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
Turn Your Radio On
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the mighty host of Heaven sing
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
If you want to want to hear the songs of Zion
Coming from the land of endless spring
Get in touch with God (get in touch with God)
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
And listen to the music in the air
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
And glory to share (glory share)
Turn the lights down low (lights down low)
And listen to the Master's Radio
Get in touch with God (get in touch with God)
Turn your radio on
Brother listen in to the glory land chorus
Listen to the glad hosanna's roll
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Get a little taste of joys awaiting
Get a little Heaven in your soul
Get in touch with God (get in touch with God)
Turn your radio on
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
And listen to the music in the air
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
And glory to share (glory share)
Turn the lights down low (lights down low)
And listen to the Master's Radio
Get in touch with God (get in touch with God)
Turn your radio on
Listen to the songs of the fathers and the mothers
And the many friends gone on before
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Some eternal morning we shall meet them
Over on the Hallelujah Shore
Get in touch with God (get in touch with God)
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
And listen to the music in the air
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
And glory to share (glory share)
Turn the lights down low (lights down low)
And listen to the Master's Radio
Get in touch with God (get in touch with God)
Turn your radio on
The lyrics to Skeeter Davis's song "Turn Your Radio On" encourage listeners to tune in to a radio station that features music from the "mighty host of Heaven." The song speaks about listening to the sounds of Zion, connecting with God, and receiving a taste of the joys that await in Heaven. By turning on their radios and tuning in to the music in the air, listeners are invited to experience the glory and share in the eternal happiness that comes with getting in touch with God.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of connecting with loved ones who have passed on before, listening to "the songs of the fathers and the mothers," and anticipating a day when we will all meet again on the "Hallelujah Shore."
Overall, the message of "Turn Your Radio On" seems to be one of hope and inspiration, encouraging listeners to seek out a connection with God and to find comfort in the promise of eternal life.
Line by Line Meaning
Come and listen in to a radio station
Come and join the audience of the radio station
Where the mighty host of Heaven sing
Where the celestial choir performs
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Switch your radio on
If you want to want to hear the songs of Zion
If you desire to listen to the sacred songs of Jerusalem
Coming from the land of endless spring
Originating from an eternal paradise
Get in touch with God (get in touch with God)
Attain communication with the almighty
And listen to the music in the air
Hear the melodious hymns played by the community
And glory to share (glory share)
And enjoy the divine revelation
Turn the lights down low (lights down low)
Dim the lights
And listen to the Master's Radio
And tune in to the divine broadcast
Brother listen in to the glory land chorus
Dear brother, hear the joyful heavenly choir
Listen to the glad hosanna's roll
Listen to the enthusiastic gospel song
Get a little taste of joys awaiting
Experience a small sample of the delightful things to come
Get a little Heaven in your soul
Attain a tiny slice of celestial bliss
Listen to the songs of the fathers and the mothers
Hear the tunes of the forefathers and mothers
And the many friends gone on before
And the numerous friends departed
Some eternal morning we shall meet them
At some eternal dawn, we will reunite with them
Over on the Hallelujah Shore
Over on the place of joyous praise
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Switch your radio on
And listen to the music in the air
Hear the melodious hymns played by the community
And glory to share (glory share)
And enjoy the divine revelation
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Switch your radio on
And listen to the Master's Radio
And tune in to the divine broadcast
Get in touch with God (get in touch with God)
Attain communication with the almighty
Turn your radio on (turn your radio on)
Switch your radio on
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALBERT E. BRUMLEY SR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marcia Mitchell
LOVE THIS SONG FROM I WAS A CHILD LOVE IT LOVE IT
Camille Gayle
heard this song in my mom car and fell in love with it
PHIL HARNDEN
GOD BLESS THIS SINGER.......
WE ALL NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH GOD AND JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRT! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HigherWaysWoman
found a link that finally would play Skeeter's songs...AWESOME!!!! Talk about a blast from the past!!!!! Thank you for sharing this wonderfully Gifted Woman!
Raze46
great singer
Dave Wollenberg
Get in touch with God. Turn your radio on! God bless! RIP, Miss Skeeter! Thanx for postin' it, Miss Joan!
SFtruckerWolf
Where have all this kind music gone????? I am missing you!!
Hermanus Sobu
all wiped by desire to war all over the world !
Theresa Schmitt
I love this song and I'm only 14. I also love all the oldies everything to the flower duet to this.
Phyllis Brown
such a wonderful song 5*****