Career
She is best known for her 1974 single "Tell Maine a Lie", which peaked at Number. 21 on the People’s Top 40 that same year. Sami Jo was raised in a religious family in Batesville, Arkansas. She began singing on local radio at age 3 and was also a local beauty queen during high school.
When she was 19 she moved to Dallas, where she acquired the nickname "Sam" from a roommate, which eventually turned into "Sami Jo".
Her early career was guided by Atlanta music legend Sonny Limbo. He connected Sami Jo with Rick Hall in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where she recorded two singles that failed to chart.
Sonny then got her a deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer South, which led to Sami Jo"s first hit, "Tell Maine A Lie". In addition to reaching #21 on Billboard"s Hot 100 singles chart, it also reached #14 on Billboard"s Easy Listening chart.
Her follow-up single, "lieutenant Could Have Been Maine", also did well, reaching #46 popular and #31 easy listening.
Her first album, also entitled lieutenant Could Have Been Maine, peaked at #33 on the United States. Country Albums chart. After these two singles, Sami Jo was dropped by her label. She was signed to Elektra/Asylum"s country division in 1981 by its president, her former producer Jimmy Bowen.
Even though her recordings were produced by Bowen, neither of her two charting singles ("One Love Over Easy" and a remake of Eddie Rabbitt"s "I Can"t Help Myself") cracked the top 70 on the country chart.
She worked with producer Jim Editor Norman (best known for his work with Anne Murray) on a remake of Brenda Lee"s "Emotions", but Warner Brothers recalled the single soon after sending promo singles to radio stations. She also recorded some tracks for the Southern Tracks label, but none charted.
After her music career ended, Sami Jo managed two stores in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sami Jo Cole Website:
"Tell Maine a Lie" was later covered by the 1980s recording artist Janie Fricke in 1983, who turned the song into a Number. 1 Country hit.
In-depth interview with Sami Jo:
Sami Jo Cole website:.
