Skeets McDonald
Skeets McDonald (born October 1, 1915 in Greenway , Arkansas as Enos William McDonald , † March 31, 1968 ) was an American country singer who had his biggest hit in 1952 with Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes .
Life
Beginnings
Skeets McDonald comes from a poor family of cotton pickers. As a teenager he followed his older brother to Michigan , where a small country scene had developed after the settlement of numerous workers from the southern states. He put together his own band that played through the clubs and radio stations around Detroit . After his military service, which he spent mostly overseas during World War II , he returned to Michigan.
Career
After recording a few singles on the small label Fortune Records (best known as The Tattooed Lady ), he moved to Los Angeles in 1950. Here he was hired for the television show Hometown Jamboree and appeared in several feature films. He signed a record deal with Capitol Records . In 1952, the single Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes was released , which reached number one on the country charts and became his greatest success. The next releases reached middle chart positions. Musically, he developed from honky tonk in the mid-1950s to rockabilly . Worth mentioning here are the tracks Heartbreakin 'Mama and You Oughta See Grandma Rock , which were recorded with Eddie Cochran on guitar. Other titles included You're There and Fort Worth Jailhouse from 1958. Despite the lack of chart positions, McDonalds was still more or less represented in the Californian country scene, which was not least due to its appearances at the Town Hall Party and was at Tex Knight's Ranch Party .
In 1959, McDonald moved to Columbia Records , where he was able to achieve a top 10 hit in 1963 with Call Me Mr. Brown . More and more often he left the Californian scene and stayed in Nashville for recordings . He largely resisted the influences of the pop-oriented Nashville sound . Soon his music was considered old-fashioned, and sales of his records plummeted. Fans of traditional country music continued to come to his concerts, and the Grand Ole Opry stuck to him.
On March 31, 1968, Skeets McDonald died of a heart attack at the age of 52.
Discography
Albums
year | title | Label |
---|---|---|
1958 | Goin 'Steady With The Blues | Capitol |
1959 | The Country's Best | Capitol |
1962 | Our best to you | Capitol |
1964 | Call Me Skeets | Columbia |
1969 | Tattooed Lady And Other Songs | Fortune |
2000 | Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes | Bear Family |
2008 | Heart Breakin 'Mama - Gonna Shake This Shack | Bear Family |
2010 | Classics 1955-1958 | Warped Records |
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | McDonald, Skeets |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | McDonald, Enos William (maiden name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country musician |
DATE OF BIRTH | October 1, 1915 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Greenway , Arkansas |
DATE OF DEATH | March 31, 1968 |