On this day (October 14) in 1972, Donna Fargo started a three-week run at the top of the country chart with “Funny Face.” It was the second of four consecutive No. 1 singles for her. Fargo wrote the song as a tribute to her husband and manager, Stan Silver. His personal nickname for her inspired the hit’s title.
“Funny Face” opens with the last half of the chorus. As a result, it sounds like Fargo is singing to someone called Funny Face. The perspective shifts after the first verse. “Funny Face, I love you. / Funny Face, I need you. / These are the sweetest words I’ve ever heard,” she sings in the opening lines of the chorus. The rest of the song celebrates her loving, understanding, and supportive husband.
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The Inspiration Behind Donna Fargo’s Wholesome Hit
Donna Fargo shared a piece of her marriage with listeners when she released “Funny Face.” The ode to a loving relationship spent three weeks at No. 1 on the country chart and peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. It also made her the first woman in country music to release two consecutive million-selling singles. It all started with cute nicknames.
Her husband called her “Funny Face.” Because he kept a beard, she called him “Fuzzy Face.” Initially, Fargo wrote the song, which originally contained 16 verses, for her husband. Even at its massive length, she believed it was too simple to release.
Then, she had a huge hit with her Dot Records debut single “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.” It showed Fargo that her songs didn’t need to be complex to find commercial and chart success. As a result, she trimmed “Funny Face” down to a pair of verses and recorded it for her debut album. Radio programmers across the United States started working it into rotation while the LP’s title track and lead single was still on the charts. As a result, it became the next single and quickly climbed the charts.
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Gene Watson, who had several hits with Dallas Harms songs
