Dottie West's Big Break: How 'Country Sunshine' Became Her Biggest Hit
Dottie West was a country music star who had already established herself in the industry by the early 1970s. She had launched a string of top 40 hits in the 1960s, including her song 'Here Comes My Baby,' which earned her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1965.
However, West's popularity began to dwindle at the beginning of the decade, with only two of her first 11 singles reaching the top 40. That was until she released 'Country Sunshine' as a single from her album of the same name in September 1973.
The song had previously been part of a popular Coca-Cola advertising campaign and caught the attention of country fans nationwide. It shot to No. 2 on the chart, giving West her biggest hit at the time. The jingle's popularity even earned West a Clio Award and a lifetime contract with Coca-Cola.
Under this contract, West went on to write more than a dozen jingles for the company, cementing her connection to the brand.