So there you have it. You crowned Skeeter Davis the winner of my The Big 100 national final, giving her the honour of marking my 100th edition here at WorldVision. Wowsa. I didn't think I'd stay this long when I signed up but here I am still.
Skeeter Davis (birth name Mary Frances Penick) was born in 1931, Dry Ridge, Kentucky. Nicknamed due to her energy after the slang word for mosquitos (a fact I didn't know and just always thought she had a nice, unusual name) Skeeter started her career with The Davis Sisters before eventually going it solo. One of the very first female country singers to achieve major stardom, Skeeter was a big influence on names such as Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette.
The entry that marks my 100th edition here was a massive hit for Skeeter. Released in 1962,
The End Of The World written by Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee is the first and only song to date in billboard history to crack the top 10 and 5 on all four billboards: The Billboard Top 100, Hot Country Singles, Easy Listening and Hot R&B charts.
It's often cited as one of the saddest songs in country music, describing that feeling of losing a partner or a loved one where your life stops but the world still moves around you. Over the years The End Of The World has been used in many mediums from films to video games (any Fallout 4 fans in the house *raises hand*).
Skeeter lived a tough life but she pushed through it, singing right until the very end. Fans always wanted to hear her signature tune and she was invited onto the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage many times to perform it, the last being in 2002 shortly before her passing.
GRAND OLE OPRY PERFORMANCES
Every artist I presented to you in this particular national final means something to me but I don't think you could have picked better than Skeeter and this very dear little song. It's been on my mind to send it from the beginning of my time here but it was hard to let go of it. For edition 100 everything was game though and it's here! I hope you enjoy the song and thank you so much again
As you can see it was extremely close. The winner changed constantly early on with Doomtree, Shannon and the Clams, Father John Misty, Andrew W.K. and Skeeter tasting that top spot once or twice. Skeeter managed to take the lead for the final time about half way through and then held onto it all the way until the end. Amerie and The War On Drugs (especially the latter who were last for a long while) came from nowhere to put up a fight right at the end, but Skeeter held on... just. Amerie fans, fear not. You'll see her at WV soon. Thanks once again to everyone that took part in the selection. It was great fun! The turnout was crazy.