Bus Fare to Kentucky: The Autobiography of Skeeter Davis

I received this book as a gift simply because my family knows that I am hooked on music & biographies. I'm not what I would consider country music fan, nor have I ever even heard of Skeeter or the Davis Sisters. Nevertheless, this was one of the best books I've ever read. This is an incredible journey of triumph over tragedy, more tragedy and yet more tragedy (most of it attributable to Skeeter's naivety and her desire to please everyone). Skeeter kept an incredibly positive point of view throughout all the adversity her life threw at her, which is astounding considering all that she endured. In the end it gets a little too "Jesus Saves" for me, but that did not take away from her story or this woman's incredible struggle just to give her voice to her fans. I couldn't put it down and finished it in 3 days.

Skeeter Davis was one of a kind! You never had to worry about where you stood with her because she stood her ground and stuck to her principles! This autobiography ranks among the best and I, like many have read many great Country Music Autobiographies, some great like Loretta Lynn's, Tammy Wynette's, Jeannie C. Riley's, Jan Howard's, Brenda Lee's and some downright stinkers and self promotion like Reba's and Barbara Mandrell's. Only Loretta's comes close to matching Skeeters point for point. Skeeter's story is moving and poignant without being overly sentimental and syrupy. I was riveted to her story from page one living her life with her as she rose from the depths of Kentucky poverty to Country and Pop stardom of the highest magnitude. She weathered many, many storms along the way, most particularly the loss of her dear friend and blood sister, Betty Jack Davis and her disastrous marriage to "devil incarnate" Ralph Emery. Her final battle was lost to cancer last September and the heaven gained a new angel for its angel band. Betty Jack and Skeeter are at last reunited in Hillbilly Heaven. Through it all Skeeter never waivered in her faith and she received the ultimate reward. The one reviewer who posted a one star review here obviously missed so much of Skeeter's witness that one has to wonder if he/she even read the book at all. Skeeter was truly one of a kind and this autobiography will make you laugh, cry, and rejoice all at the same time. Skeeter's music still stands the test of time and her autobiography should be updated by someone who knew her during the last few years of her life. I am sure there are many who were close to this loving, caring and god-fearing woman. We are richer for having had her with us!

it was with trepidation that i bought this book in the first place.But being a skeeter fan i had to check it out.Am so glad i did .what a wonderfull and moving story of one of the great icons of country mucic.the reader is taken on a journy through the life and times of this lady and we get to see and feel how she lived.

I have read them all (Loretta, Tammy, Dolly, Reba, Naomi Judd, Barbara Mandrell, even the rarer ones like Jan Howard and Jeannie C. Riley) and hands down Skeeter Davis' autobiography is the most moving and personal of the bunch of country music star autobiographies (I enjoyed most of the others too by the way). It is truly rare for anyone who is writing an autobiography to be the intimate and personal, quite a few are of the self-infatuated "and then I made this movie" or "my big #1 record at the time was" level. Skeeter's life is so much more than show business and it's wonderful to see a star with their feet both on the ground.I was dumbstruck by that negative review posted, the only one I have ever read for this book anywhere. The usually jaded PEOPLE magazine as I recall referred to this book as "moving". I don't know why this person was so defensive especially considering Skeeter's religion which is such a active and vital part of her life. There are not many entertainers who when their mainstream careers are starting to crumble a bit who will spend most of their time on traveling the world spreading the good news of Jesus, most I suspect would have spent every waking hour trying to climb back to the top!! If Skeeter's brand of religion is not yours, why complain about it especially since this is HER autobiography!! Skeeter herself is a wonderfully open-minded person, writing with awe of the lovely Buddahist temples she had seen on her travels and pointing out it is not for her or anyone to judge anyone and their religious beliefs (or about anything), that alone is for God to do. As far as her comments on ex-husband Ralph Emery, Emery himself first wrote negatively about Skeeter in his first (of several!) autobiographies, it certainly seems reasonable to expect Skeeter to air her side of the story. She does indeed have some shocking information about him but to have deleted it from her life story would have given a false picture of what was going on in her life. Skeeter Davis is truly a beloved person and proved to be an outstanding writer with this book. Her followup book was a children's book THE CHRISTMAS NOTE that received rave comments from many acclaimed writers including Lee Smith, Rebecca Wells, and Terry Kay. Skeeter is one of the most talented people Nashville has ever produced.