roger Miller’s hit “King of the Road.” The hit opened up a crossover career for Jody Miller, who wasn’t related to the “King of the Road” composer and singer.
Her 1965 teen protest song “Home of the Brave” was her biggest-selling single, despite being banned from some radio stations’ playlists. Another hit was “Long Black Limousine,” a song about a man’s funeral procession.
In the 1970s, Miller moved to Epic Records, where she had hits with “Baby I’m Yours,” There’s a Party Goin’ On,” “Darling, You Can Always Come Back Home,” and the Grammy-nominated crossover hit cover of “He’s So Fine.”
She retired in the 1980s to spend more time with her husband and children. After her husband’s death, she recorded a 2018 single, “Where My Picture Hangs on the Wall,” with daughter Robin Brooks Sullivan and Miller’s two grandchildren.
