Had breast cancer not claimed her life in 2004, the angelic soprano, Skeeter Davis, would have turned 80 this year. Now, then, is as good a time to celebrate an outstanding, but often overlooked, contribution to popular music.
Perhaps best-known for the 1962 smash,"The End of the World," which went on to become her signature tune, Davis began her journey to the top while still in high school in the late 1940s as part of singing duo, The Davis Sisters, alongside the late Betty Jack Davis (no relation), before launching her solo career in 1957 with the single, "He Left His Heart for Me."
Though it failed to chart, the follow-up, "Lost to a Geisha Girl," reached No. 15 on the country charts a year later and led to an impressive run of top-50 hits --most of which are lovingly included here in chronological order.
Skeeter Davis: Early Country Hits
Unsurprisingly, it is the above-mentioned tale of a woman losing her man to a Japanese girl that kicks things off on this 24-track compilation--the first of its kind since 2003's The Pop Hits Collection--and it still stands up today as a fine example of late 1950s country.
Though some of her early work sounds a little dated, there's a pleasantly reassuring tinge to Skeeter's soulful and extremely heartfelt vocals--demonstrated on tracks like "Set Him Free," "Am I That Easy to Forget" and "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too"--that leaves the listener with a warm feeling of nostalgia for a more innocent time.
Skeeter Davis: Crossover Success with The End of the World
As the new decade approached, the steel guitar and fiddle were phased out in much of her music, as Skeeter sought a more mainstream audience. Tracks like the aforementioned "The End of the World" (her first crossover hit) and the divine Neil Sedaka-esque "I Can't Stay Mad at You" lit up the pop charts, reaching number two and number seven respectively.
Her star continued to rise throughout the early 1960s, with such timeless classics as "Let Me Get Close to You" and the much-recorded standard, " Gonna Get Along Without You Now "--covered by artists as diverse as Bad Manners, The Lemonheads, She & Him and UB40--though Skeeter's take on it is considered to be the definitive version.
Skeeter Davis: A Country Girl At Heart
Though she had enjoyed substantial critical and commercial acclaim as a pop star, the woman born Mary Frances Penick always stayed true to her roots and remained a country girl at heart, putting every inch of her heart and soul into everything she sang.
By the mid to late 1960s, songs like "Goin' Down The Road (Feelin' Bad)," "I'm A Lover (Not A Fighter)" and "Bus Fare To Kentucky" signaled a return to straight-up country music. After her brief, but rewarding foray into uncharted waters, Skeeter Davis had come full-circle.
"Tin Soldier," an anti-war number from 1971, is the last song on the CD, even though Skeeter was a fixture on the country charts until 1976. She would later go on to perform regularly to her fans all over the world during the next three decades until illness forced her to retire. Her last performance on The Grand Ole Opry came in 2002.
Skeeter Davis and Bobby Bare
During her lengthy stay in the spotlight, the charismatic songbird cut a string of memorable duets with the great Bobby Bare --"We'll Sing in the Sunshine," "Let It be Me" and "Your Husband, My Wife," to name but three--but unfortunately only one of them, the bittersweet " A Dear John Letter," made the final cut.
That little gripe aside, this album is truly essential listening for fans of Skeeter Davis' extraordinary talent--a talent that inspired the likes of Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton--or for those unfamiliar with her work who might be looking to become acquainted with it. Happy 80th Birthday, Skeeter; we miss you!
Adrian Peel - Adrian is an English freelance writer and journalist currently living in Mexico. Over the past eight years, he has had articles, features ...
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