On This Day in 1973, Dottie West Released a Coca-Cola Jingle That Became One of Her Biggest Hits

On this day (September 15) in 1973, Dottie West released “Country Sunshine” as a single from the album of the same name. Later that year, it peaked at No. 2, giving West her biggest hit at the time. Before it was a hit single, the song was the cornerstone of a popular Coca-Cola advertising campaign.

West had already established herself in country music by the early 1970s. She launched a string of top 40 hits in the 1960s. In 1965, she became the first woman in country music to win a Grammy. She took home the Best Female Country Vocal Performance trophy for her song “Here Comes My Baby.” It also reached the top 10 on the country chart.

By the beginning of the 1970s, West’s popularity began to dwindle. Two of her first 11 singles of the decade reached the top 40. Then, she released “Country Sunshine,” and it shot to No. 2. Country fans nationwide already loved the song before she released it because it had been part of a particularly popular Coca-cola ad campaign.

How Dottie West Went into Business with Coca-Cola

Dottie West’s connection to Coca-Cola began in 1968, when she released “Country Girl” as a single. It only reached No. 15 on the chart, but that didn’t matter. It caught the attention of Coca-Cola executives. They approached her in 1970 and offered her a contract to write a jingle based on the hit single.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1966, Dottie West Released a Cheating Song She Co-Wrote With Her Husband That Became a Major Hit]

In 1973, the company started running the commercial featuring “Country Sunshine” nationwide. Before long, it became one of the most popular ad spots in the country. It was so popular, in fact, that it brought West a Clio Award. According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the jingle also earned her a lifetime contract with Coca-Cola, under which she wrote more than a dozen jingles.

The jingle’s popularity convinced West to record a full-length and release it as a single. “Country Sunshine” became a huge hit. It also helped her next few singles outperform her releases from earlier in the decade.

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