Dottie West (* 11. Oktober 1932 in McMinnville, Tennessee als Dorothy Marie Marsh; † 4. September 1991), US-amerikanische Country-Sängerin

Dottie hatte eine ungewöhnlich harte Kindheit. Sie war die älteste von zehn Kindern einer bitterarmen Familie, die von einem trunksüchtigen und gewalttätigen Vater beherrscht wurde. Friedliche und angenehme Momente gab es nur, wenn man gemeinsam vor dem Radio der Grand Ole Opry zuhörte oder selbst musizierte.
Trotz aller Schwierigkeiten schaffte Dottie den High School Abschluss und bekam ein Stipendium für ein Musik-Studium an der Tennessee Tech. Während ihres Studiums arbeitete sie als Sängerin. Sie verliebte sich in den Gitarristen Bill West. 1953 heirateten die beiden, wenig später bekam das Paar zwei Söhne. Nach Abschluss des Studiums zog die Familie nach Cleveland. Hier trat Dottie regelmäßig im lokalen Fernsehen auf. 1958 wurde die Tochter Shelly geboren. Drei Jahre später zog die Familie nach Nashville.

1963 gelang es Dottie West, einen Song für Jim Reeves zu schreiben. Jim Reeves verschaffte ihr anschließend einen Plattenvertrag bei RCA. Verantwortlicher Produzent war Chet Atkins. Ihre erste Single, Love Is No Excuse - ein Duett mit Jim, erreichte die Top-10. Ihr nächster Hit war 1964 die Eigenkomposition Here Comes My Baby. Für diesen Song wurde sie als erster weiblicher Country-Star mit einem Grammy ausgezeichnet. Sie trat jetzt regelmäßig in der Grand Ole Opry auf und hatte weiter Hits. 1973 gelang ihr mit dem Coca-Cola-Werbe-Song Country Sunshine einen über die Country-Szene hinausgehenden landesweiten Erfolg.
Anfang der 70er Jahre wandelte sich Dotties Erscheinungsbild. War sie bis dahin in einem eher unkleidsamen oder sogar züchtigen Outfit aufgetreten, erschien sie plötzlich im hautengen, glänzenden Dress auf der Bühne. Der leicht heisere Touch ihrer Stimme tat ein Übriges, um sie zu einem Sex-Symbol zu machen. In diesen Jahren galt sie als Nashvilles Schönste. 1972 heiratete sie den zwölf Jahre jüngeren Bryan Metcalf. Sie spielte einige Duetts mit Don Gibson und Kenny Rogers ein, und schaffte damit mehrere Nummer-1-Hits. Dottie West befand sich auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Karriere und ihres Lebens. Ihre Musik entfernte sich immer mehr vom Country-Sound. Die Songs wurden poppiger und enthielten verschiedentlich Rock-Elemente.
Mitte der 80er Jahre begann ein dramatischer Abstieg. Die Plattenerfolge blieben aus. Sie begann zu trinken. 1983 heiratete sie den 23 Jahre jüngeren Al Winters. Die Ehe hielt nur zwei Jahre. 1990 meldete sie Privat-Konkurs an. Zeitweise lebte Dottie in ihrem Tournee-Bus. Aber sie kämpfte, hatte weiterhin Auftritte und bereitete ein Comeback vor. Am 4. September 1991 starb Dottie West im Alter von 59 Jahren an den Folgen eines Autounfalls.
Wikipedia

DISKOGRAFIE AUSWAHL + TRACKLISTS:

1964 COUNTRY GIRL SINGING SENSATION
1 Angel on Paper
2 Crazy
3 Big John
4 I'd Be Lying
5 Men With Evil Hearts
6 Heartbreak U.S.A.
7 I Fall to Pieces
8 Sing a Little Song of Heartache
9 I Should Start Running
10 I Lose You Win I'm Leaving
11 Walking in the Dark
12 She's Got You

1965 QUEENS OF COUNTRY MUSIC

1965 HERE COMES MY BABY
1 Here Comes My Baby Back Again
2 Night Life
3 That's Where Our Love Must Be
4 In Its Own Little Way
5 Take Me as I Am
6 No One Will Ever Know
7 Didn't I
8 Mama Kiss the Hurt Away
9 Touch Me
10 Mama You'd Have Been Proud of Me
11 I Dreamed of an Old Love Affair
12 All the World Is Lonely Now

1966 SUFFER TIME
1 Mommy, Can I Still Call Him Daddy
2 Another Heart for You to Break
3 Baby
4 Before the Ring on Your Finger Turns Green
5 Wear Away
6 Fair Weather Lover
7 Suffertime
8 Let Me Talk to You
9 Would You Hold It Against Me
10 Just Out of Reach
11 What's Come Over My Baby
12 Is This Me

1967 WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL
1 Paper Mansions
2 Don't Touch Me
3 No One to Cry To
4 Way to Survive
5 Don't Keep Me Lonely Too Long
6 Loving on Borrowed Time
7 Almost Persuaded
8 Tip of My Fingers
9 With All My Heart and Soul
10 It's Teardrop Time
11 Someone's Gotta Cry
12 How Many Lifetimes Will It Take

1967 DOTTIE WEST SINGS SACRED BALLADS
1 How Great Thou Art
2 I Believe
3 You'll Never Walk Alone
4 I'm Grateful
5 King of Kings
6 Lord's Prayer
7 Lord Is It I
8 His Eye Is on the Sparrow
9 In God's Eyes
10 Then I Met the Master
11 Where No One Stands Alone
12 Saviour Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise

1967 I'LL HELP YOU FORGET HER
1 Give Him My Love
2 Touch My Heart
3 Funny, Familiar, Forgotten Feelings
4 No One
5 Lonely Again
6 Last Letter
7 I'll Help You Forget Her
8 Walk Through This World With Me
9 Everything's a Wreck
10 I'd Be a Legend in My Time
11 Like a Fool
12 There Goes My Everything

1968 WHAT I'M CUT OUT TO BE
1 What I'm Cut Out to Be
2 Where Love Is
3 Catch the Wind
4 My Baby's Gone
5 Look What You're Doing
6 It's Over
7 Before the Next Teardrop Falls
8 I Don't Wanna Play House
9 Handful
10 If You Go Away
11 Crying

1968 COUNTRY GIRL
1 Country Girl
2 Less of Me
3 Faded Love
4 Just Call Me Lonesome
5 My Goal for Today
6 You've Still Got a Place in My Heart
7 Little Things
8 Too Far Gone
9 Healing Hands of Time
10 When
11 Hold Me Tighter
12 Take These Chains from My Heart

1969 FEMININE FANCY
1 It Must Be Him
2 Take My Hand for Awhile
3 The End of the World
4 I'm Sorry
5 Old Cape Cod
6 Until It's Time for You to Go
7 Broken Hearted Melody
8 D.I.V.O.R.C.E.
9 Harper Valley PTA
10 Love Is Just a Pain in the Heart
11 Tennessee Waltz
12 Come on Home

1969 DOTTY SINGS EDDY
1 Anytime
2 I Love You So Much It Hurts
3 Make the World Go Away
4 I'll Hold You in My Heart
5 I Really Don't Want to Know
6 Last Word in Lonesome Is Me
7 It's a Sin
8 You Don't Know Me
9 It Makes No Difference Now
10 Cattle Call
11 They Don't Make Love Like They Used To

1970 MAKIN' MEMORIES
1 I Heard Our Song
2 Thank You Baby
3 Clingin' to My Baby's Hand
4 With Pen in Hand
5 Puttin' Pain on Paper
6 Don't Say a Word
7 Makin' Memories
8 You Didn't Stop to Say Hello
9 You Fool
10 Long Black Limousine
11 Her Hello Was My Goodbye

1970 COUNTRY AND WEST
1 Here Comes My Baby
2 Would You Hold It Against Me
3 Let Me Off At The Corner
4 What's Come Over My Baby
5 Paper Mansions
6 Night Life
7 There's A Story (Goin' Round)
8 Slowly
9 Country Sunshine
10 Lock, Stock, And Teardrops
11 Careless Hands
12 The Cold Hand Of Fate
13 Country Girl
14 If It's Alright With You
15 Sweet Thang
16 Before The Ring On Your Finger Turns Green

1970 FOREVER YOURS
1 Ever Yours
2 Willie's Winter Love
3 I Never Once Stopped Loving You
4 Cold Hand of Fate
5 Cancel Tomorrow
6 Rocky Top
7 Special Memory
8 Who Put the Leaving in Your Eyes
9 Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
10 And I'm Still Missing You

1977 WHEN IT'S JUST YOU AND ME

1979 SPECIAL DELIVERY
1 You Pick Me Up
2 Lesson in Leavin'
3 It's Too Late to Love Me Now
4 Up So High
5 Leavin's for Unbelievers
6 Hey Mr Dreammaker
7 Love's So Easy for Two
8 Blue as I Want To
9 All He Did Was Tell Me Lies
10 We've Got Tonight

1981 ONCE YOU WERE MINE
1 Once You Were Mine
2 Six Weeks Every Summer
3 Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
4 Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
5 Killing Me Softly With His Song
6 If You Go Away
7 Me and Bobby McGee
8 Desperado
9 Help Me
10 Crying

1981 WILD WEST
1 Make a Plan
2 Are You Happy Baby?
3 What Are We Doin' in Love?
4 Right or Wrong I'll Be With You
5 Choosin' Means Losin'
6 Goodbye
7 I'm Gonna Put You Back on the Rock
8 Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
9 Please Remember Me
10 I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again

1982 HIGH TIME
1 It's High Time
2 There's Nobody Like You
3 Without You
4 Cajun Rage
5 You and I
6 Starting Today Starting Over
7 Something's Missing
8 You're Not Easy to Forget
9 Don't Be Kind

1982 FULL CIRCLE

1983 NEW HORIZONS
1 Overnight Sensation
2 Tulsa Ballroom
3 Night Love Let You Down
4 Woman in Love With You
5 I Make a Great Cup of Coffee
6 Who's That Look in Your Eyes
7 He's All I Need
8 If I Ever Cross Your Mind
9 Hate the Lies Love the Liar
10 Read My Lips

1984 JUST DOTTIE
1 Let Love Come Lookin' for You
2 Where Is a Good Woman to Go
3 What's Good for the Goose (Is Good for the Gander)
4 Blue Fiddle Waltz
5 We Know Better Now
6 Tell Me Again
7 Eyes of a Storm
8 Ain't Nothin' Like a Woman
9 Memories for Sale
10 Lady Blonde and Fair

1996 ESSENTIAL
1 Love Is No Excuse (Jim Reeves & Dottie West)
2 Here Comes My Baby
3 Would You Hold It Against Me
4 What's Come Over My Baby
5 Me Today And Her Tomorrow
6 Mommy, Can I Still Call Him Daddy
7 Paper Mansions
8 His Eye Is On The Sparrow
9 Like A Fool
10 Childhood Places
11 Country Girl
12 Reno
13 Rings Of Gold (with Don Gibson)
14 There's A Story (Goin\' Round) (with Don Gibson)
15 Forever Yours
16 Slowly (with Jimmy Dean)
17 Six Weeks Every Summer (Christmas Every Other Year)
18 Country Sunshine
19 House Of Love
20 Last Time I Saw Him

1997 ARE YOU HAPPY BABY

2002 ABSOLUTELY THE BEST
1 A Lesson in Leavin'
2 What Are We Doin' in Love?
3 When It's Just You and Me
4 Are You Happy Baby?
5 'Til I Can Make It on My Own
6 Come See Me and Come Lonely
7 Leavin's for Unbelievers
8 Every Time Two Fools Collide
9 (I'm Gonna) Put You Back on the Rack
10 Every Word I Write
11 All I Ever Need Is You
12 You Pick Me Up (And Put Me Down)
13 It's High Time
14 Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight