Holly Dunn
Holly Dunn | |
---|---|
Warner Bros. | |
Holly Suzette Dunn (August 22, 1957 – November 14, 2016) was an American
Biography
Early years and MTM Records
Holly Suzette Dunn was born August 22, 1957. Her parents were a Church of Christ preacher and a landscape painter.[1]
While attending high school, Dunn performed in a band called Freedom Folk Singers, which toured the
Dunn's first two releases — "Playing for Keeps" and "My Heart Holds On" — both failed to make the Top 40 on the Hot Country Songs charts, while "Two Too Many" peaked at No. 39. Her first Top 10 hit came in 1986, when "Daddy's Hands", a tribute to her father,[3] peaked at No. 7 on that chart.[4] Dunn, who wrote "Daddy's Hands" single-handedly, noted that the song's success led to many fans sharing positive experiences about their own fathers with her.[5] The song was included on her self-titled debut, from which it served as the final single. Following this song, she sang guest vocals on Michael Martin Murphey's Top 5 hit "A Face in the Crowd", from his album Americana.[4] She was named the Academy of Country Music's Top New Female Vocalist in 1986, and then the winner of Country Music Association's Horizon Award in 1987.
Her second MTM album, Cornerstone, produced three straight top-10 hits in "Love Someone Like Me", "Only When I Love", and "Strangers Again".[4] Across the Rio Grande in 1988 included the singles "That's What Your Love Does to Me" and "(It's Always Gonna Be) Someday",[4] before MTM Records filed for bankruptcy and closed.[2]
Warner Bros. Records, Grand Ole Opry, River North Records
In 1989, Dunn moved to
Dunn's second Warner Bros. album, Heart Full of Love, was released in 1990. Although its lead single "My Anniversary for Being a Fool" failed to make the top 40, the followup "You Really Had Me Going" became her second and final number-one hit, while the title track was a top-20 hit.[4]
In 1991, Dunn released her first
Dunn signed to
Retirement and death
In 2003, Dunn announced her retirement from her musical career and released her final album, Full Circle, which was her only gospel album, to devote full-time to her other passion, art. Her paintings deal primarily with subjects from the Southwestern United States.[8]
On November 14, 2016, Dunn died of ovarian cancer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at age 59.[9] She was survived by her wife, Melissa Taylor, and her brothers, Chris, Jerry and Rodney.
Discography
Studio albums
- Holly Dunn (1986)
- Cornerstone (1987)
- Across the Rio Grande (1988)
- The Blue Rose of Texas (1989)
- Heart Full of Love (1990)
- Getting It Dunn (1992)
- Life and Love and All the Stages (1995)
- Leave One Bridge Standing (1997)
- Full Circle (2003)
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987
|
"Daddy's Hands" | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |
Best Country Song | Nominated | ||
1988
|
"A Face in the Crowd" | Best Country Collaboration with Vocals | Nominated |
TNN/Music City News Country Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Holly Dunn | Female Artist of the Year | Nominated |
Star of Tomorrow | Nominated | ||
1989 | Nominated |
Academy of Country Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Holly Dunn | Top New Female Vocalist | Won |
Country Music Association Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | "Daddy's Hands" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
Holly Dunn | Horizon Award | Won | |
Holly Dunn and Michael Martin Murphy
|
Vocal Duo of the Year | Nominated |
References
- ISBN 9780199840441.
- ^ All Media Network. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ISBN 9780312264871.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "'Daddy's Hands' lifting up Holly Dunn". The Tennessean. November 8, 1986. pp. D1. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Sharpe, Jerry (24 November 1990). "Joe Diffie's Loss Was Joe Diffie's Gain". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
- ^ Meyers, Kate (16 August 1991). "Holly Dunn's Controversial Single". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- ^ ISSN 0035-791X.
- Roberts, Sam (15 November 2016). "Holly Dunn, Country Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 59". The New York Times. p. B16.
External links
- Holly Dunn at AllMusic
- Holly Dunn discography at Discogs
- Holly Dunn at IMDb
- Holly Dunn at Find a Grave