The Davis Sisters (country)
Encyclopedia
The Davis Sisters were an American country music
duo consisting of two unrelated singers, Skeeter Davis
and Betty Jack Davis
. One of the original female country groups, they are best known for their 1953 No. 1 country hit "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
" and the duo's debut single "Jealous Love" on Fortune Records
.
in Edgewood, Kentucky
in 1947. They formed a close relationship as friends and musicians. Also sharing a career in the music business, singing and recording, they decided to perform as The Davis Sisters.
and Detroit, Michigan
. They first started recording in Detroit at Fortune Records in 1952. The pair recorded "Jealous Love," (Fortune 170) a song written by Devora Brown, co-owner of the Fortune label. Two other singles followed in 1953: "Kaw-Liga / Sorrow And Pain" (Fortune 174) and "Heartbreak Ahead / Steel Wool" (Fortune 175).
. While recording for RCA, the sessions were backed up by future country star and producer Chet Atkins
. That same year, they released their first single, "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know". The mournful and heartbreaking song became a No. 1 country hit, as well as a top 20 pop hit. Their harmonies mixed the sound of the old Appalachian harmonies of the Delmore Brothers to the more pop-inspired sounds of the Everly Brothers.
Skeeter reformed the group with Betty Jack's older sister, Georgia. The new duo continued to perform and record until 1956, but failed to have another hit. "Georgia was a fine singer, but it just wasn't the same," Skeeter said in the liner notes to 1995's The Essential Skeeter Davis.
Skeeter Davis went on to a successful solo career. Davis continued to perform frequently throughout much of the 1990s and into 2000. In 2001 she became incapacitated by the breast cancer that would claim her life. While Davis remained a member of the Grand Ole Opry
until her death, she last appeared on the program in 2002. She died of breast cancer in a Nashville, Tennessee, hospice, at the age of 72, on September 19, 2004.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
duo consisting of two unrelated singers, Skeeter Davis
Skeeter Davis
Mary Frances Penick , better known as Skeeter Davis, was an American country music singer best known for crossover pop music songs of the early 1960s. She started out as part of The Davis Sisters as a teenager in the late 1940s, eventually landing on RCA Records. In the late '50s, she became a solo...
and Betty Jack Davis
Betty Jack Davis
Betty Jack Davis was an American country music singer who was one half of the duet The Davis Sisters with Skeeter Davis, who was not related.-Biography:...
. One of the original female country groups, they are best known for their 1953 No. 1 country hit "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" was a number one country music single for The Davis Sisters in 1953. The song, written by Cecil Null, was the first hit for the duo of Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis and their only one as Betty Jack was killed in an automobile accident the week the record...
" and the duo's debut single "Jealous Love" on Fortune Records
Fortune Records
Fortune Records was a family operated, independent record label located in Detroit, Michigan from 1946 to 1995. The label owners were Jack and Devora Brown, their son Sheldon Brown recorded for the label...
.
Rise to fame and success
The Davis Sisters were not related; Skeeter Davis was the stage name of Mary Frances Penick. She met Betty Jack Davis at Dixie Heights High SchoolDixie Heights High School
Dixie Heights High School is a 5-A high school located at 3010 Dixie Highway in Edgewood, Kentucky.-History:The school was built by the Works Progress Administration. It opened for classes in 1936 and was dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt. The main building is nearly identical in construction and...
in Edgewood, Kentucky
Edgewood, Kentucky
There were 3,099 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.4% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.1% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone...
in 1947. They formed a close relationship as friends and musicians. Also sharing a career in the music business, singing and recording, they decided to perform as The Davis Sisters.
Fortune Records
The duo began appearing regularly on radio shows in nearby Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. They first started recording in Detroit at Fortune Records in 1952. The pair recorded "Jealous Love," (Fortune 170) a song written by Devora Brown, co-owner of the Fortune label. Two other singles followed in 1953: "Kaw-Liga / Sorrow And Pain" (Fortune 174) and "Heartbreak Ahead / Steel Wool" (Fortune 175).
RCA
In 1953, they landed a recording contract with RCA RecordsRCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. While recording for RCA, the sessions were backed up by future country star and producer Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
. That same year, they released their first single, "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know". The mournful and heartbreaking song became a No. 1 country hit, as well as a top 20 pop hit. Their harmonies mixed the sound of the old Appalachian harmonies of the Delmore Brothers to the more pop-inspired sounds of the Everly Brothers.
Tragedy and reformation
Shortly after the release of "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know", the Davis Sisters were in a car accident in Cincinnati on August 2, 1953, which killed Betty Jack instantly and seriously injured Skeeter.Skeeter reformed the group with Betty Jack's older sister, Georgia. The new duo continued to perform and record until 1956, but failed to have another hit. "Georgia was a fine singer, but it just wasn't the same," Skeeter said in the liner notes to 1995's The Essential Skeeter Davis.
Skeeter Davis went on to a successful solo career. Davis continued to perform frequently throughout much of the 1990s and into 2000. In 2001 she became incapacitated by the breast cancer that would claim her life. While Davis remained a member of the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
until her death, she last appeared on the program in 2002. She died of breast cancer in a Nashville, Tennessee, hospice, at the age of 72, on September 19, 2004.
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|||
| 1953 | "Jealous Love" | — | — | non-album singles |
| "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" was a number one country music single for The Davis Sisters in 1953. The song, written by Cecil Null, was the first hit for the duo of Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis and their only one as Betty Jack was killed in an automobile accident the week the record... " |
1 | 18 | ||
| "Sorrow and Pain" | — | — | ||
| 1954 | "Takin' Time Out for Tears" | — | — | |
| "Foggy Mountain Top" | — | — | ||
| "Just Like Me" | — | — | ||
| "Christmas Boogie" | — | — | ||
| "Everlovin' (A Way to Love)" | — | — | ||
| 1955 | "Fiddle Diddle Boogie" | — | — | |
| "I've Closed the Door" | — | — | ||
| "It's the Girl Who Gets the Blame" | — | — | ||
| 1956 | "Don't Take Him for Granted" | — | — | |
| "Lying Brown Eyes" | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||