Dottie West
October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991
As one of contemporary country music’s first leading ladies, Dottie West opened the door for such female superstars as Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Tammy Wynette, Shania Twain and Martina McBride. One of West’s early hits, 1965’s “Here Comes My Baby Back Again,” won her a Best Female Country Grammy Award. In the late ’70s, West teamed up with Kenny Rogers to release a string of pop-leaning country records that landed at the top of the charts and lead to platinum status of their duets albums. By the time the ’90s hit, West was nearly broke due to bad investments, lavish spending and owed money to the IRS. She began to mount a comeback in 1991 when tragedy hit. While in transit to a Grand Ol Opry performance, the driver of the car in which she was a passenger lost control of the vehicle, causing it to go airborne and land in the center divider. At first West didn’t seem to be badly injured, but in fact she sustained internal injuries that lead to her death on September 4, 1991 at the age of 58.
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