22 Years Ago Today, We Lost One of the Original Country-Pop Divas Who Paved the Way for Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton

Known for insanely popular crossover country-pop hits like “The End of the World” and the Carole King-penned “I Can’t Stay Mad at You”, Skeeter Davis blazed a trail later trod by Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Tammy Wynette. Releasing 32 studio albums and collecting five Grammy nominations, she achieved pop success during a time when such a thing was practically unheard of by a country artist.

On this day (September 19) in 2004, Skeeter Davis died in Nashville at age 72 following a longstanding, recurring battle with breast cancer. Today, we honor her life and legacy on the 22nd anniversary of her passing.

Skeeter Davis Began Her Singing Career as a Teen

Born Mary Frances Penick on December 30, 1931, in the tiny town of Glencoe, Kentucky, she earned the nickname “Skeeter” due to her constant hyperactivity as a child.

The oldest of seven children, Penick had a difficult upbringing, as her mother struggled with her mental health.

Music was likely a respite for the young Mary Frances, who would often stage singing and dancing routines in her backyard.

She met and befriended Betty Jack Davis while both were students at Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood, Kentucky. Bonding over their love of music, the two girls often entertained their classmates by singing and playing guitar during school breaks.

During Penick’s junior year of high school, the two won first prize in a local yodeling contest. Their reward was a singing slot on a local daytime television show.

They billed themselves as the Davis Sisters, with Skeeter taking on Betty Jack’s surname for the stage.

The Tragedy of the Davis Sisters

After graduating from high school in 1949, Skeeter Davis followed Betty Jack to Detroit, where they had landed performing opportunities on the local Barnyard Frolics radio program.

After recording demos for Fortune Records, the pair secured a recording contract with RCA Victor. In 1953, their single “I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know” — originally recorded by Sonny James — spent eight weeks atop the Billboard country songs chart. It also cracked the top 20 on the pop charts.

Tragedy struck on August 1, 1953, when the Davis Sisters were involved in a car wreck on their way back to Kentucky from a performance in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Betty Jack died in the crash, and Skeeter sustained serious head injuries.

Finding Solo Success

Following a brief attempt to keep the Davis Sisters going with Betty Jack’s real-life sibling, Georgia, Skeeter Davis struck out on her own.

She received a Grammy nomination for her song “Set Him Free”, which she also co-wrote.

Scoring multiple top 10 hits with the songs “(I Can’t Help You) I’m Falling Too”, “My Last Date (With You)”, “Where I Ought to Be”, and “Optimistic”, Davis’ big break arrived with “The End of the World”.

Written by Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee, Davis took the song to the top five on four different charts.

While it narrowly missed the top spots in country and pop, “The End of the World” did top Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. It also reached number four on the R&B listing.

[RELATED: The Day Criticism About the Police Got Skeeter Davis Banned From the Grand Ole Opry]

Davis’ crossover success continued with singles like “I’m Saving My Love” (1963) and 1964’s “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” (1964).

Her success had begun to wane by the end of the 1970s, but her place in country music history is solid.

Featured image by David Redfern/Redferns