CMHoF Spotlights Dottie West

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will unveil a special spotlight exhibit dedicated to Dottie West this Friday (11/9), which will be located within the museum’s permanent exhibit on the second floor.

Dottie West: Country Sunshine is scheduled to run through May 2, 2013 and incorporate costumes and relics spanning West’s four-decade career, including a handwritten manuscript for a song she wrote in seventh grade and a red-and-white gingham dress sewn by West’s mother, circa 1950.

West’s signature style is showcased in a collection of Bob Mackie-designed costumes, including the yellow ensemble worn during West’s 1977 performance for President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter and a creation worn by actress Michele Lee for her portrayal of the West in the 1995 CBS-TV movie Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story.

West was signed to a record deal by RCA’s Chet Atkins in the mid-60s, who produced her self-penned “Here Comes My Baby.” The song earned her a Grammy for Best Country & Western Performance (Female) marking the first time a woman in Country was awarded a Grammy.

While en route to a 1991 Opry performance, West sustained serious injuries in an automobile accident, ultimately passing on September 4, 1991. She was 58.

The Hall of Fame is currently running Spotlight exhibits for Jack Greene, Minnie Pearl and 2012 Hall of Fame inductees Garth Brooks, Hargus “Pig” Robbins and Connie Smith.