Betty Jack Davis
Encyclopedia
Betty Jack Davis was an American country music
singer who was one half of the duet The Davis Sisters with Skeeter Davis
, who was not related.
. At Dixie Heights High School
in Edgewood, Kentucky
, she became close friends with Mary "Skeeter" Penick in 1947. They decided to form a duo after graduation, and Penick adopted Skeeter Davis as her stage name, and the duo named themselves The Davis Sisters. In 1952 the pair scored a modest regional hit, "Jealous Love," on the Fortune Records
label. Then released two follow up singles on Fortune in 1953 before landing a deal with RCA/Victor.
In 1953, they scored a number one hit with "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
". They appeared on The Eddy Arnold Show
and The Perry Como
Show. The Grand Ole Opry
was about to sign them for its Prince Albert Show, and they were set for a series of fall appearances with the Opry's cast.
On August 2, 1953, they were driving home from their first appearance on WWVA Jamboree
in Wheeling, West Virginia. Just outside Cincinnati, a soldier on leave fell asleep at the wheel of his car and crashed, head on into their automobile. Betty Jack was killed instantly and Skeeter suffered a concussion and internal injuries. On August 6, 1953, Betty Jack was interred in Highland Cemetery in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
.
Her older sister, Georgia Davis, took her place in a revised version of The Davis Sisters in 1954, but the new duo did not achieve the success of the original. Skeeter Davis eventually left in 1957 and went on to a solo career.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer who was one half of the duet The Davis Sisters with Skeeter Davis
Skeeter Davis
Mary Frances Penick , better known as Skeeter Davis, was an American country music singer best known for crossover pop music songs of the early 1960s. She started out as part of The Davis Sisters as a teenager in the late 1940s, eventually landing on RCA Records. In the late '50s, she became a solo...
, who was not related.
Biography
Davis was born in Corbin, KentuckyCorbin, Kentucky
- Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss...
. At Dixie Heights High School
Dixie Heights High School
Dixie Heights High School is a 5-A high school located at 3010 Dixie Highway in Edgewood, Kentucky.-History:The school was built by the Works Progress Administration. It opened for classes in 1936 and was dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt. The main building is nearly identical in construction and...
in Edgewood, Kentucky
Edgewood, Kentucky
There were 3,099 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.4% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.1% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone...
, she became close friends with Mary "Skeeter" Penick in 1947. They decided to form a duo after graduation, and Penick adopted Skeeter Davis as her stage name, and the duo named themselves The Davis Sisters. In 1952 the pair scored a modest regional hit, "Jealous Love," on the Fortune Records
Fortune Records
Fortune Records was a family operated, independent record label located in Detroit, Michigan from 1946 to 1995. The label owners were Jack and Devora Brown, their son Sheldon Brown recorded for the label...
label. Then released two follow up singles on Fortune in 1953 before landing a deal with RCA/Victor.
In 1953, they scored a number one hit with "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" was a number one country music single for The Davis Sisters in 1953. The song, written by Cecil Null, was the first hit for the duo of Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis and their only one as Betty Jack was killed in an automobile accident the week the record...
". They appeared on The Eddy Arnold Show
The Eddy Arnold Show
The Eddy Arnold Show is the name of three similar American network television summer variety programs during the 1950s hosted by Eddy Arnold and featuring popular music stars of the day...
and The Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
Show. The Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
was about to sign them for its Prince Albert Show, and they were set for a series of fall appearances with the Opry's cast.
On August 2, 1953, they were driving home from their first appearance on WWVA Jamboree
WWVA Jamboree
WWVA Jamboree, renamed Jamboree U.S.A. in the 1960s, and the Wheeling Jamboree in 2009, is a pioneering American radio show that featured country music from 1933–2008, and again since January 2009...
in Wheeling, West Virginia. Just outside Cincinnati, a soldier on leave fell asleep at the wheel of his car and crashed, head on into their automobile. Betty Jack was killed instantly and Skeeter suffered a concussion and internal injuries. On August 6, 1953, Betty Jack was interred in Highland Cemetery in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,207 people, 3,530 households, and 2,033 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,581.8 people per square mile . There were 3,744 housing units at an average density of 1,195.0 per square mile...
.
Her older sister, Georgia Davis, took her place in a revised version of The Davis Sisters in 1954, but the new duo did not achieve the success of the original. Skeeter Davis eventually left in 1957 and went on to a solo career.