Who was the first post-World War II female country artist to sell a million records?

Born Ollie Imogene "Jean" Shepard (November 21, 1933 – September 25, 2016) was an American honky tonk singer-songwriter who pioneered for women in country music. Shepard released a total of 73 singles to the Hot Country Songs chart, one of which reached the No. 1 spot. She recorded a total of 24 studio albums between 1956–81, and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1955.

After Kitty Wells' 1952 breakthrough, Shepard quickly followed, and a national television gig and the Opry helped make her a star when few female country singers had enduring success.

Jean Shepard was the first woman country artist to sell more than a million records with her 1953 single "A Dear John Letter," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 100. In the following decades, Shepard recorded many more best-selling country albums. She died from Parkinson's.