Mary Frances "Skeeter" Davis, the iconic American country singer and songwriter who crafted her own career in the male-dominated Nashville scene, passed away on Wednesday, September 19th 2004 at the age of 72. Ms Davis was born on December 30th 1931 in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. She achieved fame by singing with The Davis Sisters in the early 1950s and as a solo artist in the 1950s and 1960s. Her signature style was a direct way of singing, with a blend of cross-genre folk and rockabilly music. Her most successful hit single, "The End of the World," reached number 2 in the United States, and number 1 in the UK. Ms Davis is remembered as a determined challenger of the 'old-boy network' in Nashville and a fierce advocate for female country artists. She blazed a trail for other female country stars in the realms of songwriting and producing. Ms Davis was preceded in death by her husband, singer and songwriter Ralph Emery. She is survived by her daughter Kathleen and son Jeffrey.