CMT News

Billie Jo Spears, the country singer who scored a No. 1 country hit in 1975 with "Blanket on the Ground," died Wednesday morning (Dec. 14) at her home in Vidor, Texas. She was 74. Born in Beaumont, Texas, Spears earned her first Top 10 hit in 1969 with "Mr. Walker, It's All Over" on Capitol. A contract with United Artists in the late 1970s spawned four Top 10 hits, including "What I've Got in Mind," "Misty Blue" and "If You Want Me." She later cultivated an international audience after appearing at England's Wembley Festival in 1977.