Goldie Hill (January 11, 1933 – February 24, 2005), born Argolda Voncile Hill, was an American country music singer. She was one of the first women in country music, and became one of the first women to reach the top of the country music charts with her No. 1 1953 hit, " I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes". Along with

Kitty Wells Ellen Muriel Deason (August 30, 1919 – July 16, 2012), known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American pioneering female country music singer. She broke down a barrier to women in country music with her 1952 hit recording " It Wasn't God ...

and

Jean Shepard Ollie Imogene "Jean" Shepard (November 21, 1933 – September 25, 2016) was an American honky-tonk singer-songwriter who pioneered for women in country music. Shepard released a total of 73 singles to the Hot Country Songs chart, one of which ...

she helped set the standard for later women in country music.

Early life and career

Hill was born in

Karnes City Karnes City is a city in and county seat of Karnes County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,111 at the 2020 census, up from 3,042 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Henry Karnes of the Texas Revolution. Karnes is sou ...

, Texas in 1933, a small town southeast of

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. She was the sister of singer Tommy Hill. She also performed with her brothers Tommy and Ken. Then she auditioned as a solo singer at Decca Records. Her first single, "Why Talk To My Heart", was released in 1952. Hill recorded the song " I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes" the same year a riposte to Perry Como's "

Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" is a country song about a man away from home who is worried that his paramour may unwittingly stray from their relationship. The song was recorded in many different styles by many artists. It was written by Wi ...

", written by her brother, Tommy Hill. It became a number 1 hit. In 1954, she followed up with two hit duets with singer

Justin Tubb Justin Wayne Tubb (August 20, 1935 – January 24, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Born in San Antonio, Texas, United States, he was the oldest son of country singer Ernest Tubb, known for popular songs like " Walking ...

, son of

Ernest Tubb Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, " Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), ...

. In the early 1960s, she recorded two albums for Decca Records. She regularly performed on ''

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the ...

'', '' Grand Ole Opry'' and ''

Ozark Jubilee ''Ozark Jubilee'' is a 1950s United States network television program that featured country music's top stars of the day. It was produced in Springfield, Missouri. The weekly live stage show premiered on ABC-TV on January 22, 1955, was renamed ...

''. She married country singer Carl Smith in 1957 and the couple had two sons (Carl, Jr. and Larry Dean), and one daughter (Lori Lynn). They remained married for 47 years until her death. She made a short-lived comeback in the late 1960s with the label Epic Records under the name Goldie Hill Smith. On February 24, 2005, Hill died from complications of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

. She was 72 years old. Her husband survived her by 5 years.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Notes

External links