Les Paul and Mary Ford

She died of complications from diabetes in Arcadia, California. A subsequent album Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram achieved little success. They were a couple from 1946, and married in 1949. In 1964 they broke up both personally and professionally; Mary Ford went into retirement, while Les Paul continued as a consultant for the Gibson Company, guitar makers. Despite the controversy, the song reached number 18 on the singles charts in 1977 in the US and top ten in Australia while the Ram Jam album reached top 40. She, Patti Page (who was probably the first), and Jane Turzy were three singers who used multi-tracking on their hits in the early 1950s. The song caused quite a stir with the NAACP and CORE calling for a boycott due to the lyrics. Ironically, the song was first recorded by blues artist Leadbelly. She was originally a country music performer, working with Gene Autry and Jimmy Wakely, and became one of the early practitioners of multi-tracking, where she recorded several parts of a multi-part harmony. Ram Jam decided to rerecord the song with producers Jerry Kasenatz and Jeff Katz, best-known for their work with The Ohio Express and Buddah Records.

The name Mary Ford was picked out of a telephone directory by Paul, so she had as short a name as his when they recorded as a duo. Bartlett had also been a member of "Starstruck", a Cincinnati band which had recorded a song called "Black Betty" which had achieved little success. Ford was born in El Monte, California. Bill Bartlett was formerly lead guitarist for bubblegum group the Lemon Pipers while Blauvett played with Billy Joel in two bands the Hassles and El Primo. Paul was a guitarist, born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, who created his own electric guitars from acoustic ones, and recorded several solo guitar hits as well as the songs where he backed his wife's singing. Its members were Bill Bartlett (guitar), Pete Charles (drums) Myke Scavone (lead singer) and Howey Arthur Blauvett. June 9, 1915, original name Lester Williams Polfus) and Mary Ford (July 7, 1928-September 30, 1977, original name Iris Colleen Summers) were a husband-wife musical duo. Ram Jam is the name of a 1970s rock band.

Les Paul (b. Golden Classics (1996). Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram (1978). Ram Jam (album) (1977).