This past October, a birthday jam took place in honor of the late country queen, which was hosted by her friend, Jeannie Seely (“Miss Country Soul”).
West died after a tragic accident in 1991, however, her influence on the country music genre will always stand the test of time, and is most certainly Hall of Fame-worthy. 63 of her singles charted on the Billboard Hot country charts, and she was a member of the hallowed Grand Ole Opry. She was the winner of the first-ever Grammy award for “Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Female” for her smash single “Here Comes My Baby,” and received countless Grammy nods in her career.
She served as a role model for many acclaimed female country stars such as Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Lynn Anderson and the “First Lady of Country Music” Tammy Wynette, among many others. She recorded several popular duets with veteran country star Kenny Rogers.
For all of these reasons and more, Dottie West deserves to be on the list of inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum this year.
