Buddy Starcher
| Buddy Starcher | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Oby Edgar Starcher |
| Born | March 16, 1906 |
| Origin | Ripley, West Virginia |
| Died | November 2, 2001 (aged 95) |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1946-1967 |
| Labels | 4 Star, Boone |
Buddy Starcher (born Oby Edgar Starcher; 16 March 1906, Ripley, West Virginia — died 2 November 2001, Harrisonburg, Virginia) 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]
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 U.S. 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
Albums
| 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
| 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
- ↑ http://countrydiscography.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/buddy-starcher.html
- ↑ The Encyclopedia of Country Music, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press 2012
- ↑ http://www.45cat.com/label/bes
- ↑ http://www.45cat.com/record/nc081590us
- ↑ Wolk, Douglas (2009-04-20). "Flukes of the Universe". Slate. Retrieved 2015-01-09.
- ↑ Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 7th edn, 2000
- ↑ Buddy Starcher at Allmusic.com
- ↑ Ivan Tribe, Mountaineer Jamboree: Country Music in West Virginia, 1996
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 848. ISBN 0-89820-188-8.