The Anita Kerr Singers - " Somebody Stole My Gal " with Dottie Dillard

Country Style USA - The Anita Kerr Singers - Somebody Stole My Gal
Featuring :- Dottie Dillard.;tenor Gil Wright and baritone Louis Nunley
Anita Kerr was the vocal embodiment of the "Nashville Sound" which dominated country music throughout the mid 1950's and 1960's. Along with the Jordanaires, her group the Anita Kerr Singers was the seminal backing vocal unit of the era, and it is estimated that at their early-Sixties peak, they graced fully one quarter of all of the records coming out of Nashville's studios.

She formed the Anita Kerr Singers, which also featured alto Dottie Dillard, tenor Gil Wright and baritone Louis Nunley. After gaining some fame on regional radio, NBC hired the Singers for the program Sunday Down South, with Kerr brought aboard as Chorus Director. In 1951, the group signed to Decca Records, and began their career as a studio backing unit. Five years later, the Singers made their first appearance on the New York-based Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts television program, and quickly became featured players, splitting their time between the broadcast and theirsession work.

In the mid 1950's, Anita Kerr joined forces with Chet Atkins, then the head of RCA Records' country division and the creator of the pop-centric "Nashville Sound," which employed vocal choruses as a means of smoothing over country music's rougher edges. The Anita Kerr Singers appeared on literally hundreds of the era's most prominent recordings, including releases from Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison, Floyd Cramer, Dottie West, Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold and Lorne Greene; even pop singers like Perry Como and Brook Benton enlisted Kerr's talents. She also produced Skeeter Davis' End of the World album, making Kerr one of the very first women to oversee a Nashville recording. After touring Europe in 1964, she moved to California the next year to focus her energies on freelance production and song writing, even as two of the Singers' LPs, We Dig Mancini and Southland Favorites, were winning Grammy awards (in the Vocal Group and Gospel categories, respectively).

In the later years of the decade, Kerr teamed with poet Rod McKuen for a series of mood-music records, titled The Sea, The Earth and The Sky, for which the Singers were renamed the San Sebastian Strings and Singers. At the same time, the group was featured weekly on the Smothers Brothers' sketch comedy program. By the 1970's, Kerr produced a number of easy listening records before moving to her second husband Alex Grob's native Switzerland to compose music for films. Eventually, she returned to Memphis.

Country Style USA - The Anita Kerr Singers - Somebody Stole My Gal

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The Anita Kerr Singers
• Dottie Dillard
• Somebody Stole My Gal
• Marty Robbins

[TekoBand]

This is indeed a performance by the Anita Kerr Singers but I don't believe Anita Kerr herself is present in the video. I "think" I am correct in noting that the young lady accompanying the other three gentlemen is Dottie Dillard who was indeed a member of the group. If you look at some 'Google' images of the Anita Kerr Singers I think you will confirm my comment. I think Dottie is easily recognized as is Anita Kerr.

Granted, no one said it was Anita Kerr but it seemed to be implied.

Alan G

[MisterStereo]

@TekoBand I watched a video titled > Jim Reeves & Dottie Dillard "But You Love Me Daddy" < and indeed this is Dottie Dillard.

TY for letting me know as these singers are new to me.

[2009framat]

I only know them as back up singer on various recordings (not always country pop but other styles,too)

[MisterStereo]

@2009framat Nice to see the quartett from the earlier days of TV.

[terrisonb]

The Anita Kerr singers were the most "used" backup singer group in Nashville from the late 50's through the mid 60's maybe later. They did the oos and aahs and much of the background vocals for singers like Jim Reeves. Everybody on here has heard them they just didn't know it.

[MisterStereo]

@terrisonb VERY TRUE -  the vocal embodiment of the "Nashville Sound"

[MisterStereo]

@DontForgetToJog Marty Robbins "stole my gal" -lol

Yea, Marty and Dottie left for a few seconds during the song.

[MisterStereo]

@mcfrdmn Agree.

Really enjoyeable!!

[MisterStereo]

@geena6 She certainly is great and am pleased ya like thede old vids.

Quite welcome.

Lloyd.

[geena6]

Never heard of Anita Kerr either Lloyd but she is GREAT & i love these old time videos.

Thankyou for sharing with us.

Georgina