Born Bonnie Buckingham in Seattle, Washington on March 25, 1923, the singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman was better known by her stage name Bonnie Guitar. In 1957, she was one of the first female country performers to have a crossover hit with her song “Dark Moon”, which hit the Top 15 on the Billboard Country Singles chart and the Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart. Further chart hits included “Mister Fire Eyes” (1957), “I’m Living in Two Worlds” (1965), “Get Your Lie the Way You Want It” (1966), “A Woman in Love” (1967), and “I Believe in Love” (1968). Between 1957 and 1969, she was signed to Dot Records, spending the 1970s and 1980s recording for a variety of labels including Paramount and Playback. While she pursued her career as a recording artist, she also worked behind the scenes, co-founding the label Dolton Records in the late 1950s and launching the careers of instrumental rockers the Ventures and vocal trio the Fleetwoods. Bonnie Guitar also became part owner of independent label Jerden Records in the 1960s. While not extremely prolific, she continued to record country music up through 1996, when she announced her retirement. Nearly 20 years later, in 2014, she reactivated her career and began writing, producing and performing again. Bonnie Guitar died on January 12, 2019. She was 95.
