GloriaJane

Gloria Jane comes from a family of musicians. Her Grandfather Fred Thompson migrated from Lawrence County Kentucky to Ohio with his parents, where he grew up playing the banjo and later played the piano in theaters for silent films. His cousin Estill Thompson and Estill’s wife Ann Thompson played and sang Gospel music in many of the churches in the area. Estill’s sister’s boy grew up to be none other then Country Music’s Bluegrass Star And 14 Time Grammy Winner Ricky Skaggs!! Richard (Ricky) Skaggs is Gloria Jane's 3rd cousin twice removed.You can listen to Ricky here on last.fm at www.last.fm/music/Ricky+Skaggs

It might also surprise some to know that Gloria Jane's grandmother's maiden name was Dorothy Marie Ramey when she married Fred Thompson. Dorothy's parents, John and Laura "Dovie" Ramey, also migrated from Lawrence County Kentucky up to Ohio. And if the Ramey name sounds a little bit familiar to you, then you know a little something about Country music. And you wouldn't be a bit surprised by the big names in country music that come from Kentucky that share the Ramey name and are hidden in Gloria Jane's family tree.

Though they have never met, Patty Loveless and Gloria Jane are 4th cousins. Gloria Jane's great great grandfather was Patty (Ramey) Loveless's great great grandfather's brother. And Gloria Jane, Loretta Lynn and her sister Crystal Gayle are 5th cousins twice removed. Gloria Jane's 5th great grandfather is Crystal Gayle and Loretta Lynn's 3rd great grandfather's brother.

Although Gloria Jane is quick to tell you that 99.99% of the talent in the family stayed in Kentucky, still, singing and expressing her self through her music is something that is in Gloria Jane’s blood and if she didn’t have a guitar she’d be strumming on a rubber band box and singing along with that. Because that’s what you do when you’ve got both Thompson and Ramey blood in you.

But Gloria Jane's first stage experience wasn't for singing, it was for tap dancing. She was only three years old when she and her sister Barbara began tap dancing in schools, clubs and many other places in the Ohio area including the Ohio State Fair.

It was around that same time that Gloria Jane first began singing in church and then later on stage. She wrote her first song, a country gospel tune called “Praise The Lord” when she was 16. And if you knew the order in which her songs were written, you would find the complete story of Gloria Jane's life in her songs. With a short summery written into "I Count My Blessings"

Gloria Jane’s brother in law and her nephews got together and made up their little family Christian Rock Band known as JCD. John “Yanko Toney” Megahey, the leader of JCD is both vocalist and bass player although his first instrument of choice is the drums. Yanko has preformed in both Country and Rock bands. Among his list of credits are “XL” a well known to the Columbus area 80’s rock group.

Gary Cordle, Gloria Jane's nephew and Drummer for JCD, grew up playing the drums in his Grandmothers church along with several other church’s in the area. He preformed in both country and rock bands before joining his step father in JCD. And his brother, Toney Megahey, Keyboard player, is the newest member of the family to join JCD. Tony played in two other country rock bands prior to joining his father and brother in JCD.

Do you believe in miracles? Gloria Jane does. A life of hard knocks and then asthma, emphysema and losing 1/4th of her left lung to lung cancer hasn’t kept Gloria Jane from putting out several new songs since her battle with lung cancer first began.

As of March 9, 2009, thanks to the good Lord above and her surgeon Dr. Ross and all the rest of the Dr.’s and nurses at Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital, and the many prayers from people she didn’t even know, Gloria Jane has become a three year lung cancer survivor.

Gloria Jane is a member of The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. You will find her listed with ASCAP as a Singer, Author and Publisher under the name of Thistle Patch Publishing.