Bonnie Guitar The Early Years: The Singles & Albums Collection, 1951-1962 (2-CD)

Bonnie Buckingham, better known as Bonnie Guitar, was an unusual personality in the world of pop music, in that she was not only rarity, in that she was a female country session guitarist, but was also a successful hit-making crossover country and pop singer. Hailing from Seattle in Washington state, far from the fashionable centres of the industry, she helped put the north-west on the map as a source of country music. She was also had a career as a producer and label-owner, launching Dolton Records, the label which released The Fleetwoods’ No.1 Come Softly To Me.

She began performing at age 16, having taken up playing the guitar as a teenager, which led to her stage name, Bonnie Guitar and this 61-track set includes A & B sides from her releases on the Morrison, Rainier, Fabor, Dot, Radio, Dolton and RCA labels during this era, including early recordings as Bonnie Tutmarc.

All the titles from her Dot album Moonlight And Shadows feature alongside selected titles from her gospel-flavoured album Whispering Hope/ This collection features all her hits from these years, including the pop Top 10 entry Dark Moon, along with Mr. Fire Eyes and Candy Apple Red.

Throughout the Sixties she began a brief stint as one of the most successful female soloists in the country music field before recording for Columbia Records and MCA Records in the 1970s, where she still scored occasional minor hit, and continued to chart in 80s. Officially retiring in 1996, she started producing and writing music. She still performed on weekends at the age of 92 with her band before her passing in January 2019, at the age of 95.

She made excellent records across the pop and country spectrum, and this collection is a great showcase for her talents.