As July progresses, efforts also are heating up to make “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” even more gleeful through an ambitious campaign including a petition drive.
“The game plan is to induct Donna Fargo into the Country Music Hall of Fame,” explained Donna Hiatt of Mount Airy, a longtime friend of the singer-songwriter who is working with other supporters to achieve that goal.
Fargo is a local native who graduated from Mount Airy High School in 1958 and subsequently entered the music industry, receiving a Grammy in 1973 for “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA.”
Given that time frame, Fargo is long-overdue as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Hiatt contends, noting that many of the singers’ contemporaries from her heyday are in already.
“It’s very important,” Hiatt said of Fargo’s election to that body, considered country music’s highest honor.
“Donna Fargo’s contributions to country music have indeed been significant, earning her numerous awards and recognition,” reads a statement on an “induct Donna Fargo” Facebook page.
It also points out that the induction process “is highly selective,” which is where those backing Fargo’s entry can make a difference.
“Fans and supporters ... play a crucial role in advocating for the consideration of artists like Donna Fargo,” the Facebook page advises.
“(Their) efforts in rallying support and sending letters to the CMA highlight the passionate community behind her music and the impact she has had on the genre,” it adds regarding the organization involved.
Fans’ “dedication to her legacy is a testament to the enduring connection between artists and their fans.”
Letters of support can be mailed to the Country Music Association (CMA), ATTENTION: Hall of Fame Voting Committee, 35 Music Square East No. 201, Nashville, TN, 37203.
The induction campaign on Fargo’s behalf has been in the works since last year, and Hiatt is hoping she can be in the next class of inductees.
Fargo now lives in the Nashville area.
Veteran singer reacts
Fargo said by telephone Saturday that it is great to see this effort take shape among fans.
“It’s such an honor that they’re working and taking the time to write letters,” she commented.
“I appreciate the effort.”
And what would it mean to join the Country Music Hall of Fame?
“It would just be another honor — you’re just so appreciative of people loving your music,” she said.
“I would be very honored to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Parade presence
The group’s Facebook page also contains information about a petition supporters of Fargo’s induction can sign, according to Hiatt, who is known for her long association with Donna’s Barber Shop.
She estimated Saturday that more than 400 signatures had been obtained so far, with a boost expected from Fargo supporters’ presence at Thursday’s Independence Day parade in Mount Airy.
The group, including participants in a Donna Fargo look-alike contest last year, marched in the procession and afterward distributed information at a Fargo mural in Canteen Alley downtown to build awareness about the induction campaign.
Latza involved
Ericca Latza was a key participant in Thursday’s effort at the mural and is involved in the Fargo campaign overall.
Similar to Fargo, Latza is a country music singer-songwriter from Mount Airy who is now based in Nashville, and served as grand marshal for the holiday parade.
Latza also is scheduled to perform in Melva’s Alley downtown this coming Friday from 7 to 10 p.m.
Hiatt acknowledges the fact that the music industry is a “today” business in which performers such as Donna Fargo who reached their peak decades ago sometimes are now off the radar screen.
However, the local woman points out that Fargo released a new CD, “All Because of You,” in 2022.
And her hit song “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” has continued to be engrained in the public consciousness, including being used in a Nike television commercial appearing during coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Hiatt believes Fargo today would be just as much a force as ever had she not been stricken with multiple sclerosis in the late 1970s.
“She would still be singing if it weren’t for MS,” Hiatt said of maintaining a regular recording and tour schedule.
In the meantime, music fans who might be unfamiliar with her catalog can get an idea of Fargo’s presence as a performer through Ericca Latza, Hiatt believes.
“She’s the new generation of Donna.”
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