Margie Bowes

Background

Bowes was born in Roxboro, North Carolina in 1941.

Career

She had a top 10 country hit, "Poor Old Heartsick Maine", in 1959. She was briefly married to Doyle Wilburn of the Wilburn Brothers. Early years

She began singing in elementary school.

By the time she was 13 years old, she was appearing on television programs including WDVA Virginia Barn Dance in Danville, WRXO-Department of Administration and Management in Roxboro and other radio programs in North Carolina.

In 1958, Bowes participated in the Pet Milk Company"s nationwide talent search. Recording career

The singles gained some attention, but failed to chart.

Her next two-sided single, "One Time Too Many"/"Violets and Cheap Perfume" also failed to chart, but she made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry later that year. In 1959, she released her third single, "Poor Old Heartsick Maine".

The song proved very successful for Bowes, and it just made the country top 10 that year.

"Poor Old Heartsick Maine" remained her signature tune. In 1959, she released her follow-up, "My Love and Little Maine". The song made the country top 20 and demonstrated she was more than a one-hit wonder.

Bowes appeared on American Broadcasting Company-television"s Jubilee United States of America, and between 1959 and 1960 she released three more singles, though none of them gained any further success.

In 1961, Bowes moved to Mercury Records and released a single that year called "Little Mission Belong to Number One". The song just missed the top 20.

Number other singles with Mercury were successful for Bowes. By 1963, she moved to Decca Records and again started releasing singles that year.

She had two singles that made the Top 40 with Decca.

By 1969, Bowes left the label and recorded one more time for Stop Records in the early 70s. Later life and life today

In the late 1960s she appeared in a movie called Golden Guitar. In 1995, Bowes was injured badly in an automobile accident and underwent several operations.

At last report, she lived in Brentwood, Tennessee and was involved in the medical field

Achievements

• She entered the contest in Nashville, Tennessee and won the competition later that year. Bowes signed with Hickory Records and released her first single in 1958, "Won"tcha Come Back to Maine" backed with "One Broken Heart".