Proud parents ready to provide a happy home for their newly born son in December 1961.


 Two well known Grand Ole Opry singers of the time, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Jean Shepard. They named the boy Don Robin, after two good friends of theirs, country stars, Don Gibson and Marty Robbins. Shortly after that Jean would again find herself pregnant. Unfortunately Hawkshaw would not live to see his second child.Hawkshaw, Jean, Bill Anderson, Stonewall Jackson and Marty.


On March 5 1963 Jean, 29, was 8 months pregnant while Hawkshaw was on tour. That night she felt dizzy and very ill. She was to learn later that this was the time her husband died in a plane crash. Late that night she received a call telling her of the plane’s disappearance. She was so overwhelmed with worry and fear that she had to be sedated. Early the next morning the wreckage was found.She was to admit, understandably, that she felt embittered by the ensuing publicity. Also in the plane was another act, Cowboy Copas and the pilot Randy Hughes. But the top star on board was Patsy Cline. The news mainly concentrated on her as if the others didn’t matter as much. A further tragedy was that Hawkshaw was not supposed to be on the plane. He had a commercial ticket but someone else on the tour received an emergency call and had to return home immediately. Hawkshaw gave him his own ticket saying he would take the plane with Patsy and the others. Their second son Harold was born just a few weeks later.Their friend Marty Robbins then showed how caring he was.


Later in the year Jean met Marty and he expressed his desire to write a song about her loss, to which Jean initially responded skeptically, saying, "You can't write a song for me because you don't know how I feel." Despite her doubts, Marty composed "Two Little Boys," a poignant ballad that captures the grief of a wife who loses her spouse and reflects on how the deceased would be pleased with how their children have grown. Upon hearing the song, Jean was impressed, telling Marty, "You did a pretty damn good job."In an act of selflessness he chose not to take credit for the song on the official single release, instead attributing it to Jean’s sons, so they would receive the royalties. Jean later described this gesture as "the most wonderful thing to do." The song itself is a slow, delicate ballad, performed with reverence, as noted by AllMusic’s Bruce Eder, who praised its emotional depth.


The song was the B side to her ‘’Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)’’ which reached the top ten on the country charts.


Jean went on to remarry twice and give birth to a third son. She died a much loved entertainer in 2016 aged 82.

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