Skeets McDonald

Skeets McDonald earned his primary recognition from the chart-topping single "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes." A honky tonk singer and songwriter, his recordings helped link country traditions to the rise of rock & roll. Born Enos William McDonald on October 1, 1915, in Greenway, AR, as the youngest of seven children, he acquired his nickname following an encounter with a swarm of mosquitoes. According to McDonald family legend, he swapped his hound dog for a guitar and six dollars while developing an early interest in music.

After his older brother relocated to Michigan, McDonald joined him and entered the Lonesome Cowboys as his first band in Detroit in 1935. He kept performing on local radio outlets until his 1943 draft for World War II. Following his return from service, McDonald appeared on a Detroit-area television program and made his first recordings in 1950 with fiddler Johnnie White & His Rough Riders.

In 1951 he and his family settled in Los Angeles, where he joined the cast of Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree. Capitol Records signed him shortly afterward, and 1952 brought the release of "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes," his largest success. He remained with the label until 1959, the year The Country's Best appeared, and although further chart entries proved scarce, his progression from honky tonk toward straightforward rockabilly influenced other performers.

Columbia signed McDonald in 1959 and directed him back to country music. A few hits arrived in the early 1960s, among them "Call Me Mr. Brown," which reached the Top Ten in 1963. The album Call Me Skeets! followed in 1964. As the decade progressed he extended his work beyond the West Coast, recording in Nashville and appearing on the Grand Ole Opry. He stayed a purist even while the industry moved toward slicker, more pop-oriented productions, and he died on March 31, 1968, after suffering a massive heart attack.