Born on This Day in 1945, the High School English Teacher Who Became a Grammy-Winning Country Star

On this day (November 10) in 1945, Donna Fargo was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina. After graduating from high school, she moved across the country to continue her education before taking a teaching position. When she wasn’t in the classroom, she was singing in local clubs. In the 1970s, she rose to fame, taking home multiple awards and notching major country hits.

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After high school, Fargo, then called Yvonne Vaughn, attended the University of Southern California. After earning a degree, she took a teaching position in a Covina, California, high school. Before long, she became the head of the school’s English department. At the same time, she was singing in local clubs on nights and weekends. At the time, she never considered pursuing a music career.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1972, Donna Fargo Was the ‘Happiest Girl in the Whole USA’—Hitting No. 1 With an Album Produced by Her Husband]

According to the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, that changed in 1966 when she met Stan Silver. He quickly became her manager. Two years later, he’d become her husband.

Yvonne Vaughn Becomes Donna Fargo

After meeting Stan Silver, Yvonne Vaughn traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, to record singles. That’s when she adopted the stage name Donna Fargo. The early years of her career saw her release several singles and perform alongside the likes of Ray Price. However, she saw very little success.

Fargo released five singles between 1967 and 1969. None of them reached the country chart. However, she had gained the attention of the country music world. She took home Top New Female Vocalist at the 1969 ACM Awards. Three years later, she released her breakthrough hit.

The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.

Donna Fargo wrote “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.” and released it in March 1972 as her first single for Dot Records. Three months later, the song reached the top of the Hot Country Songs chart, where it stayed for three consecutive weeks. More than a hit, the single won Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the 1972 ACM Awards. It also won Single of the Year at the CMA Awards. Her debut album of the same name took home the ACM Award for Album of the Year. The next year, the song brought her the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

In August, she released her second self-penned single, “Funny Face.” That October, it became her second three-week No. 1. Her next two singles, “You Were Always There” and “Superman,” topped the chart as well. The rest of the decade brought her a string of hits, including the 1977 chart-topper “That Was Yesterday.”

Donna Fargo’s Other Ventures

Donna Fargo is more than an award-winning singer/songwriter. She’s also an author. She has written eight books, including multiple books of poetry. Additionally, she developed a successful line of greeting cards through Blue Mountain Arts.

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