Donna Fargo, (born Yvonne Vaughan on November 10, 1945 in Mount Airy, North Carolina), is a Country Music singer and songwriter. She is best known by pop fans for her 1972 Country/Pop crossover hits "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA" and "Funny Face," but country music lovers realize that she's accomplished much more than that in music. Fargo has had six #1 songs on the country charts. She has placed nine songs in the country top five, 15 in the top ten, 17 in the top 15, and 19 songs in the top 20. In all, she has placed 37 songs on the Billboard country charts between 1972 and 1991.
Donna Fargo was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina in 1945. Mount Airy was an area of North Carolina that was well-known for its traditional mountain music.[citation needed] As a child, she sang quite a bit, but did not initially pursue a career in music. After graduating from High Point College where she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, she went into teaching in Los Angeles, becoming a high school English teacher. While in California, she met Stan Silver, who became her manager when Fargo was performing in California clubs and first seeking a career in music. At this point, Fargo was still teaching. Fargo and Silver eventually married.[citation needed]
In the 1960s, Fargo recorded for a couple of small labels, Ramco Records and Challenge Records, but achieved no national notice, although the Academy of Country Music named her Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1969. Fargo won this honor despite being considered a regional artist.
The songs that Fargo recorded for these labels, such as "Who's Been Sleeping On My Side of the Bed" and "Daddy", were promising, but were not premonitions of what was about to happen. In 1971, she wrote and recorded the song "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA". In 1972, the single was picked up by Dot Records and released. It quickly became a #1 Country hit, went to #11 on the Pop charts and #7 on the Adult Contemporary charts. The song made Fargo a household name. The single sold over a million copies. In 1972, she won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and the Country Music Association "Single of the Year" award for the record.
The Academy of Country Music awarded her as well, as she won four trophies, including Top Female Vocalist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Single of the Year.
Fargo's follow-up song, "Funny Face", proved to be another Country/Pop crossover hit. Her subsequent records were popular in the country field and often made the pop charts, as well. Her other hits included "You Were Always There", "Superman", "You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine", "Little Girl Gone", "It Do Feel Good" and "Don't Be Angry". Fargo ultimately became the fifth most successful female country artist of the 1970s, according to Billboard, behind Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Lynn Anderson.
Recognized as one of the leading country songwriters of the era, Fargo's songs have been recorded by Tammy Wynette, Sonny James, Kitty Wells, Tanya Tucker, Jody Miller, Marty Robbins, Dottie West and other artists. Additionally, almost everything Fargo recorded for years was self-penned.
Fargo signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1976 and continued her streak of hits with such songs as "That Was Yesterday"(her last #1 in 1977), "Mocking Bird Hill"(1977), "Shame On Me"(1977), "Do I Love You(Yes In Every Way)"(1978), "Another Goodbye"(1978), and "Somebody Special"(1979).
Donna Fargo is one of only five country female vocalists to have their own television series. Kitty Wells in 1968 and Dolly Parton in 1976) were the first. The Donna Fargo Show debuted in 1978. The series was produced by the Osmond Brothers, and lasted one season. Barbara Mandrell and Reba McEntire are the other two who have had shows since the Fargo series.
Fargo was still regularly hitting the country top ten up to 1979, but her chart success slackened in the 1980s.
In 1978, Fargo announced that she had multiple sclerosis, yet vowed to fight it and continue on with her career. Although seldom discussing health issues in interviews, the disease appears to have been in remission for many years,[citation needed] and Fargo has long been a source of inspiration for others similarly afflicted.
She continued to record and perform. In 1981, she recorded a Gospel album called Brotherly Love for MCA Records. The following year she signed with RCA Records and was later on Cleveland International Records. In the late 1980s, she joined Mercury Records, where she enjoyed her highest visibility in several years. She recorded an album, "Winners", that charted for many months and spawned two top 40 country hits in 1987 with "Me And You" and a duet, "Members Only" with Billy Joe Royal.
In 1991, she recorded the song "Soldier Boy", which was in reference to the Gulf War in the Middle East. The record is Fargo's most recent appearance on the Billboard charts.
Donna Fargo has only been occasionally active in the music business since the early 1990s, but since that period has established a successful line of greeting cards and has written several collections of poetry and inspirational prose.[citation needed]
Year
Single
Album
U.S. Country
U.S. Pop
U.S. A.C.
"The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA"
The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA
#1
#11
#7
"Funny Face"
The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA
#1
#5
#5
"Superman"
My Second Album
#1
#41
"You Were Always There"
My Second Album
#1
#93
"Little Girl Gone"
All About a Feeling
#2
#57
"I'll Try a Little Bit Harder"
All About a Feeling
#6
"U.S. of A."
Miss Donna
#9
#86
"You Can't Be a Beacon (If Your Light Don't Shine)"
Miss Donna
#1
#57
"It Do Feel Good"
Miss Donna
#7
#98
"Hello Little Bluebird"
Whatever I Say Means I Love You
#14
"Whatever I Say (Means I Love You)"
Whatever I Say Means I Love You
#38
"What Will the New Year Bring?"
Whatever I Say Means I Love You
#58
"You're Not Charlie Brown"
Whatever I Say Means I Love You
#60
"Mr. Doodles"
On The Move
#20
"I Loved You All The Way"
On The Move
#15
"Don't Be Angry"
The Best
#3
"Mocking Bird Hill"
Fargo Country
#9
"That Was Yesterday"
Fargo Country
#1
"Shame On Me"
Shame On Me
#8
"Do I Love You (Yes In Every Way)"
Shame On Me
#2
"Ragamuffin Man"
Shame On Me
#19
"Another Goodbye"
Dark-Eyed Lady
#10
"Daddy"
Just For You
#14
"Somebody Special"
Dark-Eyed Lady
#6
"Land of Cotton"
Fargo
#63
"Seeing Is Believing"
Fargo
#55
"Me And You"
Winners
#29
"Members Only" (with Billy Joe Royal)
Winners
#23
Year
Album
U.S. Country
The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA
#1
My Second Album
#1
All About a Feeling
#5
Miss Donna
#4
Whatever I Say Means I Love You
#25
On the Move
#31
The Best
#9
Fargo Country
#11
Shame On Me
#18
Dark-Eyed Lady
#20
Just For You
Fargo
Brotherly Love
Winners
The Best of Donna Fargo
20th Century Masters
Nominations
Nominations
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Fargo"
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1945 births | Living people | Grammy Award winners | American country musicians | American country singers | American female singers | American Christians | American country singer-songwriters | People from North Carolina | Surry County, North Carolina
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