The Davis Sisters (country)

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The Davis Sisters
Origin Dry Ridge, Kentucky
Genre(s) Country music/Pop music
Years active 1953-1956
Label(s) RCA Records
Former members
Betty Jack Davis, Skeeter Davis, Georgia Davis

The Davis Sisters were a country music duo group consisting of two singers, Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis. They are best known for their 1953 #1 country hit "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know".

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[edit] Rise to fame and success

The Davis Sisters were one of the original female country groups. The Davis Sisters were not actually related; Skeeter Davis's real name was Mary Frances Penick, but she adopted the stage name of Skeeter Davis. Betty Jack and Skeeter met each other in high school. They began to immediately form a close relationship and had a close musical relationship as well. Eventually, realizing that they had the same goals and ideas that they would someday be in the music business, singing and recording records, they decided that they would create their own duo group. The Davis Sisters was thus created.

The duo began appearing regularly on radio shows in Cincinnati and Detroit. They first started recording in Detroit. In 1953, they landed a recording contract with RCA Records. While recording for RCA, the sessions were backed up by future record producer Chet Atkins. That same year, the released their first single called "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know". The song was mournful and heartbreaking and became a #1 Country hit for the Davis Sisters, as well as a top ten Pop hit. Their duo harmonies mixed the sound of the old Appalachian harmonies of the Delmore Brothers to the more pop inspired sounds of the Everly Brothers.

[edit] Tragedy and reformation

Shortly after the release of "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know", tragedy struck The Davis Sisters. They suffered a car crash on August 2, 1953, which killed Betty Jack instantly and seriously injured Skeeter.

Skeeter reformed the group with Betty Jack's older sister, Georgia. The new duo continued to perform and record until 1956, but failed to have another hit. "Georgia was a fine singer, but it just wasn't the same," Skeeter said in the liner notes to 1995's The Essential Skeeter Davis.[1]

Skeeter Davis went on to a successful solo career.

[edit] Single

Year Single US Country US Hot 100 Album
1953 "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" 1 18 The Essential Skeeter Davis

[edit] References

[edit] External links