“Set Him Free” is a song written by Skeeter Davis, Helen Moyer, and Marie Wilson. In 1959, Skeeter Davis recorded and released the song as a single for RCA Victor.
“Set Him Free” was recorded in January 1959 at the RCA Victor Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.[1] The song was released as a single in February 1959, and it peaked at number five on the Billboard Magazine Hot C&W Sides chart later that year. The single became Davis’ highest-charting single to that point and her third solo hit. In November 1959, “Set Him Free” was issued onto Davis’ debut studio album entitled, I’ll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too.[2]
In 1959, “Set Him Free” became the first song by a female country artist nominated by the Grammy Awards.[3]
In 1967, Davis re-recorded an updated version of “Set Him Free” and released it as a single in late 1967. The new version peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and was issued onto her studio album entitled, What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied).[2]
Chart performance
- Original recording
| Chart (1959) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot C&W Sides | 5 |
- Re-recording
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 52 |
References
- ^ a b “Skeeter Davis discography”. Praguefrank’s Country Discographies. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research.
- ^ “2013 Hall of Fame Inductees” (PDF). Kentucky Music Museum. Retrieved 6 January 2014.