Buddy Starcher
Buddy Starcher | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Oby Edgar Starcher |
| Born | March 16, 1906 |
| Origin | Ripley, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | November 2, 2001 (aged 95) Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1946–1967 |
| Labels | 4 Star, Boone |
Oby Edgar "Buddy" Starcher (March 16, 1906 – November 2, 2001) was an American country singer whose first record releases were in 1946,[1] although he had been performing since his teens, often billed as "The Boy from Down Home".[2]
Born in Ripley, West Virginia, he starred on his own show on WCHS-TV from 1960 to 1966, and ran a record label named B.E.S. (for his initials) during this time.[3] However, he is best known for his spoken word recording entitled "History Repeats Itself", written with Minnie Pearl. Originally released on his own label in 1965,[4] it was re-released on the larger and better distributed Boone Records in 1966. The track recounts uncanny similarities between the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, accompanied by a musical background featuring "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "America the Beautiful".[5]
The re-released single hit No. 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart[6] and the album of the same name from which it was drawn peaked at No. 37 on the US Country Albums chart.[7]
His wife, Mary Ann Starcher (née Estes), was also a musician and often appeared with him on his television show.[8]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Buddy Starcher and His Mountain Guitar | — | Starday |
| 1966 | History Repeats Itself | 37 | Decca |
| 1967 | Just Buddy and His Guitar No. 1 | — | Bluebonnet |
| Country Soul and Inspiration | — | Heartwarming | |
| 1986 | Me and My Guitar (Bootleg Re-issue of 1967 album for Bluebonnet) | — | Old Homestead |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US [9] | |||
| 1949 | "I'll Still Write Your Name in the Sand" | 8 | — | single only |
| 1966 | "History Repeats Itself" | 2 | 39 | History Repeats Itself |
| "Day of Decision" | — | 131 | ||
References
[edit]- ^ "Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies: Buddy Starcher". Countrydiscography.blogspot.co.uk. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Country Music, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, 2012, ISBN 978-0195395631
- ^ "B.E.S. Label Discography - USA". 45cat.com. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "Buddy Starcher - History Repeats Itself / Sniper's Hill - B.E.S. - USA - 45-91". 45cat.com. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ Wolk, Douglas (20 April 2009). "Flukes of the Universe". Slate. Retrieved 9 January 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 7th edn, 2000, ISBN 978-0823082803
- ^ Buddy Starcher at AllMusic
- ^ Ivan Tribe, Mountaineer Jamboree: Country Music in West Virginia, 1996, ISBN 9780813115146
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 848. ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8.
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