Dottie's Story, Part II

To the 'mansion on the hill'

It was during a roadtrip to Nashville that Dottie was on her way. They were driving out of Nashville, heading back to Ohio after being turned down by several other record labels, when they passed the old Starday Records on Dickerson Road. Well, Dottie, feeling far more confident and upbeat than Bill, walked in and simply told them: "I am a singer, and I want to make a record!" She talked with Don Pierce in the studio, and one week later, she cut her first single, "Angel on Paper". Although it cost her $511, the disc was played all over Nashville, and when Opry manager Ott Devine heard it, he asked Dottie to appear on the Grand Ole Opry. Dottie West, who was born and raised in an environment of sexual abuse and sheer poverty, was on her way to her mansion on the hill.

She began working with some of the biggest names in Country Music. She and Jim Reeves eventually teamed up for some duets, after a song Dottie had written for Jim, called, "Is This Me?", became a big hit for him. She and Jim went on to record the duet "Love is no Excuse". They went on to play several venues and package tours together, and at one show, received a thunderous standing ovation from the crowd! She also recorded "Slowly" with Jimmy Dean.

It was at the historic Grand Ole Opry in the old Ryman Auditorium when Dottie first met the late and great Patsy Cline. They would become life-long friends. Patsy and Dottie were inseperable. Patsy proudly showed off her home to Dottie, and gave her some tips about singing. She once told Dottie: "Hoss, if you can't do it with feeling, don't." That advice would stick with Dottie for the rest of her life, as is evident in her singing. However, Patsy Cline's life was tragically cut short in a plane crash on March 5, 1963. Patsy Cline was dead. The Country Music community was badly shaken, but Dottie knew she had to get on with her life, as she had done so often in the past.

In 1964, Dottie really scored it big. She was signed to RCA records by Chet Atkins, and they began working together. She recorded: "Here Comes My Baby Back Again" which entered the Top-10, and proved to be so popular that it has since been recorded by over 100 artists! The radio and airwaves were full of her song, and she went on to win a Grammy for it. Dottie West was the very first female country singer to receive such an award. Needless to say, she deserved it.

Dottie began touring throughout the country, playing the usual fairground and club circuit. She starred alongside such acts as Minnie Pearl and Charlie Rich. Throughout the next several years, she consistently made the top 40 with other hits such as "Paper Mansions", "Would You Hold It Against Me', "Last Time I Saw Him", and several others. Dottie made regular appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, and for the next several years, she would sing her heart out and go on to win some of the most prestigious awards in the business! Dottie raised herself up from abuse and poverty, to songwriting superstardom. She was now a household name all over the country! She drew huge crowds wherever she appeared, and even shared her favourite recipes with her fans!!!

It wouldn't be until the mid 1970's that Dottie's career would take on a whole new dimension. In 1974, her marriage to Bill West ended in divorce, but instead of letting it destroy her, she saw it as a new beginning. Soon, the country girl who never knew what having a good time was, gave new meaning to the word: "Wild West"! In 1973, she recorded a jingle for Coca-Cola, "Country Sunshine", and it went on to become her "signature song" and won her a Clio award.

In 1976, she was signed to the United Artists/Liberty label, and married the drummer in her band, Byron Metcalf. She began a heavy road schedule that would see as many as 300 concerts a year. It was in 1978, when Dottie, during a recording session one day, happened to be visited by Kenny Rogers. He wandered into the studio by accident. He apparently had the wrong time booked for his recording session, and Kenny's producer was also Dottie's producer. Kenny gave Dottie some singing tips, and casually sang along with her on the song: "Every Time Two Fools Collide". The recording engineers were so impressed with what they heard, and the results were so good, Kenny and Dottie went on to record a complete duet album of the same title. A new act was born that year: Kenny Rogers and Dottie West. The duo proved so popular that they were booked in some of the biggest venues in the U.S and other countries. They recorded another album the following year, and continued a non-stop touring schedule. They went on to win "Vocal Duo of the Year" in 1978 & 1979, and challenged Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn as Country Music's hottest new duo!!!

These were high times with Kenny and Dottie...They could pack in the fans too, often playing to crowds in superdomes and fairgrounds with attendance as high as 100,000, and Dottie looked great, sparkling like a cut diamond in those Bob Mackie clothes, and that gorgeous red hair! Their second duet album, "Classics", was one of their biggest sellers, with sales in excess of 750,000, earning them gold status. She was also making a big impact on the country and pop charts for her solo work as well. From 1976-1984, she never missed the Country Top-40. Her "Special Delivery" LP went to #78 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1980 followed by another big seller, "Wild West" released later that year. Dottie was at her peak. She was quickly gaining a reputation around Nashville for her generosity and big spending! She purchased expensive, custom-made cadillacs and wore elaborate Bob Mackie stage wardrobes, which cost nearly $100,000 each. Her income was around the $2 million dollar mark, and she was having the best times of her life. Dottie was admired from all corners of the globe! She was nominated for 16 Grammys and was one of Country Music's leading ladies. According to a Nashville insider, Dottie was only one of few artists that could really pull in a good crowd. Dottie was also known for helping newcomers break into the business. She helped launch the careers of other Country Music stars such as Larry Gatlin and Steve Wariner.

Now it was time to move into her mansion on the hill. And mansion it was! Located on 40 acres in the posh Brentwood estates just outside of Nashville, it contained no fewer than 30 rooms, an elevator, a bowling alley, a special nursery dedicated to her grand-daughter Tess-Marie, many fine furniture and appliances, and utility bills that ran in the thousands of dollars a month! It was a lifestyle many said was costing her too much...But Dottie seemed determined to somehow, someway, bury part of her painful past. She had an extensive doll collection, many tiffany lamps and fine china, and even installed a mirror over her bed, which she insisted was used for her exercising!!!

There is no question that Dottie West did live her songs! Her second marriage to Byron Metcalf was coming to an end. She accused him of cheating on her, and made the break public in a casino hotel after a performance in Vegas. She caught Byron in bed with another woman, and took off her ring in front of him, and said: "You broke this", then threw it out the window! To add to her upcoming crisis, her finances were in a mess, and began to crumble. By 1985, taking a break from recording, she began touring with a theater company, playing the role of Madam in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", and appeared in TV shows such as: "The Dukes of Hazzard", "The Love Boat", "Austin City Limits", "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", and even appeared in the motion picture: "Aurora Encounter". She had her own float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and toured the world, visiting such places as the Mid-East and Europe. She played all the major networks, sold out Carnegie Hall, worked with several renowned orchestras, hosted her own Christmas special, and even performed at the White House. Ironically, Dottie was one of Barbara Bush's favourite singers! She was a popular touring act and headliner at fairs and festivals all across the nation, and was a particular favourite in Vegas and Lake Tahoe.

During this time, she also married her third husband, Allen Carter Winters. It was a scandal all over Nashville! You see, he was twenty years younger than Dottie, but nevertheless, it seemed Dottie had found happiness once again. Friends and family however, were concerned that she was living too fast. She was also drinking quite a lot, and was sometimes showing up late for appearances and concerts. As much as Dottie loved performing, her 8 year run on the Country Top-40 had fizzled out, with her last chart hit, "We Know Better Now", reaching only #53 in 1985. Unfortunately, her two final studio albums, "New Horizons" (1983) and "Just Dottie" (1984) were not a success... As a result, Dottie's recording deals and concert bookings became sparse as the 80's progressed, but the proud country girl held her head up high. She went on to host some variety shows for the popular Nashville Network, continued to make regular appearances on the Opry, was a frequent guest on Ralph Emery's "Nashville Now", and along with John Schneider, she did some voice-overs for a popular cartoon series: "The Raccoons". But the country sunshine that Dottie spread would soon fade. Her world was to come crashing down, and although she seemed to be at the peak of her life, storm clouds were just ahead.

Next: More pain before the final bow