Dottie West or Dorothy Marie Marsh (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was a country music singer and a pop singer, widely hailed as one of its greatest pioneers and controversial stars.
Early Life and Rise to Fame
Born in McMinnville, Tennessee, Dottie West was one of country music's most popular female vocalists for more than three decades. She began her career in local venues in Cleveland, Ohio in the mid 1950s. She and her husband, steel guitarist Bill West, moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1959 and she began recording and making personal appearances with a number of major stars including Patsy Cline, who became her closest friend. It was not until 1963, however, that West's career took off when she signed to RCA Records. She made the top ten twice in 1964, a duet with Jim Reeves titled "Love is No Excuse" and a solo "Here Comes My Baby" which won her a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. West would eventually earned 16 Grammy nominations including further Best Female Country Vocal nominations in 1965, 1967, 1968, 1973, and 1974. Dottie was the first woman in Country Music history to ever win a Grammy Award.
West was also an accomplished songwriter, penning almost 100 songs including several of her own hits as well as "Is This Me", one of Jim Reeves' final hits during his lifetime. She earned three BMI awards for her songs.
West remained with RCA through 1975, chalking up such hits as "Let Me Off at the Corner" (1965), "Would You Hold It Against Me" (1966), "Paper Mansions" (1967), "Country Girl" (1968), "Careless Hands" (1969), "If It's All Right with You" (1970), "Country Sunshine" (1973), and "Last Time I Saw Him" (also a pop and R&B hit for Diana Ross) (1974). "Country Sunshine" became her theme song and was used in a popular Coca-Cola commercial; the song won the 1973 Clio Award as the year's best advertising song.
During the late 1960s, West recorded a series of duets with singer-songwriter Don Gibson. Their two biggest hits were "Rings of Gold" (1969) and "There's a Story Goin' 'Round" (1970).
The United Artists years
She moved to the United Artists Records label in 1976, where she changed musical directions. She exchanged her signature Nashville sound for a decidely MOR, pop-influenced sound.
After a series of modest hits with her new musical direction, her pairing with Kenny Rogers helped shoot West to new levels of superstardom. Starting in 1978, she and Rogers amassed five hit singles and two top 10 albums, as well as multiple awards including the Country Music Association's Duet of the Year award.
West's solo work finally caught on by late 1979, reaching the top 10 for the first time in five years in December with "You Pick Me Up (And Put Me Down)." The follow-up release - 1980's "A Lesson in Leavin'" - was even more successful; the song was her first solo No. 1 hit and was successfully covered nearly two decades later by Jo Dee Messina.
She reached No. 1 again in 1981 with "Are You Happy Baby" (1981).
In 1981, age 48, Dottie West reached the peak of her career with two No. 1s - her solo "Are You Happy Baby" and another duet with Rogers in "What Are We Doin' in Love." The latter song was also their biggest pop hit, reaching the top 15 of the Billboard magazine Hot 100 chart. Her duet relationship with Rogers came to an end after he switched labels, moving from Libery/United to RCA (the label West herself had enjoyed her first major hits with).
Around this same time, West updated her image, trading in her conservative gingham checked dresses for a "sexier" look that included skintight spandex jumpsuits. West was ahead of her time proving that women could have sex xappeal. This act was taken on later by another Country/Pop superstar Shania Twain. At this time she went from being known as "Little Miss Fireball" to "Lady Airbrush" virtually overnight. She became overly excessive during this time with her wardrobe, designed by famed Hollywood fashion king Bob Mackie, and bought a Nashville mansion that included over five bedrooms, a ballroom with a stage and a bowling alley. Her electric bill was in the excess of thousands a month reportedly.
West's daughter, Shelly West, also became a country music star during this period (her first hit was "Jose Cuervo" about the morning after drinking too much tequila), and a number one hit duet with singer David Frizzel "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma" but Shelly has not recorded since the mid-1980s
Decline, Scandal & Death
Dottie West's recording career started a downward spiral with the release of 1982's "Full Circle", produced by her one-time protege Larry Gatlin which was poorly received. Her last record, "We Know Better Now", was released in 1985.
Mounting debts forced the singer to file for bankruptcy in 1990. But citing a survivor-like attitude, West vowed to fight her way back to the top which she might well have accomplished had she not been in a car accident in Nashville, Tennessee, which claimed her life the following week. She is buried in her hometown beside her mother.
Later that year, Family Feud did a week of shows as a tribute to her.
Trivia
· West was portrayed by actress Michele Lee in the hit TV Movie titled Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story.
·
· West appeared as a guest in a Season 3 episode of The Dukes of Hazzard - "By-line, Daisy Duke."
·
· Dottie West was very good friends with Country/Pop superstar Patsy Cline, whom West credits for inspiration.
·
· Dottie West was one of the pioonering women of Country's move into Pop music.
·
· West was ranked #23 in CMT 40 Greatest Women in Country Music in 2002.
Dottie West.net
www.dottiewest.net/
Dottie West.com
www.dottiewest.com/
MP3’s
www.mp3.com/dottie-west/.../summary.html
Fan Page
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeac...3345735
CMT page on Dottie
www.cmt.com/artists/az/w.../artist.jhtml
Dottie West home page
dottiewest.tripod.com/
Early Life and Rise to Fame
Born in McMinnville, Tennessee, Dottie West was one of country music's most popular female vocalists for more than three decades. She began her career in local venues in Cleveland, Ohio in the mid 1950s. She and her husband, steel guitarist Bill West, moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1959 and she began recording and making personal appearances with a number of major stars including Patsy Cline, who became her closest friend. It was not until 1963, however, that West's career took off when she signed to RCA Records. She made the top ten twice in 1964, a duet with Jim Reeves titled "Love is No Excuse" and a solo "Here Comes My Baby" which won her a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. West would eventually earned 16 Grammy nominations including further Best Female Country Vocal nominations in 1965, 1967, 1968, 1973, and 1974. Dottie was the first woman in Country Music history to ever win a Grammy Award.
West was also an accomplished songwriter, penning almost 100 songs including several of her own hits as well as "Is This Me", one of Jim Reeves' final hits during his lifetime. She earned three BMI awards for her songs.
West remained with RCA through 1975, chalking up such hits as "Let Me Off at the Corner" (1965), "Would You Hold It Against Me" (1966), "Paper Mansions" (1967), "Country Girl" (1968), "Careless Hands" (1969), "If It's All Right with You" (1970), "Country Sunshine" (1973), and "Last Time I Saw Him" (also a pop and R&B hit for Diana Ross) (1974). "Country Sunshine" became her theme song and was used in a popular Coca-Cola commercial; the song won the 1973 Clio Award as the year's best advertising song.
During the late 1960s, West recorded a series of duets with singer-songwriter Don Gibson. Their two biggest hits were "Rings of Gold" (1969) and "There's a Story Goin' 'Round" (1970).
The United Artists years
She moved to the United Artists Records label in 1976, where she changed musical directions. She exchanged her signature Nashville sound for a decidely MOR, pop-influenced sound.
After a series of modest hits with her new musical direction, her pairing with Kenny Rogers helped shoot West to new levels of superstardom. Starting in 1978, she and Rogers amassed five hit singles and two top 10 albums, as well as multiple awards including the Country Music Association's Duet of the Year award.
West's solo work finally caught on by late 1979, reaching the top 10 for the first time in five years in December with "You Pick Me Up (And Put Me Down)." The follow-up release - 1980's "A Lesson in Leavin'" - was even more successful; the song was her first solo No. 1 hit and was successfully covered nearly two decades later by Jo Dee Messina.
She reached No. 1 again in 1981 with "Are You Happy Baby" (1981).
In 1981, age 48, Dottie West reached the peak of her career with two No. 1s - her solo "Are You Happy Baby" and another duet with Rogers in "What Are We Doin' in Love." The latter song was also their biggest pop hit, reaching the top 15 of the Billboard magazine Hot 100 chart. Her duet relationship with Rogers came to an end after he switched labels, moving from Libery/United to RCA (the label West herself had enjoyed her first major hits with).
Around this same time, West updated her image, trading in her conservative gingham checked dresses for a "sexier" look that included skintight spandex jumpsuits. West was ahead of her time proving that women could have sex xappeal. This act was taken on later by another Country/Pop superstar Shania Twain. At this time she went from being known as "Little Miss Fireball" to "Lady Airbrush" virtually overnight. She became overly excessive during this time with her wardrobe, designed by famed Hollywood fashion king Bob Mackie, and bought a Nashville mansion that included over five bedrooms, a ballroom with a stage and a bowling alley. Her electric bill was in the excess of thousands a month reportedly.
West's daughter, Shelly West, also became a country music star during this period (her first hit was "Jose Cuervo" about the morning after drinking too much tequila), and a number one hit duet with singer David Frizzel "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma" but Shelly has not recorded since the mid-1980s
Decline, Scandal & Death
Dottie West's recording career started a downward spiral with the release of 1982's "Full Circle", produced by her one-time protege Larry Gatlin which was poorly received. Her last record, "We Know Better Now", was released in 1985.
Mounting debts forced the singer to file for bankruptcy in 1990. But citing a survivor-like attitude, West vowed to fight her way back to the top which she might well have accomplished had she not been in a car accident in Nashville, Tennessee, which claimed her life the following week. She is buried in her hometown beside her mother.
Later that year, Family Feud did a week of shows as a tribute to her.
Trivia
· West was portrayed by actress Michele Lee in the hit TV Movie titled Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story.
·
· West appeared as a guest in a Season 3 episode of The Dukes of Hazzard - "By-line, Daisy Duke."
·
· Dottie West was very good friends with Country/Pop superstar Patsy Cline, whom West credits for inspiration.
·
· Dottie West was one of the pioonering women of Country's move into Pop music.
·
· West was ranked #23 in CMT 40 Greatest Women in Country Music in 2002.
Dottie West.net
www.dottiewest.net/
Dottie West.com
www.dottiewest.com/
MP3’s
www.mp3.com/dottie-west/.../summary.html
Fan Page
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeac...3345735
CMT page on Dottie
www.cmt.com/artists/az/w.../artist.jhtml
Dottie West home page
dottiewest.tripod.com/
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