Buddy Starcher

Buddy Starcher (born March 16, 1906 in Kentuck , West Virginia as Obey Edgar Starcher , † November 2, 2001 in Harrisonburg , Virginia ) was an American country musician . Starcher's biggest hit was History Repeats Itself .

Life

Childhood and youth

Buddy Starcher was born in a small town near Ripley , West Virginia. The family later moved to Craigsville , Nicholas County , where Starcher accompanied his father to Barn Dances . He also learned to play the guitar from his father . In 1928 he made his first radio appearance on WFBR in Baltimore .

Career

For the next several years, Starcher roamed the country, performing in Washington, DC , North Carolina , Virginia , Iowa , Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. While Starcher was working at WCHS in Charleston , West Virginia , around 1934 , he organized the Old Farm Hour , a live country show with other later nationally known country musicians. When Starcher left WCHS, presenter Frank Welling took over his position.

In the 1940s he joined the Sagebrush Roundup ensemble from West Virginia. Over the next few years, he continued to be involved with many different radio stations. He began to write his own songs, but did not record his first tracks for Four Star Records until 1946, despite his already high popularity on the radio . In 1949 he had his first hit on Four Star with I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand , which reached number eight on the Billboard Country Charts . He was initially denied further hits.

In the early 1950s, Starcher switched from radio to television appearances. He had engagements in Miami and Harrisonburg and had recorded some singles for Columbia Records in 1949 and 1950 , but they did not enter the charts. In 1954 he played a single for DeLuxe Records and was under contract from 1959 for Starday . From 1960 he had his own successful TV show on WCHS-TV.

History Repeats Itself , 1966

His big hit came in 1966. He had switched to Boone Records and recorded the self-written song History Repeats Itself , which tells the stories of US Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy and their parallels. The single made it to number two on the country charts and also made it into the national top 100 at number 39. Despite the success, Starcher did not manage to establish himself as a constant hit singer.

After that, it became quieter for Starcher. In 1966 his television show ended and in 1967 he recorded his last single. In 1987 his biography appeared. Buddy Starcher died in Harrisonburg in 2001 at the age of 95. Well-known country artists such as Red Sovine , Mac Wiseman , Lee Moore , Sleepy Jeffers, and Smiley Sutter said they were influenced by Starcher. In 1984 and 1985, Cattle Records re- released Starcher's recordings in Germany .

Discography

Singles

year	title	#	Remarks
Four Star Records
1946	Faded Rose a Broken Heart / Bless Your Little Heart	1111
1946	It's Risky To Gone So Long / Song of the Waterwheel	1112
1946	I Won't Worry, I Won't Care / Fire In My Heart	1113
1947	Wildwood Flower / Bless Your Little Heart, No.2	1143
1947	I Will Miss You Tonight / In Memory of Halloween	1144
1947	Darling What More Can I Do / I Still Write Your Name In the Sand	1145
1947	You Can't Break The Chains of Love / They Say	1146
1948	Darling What More Can I Do / You Can't Break These Chains of Love	1263
1957	EP Boy from Down Home ? ? ?	EP-21
Columbia Records
1949	I Planted a Rose In the Garden of Prayer / Isn't He Wonderful	20634
1949	New Wildwood Flower / Walk Lightly, You're Stepping On My Heart	20643
1950	Beyond The Sunset / Are You Facing The World All Alone	20666
1950	Colored Child's Funeral / Oh Leave One Token Of Your Heart	20680
1950	I'll Forgive Dear But Never Forget / My Old Pal of Yesterday	20723
DeLuxe Records
1954	I Was Tryin 'Then / Don't Call No More	2025
Starday Records
1959	Battle of New Orleans / Pale Wildwood Flower	45-439
1959	Billy the Kid / Running Away From The Blues	45-460
1959	Ace of Hearts / Crying	45-471
1961	EP Original Wildwood Flower Cumberland Gap Medley After I Lost That Job Pale Wildwood Flower I'll Still Write Your Name in the Sand Battle of New Orleans	SEP-158
1963	Man Who Rode The Hog Around The World / My Little Girl's Letter to Khrus	NV-5102	released on Nashville Records
1966	Little Red Riding Hood / Ace of Hearts	45-763
Boone Records
1966	History Repeats Itself / Sniper's Hill	BR-1038
Decca Records
1966	Day of Decision / Payer's Money	31974
1966	Last Supper / Fall of a Nation	32012
Heartwarming Records
1967	What Then / When Payday Comes	HW-5069

Albums

• 1962: Buddy Starcher & his Mountain Guitar
• 1966: History Repeats Itself! (Starday)
• 1966: History Repeats Itself! (Decca)
• 1967: Buddy Starcher Volume 1
• 1967: Country Sould and Inspiration
• 1978: Country Love Songs (D, Bear Family )
• 1984: The Boy From Down Home (D)
• 1985: Pride of the West Virginia Hills (D)
• 1985: Me and My Guitar

Web links

• Buddy Starcher on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
• obituary
• Famous West Virginians