Buddy Starcher born 16 March 1906

Oby Edgar "Buddy" Starcher (March 16, 1906 – November 2, 2001) was an American country singer whose first record releases were in 1946, although he had been performing since his teens, often billed as "The Boy from Down Home". 

Buddy was born in Jackson County, West Virginia, The first fifteen years of his life were spent on a farm in Nicholas County, where he attended school. He first learned to play banjo but later became an outstanding guitarist.His early influences came from the songs of Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter Family and Riley Puckett whose records were a source of inspiration for him.  In 1928, he was probably the first hillbilly artist to appear on radio in the Baltimore area. Between 1930 and 1960, he continually moved around, not only playing venues in his home state, Virginia and Kentucky (especially Charleston and Fairmont), but further afield to Miami, Iowa and Philadelphia. 

He wrote many fine songs including ‘Song Of The Water Wheel’ (a hit for Slim Whitman) and also some prose. In the late 30s, he married fellow artist Mary Ann (Vasas), who in 1941 took over from Patsy Montana on WLS Chicago. Compared with other artists, he recorded rather sparingly, but still had more than 100 songs on disc beginning with 14 sides on 4 Star in 1946 which yielded his first national hit and best known composition, “I’ll Still Write Your Name in the Sand.” Now a much recorded bluegrass standard, it reached number 8 in the country charts. 

 

In 1949, he moved on to Columbia where he did 10 numbers over a three-year period. He recorded for DeLuxe in 1954, and many numbers for Starday including the 1962 LP Buddy Starcher and His Mountain Guitar.Later he  recorded for other labels including Decca, Bluebonnet and Bear Family Records. 

He starred in his own television show WCHS-TV in Charleston between 1960 and 1966 and at one point it had higher local ratings than NBC’s Today. His wife often appeared with him. He also ran a record label named B.E.S. (for his initials) during 1961 – 1965 and is fondly remembered throughout much of the Mountain State and adjacent portions of Ohio. 

In 1966, he had a number 2 country and number 39 pop hit with ‘History Repeats Itself’ - his cleverly written narration composed with Minnie Pearl, detailed the many similarities between the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy It was accompanied by a musical background featuring "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "America the Beautiful". Originally released on his own label in 1965, it was re-released on the larger and better distributed Boone Records. The re-released single hit No. 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the album of the same name from which it was drawn peaked at No. 37 on the US Country Albums chart. 

In the late 60s, he returned to radio and for some years managed radio stations, being usually brought in as a trouble-shooter to pick up ailing stations - once they were running successfully, he moved on to the next challenge. He did this for several years. The artist's life story, written by Robert Cagle and aptly titled Buddy Starcher Biography, was published in 1986. In 1993 Starcher moved to Harrisonburg, Virginia  where he died November 2, 2001 at the age of 95.

In 2015 he was inducted in the West Virginia Hall Of Fame. 

(Edited from AllMusic, Wkipedia, Album liner notes & West Virgiania Hall Of Fame)