As a fan of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, I was unaware of the role that Burns’ wife played with the development of his songs until I toured the home that he lived in at the time of his death in 1796. Jean, who by all accounts had a beautiful voice, sang drafts of his songs and helped him fine-tune them. And, for thirty years after his untimely death at age 37, she managed his manuscripts, making sure that he received proper credit. She was the publicist, protector, and distributor of his body of work as we know it today.
Jean Armour: My Life and Times with Robert Burns, edited by Peter J. Westwood. Creedon Publications, 2001, p.11.