Dottie West

Fiery redhead Dottie West was one of the first 1960s female country artists to adopt an overtly glamorous, sexual image, as well as one of the few female stars to be taken seriously as a songwriter. Best known for her hit duets with Kenny Rogers, her composition "Here Comes My Baby," and her Coke commercial jingle "Country Sunshine," the sultry-voiced West was also instrumental in launching the careers of other musicians, including Steve Wariner, Larry Gatlin, and her daughter Shelly West. Sadly, Dottie West died in 1991 after complications suffered in a car accident en route to a Grand Ole Opry performance.