×

Sweet Music

THE LATE Chickie Williams’ original arrangement of the hymn, “Beyond the Sunset,” with a poem by Albert Rowswell is poignantly memorable. The poem begins with the words:

“Should you go first and I remain

“To walk the road alone,

“I’ll live in memory’s garden, dear,

“With happy days we’ve known.”

And, the memories shared by Chickie and her husband, “Doc” Williams, were many, personally as well as when they entertained audiences for more than half a century.

Chickie gained fame as a singer after joining her husband as part of the group then known as Doc Williams and the Border Riders. She died in 2007, and now she has been joined by her husband, whose death occurred Monday.

Before their deaths, the couple did, indeed, know “happy days,” not only as a family, but as they entertained people in the northeastern United States and in Canada with personal appearances as well as others by radio and recordings.

FORTUNATELY for the country music world, Doc kept up his interest in music even though he had to quit school to help in supporting his family by working in the coal mines.

In the early 1930s, his musical groups had various names. In 1937, Doc Williams and the Border Riders auditioned for a spot over WWVA and became members of the “World’s Original WWVA Jamboree,” later called Jamboree USA.

He and Chickie were married in 1939.

They had three daughters, Barbara, Madeline and Karen, who were known on stage as Peeper, Pooch and Punkin.

On their way to becoming country music legends, they compiled decades of entertaining on the Jamboree – Doc for 61 years and Chickie for 52.

Among their honors are inductions into Jamboree USA’s Walkway of Stars and into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Doc, a lifetime member of the Country Music Association in Nashville, is in the Wheeling Hall of Fame and also was proclaimed by the state of West Virginia as “West Virginia’s Official Country Music Ambassador of Good Will.”

AS their family, friends and fans grieve, possibly the country music greats would like for them to remember the final words from “Beyond the Sunset”:

“In that fair homeland we’ll know no parting.

“Beyond the sunset forever more.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today