I didn't have the bus fare to Kentucky
or this city would've seen the last of me
I didn't have the bus fare to Kentucky
and that old grey dog won't let me ride for free
I didn't learn that Skeeter Davis was from Kentucky until this morning. Per Wikipedia:
Davis was the first of seven children born to William Lee and Sarah Rachel Roberts Penick, in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. Because her grandfather thought that she had a lot of energy for a young child, he nicknamed Mary Frances "Skeeter" (slang for mosquito). In 1947, the Penick family moved to Erlanger, Kentucky, where Skeeter met Betty Jack Davis and Wanda Rose Rader at Dixie Heights High School, becoming instant friends. They sang together through much of high school, and at Decoursey Baptist Church, where Wanda's father was the pastor. They formed a group known as the Davis Sisters (although they were unrelated), and started singing on Detroit radio station WJR's program Barnyard Frolics.
And then, just a few paragraphs later in her fascinating life story ("The End of the World" ... Grand Ole Opry suspension ... Mrs. Ralph Emery for a while ...), I learned that Skeeter Davis died 10 years ago at age 72.
Rest in peace, Mary Frances Pennick of Dry Ridge. And thank God for hospice workers.
No comments:
Post a Comment