Jan Howard

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Lula Grace Johnson (born March 13, 1929), better known as Jan Howard, is an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry actress.

She rose to fame in the 1960s and early 1970s and was twice nominated for the Best Female Vocal Achievement Grammy Award twice.

Harlan Howard, her husband at the time, wrote many of her hits. "Evil on Your Mind," Howard's most popular hit and signature song, debuted at number five on the Billboard country charts, was the 1966 country's best-selling hit and signature album.

The song is included in the book Heartaches by the Number: The 500 Greatest Country Music Singles.

She performed duets with Bill Anderson on a number of top-ten hits, including the number one hit "For Loving You," in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Early life

Lula Grace Johnson, the granddaughter of Linnie and Rolla Johnson, was born in West Plains, Missouri. She was the eighth of 11 children. Two of her siblings died before the age of two. During the Great Depression, Howard's father was a brick mason who received Work Progress Administration assistance. The family moved often in her early childhood as her father found work and better housing. They lived in Kansas City, Birch Tree, and Oklahoma City. The family moved to West Plains for a short time when she was eight years old. Howard was assaulted by a family friend after returning home. "My body was abused and my mind was impaired in a way that I wasn't aware of the full extent of for years to come" in her 1987 autobiography. For many years, she kept it a mystery from her family.

She developed an interest in listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcasts with her father in her childhood. "It's the first time I heard the Opry I was eight or nine years old," she said of her father's listening sessions. On Saturday nights, my dad used to tune it in on the radio, but only after that did he hear Texas Ruby. She was his favorite." Howard's mother was briefly estranged from her father for a short time in 1943. Howard spent time as a dishwasher in a local cafe to help the family. Howard's family's meals were provided by the cafet owner because he couldn't afford to pay her. Model Drugs, a drugstore, was she fired at age 16, she began a new life in a drugstore.

She married Mearle Wood in 1945 and later dropped out of high school. Wood joined the military right away right after they were married. Wood and his wife's husband were relocating to Waynesville, Missouri, after finding military housing for them. They shared a house with another military couple in their first home together. After learning Wood was involved in a prank, she briefly returned to her parents' house. Howard returned to Little Rock, Arkansas, when Wood was restaging there.

Howard had three sons from the late 1940s to early 1950s. As Wood took on various positions, the young family continued to move. Colorado Springs, Colorado, Pittsburg, Kansas, and Greeley, Colorado were among the cities they lived in. The family's house caught fire in Greeley, and the family's house caught fire. Howard awakened the stench of smoke in the middle of the night and saved her three children from the fumes. Wood was not present at the time of the shooting. The family migrated to West Plains near the end of their marriage. Wood was physically abused in 1987, especially at the time of their marriage. Wood nearly killed Howard with a butcher knife to his throat during one incident. Howard and her three sons left Oklahoma on the same day as her siblings. "Momma and Daddy kept us under wraps until midnight." "We boarded a Greyhound bus for Oklahoma City as much as we could spare," Howard wrote. She divorced Wood in 1953.

Howard became familiar with Lowell "Smitty" Smith while living with her brother. Smith was also an active soldier in the service. The two married in 1953, the two couples began to develop a romantic relationship. The family lived on a military base with Smith and her three children. Howard also worked part-time in the Morehouse Fashion Department Store's "tea room." Janet Louise Smith, a fourth child born in 1954, was born. The baby had a string of medical issues and died shortly after being born. Howard recalled the event: "They were closing the top of the incubator." The realization hit me. Howard wrote, "The baby was dead."

The Smith family then relocated to Warrensburg, Missouri, where they rented a newly built home. The couple bought furniture on credit in order to furnish the house. She became pregnant again during this period and then miscarried the baby. Smith was recalled in Panama a few weeks after his miscarriage. While Smith was on vacation, Howard arranged for their furniture to be sent to Panama. Howard and his children were due to meet him there a few months later. Smith discovered she was still married to another woman shortly after he left. After realizing it, she ended the marriage and moved with her sons to Los Angeles, California, in 1955.

On his way to Los Angeles, Howard worked a variety of part-time jobs. She worked as a cocktail waitress in a strip joint for a brief period. Howard said, "I must have had 30 jobs in the next 30 days." She started working as a secretary after several months. She later recalled that the position was difficult because she could not "type or take shorthand." Harlan Howard, a young country music songwriter, was born in 1957. The pair met through her friend's relationship with country artist Wynn Stewart (Stewart was also a Howard's friend). The couple were married in Las Vegas, Nevada, within a month of meeting on May 10, 1957.

Personal life

Howard was married four times. She was only 16 years old at the time of her first marriage to Mearle Wood. Howard and Howard met when Howard was working at her local drugstore in West Plains, Missouri. He'd often stop by to say hello and have a soda. The two spent more time together, eventually becoming a couple and marrying. Howard later said she did not want to marry Wood but that their mother aided them in their courtship. "I felt like I was dressing for a funeral." I was, in a way, a saint. "My girlhood's funeral was a mystery," she wrote. Lowell "Smitty" Smith's second marriage lasted just two years after learning that he was a bigamist.

Jan's three children were deemed lawfully adopted by him in his third marriage to Harlan Howard and adopted his last name. The couple owned "Wilderness Music," a Nashville publishing firm in the mid-1960s. They bought an older home, renovated it, and turned it into a series of offices for the company together. Harlan had full ownership of the Wilderness when they divorced, according to Jan. Harlan said that the company and its music were his "brainchildren." "I don't want nothing," Jan told her divorce lawyers. Just the divorce. She became closer to her divorce counsel Jack Norman as a result of her divorce. Norman, a licensed pilot, took her on plane rides and then stayed many nights at her house. While Norman was still married, the two became romantically involved. The affair lasted into the mid 1970s. Acquitee died in 1990 after being married for a short period of time, according to an obituary from The Tennessean.

Howard gave birth to three sons, Jimmy, Carter (Corky), and David during her first marriage. Jimmy was hospitalized in critical condition with spinal meningitis as a young child. He recovered from the disease within four weeks. Jimmy was drafted into the service during the Vietnam War in 1968. Carter volunteered for the army right away after receiving his draft notice. "I'm going to be if Jimmy's going," Howard said. The military was supposed to allow Jimmy to return home after being sent to basic education, but they refused. Howard, who is upset about the situation, spoke to her friend and country DJ Ralph Emery. Howard met with Congressman Richard Fulton through Emery's support. When Emery called Fulton at a restaurant at nine o'clock the same night, he discovered him. Jimmy Carter was allowed by the military to bring him home for 21 days. Howard recalled the phone call she received from Jimmy the day he returned home, "Mom!

What did you do?

Heard, the Army's Secretary, was interviewed here. My sergeant arrived and said, 'Howard!' "Because calling your mother, be sure to serve you assassinated!" As he prepared for Vietnam, Howard remembered Jimmy's trembling as he prepared for Vietnam. He sat at her bedside describing his insecurity and tremblings the evening before his departure. At three o'clock in the morning, he escaped at three o'clock in the evening.

Jimmy was killed in combat in October 1968. She found out when several friends appeared at her front door. She began screaming and cries as they discovered the reason for their absence. Howard remembered the days immediately after Jimmy's death in his autobiography, going through the days and weeks by "forcing" herself to continue. She had trouble eating and sleeping and was taking tablets on a daily basis to support her with the anxiety and fear. In 1987, she wrote, "I was crying when I awakened and screaming when I went to sleep." Howard made the decision to get rid of all of her medications and move forward with her life one morning. "I stepped into the den and saw the relief on Corky and David's faces, so my efforts were worthwhile," she wrote.

In the years after Jimmy's death, Howard's youngest son, David, began using heroin. He had been working at the Opryland USA theme park, where he appeared in several productions, including a lead role in the cast of the play I Hear America Singing. Howard started to notice changes in his life, including arriving home late at night and suffering with signs of depression. If she were to ask David, he would reply by saying he was "just tired." She also noticed that she began interacting with people who provided David with medications. She eventually had him see a psychiatrist for his personal setbacks, but it turned out that he was using the time for other reasons. Howard discovered David in his bedroom dead from a self-inflicted firearms wound one morning. She recalled that the next several days had been a "blur". She lay in bed for days at a time, devastationled by her son's suicide. Howard cleared out his bedroom and sold his Volkswagen Beetle after many weeks of numbing. "I took one last look around, walked out, and closed the door on the past." "But it will never be locked," she wrote.

Howard's middle son Carter began serving with military veterans in the years after David and Jimmy's deaths. In Nashville, he also owned his own company and became a real estate broker.

As she entered her adult years, Howard's childhood trauma affected her. She would cry uncontrollably after giving birth to her third child. "My heart would pound so hard that it would pop out of my chest," Howard said. Howard's sister took her to the hospital after she complained that she was having a "nervous breakdown." Howard gave her a strong pharmaceutical drug that she was supposed to take four times a day to calm her fears. She was rushed to the hospital in the early 1960s after experiencing intense bleeding. Howard had a high likelihood of contracting cancer if she did not have her uterus removed after giving birth to a stillborn baby and another surgery, according to doctors. Howard recovered after undergoing surgery at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, and within three weeks she was back to a normal routine.

Harlan Howard's marriage brought her sadness. When married, her weight was below 97 pounds, and she would pace their house at night. Harlan was prompted to institutionalize Jan. She related of being taken into a hospital room with doctors and nurses in her autobiography. She yelled and screamed until a nurse gave her a shot, which put her "six feet under." A doctor diagnosed her paroxysmal tachycardia and sent her home. She was also directed to seek psychological assistance from a psychiatrist, a psychiatrist. She developed a string of phobias from her childhood's traumas, according to her psychiatrist. She continued having depressive episodes after moving to Nashville. She took a few sleeping pills and was rushed to the hospital one evening in 1962. While in the hospital, her blood pressure was very poor and was in critical condition. As she awakened, she remembered Mother Maybelle Carter feeding her. "I felt better and knew that I was going to live," she wrote as a child.

Howard reflected on her life experiences years: "I'm not a martyr." I can't abide self-pity. I don't like and don't want any kind of pity.

Howard died in Gallatin, Tennessee, on March 28, 2020, fifteen days after her 91st birthday. "We were all so lucky that she came on stage and backstage to catch up with her." We're all better for having her in our lives," Dan Rogers, Vice President of the Grand Ole Opry, said. She is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery, Nashville.

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Singing career

Jan would often sing to herself while her husband was out working at home. Harlan was heard singing while washing dishes when she returned home early one day. Harlan said, "I didn't know you could sing." He accompanied Jan on guitar on the day and she performed his song "Mommy for a Day" on the same day. Harlan realized that he could use Jan's singing voice for demo recordings. In their bathroom in Gardena, California, the Howards caught the song's demonstration tape. The album was sent to a publisher in Nashville, Tennessee, where it was recorded and made a big hit by Kitty Wells. Howard performed "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" and "I Wish I Could Fall in Love Again" on "I Wish I Could Fall in Love Again." Charlie Walker produced both songs. Harlan also sent Joe Johnson of Challenge Records a demo tape of Jan's demo tapes. Johnson loved the songs but Harlan would not allow Johnson to drink them until he signed Jan to the label. Johnson accepted and she officially signed with Challenge in 1958. The label was changed from "Lula Grace Howard" to "Jan Howard" after signing.

"Yankee Go Home," Jan and Stewart's first album, "Yankee Go Home," was released on Challenge Records in 1959. "Wrong Company" was also released by the pair as their second single. The song debuted on country radio stations and reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart in 1960, peaking at number 26 on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart. Harlan's songwriting career was also growing in popularity at the same time. The Howards were often seen at Los Angeles country music clubs as part of their radio shows. Jan was offered with performance opportunities from her first appearance at clubs. Town Hall Party, one of her first appearances, was performing on the regional television network. However, Jan had doubts about his appearance. Howard recalled the show's life in her autobiography. "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" started the band, and someone pushed me onstage. Everything else was a complete blank...I'd have been long gone if I'd been given warning.

Joe Johnson had to find Jan a solo release after the success of "Wrong Company." Johnson opted for "The One You Slip Around With," which was co-written by Harlan Howard and Fuzzy Owen. On the record, Jan also sang the third-part harmony. The song, which was released in late 1959, became a big hit by February 1960, peaking at number 13 on Billboard's country charts. For the first time, she remembered hearing the song on the radio for the first time: "I was proud of what I heard but not me." Howard was honoured with the prestigious Country Female" award from Billboard and Jukebox Operators thanks to the band's success. The Howard family migrated to Nashville, Tennessee, where Jan appeared on the Grand Ole Opry's "Prince Albert" segment. When playing there regularly, Howard met several country artists, most notably Patsy Cline.

Howards bought a four-bedroom home in Madison, a suburb of the city. Harlan converted the garage into a den, which could be used as a songwriting space. Jan started recording demo material for her husband, which was still on Challenge Records. "I Fall to Pieces," Harlan's collaborative work with Hank Cochran, was one of the demos she appeared on. Jan loved the song so much she wanted to record it for her own label. Despite this, Harlan continued his route to Patsy Cline first. The Cline's version became a hit. When not recording demos or at her new home, Jan toured package performances with other country artists. June Carter, Skeeter Davis, George Jones, Buck Owens, and Faron Young were among the first tours she embarked on in Florida.

Capitol Records acquired Jan's recording contract from Challenge in 1962. According to Jan, her first Capitol sessions with an unidentified producer were "a disaster." Instead, she became ill with the recordings and asked Ken Nelson to record her. Nelson accepted and moved her to Los Angeles for their next session. It was suggested at Capitol that Nelson would be marketed more toward pop than country, which prompted Nelson to have her album a blend of pop and country covers. Howard's debut studio album, Sweet and Sentimental, was released in 1962. The album included covers of various songs, including her husband's "He Called Me Baby" and "Heartaches by the Numbers." Howard had only one charting single with the name, "I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again" while sitting in Capitol for many years. In 1963, the song debuted on the Billboard country sides chart at number 27.

Jan's singing career was gaining more traction by 1964. She hired a housekeeper to take care of domestic affairs, finding herself traveling frequently. Harlan has also hired a booking agent for her shows. Hubert Long, the founder of the "Hubert Long Talent Agency"), was arranged to work with his wife. According to Jan, Long scheduled multiple dates because the Howards owe the IRS $20,000 in back taxes. She was making an estimated $500 to $600 a gig at concerts. Harlan also informed Jan that Owen Bradley of Decca Records was interested in signing her. In 1964, she began working with Bradley. "What Makes a Man Wanderer," she first released on Decca. In 1965, it debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, ranked 25th. Bradley and Jan had a difficult time finding a good one for her forthcoming debut. They soon discovered "Evil on Your Mind," a Harlan song. Jan and Bradley loved the album and thought it might be a hit. In July, "Evil on Your Mind" was ranked fifth on the Billboard country singles chart, despite being released as a solo on 1966. "Evil on Your Mind" became the country's biggest solo hit of her career. Since its debut, it has been dubbed Jan's most popular song. Decca released her second studio album as a result of the event's success. Jan Howard Sings' Evil on Your Mind chart reached number 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in September 1966.

Howard's concert tickets are also on the rise after the success of "Evil on Your Mind." "If I thought I'd been up for it before, it was like a holiday compared to now." Howard wrote. She appeared on a tour with other artists in California after the Hollywood Bowl ended in 1966. She appeared in a Detroit, Michigan, where she also appeared at a show that attracted over 24,000 people. Howard was in the recording studio when he was not touring. "Bad Seed" was her next single release, debuting at number ten on the Billboard country chart in 1966. In 1967, an album of the same name appeared on the country albums chart, putting it at number 13 on the top chart. This Is Jan Howard Country, her fourth studio album, debuted in October 1967 and debuted at number ten on Billboard's top ten albums list. "Roll Over and Play Dead" (1967), "Any Old Way You Do" (1967), and "Count Your Blessings, Woman" (1968). Also music journalists and commentators were interested in her writings. One writer called her singing to be "loaded with sincerity and heart" in Billboard's 1968 review. "Jan specialized in up-tempo songs, often packed with feisty female lyrics provided by Harlan...She brought feminine spunk to the Nashville Sound," Nashville music journalist Robert K. Oermann wrote in 2003.

Howard began touring and recording with Bill Anderson in the mid-1960s. Both artists were not only on the same label, but Hubert Long was also being booked. On the road, the pair would often perform "I Know You're Married But I Love You Still." Anderson and Howard contacted Owen Bradley with the hope of recording duets. Bradley agreed, and the pair's first single appeared in 1965. They had their first big success with the single "For Loving You" in 1967. Howard's first and only single to debut at number one on the Billboard country songs chart. In 1968, the pair's debut album of the same name reached the top of the country albums chart. Howard joined Anderson's roadshow and later became part of his syndicated television show. The show was mainly shot in Windsor, Ontario, which meant Howard had to fly to Windsor, Ontario, every two weeks for tapings. Howard enjoyed a steady source of income while working with Anderson. Harlan and Jan filed for divorce in 1968, but the money helped her get her "feet wet."

Howard's oldest son Jimmy was drafted into the army in 1968 to combat in the Vietnam War. Howard wrote to him often, including one letter that was put to music. Howard was inspired by her second son (Carter Howard) and Anderson to record it. "You've got to document this...It's your masterpiece," she wrote to Owen Bradley as she handed over the letter. Howard acknowledged, but she was unable to get through it without getting emotional. "You tell me what, we'll take it right now," Bradley said as he was observing it. Howard took his advice and cut the song in a single take. Decca launched "My Son" in 1968 as a single in the Billboard country chart, reaching number 15 on the Billboard country chart. Over 5,000 letters from soldiers and their families have been sent to Howard. "They seemed as if it was for them," Howard said. Music critics also applauded "My Son"'s performance. It was described as a "moving recitation" by Robert K. Oermann. The album was later nominated for Best Female Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards. Jimmy Howard was killed in combat before the 1960 war was over, at the age of 21.

Howard's self-titled seventh studio album was released in July 1969 and ranked 25 on the Billboard country albums chart. Howard released For God and Country, a collection of patriotic music in 1970. It was partially inspired by a poem written by her son Carter titled "I Am." The poem was performed on her album, put to music. Howard also decided to dedicate the album to Jimmy. "It was the most difficult album I've ever produced, but it was also one that would always be the closest to my heart," Howard said in 1987. Despite personal challenges, Howard continued to work as part of "The Bill Anderson Exhibition." The duet's second album, If It's All the Same to You, was released in March 1970, and its title track became a big hit. They continued recording and touring together through 1973. Their new singles made it to the top of the Billboard country charts: "Someday We'll Be Together" (1970) and "Dissatisfied" (1971). According to Howard's new singles, they were in minor charts on the Billboard country poll in 1973. Howard: She contacted Owen Bradley about the prospect of working with a new producer at Decca, according to Howard. Bradley turned down the bid, but Howard eventually left the company in 1974.

Howard had left Bill Anderson's road and television shows by 1975. Later, she continued, "I wasn't able to keep up the show full time." Marion Lou Turner, a young artist, was replaced by Anderson, and Howard was back to work by herself. Howard had fewer concert dates than ever before, and she was working with pick-up bands who "would have made good electricians." She appeared on some nights with little to no instrumentsation. She appeared on the back of a flatbed truck during one booked engagement. "I'd be so upset and ashamed for many nights, I'd go back to the hotel, cry, and go to sleep," Howard wrote. She began touring with Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash as part of their roadshow during this period. To her, the Cashes said, "It'll do you well." Howard appeared on national and international television. This included performances in Hawaii and Australia. Howard wasn't just touring together, but also in the recording studio. On some of his greatest hits, she appeared as background vocals. On his 1969 hit "Daddy Sang Bass," he included singing the word, "Mama sang tenor." She appeared on Cash's 1963 hit "Ring of Fire" as a background vocalist.

Howard is also back to the recording studio. She was a neighbor of Nashville producer Larry Butler, who made her next studio album during this period. It was released on GRT Records sincerely, Jan Howard. "Seein' Is Believin'," the album's first and only single to chart, debuted outside the top 40 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. She briefly signed with Con Brio Records in 1977, where she had three minor hits on the country chart. "To Love a Rolling Stone" (1978), her last chart appearance, was included in this collection. She appeared on stage as both a background and lead vocalist in the late 1970s.

In the early 1980s, recording engineer and friend Pete Drake begged Howard to be part of a new album collection he was designing for Grand Ole Opry members. She agreed to the project and performed with Drake on her next studio album. Stars of the Grand Ole Opry was released by First Generation Records in April 1981. It featured re-recorded versions of Howard's hits as well as several new songs. Howard Howard began recording during the decade. Tainted Love, her next studio album, was released on AVI Records in 1983. Ed Cobb's album's title track was a recap of Ed Cobb's hit. Cobb also gave the album's production credit. Howard was part of a joint venture between MCA and Dot Records in 1985, which featured several other veteran artists. In 1985, a self-titled studio album was released. It was Howard's last studio debut, it was produced by Billy Strange.

Howard slowed down her singing career in the 1990s. In her autobiography, Howard spoke about her career's decline and her resurgent love for singing: "I love to sing and pray that God will give me the opportunity to do so for a long time to come." And if he tells me not to resign, I hope I have the courage to follow His instructions." She appeared infrequently as part of the Grand Ole Opry cast. Howard was inducted into the Missouri Country Music Hall of Fame in the 2000s and released a boxed set of her recorded works. She has since appeared on other artists' albums. Whisperin' Bluegrass, Anderson's studio debut, she performed a duet with Bill Anderson and Vince Gill in 2007. Howard and Jessi Colter appeared on Jeannie Seely's album "Write in Song" in 2017. "We're Still Hangin' in There Ain't We Jessi" is the word that comes from the song "We're Hangin' in There. She celebrated her 90th birthday at the Opry in 2019, making her the show's oldest living member.

Howard's musical style was rooted in the country and Nashville Sound genres. Authors have characterized her music as being part of a nation music tradition. In her review of Wynn Stewart and Jan Howard's album, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic talked about her singing style. "Howard is a powerful, straight-ahead, hardcore country singer, and the two sides collected here are outstanding, unheralded pure honky-tonk with a Bakersfield tinge." Howard's "brassy" singing style was discussed by Robert K. Oermann, who also stated that her Decca albums were "downright brassy," "sassy," and "self-assured." "Jan opened the door for many more Nashville Sound stylists," Oermann said in a tribute to Howard's legacy as an artist. Marion Worth, Margie Bowes, Connie Smith, Jeannie Seely, and Connie Hall all reached the top charts." Howard is also known for her business achievements. Sandra Brennan of Allmusic called her "one of the hottest female vocalists of the 1960s." Ken Burns referred to her as "one of the most well-known female country artists of the 1960s and early 1970s." In recent years, her legacy has also been mentioned. In 2018, she was ranked as one of the "100 Greatest Women of Country Music" in a survey conducted by Country Universe. Howard's single, "Evil on Your Mind," was named as one of country music's "50 best singles" in the book Heartaches by the Numbers in 2005. She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1971 and continued to make public appearances until 2019.

Writing career and other professions

Howard wrote songs for herself and others in addition to performing. "Crying for Love," one of her first recorded compositions, appeared on her 1966 studio album "Evil on Your Mind." Over time, Howard's songs began to appear on her studio albums. Self-penned songs appeared on the Grand Ole Opry's For God and Country, Love Is Like a Spinning Wheel, Sincerely, Jan Howard, and The Grand Ole Opry's Stars. Other musicians had already recorded songs she composed. "It's All Over But the Crying" was her first book by Kitty Wells in 1966. The song received the BMI Awards' "Most Frequently Played Tracks" award this year. Howard later described the situation as "ironic" because her husband (Harlan Howard) was better known for songwriting. The Howards had broken apart at the time of the awards dinner, but they attended the gala as a couple.

Howard has also written songs for other artists. She wrote "I Never Stopped Loving You," which was a huge hit for Connie Smith, with Bill Anderson. The pair also co-wrote "Dissatisfied," which was also a hit of their own as a duet pair. Howard's son, Carter, was also praised for its writing. Bill and Jan (Or Jan and Bill) were included on the artist's studio album. Howard wrote "Love Is a Sometimes Thing," which was also a big hit for Anderson. She'll also release it as a single person around the same time. These compositions were also recognized with BMI Songwriters Award. "Only the Names Have Changed" was a book by Tammy Wynette in 1980. The song appeared on Wynette's studio album Only Lonely Sometimes. "My Friend," Howard's 1983 studio album Tainted Love, is her last writing credit.

Friends advised Howard that she should write an autobiography for many years. "Yes, it will be a great soap opera," she said in response. Howard had drawn an outline for the book but decided against it for three years before returning to it again. She later revealed that she decided to write the autobiography because she became suicidal. In 1979, she was visiting a friend in Florida. "It was a rough time in my life." I was in Florida and was curious if I was going to walk into the ocean or not. Howard Howard said in 2003, "I can't swim." She went back inside the house after deciding not to end her life. "My Story" sat on the ground and wrote a song about her. Howard later threw the album away because it was full of "bitterness." "I started right, it was just like rolling back the years," she said in 2003.

Howard canceled all her concert appearances in order to prepare for the book's completion at the year of its publication. The autobiography, Sunshine and Shadow: My Story, was the first published in 1987. Richardson & Steirman, a New York City business, released the book. On its arrival, Sunshine and Shadow received mainly favorable feedback. Kirkus Reviews gave the book a favorable review in July 1987. Howard's stories of her son's suicide were shared by reviewers, as well as the recounting of her son's suicide. "Sure to be lauded by die-hard country followers, as well as those who want to hear a tale of triumph over despair," Kirkus ended their review. Publishers Weekly published a review of the inception of the book in August 1987. Howard's personal accounts were praised by the book's reviewers, but the book's editors disliked his editing style.

Howard revealed that she was also working on her first fiction short story and a novel in the late 1980s. Howard said in a 2015 interview that she still writes a "little bit of everything" including songs, poems, and short stories. Howard also said she had started three fantasy novels that had yet to be published. "I must put them together, but I have to go through them." And there were things in there that I didn't know I wrote, such as "this is really good" or "this is bad." So right now I'm going to put them all together and put them in a leather-bound book," Howard wrote.

Howard also wrote down her recipes that she used. On her official website, she had recipes that were updated on a monthly basis. "Each month on this page, we'll be adding a new dish or two from Jan...so keep checking back."

Howard obtained her real estate license for a Hendersonville, Tennessee, firm called Lakeside Realtors in the 1970s. She sold several houses, one to local Nashville singer Jimmy Capps. Howard was only a real estate agent for a short period of time. She wrote on her website that after a while, people will bring "sacks of tapes" for her to listen to rather than being potential customers. Howard wrote on her fan page, "My license is in resignation and will remain there forever," Howard wrote, "I still pay my dues."

In 2002, she appeared alongside Faye Dunaway in the film Changing Hearts. Rita Coolidge and Jeannie Seely were among the cast members.

Howard, after her son's service in the Vietnam War, began to assist veterans returning from war, including with several groups dedicated to the American military veterans. She served in the Veterans Administration, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Vietnam Veteran organizations. Howard was involved in a drive that raised funds for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which was closed in 1982. Howard received the "Gold Medal of Merit Award" from the Veterans of Foreign Wars as a result of Howard's efforts. "I never want to be in the middle of something like this," the author says, but it's worth it to recognize those who have contributed so much. We wouldn't have the life we love as Americans if it weren't for them," Howard said in 2011. Howard was involved in military-related activities at Middle Tennessee State University, where her son attended as a freshman. She attended the university's veterans' memorial service in 2017. For her service with veterans, she was awarded a "Gold Star Brick" from the school.

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