Background and career
Dottie West (born Dorothy Marie Marsh; October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country singer and songwriter. She also had several credits as an actress. A distinguished figure in the country genre, West was among several women who helped to elevate the platform of the genre's female artists. She was also known for mentoring up-and-coming artists and being the first woman to win a country music accolade from the Grammy Awards. West's exposure to country music in childhood influenced her continued music education at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute. After she married, the family moved to Ohio, where she made her first appearances singing on regional television. Her aspirations to write and record country led to her obtaining a Starday Records recording contract in 1959. West and her family then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she continued recording and releasing unsuccessful singles for Starday. In 1963, she signed with RCA Victor, with which she had her first success. Her self-penned "Here Comes My Baby" (1964) became a top-10 US country song and won her a Grammy. Writing and co-writing her own material, she had more top-10 Nashville Sound-influenced singles such as "Would You Hold It Against Me", "Paper Mansions", and "Rings of Gold". West continued recording for RCA through 1976, having a crossover pop single with 1973's "Country Sunshine". The latter was also a Coca-Cola commercial jingle that was played routinely on television. Moving to United Artists Records (which later bought Liberty Records), West had her peak success in her middle age. In the late 1970s she recorded two albums with Kenny Rogers. Their first duet, "Every Time Two Fools Collide" (1978), became West's first chart-topping single and was followed by four more top-10 songs. The newfound success led to her own solo career reigniting. She had her first chart-topping solo single in 1980 with "A Lesson in Leavin'", which was followed by several more top-20 songs. In the early 1980s West began an acting career, appearing in television shows such as The Love Boat and films such as The Aurora Encounter. She signed a new recording contract with Permian Records, on which label her last album was released in 1984. She continued appearing on television and touring. However, West's increased spending habits led to her filing for bankruptcy in 1990. Her personal possessions were sold in a public auction by the Internal Revenue Service, and she was forced to sell her home. While in the midst of planning a career comeback, she was killed in a car accident in 1991. Following her death, her life was made into a television movie, Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story, and she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Dorothy Marie Marsh was born in Frog Pond, Tennessee, a community roughly 64 miles (103 km) northeast of Nashville in Macon County. She was the eldest of 10 children born to Pelina Artha (née Jones) and William Hollis Marsh. Hollis Marsh was a musician who played the guitar and fiddle. Pelina Marsh was a homemaker, but also worked various odd jobs to support the family. Hollis suffered from alcoholism, which caused him to become abusive and unable to hold a job. The Marsh family lived a reportedly impoverished life, often running out of food and other resources. In Dorothy's early years, the family lived in dilapidated homes. At one point, a new home was being constructed by Pelina's extended family, but was burnt to the ground by Hollis before its completion. Hollis Marsh was drafted during World War II, but was discharged after three months. The family received military allotment checks, which provided enough financial stability to build their own home. Pelina Marsh then took on a job at a tree nursery to provide for her children. Being the oldest child, Dorothy took on the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings while her mother worked. Dorothy and Pelina also worked in the fields of their neighbor's farm, picking fruits and vegetables. When she was 12, Dorothy raised money through a school fundraiser to buy her first guitar. During her teen years, Dorothy attended Central High School in McMinnville, Tennessee. During this period, her father continued abusing alcohol and physically abusing his children, including Dorothy. On some occasions, Hollis Marsh would hold his wife and children at gunpoint. Around the age of 11, Dorothy began being repeatedly molested by her father; she was too afraid to report this. The abuse continued for several years, and she spoke little of it during her lifetime. As a result of the sexual abuse, Dorothy had a miscarriage when she was 15. When she was 17, her father had found a job working for the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan. He threatened to take Dorothy out of school so she could move to Detroit with him. After being told the news by her father, Dorothy became uncontrollably emotional at school. The same day, she confessed the molestation to her high-school teachers. Hollis Marsh was then arrested on rape and incest charges. Dorothy subsequently went to live with the county sheriff for several weeks, while her mother moved the family into a McMinnville apartment. Dorothy later testified in court against her father. Hollis was ultimately found guilty of all charges and sentenced to 40 years at Tennessee State Prison. He died in prison in 1967. Dorothy moved back into her mother's McMinnville apartment. Her mother had to go on welfare to support her family. Along with her mother, Dorothy became a waitress at a local restaurant. Her mother moved the family into a house and opened up her own restaurant in McMinnville. During this time, Dorothy began going by the name of Dottie. She also began singing and playing guitar in a high-school band called the Coonskins. The group played at high school events, square dances, picnics, and other local events. Following high-school graduation, a McMinnville businessman got Dottie a music scholarship to attend Tennessee Polytechnic Institute. During her first day, Dottie met fellow student and steel guitar player Bill West, whom she later married. As a result, she changed her name to Dottie West.
In 1956, the West family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Bill West found work in a steel facility and Dottie obtained a five-year contract on the regional country music television program Landmark Jamboree. On the show, West formed a singing duo called the Kay-Dots with Kathy Dee. The Landmark Jamboree often had mainstream country artists appear, including the Carter Sisters, with whom West worked later. West also had aspirations of mainstream country stardom herself. Along with her husband and children, the family spent numerous weekends traveling to Nashville, where she attempted to score a recording contract. On one 1959 trip, West went into every Nashville record label, but still could not get signed. Feeling discouraged, the family was about to drive back to Cleveland, when they spotted the office of Starday Records. Auditioning live for Starday's Don Pierce, she was signed to the label on the spot. One week later, West self-financed $511 to record her first Starday single titled "An Angel on Paper". The single, along with several further releases, failed to gain commercial success. However, the recording did receive occasional local Nashville airplay. Ott Devine of the Grand Ole Opry heard the song and had West make her debut appearance on the show in 1960. She traveled with her family for several more sporadic Opry appearances during the year. After saving nearly a $1000, the West family officially moved to Nashville in 1961. They temporarily lived with West's in-laws before finding their own small house in West Nashville. The same year, West was hired by booking agent Lucky Moeller, who arranged her first tours and shows in the United States. During this period, West and her husband met aspiring Nashville songwriters Hank Cochran, Red Lane, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, and Justin Tubb. The family often brought songwriters back to their home, where West would cook for them and in return learn to write songs. West also became close friends with Patsy Cline during this time. Struggling financially, Cline on occasion brought the Wests on the road with her to help provide work. West also toured with several other Grand Ole Opry performers, and was now being managed by the Jim Denny Artist Bureau. In July 1962, she moved to Atlantic Records, becoming the first country music artist on the label's roster. However, the label also failed to generate any commercial success for her. According to West, the first song she ever wrote was "Is This Me?". She then recorded a demonstration tape with the help of steel guitarist Pete Drake. "Is This Me?" was heard by Jim Reeves, who chose to record it. Released as a single, the song became a commercial success for Reeves in 1963. Reeves liked West's singing voice, and brought her to the attention of Chet Atkins of RCA Victor. Atkins signed her to his label shortly afterward. "Dottie was the best female singer in town [Nashville] and everybody knew it," he later said.
West's first RCA Victor recordings were released as singles in 1963: "Touch Me" and "Let Me off at the Corner". The latter became her first to make the US country chart reaching number 29. Her next release, "Love Is No Excuse", was a duet with Jim Reeves that reached the top 10. Yet, her next single was considered West's breakthrough solo recording: "Here Comes My Baby". Co-written by West and her husband, it reached number 10 on the US country chart in late 1964. "Here Comes My Baby" led to West winning the first-ever Grammy award given to a female country artist and a membership to the Grand Ole Opry. "Here Comes My Baby" was then included on West's debut studio album of the same name (1965), which was produced by Chet Atkins and included five self-composed songs. The disc reached number 12 on the US country albums chart, as did her next studio album, Dottie West Sings. Her follow-up singles reached the US country top 40 through 1966: "Didn't I", "Gettin' Married Has Made Us Strangers", "No Sign of Living", and "Before the Ring on Your Finger Turns Green".
By this point, West was being highlighted by critics for her "heart-wrenching" self-penned lyrics and her emotional vocal performances. Her third album, Suffer Time (1966), was conceptualized from West's new musical style. The characters of its songs were often victims of heartache and failing relationships. The disc was her highest-charting yet, reaching number three on the US country chart. It also spawned four chart singles. The second single, "Would You Hold It Against Me", reached the top five of the US country chart. With Chet Atkins still serving as West's producer, the pair recorded three studio albums that were issued in 1967: With All My Heart and Soul, Dottie West Sings Sacred Ballads, and I'll Help You Forget Her. With All My Heart and Soul reached the US country top 10, while I'll Help You Forget Her charted at number 11. The albums included the top-10 single "Paper Mansions" and the top-20 single "Like a Fool". Now in popular demand, West formed her own touring band called the Heartaches. It featured Bill West on steel guitar, along with Bobby Taylor, Ray Wix, and Danny Shannon. West and the Heartaches toured frequently across the United States and Canada, often performing at state fairs, auditoriums, and occasionally headlining venues like the Black Poodle Club in Nashville. Her 1967 album The Sound of Country Music gave dual credit to West and her new band. West also appeared in two country music-themed films during this time: Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar and There's a Still on the Hill. RCA continued releasing new material of West's, as well. In 1968, the label released the studio LPs What I'm Cut Out to Be, Country Girl, and Feminine Fancy. All three discs reached the US country albums chart. The same year, the singles "Country Girl" and "Reno" became US top-20 country songs and top-10 songs on the Canadian RPM country chart.
As West's career progressed, she was chosen as a collaborator on duets for male country artists. She first collaborated with Don Gibson on several duet recordings that were released on the 1969 album Dottie and Don. The project was her final with Chet Atkins. Their first collaborative single was 1969's "Rings of Gold", which reached number two on the US country chart and topped the Canadian country chart. It was followed by "Sweet Memories" (later recorded by Willie Nelson) and "There's a Story (Goin' 'Round)". The latter was a top-10 country single in the US. In 1971, she joined Jimmy Dean on the single "Slowly", which made the US country top 30. The duo also recorded an album of duets titled Country Boy & Country Girl. Together, Dean and West played the Landmark and Golden Nugget hotels in Las Vegas. West also continued recording solo material. Between 1970 and 1972, RCA Victor released the charting singles "Clingin' to My Baby's Hand", "Careless Hands", "Lonely Is", and "I'm Only a Woman". Among the highest-charting was 1970's "Forever Yours", which climbed to number 21 on the US country chart. Its corresponding studio album reached the US country top 40. By the early 1970s, critics noticed an increasing emotional vocal delivery from West on her recordings. Robert K. Oermann and Mary A. Bufwack wrote that West developed a "moaning quality that she began using to great emotional effect". AllMusic's Bill Carpenter found her 1971 single "Six Weeks Every Summer (Christmas Every Other Year)" to have both "substance" and "passion". In the latter (whose story line is based on a single mother), West reportedly cried during its recording session. This was followed by the top-30 US country single "If It's All Right with You". It was included on West's 1973 studio album, which featured West's new husband Byron Metcalf on the cover. In the early 1970s, Coca-Cola advertising executives heard West's 1968 song "Country Girl". In turn, West agreed to compose and record commercial jingles for Coca-Cola. In 1972, the company adapted "Country Girl" into a jingle that was played routinely as a television commercial. As a result, the company gave West a lifetime contract to make jingles for Coke. A follow-up jingle was co-written with Billy Davis called "Country Sunshine". The McCann Ericson television commercial had become so popular with audiences that it was adapted into a RCA Victor single. Released in 1973, the single version reached number two on the US country chart and crossed over to number 49 on the US Hot 100. It also made similar positions in Canada. A studio album of the same name made it to number 17 on the US country albums chart. In 1974, West had a second US top-10 country single with "Last Time I Saw Him". Her follow-up releases failed to gain the same momentum and West's commercial popularity began declining. Her next studio album, House of Love, spawned two top-40 singles, the title track and "Lay Back Lover". However, further singles released through 1976 reached positions outside the US country top 40. West's final RCA album, Carolina Cousins (1975), only reached number 45 on the US country chart. In 1976, West departed the RCA Victor roster.
