Donna Fargo (born Yvonne Vaughn; November 10, 1945[3][4]) is an American country singer-songwriter known for a series of Top 10 country hits in the 1970s. These include "The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A." and "Funny Face", both of which were released in 1972 and became crossover pop hits that year.[5]
Fargo was born Yvonne Vaughn on November 10, 1945, in Mount Airy, North Carolina. She sang from her early years, but never thought about singing professionally. Fargo attended High Point College in North Carolina, then earned a degree at the University of Southern California (USC).[1] After graduating from USC, she became a teacher at Northview High School in Covina, California, eventually progressing to head of the English Department.[6] While still teaching, Fargo started pursuing a music career, performing in local clubs in Southern California. In 1966 she met Stan Silver who became her manager and, in 1968, her husband.[7][3]
Career discovery
Vaughn soon started to appear around Los Angeles, California, while teaching. She went to Phoenix in 1966 and adopted the name Donna Fargo, which she has continued to use since. As Donna Fargo, Vaughn recorded her second single, which was also her first using her new stage name. (When she had recorded her first single, Fargo had used her real name of Yvonne Vaughn.) Her first major concert was with Ray Price, and she began playing in Southern California.[6]
She recorded for a few small labels in the early 1960s, including Ramco and Challenge, but songs like "Who's Been Sleeping on My Side of the Bed" were not successful.[8] Although her original singles were not successful, the Academy of Country Music Awards named her the "Top New Female Vocalist" in 1969.[9] In 1972, Fargo recorded a single for the Decca label before achieving her breakthrough that year.
Music career
In 1972, one of Fargo's self-written and self-composed songs, "The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A.", was picked up by Dot Records.[1] Fargo was then signed to the label, and the single was released the same year. She was one of the few female country singers to write and compose her own material at the time, and one of the few country singers to cross over to the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in a big way, which she did in 1972 with "The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A." (number 11).[10] The song peaked at No.1 on the country music chart. An album of the same name was released following the song's success. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in early 1973, selling over 500,000 copies.[1] The follow-up single, "Funny Face", also peaked at No.1 on the country chart, and became a bigger pop hit than her previous single, peaking at No.5. Both singles were certified gold by the end of the year.[1]
Though Fargo never made the Top 40 in pop music again, she placed over a dozen more singles in the country Top Ten in the 1970s, most written by herself.[10] Fargo's second album, My Second Album, was released in 1973, peaking at No.1 on the Top Country Albums chart, as well as spawning the No.1 country singles, "Superman" and "You Were Always There". The songs both charted on the pop chart.[citation needed] That same year, Fargo's All About Feeling, her third album, was released. The album spawned two Top 10 Country hits "Little Girl Gone" and "I'll Try a Little Bit Harder". The same year, the Grammy Awards gave Fargo the Best Female Country Vocal Performance award for "The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A."[9] She was also named "Top Female Vocalist" by the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Fargo had another successful album with Dot in 1974, releasing Miss Donna Fargo, which spawned three Top 10 hits, including "You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine". This song peaked at No.1 on the Billboard Country Chart. In 1975, she released Whatever I Say Means I Love You (ABC/MCA), her fifth and final album for the DOT label, that included "What Will the New Year Bring?"
Dot Records was acquired by ABC and there was a noticeable drop-off in chart placings for Fargo, and in 1976, she moved to Warner Bros. Records.[6] Fargo came out with the On the Move album, which spawned two Top 20 hits. The next year her next album, Fargo Country was released. The album spawned her first No.1 Country hit since 1974, "That Was Yesterday", followed by another Top 10 Country hit, "Mockingbird Hill", which peaked at No.9 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1977. Fargo's 1978 album, Shame on Me also yielded two Top 10 hits, the title track and "Do I Love You (Yes in Every Way)", which peaked at No.2.
Fargo had her own musical television show (produced by the Osmond Brothers), which ran for a year, beginning in 1978.[11] Fargo is one of only five country female vocalists to have her own television series.[12]Kitty Wells was the first, in 1968.
1979: multiple sclerosis
In 1978, Fargo was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She experienced a brief illness, but with medical treatment and her husband's help, Fargo made it back to full health,[citation needed] returning to a more limited schedule in 1979 and another Top 10 hit. For the next few years, the successes came at a lower level.[6] Although this serious neurological illness caused a deep decline in her promotional work, Fargo vowed not to allow the disease ultimately to get to her. In 1979, she recorded a new album, Just for You, from which the biggest hit was the No. 14 hit "Daddy", a new version of a song that Fargo had recorded in 1969. The follow-up, "Preacher Berry", peaked outside the Country Top 40.
1980 – present: current music career
Fargo released one more album with Warner Bros. in 1980 before switching to the smaller Songbird label in 1981. She recorded a well-received gospel album in 1981 for MCA/Songbird, and in 1982, she moved to RCA.[6] Fargo singles charted off RCA in 1983 and 1984, and she recorded one album for the label in 1983. She recorded a single for Columbia in 1983, and for Cleveland records in 1984. By now, Fargo's career had begun to decline in terms of album sales and chart placements. After several other label changes, Fargo signed with Mercury, and began another upswing.[6] She recorded an album with the label, Winners, which resulted in three singles spawned from the album, including a Top 30 hit, "Me and You". Fargo also dueted with Billy Joe Royal for her next single, "Members Only". The song became a Top 25 country hit in 1987, peaking at No.23. In 1991, she released the song "Soldier Boy", a reference to the Gulf War which was going on at the time. The song was Fargo's last charting single. After several years without a full-length recording, in 1992, Fargo began work on her autobiography.[6] In 2008, Fargo released a new single CD, "We Can Do Better in America". On February 4, 2022, PrimaDonna Records announced the release of Donna Fargo's new EP, "ALL BECAUSE OF YOU".
Writing career
Fargo has pursued other ventures outside of the music business, writing eight books and more than 2,000 greeting cards. She has since established a successful line of greeting cards in The Donna Fargo Collection through the Blue Mountain Arts Poets and Artists series. She released her fourth book in March 2010, entitled I Thanked God For You Today.[13] Previously, Fargo had released another series of poetry books, including Trust in Yourself, To the Love of My Life, and Ten Golden Rules. In 2021, she published her eighth book, "Everything Is Possible with God", also with Blue Mountain Arts.
Additional nominations: Country Music Association – 1972 – Female Vocalist of the Year Country Music Association – 1972 – Song of the Year "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" Grammy Awards – 1973 – Best Country Song – "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" Grammy Awards – 1973 – Best Country Song – "Funny Face" Country Music Association – 1973 – Female Vocalist of the Year Fargo was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010.[14]
Tanya Denise Tucker is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. During her career Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood without losing her audience; she had a streak of top-10 and top-40 hits. She has had several successful albums, several Country Music Association award nominations, and hit songs including 1973's "What's Your Mama's Name?" and "Blood Red and Goin' Down", 1975's "Lizzie and the Rainman", 1988's "Strong Enough to Bend", and 1992's "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane". Tucker's 2019 album While I'm Livin' won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, and "Bring My Flowers Now" from that same album won Tucker a shared songwriting Grammy for Best Country Song.
Juice Newton is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categories – winning once in 1983 – as well as an ACM Award for Top New Female Artist and two consecutive Billboard Female Album Artist of the Year awards. Newton's other awards include a People's Choice Award for "Best Female Vocalist" and the Australian Music Media's "Number One International Country Artist".
Michelle Wright is a Canadian country music artist. She won the Canadian Country Music Association's Fans' Choice Award twice. In 2011, Wright was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Jo Dee Marie Messina is an American country music artist. She has charted six number-one singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week number-one songs from the same album. To date, she has two platinum and three gold-certified albums by the RIAA.
Ellen Muriel Deason, known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American pioneering female country music singer. She broke down a barrier for women in country music with her 1952 hit recording "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", which also made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts and turned her into the first female country superstar. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” would also be her first of several pop crossover hits. Wells is the only artist to be awarded top female vocalist awards for 14 consecutive years. Her chart-topping hits continued until the mid-1960s, paving the way for and inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s.
Susan Raye is an American country music singer. She enjoyed great popularity during the early and mid-1970s, and chalked up seven top-10 and 19 top-40 country hits, most notably the song "L.A. International Airport", an international crossover pop hit in 1971.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1972.
Joi Cardwell is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she performed in various singing competitions as a child and rose to fame in the early 1990s as a guest vocalist for Lil Louis on the number 1 Dance singles "Club Lonely" and "Saved My Life". The release of Cardwell's debut album, The World Is Full of Trouble (1995), established her as a solo artist worldwide and featured the Billboard Dance top-five singles number-one singles "Jump for Joi" and "Love & Devotion". Her second album, Joi Cardwell (1997), spawned the top-charting singles "Soul to Bare", "Run to You", and "Found Love".
Paulette Tenae Carlson is an American country music singer-songwriter, who rose to fame in the 1980s as the founder and lead vocalist for the country band Highway 101. With Highway 101, she charted four No. 1 hit singles, seven Top 10 hits and won two Country Music Association Awards. As a solo artist, she has charted five times on Hot Country Songs and recorded three studio albums. Her most successful solo single is "I'll Start with You", which peaked at number 21 in 1991. Carlson continues to tour and record new music as a solo artist.
"Dim All the Lights" is a song by American recording artist Donna Summer released as the third single from her 1979 album Bad Girls. It debuted at number 70 on August 25, 1979, and peaked that year at number two on November 10 and November 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Produced by her longtime collaborator Giorgio Moroder with Pete Bellotte, the track combines Summer's trademark disco beats with a more soulful pop sound. It was the third Hot 100 top-two single from the album and her sixth consecutive Hot 100 top-five single.
"The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" is a country and pop music song written, composed, and recorded by Donna Fargo. It is written in the voice of a newlywed girl, sung to her new husband. It has since become her signature song.
Judy Mae Rodman is an American country music singer and songwriter. In the mid-1980s, she was a successful recording artist; making it all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart in 1986 with the song "Until I Met You." She also won the Academy of Country Music's "Top New Female Vocalist" award in 1985.
The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. is the debut studio album by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in May 1972 on Dot Records and was produced by Fargo's husband and manager Stan Silver. The album's title track became Fargo's first major hit and a crossover Country pop hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard country chart and the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single entitled "Funny Face" had similar success the same year. The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. is Donna Fargo's highest-selling album in the United States.
My Second Album is the second studio album released by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in February 1973 on Dot Records and was produced by Fargo's husband and manager Stan Silver. The album spawned two number one singles on the Billboard country chart and was one of two albums Donna Fargo would release in 1973.
All About a Feeling is the third studio album released by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in October 1973 on Dot Records and was produced by Fargo's husband and manager Stan Silver. It was Donna Fargo's second studio released in 1973 and spawned two Top 10 hits on the Billboard country chart between 1973 and 1974. It was Fargo's first studio album not to chart among the Billboard 200 albums list.
Miss Donna Fargo is the fourth studio album released by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in 1974 on Dot Records and was produced by Fargo's husband and manager Stan Silver. Unlike any of Fargo's previous releases, Miss Donna Fargo spawned three singles, all of which became Top 10 singles on the Billboard country chart, including "You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine".
Whatever I Say Means I Love You is the fifth studio album released by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in July 1975 on Dot Records and was produced by Stan Silver. It was Fargo's final album for the Dot label and produced four singles between 1975 and 1976 that each charted on the Billboard country music chart.
On the Move is the sixth studio album released by American country artist Donna Fargo. The album was released in 1976 on Warner Bros. Records and was produced by Fargo's husband and manager Stan Silver. It was Fargo's first album released on the Warner Bros. label, after recording five studio albums for Dot Records between 1972 and 1975.
"Do I Love You" is a song co-written and recorded by Paul Anka, from his 1972 eponymous LP. Released as an advance single in late 1971, "Do I Love You" reached number 14 on the Easy Listening Singles charts of both the U.S. and Canada, number 16 on the Canadian Pop chart, and was a modest hit on the U.S. Hot 100 as well. As with the earlier "My Way", it was adapted from a French-language song popularized by Claude François, and Anka composed the English lyrics.
My Man is a studio album by American country artist, Tammy Wynette. It was released on September 25, 1972 via Epic Records and was the fifteenth studio album of her career. The disc was a collection of 11 tracks whose themes centered around spousal loyalty and heartache. Two singles were spawned from the album: "My Man (Understands)" and "'Til I Get It Right". Both topped the country charts in 1972 and 1973, respectively. The album itself reached the top position on the American country albums chart.
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