Donna Fargo
Encyclopedia
Donna Fargo is an American
country music
singer-songwriter
, who is best-known for a series of Top 10 country hits
in the 1970s. These include "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA
" and "Funny Face
," which both became crossover pop
hits in 1972.
Fargo has won major awards since her debut in the late 1960s, including one Grammy Award
, five awards from the Academy of Country Music
and one award from the Country Music Association
.
, then headed west to study at the University of Southern California
. After getting her degree, she became a teacher at Northview High School
in Covina
, California
, eventually progressing to head of the English Department. While in California, she met Stan Silver, who became her manager when Fargo was performing in California clubs and first seeking a career in music. At this point, Fargo was still teaching. Fargo and Silver married in 1968.
, California
while teaching. She went to Phoenix
in 1966, adopted the name Donna Fargo, and recorded
her first single
. Her first major concert
was with Ray Price
, and she began playing in Southern California.
Fargo recorded for a few small labels
in the early 1960s, including Ramco and Challenge
, but songs like "Who's Been Sleeping on My Side of the Bed" did not catch fire.
Although her original singles were not successful, the Academy of Country Music Awards named her the "Top New Female Vocalist" award in 1969. In 1972, Fargo recorded a single for the Decca
label before achieving her breakthrough later that year.
" was picked up by Dot Records
. Fargo was then signed to the label, and the single was released the same year. She was one of the few female country singers to write her own material at the time, and one of the few country singers to cross over to the Billboard Hot 100
pop
chart
in a big way, which she did in 1972 with "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." (number 11). The song peaked at #1 on the country music
chart. An album
of the same name was released following the song's success. The album was certified gold
by the R.I.A.A.
in early 1973, selling over 500,000 copies. The follow-up single, "Funny Face," also peaked at #1 on the country chart, and became a bigger pop hit than her previous single, peaking at #5. Both singles were certified gold by the end of the year.
Fargo never made the Top 40 in pop music again, but she placed over a dozen more singles in the country Top Ten in the 1970s, most written by herself. Fargo's second album, My Second Album, was released in 1973, peaking at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart, as well as spawning the #1 country singles, "Superman
" and "You Were Always There." The songs both charted on the pop chart. That same year, Fargo's All About Feeling, her third album, was released. The album spawned two Top 10 Country hits, "Little Girl Gone" and "I'll Try a Little Bit Harder." The same year, the Grammy Award
s gave Fargo the Best Female Country Vocal Performance
award for "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA." She was also named "Top Female Vocalist" by the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Fargo ultimately became the fifth most successful female country artist of the 1970s, according to Billboard Magazine, behind Loretta Lynn
, Dolly Parton
, Tammy Wynette
, and Lynn Anderson
.
For a better part of the 70s, Fargo stayed high on the charts with songs like "It Do Feel Good," and "Mr. Doodles."
Fargo had another successful album with Dot in 1974
, releasing Miss Donna, which spawned three Top 10 hits, including "You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine
." This song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart.
Dot Records was acquired by ABC
and there was a noticeable drop-off in chart placings for Fargo, and in 1976
, she moved to Warner Bros. Records
.
Fargo came out with the On the Move album, which spawned two Top 20 hits. The next year her next album, Fargo Country was released. The album spawned her first #1 Country hit since 1974, "That Was Yesterday," followed by another Top 10 Country hit, "Mockingbird Hill," which peaked at #9 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1977
. Fargo's 1978
album, Shame on Me also yielded two Top 10 hits, the title track and "Do I Love You (Yes in Every Way)
," which peaked at #2.
Recognized as one of the leading country songwriters of the era, Fargo's songs have been recorded by Tammy Wynette
, Sonny James
, Kitty Wells
, Tanya Tucker
, Jody Miller
, Marty Robbins
, Dottie West
and other artists. Additionally, almost everything Fargo recorded for years was self-penned.
Fargo had her own musical television show (produced by the Osmond Brothers), which ran for a year, beginning in 1978
.
Fargo is one of only five country female vocalists to have her own television series. Kitty Wells
was the first, in 1968, and Dolly Parton followed with a show in 1976. Barbara Mandrell
and Reba McEntire
are the other two who have had shows since "The Donna Fargo Show."
. She was quite ill for a while, but with medical treatment and her husband's help, Donna made it back to better health, returning to a limited schedule in 1979
and another Top 10 hit. For the next few years the successes came at a lower level.
Although this serious neurological illness caused a deep decline in her promotional work, Fargo vowed to not let the disease ultimately get to her. In 1979 she recorded a new album, Just for You, which spawned a "Daddy," which went to #14 on the country charts. This single was actually a reissue; it had been recorded by Fargo ten years before. The follow-up, "Preacher Berry," peaked outside the Country Top 40.
before switching to the smaller "Songbird" label in 1981
. She recorded a well-received gospel album in 1981 for MCA
/Songbird, and in 1982
, she moved to RCA
.
Fargo singles charted off RCA in 1983
and 1984
, and she recorded one album for the label in 1983. She recorded a single for Columbia
in 1983, and for Cleveland records in 1984 in country music. By now, Fargo's career had begun to decline in terms of album sales and chart placements.
After several other label changes, Donna signed with Mercury
, and began another upswing.
She recorded an album with the label, Winners, which resulted in three singles spawned from the album, including a Top 30 hit, "Me and You." Fargo also dueted with Billy Joe Royal
for her next single, "Members Only." The song became a Top 25 country hit in 1987
, peaking at #23. In 1991, she released the song "Soldier Boy," a reference to the Gulf War
which was going on at the time. The song was Fargo's last charting single.
After several years without a full-length recording, in 1992, Fargo began work on her autobiography
.
In 2008, Fargo released a new single CD, "We Can Do Better In America."
More recently, Fargo has released another series of poem books, including Trust in Yourself, To the Love of My Life, and Ten Golden Rules. Fargo sells her books at her official website.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
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-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, who is best-known for a series of Top 10 country hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the 1970s. These include "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA
The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA
"The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" is a country and pop music song written and recorded by Donna Fargo. It is written in the voice of a newlywed girl, sung to her new husband...
" and "Funny Face
Funny Face (Donna Fargo song)
"Funny Face is a 1972 single written and recorded by Donna Fargo. "Funny Face" was Fargo's follow-up release on the country chart after "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA". Like its predecessor, "Funny Face" hit number one on the country chart and was a Gold Record. "Funny Face" remained at...
," which both became crossover pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hits in 1972.
Fargo has won major awards since her debut in the late 1960s, including one Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, five awards from the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
and one award from the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
.
Early career before music
Fargo had been singing since her early years, but never thought about singing professionally. Fargo attended High Point CollegeHigh Point University
High Point University is a private liberal arts university in High Point, North Carolina, USA, affiliated with the United Methodist Church.- Beginnings :...
, then headed west to study at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. After getting her degree, she became a teacher at Northview High School
Northview High School (Covina, California)
Northview High School is one of three comprehensive high schools within the Covina-Valley Unified School District. Established in 1959, the school is located on of land that is landscaped attractively with trees, shrubs, and grass...
in Covina
Covina, California
Covina is a small city in Los Angeles County, California about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley region. The population was 47,796 at the 2010 census, up from 46,837 at the 2000 census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, eventually progressing to head of the English Department. While in California, she met Stan Silver, who became her manager when Fargo was performing in California clubs and first seeking a career in music. At this point, Fargo was still teaching. Fargo and Silver married in 1968.
Career discovery
She soon started to appear around Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
while teaching. She went to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in 1966, adopted the name Donna Fargo, and recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
her first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. Her first major concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
was with Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
, and she began playing in Southern California.
Fargo recorded for a few small labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in the early 1960s, including Ramco and Challenge
Challenge Records
Challenge Records has been the name of at least three different record labels in the 20th century:* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a Netherlands based company...
, but songs like "Who's Been Sleeping on My Side of the Bed" did not catch fire.
Although her original singles were not successful, the Academy of Country Music Awards named her the "Top New Female Vocalist" award in 1969. In 1972, Fargo recorded a single for the Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
label before achieving her breakthrough later that year.
1972 – 1978: breakthrough
In 1972, one of Fargo's self-penned songs, "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USAThe Happiest Girl In the Whole USA
"The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" is a country and pop music song written and recorded by Donna Fargo. It is written in the voice of a newlywed girl, sung to her new husband...
" was picked up by Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
. Fargo was then signed to the label, and the single was released the same year. She was one of the few female country singers to write her own material at the time, and one of the few country singers to cross over to the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in a big way, which she did in 1972 with "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." (number 11). The song peaked at #1 on the country music
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. An album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
of the same name was released following the song's success. The album was certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
in early 1973, selling over 500,000 copies. The follow-up single, "Funny Face," also peaked at #1 on the country chart, and became a bigger pop hit than her previous single, peaking at #5. Both singles were certified gold by the end of the year.
Fargo never made the Top 40 in pop music again, but she placed over a dozen more singles in the country Top Ten in the 1970s, most written by herself. Fargo's second album, My Second Album, was released in 1973, peaking at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart, as well as spawning the #1 country singles, "Superman
Superman (Donna Fargo song)
"Superman" is a 1973 single co-written and recorded by Donna Fargo. "Superman" would be Donna Fargo's third, consecutive number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for a single week and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the country chart....
" and "You Were Always There." The songs both charted on the pop chart. That same year, Fargo's All About Feeling, her third album, was released. The album spawned two Top 10 Country hits, "Little Girl Gone" and "I'll Try a Little Bit Harder." The same year, the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s gave Fargo the Best Female Country Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance was first awarded in 1965, to Dottie West. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Female...
award for "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA." She was also named "Top Female Vocalist" by the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Fargo ultimately became the fifth most successful female country artist of the 1970s, according to Billboard Magazine, behind Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
, and Lynn Anderson
Lynn Anderson
Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
.
For a better part of the 70s, Fargo stayed high on the charts with songs like "It Do Feel Good," and "Mr. Doodles."
Fargo had another successful album with Dot in 1974
1974 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1974.-Events:* March 16 — The Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium, its home of the past 41 years, to the newly constructed 4,400 Grand Ole Opry House, on the Opryland complex. President Richard Nixon is a guest...
, releasing Miss Donna, which spawned three Top 10 hits, including "You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine
You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine
"You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine" is a 1974 single written by Marty Cooper and recorded by Donna Fargo. It was Fargo's fifth number one on the U.S. country singles chart. The single spent a single week at number one and a total of eleven weeks on the chart.-Chart performance:...
." This song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart.
Dot Records was acquired by ABC
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
and there was a noticeable drop-off in chart placings for Fargo, and in 1976
1976 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1976.-No dates:*The CB radio craze was sweeping country music, as no less than three No. 1 songs are about citizens-band radios. C. W. McCall's "Convoy" — about a band of truck drivers who fight back against redneck...
, she moved to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
.
Fargo came out with the On the Move album, which spawned two Top 20 hits. The next year her next album, Fargo Country was released. The album spawned her first #1 Country hit since 1974, "That Was Yesterday," followed by another Top 10 Country hit, "Mockingbird Hill," which peaked at #9 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1977
1977 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1977.-Events:*June 25 — Waylon Jennings smash, "Luckenbach, Texas " spends its sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It is just the third six-week No...
. Fargo's 1978
1978 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1978.-Events:* March 4 — The Public Broadcasting System telecasts the first complete Grand Ole Opry show from the new Grand Ole Opry House as it happened from 6-9 pm...
album, Shame on Me also yielded two Top 10 hits, the title track and "Do I Love You (Yes in Every Way)
Do I Love You (Yes in Every Way)
"Do I Love You " is a single by American country music artist Donna Fargo. Released in December 1977, it was the second single from her album Shame on Me. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in...
," which peaked at #2.
Recognized as one of the leading country songwriters of the era, Fargo's songs have been recorded by Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
, Sonny James
Sonny James
James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
, Kitty Wells
Kitty Wells
Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
, Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
, Jody Miller
Jody Miller
Jody Brooks is an American country music singer. Born as Myrna Joy Miller, she was born in Phoenix, Arizona and raised in Oklahoma.-Career:...
, Marty Robbins
Marty Robbins
Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
, Dottie West
Dottie West
Dottie West was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and co-recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most influential and groundbreaking female artists...
and other artists. Additionally, almost everything Fargo recorded for years was self-penned.
Fargo had her own musical television show (produced by the Osmond Brothers), which ran for a year, beginning in 1978
1978 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1978.-Events:* March 4 — The Public Broadcasting System telecasts the first complete Grand Ole Opry show from the new Grand Ole Opry House as it happened from 6-9 pm...
.
Fargo is one of only five country female vocalists to have her own television series. Kitty Wells
Kitty Wells
Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
was the first, in 1968, and Dolly Parton followed with a show in 1976. Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s...
and Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
are the other two who have had shows since "The Donna Fargo Show."
1979: multiple sclerosis
In 1978, Fargo was diagnosed with multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. She was quite ill for a while, but with medical treatment and her husband's help, Donna made it back to better health, returning to a limited schedule in 1979
1979 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1979.-Events:* March 3 — The Public Broadcasting Service would telecast an entire Saturday night live from the Grand Ole Opry for the very first time - the show would last until 12:30 am with a half hour break between...
and another Top 10 hit. For the next few years the successes came at a lower level.
Although this serious neurological illness caused a deep decline in her promotional work, Fargo vowed to not let the disease ultimately get to her. In 1979 she recorded a new album, Just for You, which spawned a "Daddy," which went to #14 on the country charts. This single was actually a reissue; it had been recorded by Fargo ten years before. The follow-up, "Preacher Berry," peaked outside the Country Top 40.
1980 – present: current music career
Fargo released one more album with Warner Bros. in 19801980 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1980.- Events :* January 25 — At age 84, octogenerian comedian George Burns becomes by far the oldest performer to have a single in the top 40 of Billboards Hot Country Singles chart with "I Wish I Was 18 Again." The...
before switching to the smaller "Songbird" label in 1981
1981 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1981.-Events:*March 14 — The final showing of Live From The Grand Ole Opry on the Public Broadcasting System occurs on this night...
. She recorded a well-received gospel album in 1981 for MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
/Songbird, and in 1982
1982 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1982.-Events:* October 30 — Hank Williams, Jr. has nine albums simultaneously on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.-United States:...
, she moved to RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
Fargo singles charted off RCA in 1983
1983 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1983.-Events:* March — In a span of two days, two major cable networks signed on the air. Country Music Television went on-the-air March 5, while The Nashville Network came on two days later on March 7...
and 1984
1984 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1984.-Events:* June 22 — The movie Rhinestone, starring Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone, is released to universally negative reviews...
, and she recorded one album for the label in 1983. She recorded a single for Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1983, and for Cleveland records in 1984 in country music. By now, Fargo's career had begun to decline in terms of album sales and chart placements.
After several other label changes, Donna signed with Mercury
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, and began another upswing.
She recorded an album with the label, Winners, which resulted in three singles spawned from the album, including a Top 30 hit, "Me and You." Fargo also dueted with Billy Joe Royal
Billy Joe Royal
Billy Joe Royal is an American singer.-Biography:Born in Valdosta and raised in Marietta in 1942, Royal became a local star at Savannah, Georgia's Bamboo Ranch in the 1950s and 1960s...
for her next single, "Members Only." The song became a Top 25 country hit in 1987
1987 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1987.-Events:* June 13 — Randy Travis' "Forever and Ever, Amen" spends three weeks at No. 1 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart...
, peaking at #23. In 1991, she released the song "Soldier Boy," a reference to the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
which was going on at the time. The song was Fargo's last charting single.
After several years without a full-length recording, in 1992, Fargo began work on her autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
.
In 2008, Fargo released a new single CD, "We Can Do Better In America."
Writing career
Since having left recording albums and singles, Fargo has since pursued other careers outside of the music business. She has since established a successful line of greeting cards in The Donna Fargo Collection through the Blue Mountain Arts Poets and Artists series. She has just finished another book.More recently, Fargo has released another series of poem books, including Trust in Yourself, To the Love of My Life, and Ten Golden Rules. Fargo sells her books at her official website.
Awards
| Year | Award | Award Program |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Female Vocalist |
| 1972 | Top Female Vocalist | |
| Song of the Year; "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" is a country and pop music song written and recorded by Donna Fargo. It is written in the voice of a newlywed girl, sung to her new husband... " |
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| Single of the Year; "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" is a country and pop music song written and recorded by Donna Fargo. It is written in the voice of a newlywed girl, sung to her new husband... " |
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| Album of the Year; The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA | ||
| Country Music Association Awards Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... |
Single of the Year; "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA" | |
| 1973 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance; "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA" |
| Biillboard Awards | Top All-Around Female Vocalist-Songwriter | |
| BMI Awards | Song of the Year |