Dave & Sugar

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Dave & Sugar was a pop-styled country music trio that enjoyed its peak success in the mid- to late-1970s.

The trio was fronted by Dave Rowland (born January 26, 1942 in Los Angeles, California), while the "Sugar" part was composed of two female vocalists. The lineup changed several times during its run of success; the original singers were Jackie Frantz and Vicki Hackeman. Through the late-1970s and early-1980s, the other singers included Patti Caines, Melissa Dean, Sue Powell, Jamie Jaye, Cindy Smith, Lisa Alvey, Regina Leigh and Lori Mason.

Before forming Dave & Sugar, Rowland was part of the Stamps Quartet, and later the Four Guys. He also was a prominent member of country singer Charley Pride's road show. By 1975, with Pride looking for a backup band, Rowland hired Frantz and Hackeman, and Dave & Sugar was born. They soon signed a deal with RCA Records.

The trio's first single, "Queen of the Silver Dollar" (written by the legendary Shel Silverstein) broke into the Top 25 of Billboard magazine's country singles chart in early 1976. Their next single, the uptempo "The Door is Always Open," became their first No. 1 hit in July.

Their peak run garnered nearly one dozen Top 10 singles, including two more No. 1 hits - "Tear Time" (1978) and "Golden Tears" (1979). Other hits included "I'm Gonna Love You" (1976); "That's the Way Love Should Be," "Don't Throw It All Away" and "Knee Deep in Lovin' You" (1977); "Gotta Quit Lookin' at You Baby" (1978); "Stay With Me" and "My World Begins and Ends With You" (1979); and "Fool By Your Side" (1981).

Rowland broke away from the trio briefly during the early 1980s to try a solo career, but two single releases failed to make much of an impact.