Deborah Jo Billingsley (May 28, 1952 – June 24, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter and recording artist. She was best known for her work with the Honkettes,

backing vocalist A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

s for

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd (, ) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The group originally formed as My Backyard and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom ...

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Billingsley was born in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

, United States, to Doc and Hazel Billingsley. The family soon moved to

Senatobia, Mississippi Senatobia is a city in and the county seat of Tate County, Mississippi, United States, and is the 16th largest municipality in the Memphis Metropolitan Area. The population was 8,165 at the 2010 census. Senatobia is home to Northwest Mississippi ...

from Harmontown,

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, where she was raised. In December 1975 she was hired, along with

Cassie Gaines Cassie LaRue Gaines (January 9, 1948 – October 20, 1977) was an American singer, best known for her work with Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Biography Gaines was invited by JoJo Billingsley and Ronnie Van Zant to join Lynyrd Skynyrd as a ...

and Leslie Hawkins, as backing singers for the

Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. History 1950s and 1960s: origin ...

band

, whose leader,

Ronnie Van Zant Ronald Wayne Van Zant (January 15, 1948 – October 20, 1977) was an American singer, best known as the founding lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was the older brother of Johnny Van Zant, the cu ...

, dubbed them "The Honkettes". An October 20, 1977 airplane crash killed several members of the band and road crew, but Billingsley was the only band member not on the flight. At the time, she was under a doctor's care in

, dealing with health problems brought about by substance abuse. According to Billingsley, this experience led her to become a

born-again Christian To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

. Between 2005 and 2006 - JoJo Billingsley, Leslie Hawkins,

Artimus Pyle Thomas Delmer "Artimus" Pyle (born July 15, 1948) is an American musician who played drums with the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1974 to 1977 and from 1987 to 1991. He and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fam ...

Ed King Edward Calhoun King (September 14, 1949 – August 22, 2018) was an American musician. He was a guitarist for the psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock and guitarist and bassist for the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 to 197 ...

and Bob Burns reunited to play a dozen shows in a band called The Saturday Night Special Band, with their good friend and former bandmate, Mark Basile from New York to raise awareness for UNOS, an organ donor charitable organization. The band also featured, George Festo, Jaime Sepe, Eric Tolnes and Mike DesRoches. The SNS Band has several live shows recorded on You Tube.

Performances

Billingsley did not perform with a re-formed Lynyrd Skynyrd after the 1977 plane crash at

Charlie Daniels Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, and was a pioneering contribution to Southern rock and progressive country. He was ...

' 1979 Volunteer Jam, because she was not invited. She was at the opening of ''Freebird The Movie'' at Atlanta's Fox Theatre in 1995. She sang "

Sweet Home Alabama "Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on the band's second album '' Second Helping'' (1974). It was written in response to Neil Young's songs " Southern Man" and "Alabama", which the band felt blamed t ...

" at Lynyrd Skynyrd's induction into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

in 2006. She also performed with members of the group at occasional charity or memorial events. In 2005, she was called upon by her friend and former bandmate, Mark Basile, a guitarist from New York, who invited her to perform with Leslie Hawkins several times as "The Honkettes" in an alternative version of Lynyrd Skynyrd called "The Saturday Night Special Band", that included former Skynyrd members

and Leslie Hawkins, which helped raise money for UNOS and

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

victims. Billingsley, Hawkins and newcomer Donna Basile, rounded out the Honkettes. In 2007, Billingsley appeared at Jam-A-Que (a Southern rock get-together held by Bruce Wall) with members of Southern Boys Band, Bruce Wall, and Scott Braswell

Pleasant Shade, Tennessee Pleasant Shade is an unincorporated community in northern Smith County, Tennessee, United States. It has a post office, assigned zip code 37145. The community is centered along Tennessee State Route 80 State Route 80 (SR 80) is a north–s ...

. Her friend Jane Van Zant was also there. Billingsley also made many television and radio appearances, appeared in several movies and DVDs, and traveled extensively. Her final CD was titled ''I Will Obey''.

Personal life

Billingsley lived with her husband, Tim, and her daughter, Destiny, in

Cullman, Alabama Cullman is the largest city and county seat of Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is located along Interstate 65, about north of Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham and about south of Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville. As of the 2020 United ...

, where they attended Spirit Life Church. Her son, Justin, is in the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. Billingsley died in Cullman on June 24, 2010, from cancer at the age of 58.

References

External links

Interview
Bands Of Dixie & SweetHomeMusic.fr (2008)
A Tennessee Concerts Tribute to JoJo Billingsley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Billingsley, JoJo 1952 births 2010 deaths American women rock singers Deaths from cancer in Alabama People from Cullman, Alabama People from Lafayette County, Mississippi People from Senatobia, Mississippi