Mary Frances Penick was born on December 30, 1931 in the small Appalachian town of Dry Ridge, Kentucky. As a child, her grandfather nicknamed her "Skeeter" because she was always active and buzzing around like a mosquito. She got her start in music as part of the duo, The Davis Sisters, along with childhood friend, Betty Jack Davis. Thus, Skeeter Davis was born to the rest of the world.
The Davis Sisters sang in the local Lexington, Kentucky area and appeared on local radio WLAX in 1949. From there, they earned radio and television appearances in Detroit, Cincinnati and Wheeling, WV, where they were part of the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree.
In 1952, Skeeter and Betty Jack recorded for Fortune, but won a recording contract with RCA the following year and achieved their first chart success. "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" went to number one on the U.S. country chart and number eighteen on the U.S. pop chart.
Sadly, on August 23, 1953, Skeeter and Betty Jack were involved in a serious car accident in which Betty Jack died and Skeeter was critically injured. It took Skeeter more than a year to recover both physically and mentally. With great difficulty and a lot of persuasion, Skeeter returned to singing with Betty Jack's sister, Georgia Davis, to briefly resume the Davis Sisters' act. But, within a year, the duo broke up and Skeeter pursued a solo career.
She continued to record on the RCA label where she worked with Eddy Arnold and Elvis Presley. In 1955, she toured for RCA on the Caravan of the Stars. Davis teamed up with producer, Chet Atkins and scored her first solo country chart hit in 1958 with "Lost To A Geisha Girl." This was during a time when the female acts were surging forward with "response" songs to some of the biggest hits by male artists. As Kitty Wells had answered Hank Thompson's "Honky Tonk Angels," with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952, Skeeter Davis put out this answer to Hank Locklin's "Geisha Girl."
A few years later, Davis recorded another answer to a Hank Locklin song and gained another huge hit. Locklin sang "Please Help Me I'm Falling" and Davis' response was, "I Can't Help You, I'm Falling Too."
In 1959, Davis achieved one of her greatest ambitions when she moved to Nashville and became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1960, she married WSM personality, Ralph Emery, but the tumultuous marriage ended in 1964.
During the 1960's, Davis was one of RCA's most successful country artists. She harvested 26 U.S. country hits, 12 of which crossed over to the U.S. pop charts. Among these was what was to become her trademark song, the million-selling record "The End Of The World" which peaked at number two in both the U.S. country and pop charts in 1963. She also earned her only UK chart presence with "The End Of The World" which topped out at number eighteen in only thirteen weeks on the chart.
Davis has also acheived songwriting success. Her co-written song "Set Him Free" became her first country Top 10 hit in 1959. She also co-wrote "My Last Date" with Boudleaux Bryant and Floyd Cramer. Cramer, famed pianist and member of the original A-team, recorded it as an instrumental solo and had a million-selling record on it in 1960.
During the 60's and 70's, Davis toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Far East. Her solo career started to wane in the 70's, but she still had several more hits such as "Bus Fare To Kentucky," "I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter," and "One Tin Soldier." Her duets with Bobby Bare, George Hamilton IV, and The Bee Gees gave her a few more hits, but by the mid-70's, Davis was reaching the end of her illustrious career. She ended her twenty-two year relationship with RCA in 1974 and charted her last hit for Mercury in 1976 with "I Love Us."
In 1967, Davis recorded a tribute album to Buddy Holly, which featured Waylon Jennings on the guitar. Later in 1972, she also did a tribute album to her friend, Dolly Parton. In 1985, she re-recorded an old Davis Sisters' hit, "May You Never Be Alone," with the group NRBQ. She married Joey Spampanito of NRBQ, but this marriage ultimately ended in divorce as well.
In 1973, Davis was dropped from the Grand Ole Opry's roster due to her strong criticisms of the Nashville Police Department during one of her performances. Her membership was later reinstated.
Davis has also taken to writing about her real life experiences. Her autobiography, "Bus Fare To Kentucky," was published in 1993. Davis pulls no punches in this brutally honest account of her life. She tells how she endured a family history of alcoholism, incest and murder. She also tells her side of the story regarding her four year marriage to Ralph Emery, following the heavy criticism which she received in Emery's autobiography. In 1997, she co-wrote a children's Christmas book, entitled "The Christmas Note," based on her own childhood.
Skeeter Davis passed away September 19th 2004 after a long battle with cancer.
Written by Sherry Anderson. June 2001
* Article appears courtesy of www.countrypolitan.com
Summer Sunshine
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love to hear the summer rain
Warm red kisses every one is mine
Now that you are back again.
Glad the winter's finally over
Don't know where the sun has been
I can sleep at night 'cause baby I know
Well, I know the hurtin's over
I know the waitin's through
It's been lonely in the meantime
I know it's been worth it all waitin' for you.
Love to feel the summer sunshine
Love to hear the summer rain
Warm red kisses every one is mine
Now that you are back again.
Well, I know the hurtin's over
I know the waitin's through
It's been lonely in the meantime
I know it's been worth it all waitin' for you.
Love to feel the summer sunshine
Love to hear the summer rain
Warm red kisses every one is mine
Now that you are back again...
The lyrics of Skeeter Davis's song Summer Sunshine appear to be about the joy and relief felt when a loved one returns. The summer sunshine and rain are symbolic of happier and more fulfilling times, and the mention of warm red kisses suggests a deep romantic connection. The lyrics express gratitude that the long wait for the loved one to return is finally over and the pain of separation has passed. The repeated phrase "Love to feel the summer sunshine, love to hear the summer rain" is a poetic reflection of the singer's happiness and contentment in the moment. Overall, the lyrics evoke a sense of warmth, light, and positivity.
Line by Line Meaning
Love to feel the summer sunshine
I enjoy the warmth of the sun on my skin during summertime.
Love to hear the summer rain
I find pleasure in the sound of raindrops falling during summer.
Warm red kisses every one is mine
I am happy and fulfilled to receive affection from my partner.
Now that you are back again.
I am grateful for my partner's return after being away from me for some time.
Glad the winter's finally over
I am relieved that the cold season has ended and warmer weather has arrived.
Don't know where the sun has been
I am uncertain about why the sun was absent during the winter season.
I can sleep at night 'cause baby I know
I am able to rest peacefully at night because of my confidence in my partner's return.
That's startin' all, all over again.
I am excited to begin anew and restart our relationship.
Well, I know the hurtin's over
I acknowledge that the pain and sadness has subsided.
I know the waitin's through
I am aware that the waiting period is now over.
It's been lonely in the meantime
I have experienced feelings of loneliness and isolation during my partner's absence.
I know it's been worth it all waitin' for you.
I believe that the wait was justified and worthwhile because of my love for my partner.
Contributed by Isaiah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Corrine Anders
Such a beautiful song ❣️