Argolda Voncile "Goldie" Hill[1] (January 11, 1933 – February 24, 2005) was an American country music singer. She was one of the first women in country music, and became one of the first women to reach the top of the country music charts with her No. 1 1953 hit, "I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes". Along with Kitty Wells and Jean Shepard she helped set the standard for later women in country music.
Goldie Hill | |
|---|---|
 Hill in a promotional photo | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Argolda Voncile Hill |
| Born | January 11, 1933 |
| Origin | Karnes City, Texas, United States |
| Died | February 24, 2005 (aged 72) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1953–2005 |
| Labels | Decca Records Epic Records |
Early life and career
editHill was born in Karnes City, Texas in 1933, a small town southeast of San Antonio. She was the sister of singer Tommy Hill. She also performed with her brothers Tommy and Ken. Then she auditioned as a solo singer at Decca Records. Her first single, "Why Talk To My Heart", was released in 1952. Hill recorded the song "I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes" the same year a riposte to Perry Como's "Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes", written by her brother, Tommy Hill. It became a number 1 hit. In 1954, she followed up with two hit duets with singer Justin Tubb, son of Ernest Tubb. In the early 1960s, she recorded two albums for Decca Records. She regularly performed on Louisiana Hayride, Grand Ole Opry and Ozark Jubilee. She married country singer Carl Smith in 1957 and the couple had two sons (Carl, Jr. and Larry Dean), and one daughter (Lori Lynn). They remained married for 47 years until her death. She made a short-lived comeback in the late 1960s with the label Epic Records under the name Goldie Hill Smith.
On February 24, 2005, Hill died from complications of cancer. She was 72 years old.[2][3] Her husband survived her by 5 years.[4]
Discography
edit| Goldie Hill discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 6 |
| Singles | 35 |
| No. 1 Singles (Overall) | 1 |
Albums
edit| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1960 | Goldie Hill
|
| 1961 | Lonely Heartaches
|
| 1962 | According to My Heart
|
| 1964 | Country Hit Parade
|
| 1967 | Goldie Hill Sings Again
|
| 1968 | Country Gentleman's Lady
|
Singles
edit| Year | Song | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | "Why Talk to My Heart" | — | non-album singles |
| "I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes" | 1 | ||
| 1953 | "I'm Yvonne (On the Bayou)" | — | |
| "My Love Is Flame" | — | ||
| "Let Me Be the One" | — | ||
| 1954 | "Liquor and Women" | — | |
| "Young at Heart" | — | ||
| "Looking Back to See" (with Justin Tubb) | 4 | ||
| "Cry, Cry Darling" | — | ||
| "Treat Me Kind" | — | ||
| "Sure Fire Kisses" (with Justin Tubb) | 11 | ||
| 1955 | "Are You Mine" (with Red Sovine) | 14 | |
| "Why Don't You Let Me Go" | — | ||
| "Steel Guitar" | — | ||
| 1956 | "Sample My Kissin'" | — | |
| "Footsteps" | — | ||
| 1957 | "Wasted Love Affair" | — | |
| "Till I Said It to You" | — | ||
| 1959 | "Yankee Go Home" (with Red Sovine) | 17 | |
| "Honky Tonk Music" | — | ||
| 1960 | "Living Alone" | — | |
| "Baby Blue" | — | ||
| 1961 | "It's a Lovely, Lovely World" | — | Goldie Hill |
| "Lonely Heartaches" | — | Lonely Heartaches | |
| "Live for Tomorrow" | — | According to My Heart | |
| 1962 | "I'm Afraid" | — | non-album singles |
| "Little Boy Blue" | — | ||
| 1963 | "Baby Go Slow" | — | |
| "I'm Gonna Bring You Down" | — | Country Hit Parade | |
| "Closer" | — | non-album singles | |
| 1964 | "Don't Let Him" | — | |
| "Three's a Crowd" | — | ||
| 1967 | "There's Gotta Be More to Life (Than Lovin' a Man)" | — | Goldie Hill Sings Again |
| 1968 | "Lovable Fool" | 73 | non-album singles |
| "Got Me Sumpin' Goin'" | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Further reading
edit- Country Music:The Rough Guide, Author: Kurt Wolff
Notes
edit- ^ Michael McCall, John Rumble, Paul Kingsbury (2012). The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. p. 240. ISBN 9780199920839.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Dave's Diary - 26/2/05 - Goldie Hill Obituary".
- ^ Clayson, Alan (March 28, 2005). "Goldie Hill". The Guardian. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ McArdle, Terrence (January 23, 2010). "'Country Gentleman' had 21 consecutive Top 10 hits". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. pp. B4.