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Norma Nicole "Skeeter" Davis (December 30, 1931 -
September 19, 2004) was an American country music
singer and a member of the Grand Ole Opry radio
show for more than 40 years.  She was best known
for her hit song "The End of the World" (1963).

==Biography==
Davis was born Mary Frances Penick on a farm in
Dry Ridge, Kentucky. She took the surname Davis
when she became half of the "Davis Sisters" duet
in the 1950s and the first name Skeeter because
her grandfather said she was so active, she buzzed
around like a mosquito. 

Davis attended Dixie Heights High School near
Covington, Kentucky, where she met Betty Jack
Davis and the two formed The Davis Sisters. They
signed a recording contract with RCA|RCA Victor
and had a number one hit with the song "I Forgot
More Than You'll Ever Know." Shortly thereafter,
Betty was killed in a car wreck. Skeeter Davis was
critically injured in the same accident. She
recuperated and launched a solo career. By 1957,
Davis was one of the top rated singers in country
music. She was particularly known for doing her
own harmony vocals through overdubbing, a rarity
in those days, and was a friend and associate of
Chet Atkins. 

She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1959,
the same year she was nominated for a Grammy award
for the song "Set Him Free".  During the 1960s,
Skeeter was one of RCA's most successful country
artists. She charted 41 country hits, 13 of which
crossed over to the pop charts. The best-known of
these was "The End Of The World", which peaked at
number two in both the U.S. country and pop charts
in 1963.  Other major hits included "My Last Date
With You", "Am I That Easy to Forget", "I Can't
Stay Mad At You", "Gonna Get Along Without You
Now", "What Does it Take", and "I Can't Believe
That it's All Over".  She received five Grammy
nominations.  

In 1973, the Opry suspended Davis for dedicating a
song to recently arrested Christians witnessing at
a public mall during an Opry performance, deeming
her remarks "politicial",  but was reinstated in
1975 and continued to perform until 2004.  In the
1970's, she began regularly touring foreign
countries such as Barbados, Singapore, and Sweden
where she was among the most popular entertainers
of any field. 

Davis was married four times, the first being to
Kenneth Depew. She married Ralph Emery in 1960 and
divorced in 1964. Then, she married NRBQ bass
player Joey Spampinato, with whom she collaborated
on an acclaimed 1985 album "She Sings, They Play".
 Davis and Spampinato were divorced in 1996.

Her autobiography, Bus Fare to Kentucky, was
published in 1993. Davis was a devout
Christianity|Christian. Davis battled breast
cancer since 1988, and died of it in a Nashville,
Tennessee hospice.  She had lived in Franklin,
Tennessee until her death.

Skeeter Davis's best known song, "The end of the
world", has been covered successfully many times
especially by The Carpenters on their "Now and
Then" album and also recently by Agnetha Faltskog
on "My Colouring Book".

==Selected Discography==
*I'll Sing You A Song (And Harmonize Too) (1960)
*Sing Duets (1962) with Porter Wagoner
*The End of The World (1963)
*Let Me Get Close to You (1964)
*Written By The Stars (1965)
*My Heart's In The Country (1966)
*Hand In Hand With Jesus (1967)
*The Closest Thing To Love (1969)
*A Place In The Country (1970)
*Love Takes A Lot Of Time (1971)
*The Hillbilly Singer (1973)
*She Sings, They Play (1985) with NRBQ
*The Side of the Devil (1993)

==Resources==
*"Skeeter
Davis".http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/skeeterdavis/
Skeeter Davis Unofficial Site. Retrieved Sep. 20,
2004.
*http://www.slipcue.com/music/country/countryartis
ts/skeeterdavis.html Annotated Discography

==References==
*The Associated Press.  "Skeeter Davis, Country
Singer, 72".  The New York Times.  September 22,
2004.  A28.
*William A. Weathers.  "Skeeter Davis a star on
the Grand Ole Opry:  Dry Ridge native had hit with
'End of the World'".  The Cincinnati Enquirer. 
September 20, 2004.  B4.