Dottie's Story, Part III

Before the Final Bow

The story broke all over the world: Dottie West, the woman who made millions of dollars in her near thirty-year singing career, was broke. It was August 1990. Her tears and humiliation were on national TV for all to see. Dottie was openly crying in front of the Entertainment Tonight cameras. She owed nearly two million dollars to various agencies, plus interest. The IRS was owed nearly $1.3 million, A West Coast management firm was suing her for $130,000, her former manager was suing her for $110,000, and if that weren't enough, her third marriage to Allen Winters ended in divorce and now he was suing her for $7,500.

Dottie was 57 years old. She had been so busy keeping up with her career that she had no time to check up on her finances. Her former business manager, who mishandled Dottie's money for years, apparently called her one day and told her that she was the proud owner of three new tuna boats. Dottie later found out the boats had never even been built. At this point, the IRS moved quickly to seize all of Dottie's assets. Her Corvette, her $1.6 million dollar mansion, her doll collection, all the rights to her songs she had written over the years, her tiffany lamps, all her expensive china, her many trophies and all her music awards, and even items of a personal nature such as Crayola drawings done by her kids when they were young, were all gone in the slam of an auctioneer's gavel.

Dottie could not face the fact that the IRS had the rights to everything, and hid some of her stuff in storage, and in her new apartment at Wessex Towers. Then the FBI entered the picture, looking for possible criminal violations against Dottie when she concealed some of her belongings. The found items were eventually auctioned off, and Dottie was left with literally nothing but the clothes on her back. The auction itself was a circus! Balloons and hamburgers were sold amid the distorted sounds of recorded Country Music. No Dottie West solos or duets were played either...People would pull at her, and foolishly ask her to sign the items they just bought. Dottie complied. Many of Dottie's "fans" that day were largely people she had never even met or known before. They were all there to prey on a woman whose music had touched and soothed most of the record buying public. Dottie played Dallas the night before, but oddly enough, wanted to be in Nashville for her darkest hour.

After the humiliation of seeing her many cherished items auctioned off, and after having her financial information published for the whole world to see, Dottie quietly moved into an apartment complex in Nashville after sleeping a couple of nights in an abandoned car. She later told Robert K. Oermann, a reporter for "The Tennessean": "You can knock me down...but you better have a big rock to keep me there!" As she had to do so many times in the past, her instinct for survival kicked in. Although she had lost most of her self-worth, she never once thought about giving up. As a matter of fact, when the tears had dried and the crowds faded, Dottie felt there was one thing that they couldn't take from her, and that was her singing. "This too shall pass," she said. It wasn't all doom and gloom however. She was in the process of making plans to record a comeback album with close friends Tammy Wynette and Tanya Tucker. Dottie also sat down and began writing her own biography, but sadly wouldn't live to finish it.

When she was at her low point, Dottie felt the need for some spirituality in her life. Although she attended church as a child, she rarely attended once she entered college. She was simply too busy building her career. Dottie attended a church service with her son Kerry, and received some words of encouragement from the pastor. The minister told Dottie that Satan had come to steal happiness from her, and bring hurt to her life, and cause havoc in her life...After the service had ended, Dottie later told the minister that she always wanted to sing and dance with the angel band. Ironically, Dottie West was speaking words of prophecy. In six months, she would be dead.

August 30, 1991. Dottie's car, given to her by Kenny Rogers, was not working properly, and she was running late for an Opry performance. Her 81 year old neighbour, George Thackston, assisted her. Trying to make up for the lost time, George accelerated the car to 55 MPH on an Opryland exit ramp, where the speed was posted as only 25 MPH. Dottie was to perform at 8:30 PM, and George lost control of the car at 8:11 P.M. The curtain would rise without Dottie West. The car left the roadway and became airborn for nearly 100 feet before coming back down and striking the embankment of an exit ramp. George suffered leg, back and hip injuries. Dottie however, was in critical condition. Both were conscious when they were admitted to Nashville's Vanderbilt Medical Center. Just before she was scheduled for surgery, old buddy Kenny Rogers comforted her, and promised her they would record another song together when she was well enough to perform again. However, Dottie's liver had received multiple injuries, and her spleen was severely ruptured. She spent five days in Intensive Care and was given nearly thirty five units of blood. However, it was all too late. Dottie West, the "Country Sunshine Girl", died on the operating table at 9:43 AM. She was 58 years old.

When the news of Dottie's passing hit the radio and airwaves, fans, family, and friends across the nation were saddened. One account said that people were openly weeping in the streets of Nashville! Shelly West later said that flowers were received from virtually every Country Music star. The funeral home was swamped with phone calls, flowers and cards. The funeral service was attended by hundreds. Kenny Rogers wept openly, and told the crowd about the hurt and pain in both Dottie's life and in her songs. Said Rogers: "When she sang about Country Sunshine, you felt Country Sunshine, and when she sang about pain, you felt that pain -- You could see it in her face, you could hear it in her voice." She did it with "feeling"... Patsy would have been proud!

Dottie's coffin was later taken to a private service near her home in McMinnville. She was laid to rest beside her mother and a beautiful memorial adorns her grave. Dottie West brought sunshine to millions around the world. There wasn't any place that she couldn't perform in, large or small. With her friendly personality, her warm smile and distinctive voice, she filled many hearts with hope and happiness for a better tomorrow. Said the late Tommy Hill: "She was everybody's sunshine, Dottie could walk into a room where there was a conversation going on, and stop everyone in their tracks, she just had that effect." Yes, Dottie was a great lady. She is greatly missed by all.

What Dottie gave us came from the heart. She was indeed born a country girl, and died a country girl. She knew hard times, but learned that there's more to life than dwelling on how things might have been. She was brought up in an environment of abuse and poverty, only to become a globe trotting singer, earning millions, and then back to rags again. Dottie always gave it her best when it came to performing. During her nearly 3 decades as a performer, she wrote over 400 songs, released over 40 albums and over 100 singles. Between 1964-1984, Dottie hit the Country Charts no fewer than 60 times! She loved music and loved people deeply. She will always have a special place in the history books of Country Music, and deserves to be placed on the same pedestal as Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Kitty Wells, and Loretta Lynn.

Perhaps Dottie was among those who give too much, sacrifice too long, who endures the hurt and pain from lost love, and from time to time, die too young. But what she gave us stands the test of time. As more and more people begin to question the future of country music, the great country legends of yesteryear will always outperform the fads and novelty acts that seem so prominent in today's music business. It was once said that what we love, we shall grow to resemble. What Dottie West loved, she indeed came to resemble. The world will always remember Dottie West. "Here Comes my Baby", "Country Sunshine", "A Lesson in Leavin", her many duets with Jim Reeves, Kenny Rogers, Don Gibson, and John Schneider, are not just songs, but permanent memories of Dottie West. And there's my story. There's so much more that can be, and should be told, but this should give you a brief history on the late and great Dottie West.