Country Singer. After marrying Bill West, her songwriting partner and steel guitarist, the Wests and their children moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1960s, where she played hostess to then-unknown songwriters such as Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. After the death of best friend Patsy Cline, she signed with RCA Records and her 1964 self-written song "Here Comes My Baby" won a Grammy Award, making her the first female Country Music singer to win that honor. Membership to the Grand Ole Opry followed, launching a career that would result in over 400 self-written songs, 40 albums, 100 singles, and 16 Grammy nominations. In 1973, her signature song "Country Sunshine" became a hit Coca-Cola jingle and, in 1974, her marriage to Bill West ended. Dottie West traded her gingham dresses for glitz and glamour, changing the face of the modern woman in Country Music. Her duet partnership with Kenny Rogers resulted in hit albums and vocal duo awards in 1978 and 1979. She married drummer Byron Metcalf in 1976. She never missed success on the Country Top 40 from 1976-1984 and began successfully crossing over to Pop Music. Signing with Liberty Records in the early 1980s, albums such as High Times, Special Delivery, and Are You Happy Baby? enjoyed success and in 1985, she took time off to tour with a theatrical company. Following her divorce from Metcalf, she married Al Winters whom she later divorced in 1990. By August 1990, she owed nearly $1.3 million in back taxes to the IRS, which later auctioned off her home and belongings. Dottie West planned a comeback but an automobile accident claimed her life while en route to the Grand Ole Opry. Michele Lee portrayed Dottie in the made-for-television movie Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018.
Country Singer. After marrying Bill West, her songwriting partner and steel guitarist, the Wests and their children moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1960s, where she played hostess to then-unknown songwriters such as Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. After the death of best friend Patsy Cline, she signed with RCA Records and her 1964 self-written song "Here Comes My Baby" won a Grammy Award, making her the first female Country Music singer to win that honor. Membership to the Grand Ole Opry followed, launching a career that would result in over 400 self-written songs, 40 albums, 100 singles, and 16 Grammy nominations. In 1973, her signature song "Country Sunshine" became a hit Coca-Cola jingle and, in 1974, her marriage to Bill West ended. Dottie West traded her gingham dresses for glitz and glamour, changing the face of the modern woman in Country Music. Her duet partnership with Kenny Rogers resulted in hit albums and vocal duo awards in 1978 and 1979. She married drummer Byron Metcalf in 1976. She never missed success on the Country Top 40 from 1976-1984 and began successfully crossing over to Pop Music. Signing with Liberty Records in the early 1980s, albums such as High Times, Special Delivery, and Are You Happy Baby? enjoyed success and in 1985, she took time off to tour with a theatrical company. Following her divorce from Metcalf, she married Al Winters whom she later divorced in 1990. By August 1990, she owed nearly $1.3 million in back taxes to the IRS, which later auctioned off her home and belongings. Dottie West planned a comeback but an automobile accident claimed her life while en route to the Grand Ole Opry. Michele Lee portrayed Dottie in the made-for-television movie Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018.
Bio by: 602
Inscription
(front of marker)
Beloved daughter, wife and mother
Our Country Sunshine
(Back of marker)
"I was born a country girl
I will die a country girl
My world is made of Blue Skies
And sunshine, green fields and butterflies
I'm so glad I'm a county girl"
Family Members
Siblings
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