Dave & Sugar

Last updated
Dave & Sugar
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres Country
Years active1975–1982
Labels RCA, Elektra
Past membersLisa Alvey
Etta Britt as M. Dean
Jackie Frantz
Vicki Hackeman
Jamie Kaye
Regina Leigh
Lori Mason
Sue Powell
Dave Rowland
Cindy Smith

Dave & Sugar was a pop-styled American country music trio which enjoyed its peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. The trio consisted of lead singer Dave Rowland and initially on backing vocals, Vicki Hackeman and Jackie Frantz. Over time, the female members ("Sugar") of the group changed: Frantz was replaced by Sue Powell in 1977, who in turn was replaced by Jamie Kaye in 1980, while Hackeman was replaced by Melissa Dean (Etta Britt) in January 1979. [1] Overall, Dave & Sugar charted 16 times on the Billboard country charts, including three No. 1 hits: "The Door Is Always Open", "Tear Time" and "Golden Tears". Powell also had two chart singles outside the group. Dave & Sugar were sometimes called "The country ABBA" because of their slickly produced sound as well as blend of male and female voices.

Contents

Background

The trio was founded and fronted by Dave Rowland, born in Sanger, California, raised in Los Angeles, California [2] (January 26, 1944 – November 1, 2018), while two female vocalists made up the "Sugar" part. The "Sugar" line-up changed several times during the group's run of success, while the two original singers were Jackie Frantz and Vicki Hackeman. [3]

Before forming Dave & Sugar, Rowland was part of J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet (who was touring with Elvis Presley at the time), and later the Four Guys. [4] He also was a prominent member of country singer Charley Pride's road show. [5] By 1975, with Pride looking for a backup band, Rowland hired Frantz and Hackeman, and Dave & Sugar was formed. [3] They signed a deal with RCA Records.

The trio's first single, "Queen of the Silver Dollar" (written by Shel Silverstein, and originally recorded by Dr. Hook in 1972, and also included on Emmylou Harris' debut solo album earlier in 1975) broke into the Top 25 of Billboard's country singles chart in early 1976. [3] Their next single, "The Door Is Always Open", became their first No. 1 hit in July. [3] Their peak run garnered nearly one dozen Top 10 singles, including two more No. 1 hits - "Tear Time" (1978) and "Golden Tears" (1979). [3]

Rowland disbanded the trio briefly during the early 1980s to try a solo career, [3] releasing an album entitled (appropriately) Sugar Free and charting two singles of his own. [5] Powell also charted two singles on RCA as a soloist, and later went on to host the TV series Nashville on the Road. [6] Rowland later reformed the trio with two new sets of "Sugar" partners: Cindy Smith and Lisa Alvey, followed by Regina Leigh and Lori Mason. [4] However, these second-era trios failed to gain the popularity the original trios had in the 1970s and the group disbanded for good after only minimal success. In 1997, former Sugar member Leigh formed the short-lived country duo Regina Regina with partner Regina Nicks. [7]

On November 1, 2018, Rowland died due to complications from a stroke in his Nashville home at the age of 74. [8]

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumChart PositionsLabel
US Country US CAN Country
1976Dave & Sugar3——RCA Victor
1977That's the Way Love Should Be10157—
1978Tear Time8—4
1979Stay with Me / Golden Tears20——
1980New York Wine Tennessee Shine47——
1981Greatest Hits35179—
Pleasure31——Elektra

Dave Rowland solo albums

YearAlbumChart PositionsLabel
US Country
1982Sugar Free56Elektra

Singles

YearSingleChart PositionsAlbum
US Country US AC AUS [9] CAN Country CAN AC
1975"Queen of the Silver Dollar"25—6121—Dave & Sugar
1976"The Door Is Always Open"1—841—
"I'm Gonna Love You"3——2—
1977"Don't Throw It All Away"532—534That's the Way Love Should Be
"That's the Way Love Should Be"745—633
"I'm Knee Deep in Loving You"2——4—
1978"Gotta' Quit Lookin' at You Baby"4——9—Tear Time
"Tear Time"1——3—
1979"Golden Tears"1——2—Stay with Me / Golden Tears
"Stay with Me"6————
"My World Begins and Ends with You"/"Why Did You Have to Be So Good" [lower-alpha 1] 4——7—
1980"New York Wine and Tennessee Shine"18——10—New York Wine Tennessee Shine
"A Love Song"40————
1981"It's a Heartache"32——37—Greatest Hits
"Fool By Your Side" [lower-alpha 2] 6————Pleasure
"The Pleasure's All Mine" [lower-alpha 2] 32————

Dave Rowland solo singles

YearSingleChart PositionsAlbum
US Country
1982"Natalie"/"Why Didn't I Think of That" [lower-alpha 3] 77Sugar Free
"Lovin' Our Lives Away"84

Sue Powell solo singles

YearSingleChart Positions
US Country
1981"Midnite Flyer"57
"(There's No Me) Without You"49
Notes
  1. ↑ "My World Begins and Ends with You"/"Why Did You Have to Be So Good" charted as a double A-side in the United States, but only "My World Begins and Ends with You" charted in Canada.
  2. 1 2 Credited to "Dave Rowland & Sugar".
  3. ↑ Charted as a double A-side.

Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResultNotes
 Country Music Association
1976"The Door Is Always Open" - RCASingle of the YearNominatedDave Rowland, Jackie Frantz, Vicki Hackeman [10]
1976Dave & SugarVocal Group of the YearNominatedDave Rowland, Jackie Frantz, Vicki Hackeman [10]
1977Dave & SugarVocal Group of the YearNominatedDave Rowland, Sue Powell, Vicki Hackeman [11]
1978Dave & SugarVocal Group of the YearNominatedDave Rowland, Sue Powell, Etta Britt (as M.Dean) [12]
1979Dave & SugarVocal Group of the YearNominatedDave Rowland, Sue Powell, Etta Britt [13]

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References

  1. ↑ "Dave & Sugar Biography". MusicCityAttractions.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  2. ↑ "Country singer Dave Rowland, leader of Dave & Sugar, dies at 74". usatoday.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 632/3. ISBN   0-85112-939-0.
  4. 1 2 Brennan, Sandra. "Dave & Sugar biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  5. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 115. ISBN   978-0-89820-177-2.
  6. ↑ Whitburn, p. 328
  7. ↑ Patterson, Jim (5 March 1997). "Regina Regina hopes pairing pays off". Lawrence Journal-World . Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Dave & Sugar Singer Dave Rowland Dead at 74". Tasteofcountry.com. 2 November 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  9. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 82. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. 1 2 "CMA AWARDS // ARCHIVE 1976". CMT. 1976. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  11. ↑ "CMA AWARDS // ARCHIVE 1977". CMT. 1977. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  12. ↑ "CMA AWARDS // ARCHIVE 1978". CMT. 1978. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "CMA AWARDS // ARCHIVE 1979". CMT. 1979. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
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