Twenty years after the Coen Brothers’ O Brother! Where Art Thou? brought a new wave of fans to old-time music, Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary series is bringing country music to the attention of new generations of music lovers.
In the spirit of the day, Mandy Barnett released this week her version of the Skeeter Davis classic, “The End of the World.” Barnett recorded the single while in the studio recording a new album of torch songs to be released in 2020, produced by the legendary Fred Mollin on his Melody Place label.
Barnett first gained national acclaim as the original lead in “Always. . . Patsy Cline” at the historic Ryman Auditorium, the same stage on which Cline rose to fame.
The idea to record the single came to Barnett and Mollin when recording with a 60-piece string orchestra after watching the Ken Burns series. Deeply rooted in country music, Barnett expressed her appreciation to Skeeter Davis for her encouragement and to Ken Burns for giving country music such a powerful platform.
Barnett’s recording of the 1963 classic showcases her smooth, rich voice, which makes the easy transition between pure country music and the timeless transition of Billie Holiday. Her rendition, with the full string orchestra, maintains country flavor with the traditional sound of piano and steel guitar.
Fans can purchase or stream the single now on all major online platforms.
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