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| Skeeterdavis & Bobby Bare > Albums & Lyrics |
Skeeter Davis
Skeeter Davis is one of the pioneering female vocalists in country music. Long before there was Loretta, Dolly or Tammy, Skeeter Davis was blazing a trail for the female singers who would follow in her footsteps. Not only has Skeeter given us a career full of real country standards- she has sweetened the pot with a handful of pop classics.
Skeeter Davis was born on a farm in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, the first of seven children in the family of Sarah and William Penick. In her early childhood she chose country music as her life's ambition, but the road to success was long and trying. She passed the first milestone in her quest the day she met Betty Jack Davis in a high school singing session. Thus was born "The Davis Sisters" duo.
After months of travel and public appearances, they were auditioned and signed to a recording contract by RCA Victor. Their first record was I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know. It was an overnight hit and was rated the top country song of 1953. Success for the Davis Sisters seemed just around the corner, but fate intervened. Their road to fame was tragically ended by the death of Betty Jack in a highway accident.
If Skeeter was to succeed, she finally realized, she would have to walk her path alone. After months of recuperation she made her first appearance as a soloist. Within a short time Skeeter had become one of 1957's top-ranking country singers. Two years later she reached another important objective when she became a regular member of the "Grand Ole Opry," home of most of the top performers in the country music industry.
During the 1960s, Skeeter was one of RCA's most successful country artists. She charted 38 country hits, 13 of which crossed over to the pop charts. Among these was what was to become her best-known song, the million-selling record "The End Of The World" which peaked at number two in both the U.S. country and pop charts in 1963, placing in the Top 10 for the year in both fields.
A shameful moment in the history of the Grand Ole Opry occurred in 1973 when Skeeter was suspended from performing on the Opry after she made a statement that did not sit well with the conservative Opry establishment, followed by a rousing rendition of "Amazing Grace." After a couple of years, due in part to the intercession of her friend Jean Shepard, Skeeter was put back on the Opry. To date, Skeeter has not received an apology for this intolerable treatment.
Several good compilations of Skeeter's music have been released on CD over the years, but many of her greatest songs remain unreleased on CD. A collection that fills in some of the gaps, Skeeter Davis: The Pop Hits Collection has now been released on CD. This single-disc collection contains a generous 24 tracks, many which have never been released on CD before. The Pop Hits Collection is available at CD Universe for a very attractive price.
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