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
Tell Tommy I Miss Him
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tommy my sweetheart is gone now
He's up in heaven somewhere
So little star high above
If you see Tommy tell him of my love.
Tell Tommy I love him
Tell Tommy I miss him
Tell him though I may try
He drove his car in that stockcar race
To win money so we could wed
He wanted so much to make me his wife
Now our love lives on though he lost his life.
I'm so lonely without him near
Oh, how I miss his warm embrace
Tell Tommy I love him
Tell Tommy I miss him
Tell him though I may try
My love for him will never die.
Although he wanted to give me the world
Why did he do such a reckless thing
Little star he should have realized
I was richer than a queen when he looked into my eyes.
Tell Tommy I love him
Tell Tommy I miss him
Tell him though I may try
My love for him will never die.
Tell Tommy I miss him.
Tell Tommy I miss him...
The meaning behind Skeeter Davis's song "Tell Tommy I Miss Him" is a lamentation from a woman who has lost her lover, Tommy, to death. The lyrics express the woman's feelings of loneliness and heartbreak as she mourns his death. The woman asks a little star in the sky to tell Tommy how much she loves and misses him, despite her efforts to move on.
The lyrics suggest that Tommy was involved in dangerous activities, specifically a stock car race, and lost his life as a result. The woman acknowledges Tommy's desire to provide for their future together by winning money, but laments the recklessness of his actions. She expresses her unconditional love for him and the longing she feels for his warm embrace.
The charm of this song lies in its simplicity yet profound expression of loss and love. Through its lyrics, the melancholic tone of the song and the vocal performance by Davis, the listeners can feel the depth of emotions that the woman is experiencing, recognizing the loss of a loved one and the realization of never being able to see him again. The song captures the essence of the pain and memories that follow the loss of someone we cherish, and how even after attempts at moving forward, the love remains unchanged.
Line by Line Meaning
Tommy my sweetheart is gone now
My beloved Tommy has passed away
He's up in heaven somewhere
He has gone to heaven after his death
So little star high above
Addressing the star as a messenger to reach Tommy
If you see Tommy tell him of my love.
Please convey my love to him if you come across him
Tell Tommy I love him
Please inform Tommy that I am still in love with him
Tell Tommy I miss him
Please inform Tommy that I miss him dearly
Tell him though I may try
Inform him that I am trying my best
My love for him will never die.
My love for Tommy is eternal and will never fade away
He drove his car in that stockcar race
Tommy participated in a stock car race to earn money
To win money so we could wed
The intention behind him earning money was to marry me
He wanted so much to make me his wife
Tommy was deeply in love and wanted to marry me
Now our love lives on though he lost his life.
Even though Tommy is no more, our love still exists
I'm so lonely without him near
I am extremely unhappy and lonely without Tommy by my side
Oh, how I miss his warm embrace
I miss the comforting feeling of his warm embrace
Although he wanted to give me the world
Tommy desired to provide me with everything in the world
Why did he do such a reckless thing
I wonder why he took such a thoughtless step
Little star he should have realized
Tommy should have realized that I was happy with what I had
I was richer than a queen when he looked into my eyes.
He could have recognized that I valued our love more than any materialistic possession
Tell Tommy I miss him.
Please convey my message to Tommy that I miss him.
Writer(s): JEFF BARRY, BEN RALEIGH
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lovelylili
Tommy my sweetheart is gone now
He's up in heaven somewhere
So little star high above
If you see Tommy tell him of my love
Tell Tommy I love him tell Tommy I miss him
Tell him though I may try my love for him will never die
He drove his car in that stockcar race
To win money so we could wed
He wanted so much to make me his wife
Now our love lives on though he lost his life
I'm so lonely without him near
Oh how I miss his warm embrace
I'll love no other I want him to know
Oh little star please tell him so
Tell Tommy I love him tell Tommy I miss him
Tell him though I may try my love for him will never die
Although he wanted to give me the world
Why did he do such a reckless thing
Little star he should have realized
I was richer than a queen when he looked into my eyes
Tell Tommy I love him tell Tommy I miss him
Tell him though I may try my love for him will never die
Tell Tommy I miss him, tell Tommy I miss him
Donald Ewert
SKeeter Davis is one of the friendliest people I met while in Nashville. She should be in either The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame or The Country Music Hall of Fame.!!!
Ila Hilda Sissac
End of the World is a beautiful song.
mashibinbin
I never knew 'tell Laura I love her' had a sequel as it were. It even surpasses it in my book, absolutely magical.
Amber B
I know right. I'm amazed
Alyssa Bhan
Had a flashback when i was about 6 and my mom was playing this song in the car. I honestly thought it was a dream until I searched it.
Paoboy Singson
Always reminds me of dad sitting on the porch listening to this song on the radio. He's gone now but every time I listen to this song he feels so near.
Monica Hnamte
its been 20 years and it still move my heart. I used to listen to this song when i was 14 and loved it and will continue to love even more
ศุภัคสินีนาฏ รอบคอบ
Ok me too.
I like this song too.
When I was young.
That ok.
This song in your heart.
Well.
I remembered the teacher taught me when I was 10 years old.
Sorry if I used tense wrong.
Ha Ha.
Millenia Zwi Sabatina Sirait
Now you're 44
desert3347
I think most of us have forgotton how many hit records Skeeter had. Such a wonderful sweet lady. Love to watch her on Countrys Family Reunion. rip Skeeter