Chart Rewind: Dave & Sugar Top the Country Charts With The Door Is Always Open

On July 10, 1976, the country trio Dave & Sugar hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “The Door Is Always Open.” The group, consisting of Dave Rowland, Jackie Frantz, and Vicki Hackeman, became only the second mixed-gender trio to top the chart, following The Browns in 1959.

According to Billboard, Country Music Hall of Famer Bob McDill penned the first verse and chorus, while recording artist Dickey Lee completed the composition. Before Dave & Sugar ever entered the studio, the track had been recorded by Lee, Waylon Jennings, and Ernest Tubb. Producer Jerry Bradley steered the session in January 1976, refining the trio's sound to capture the specific sonic palette required for radio dominance.

Dave & Sugar earned a rare place in country music history as only the second mixed-gender trio to top Hot Country Songs, following The Browns, with Lady A and The Band Perry becoming the only other such trios to reach the summit to date.

They launched in April 1975, not as a standalone act, but as an opening act for Charley Pride. Dave & Sugar experienced significant personnel turnover.

Jackie Frantz departed the group at the end of 1976, necessitating the recruitment of Sue Powell. Later, in 1979, Vicki Hackeman was replaced by Melissa Dean.

Despite the revolving door of members, the group managed to secure three No. 1 hits and a total of eight top 10 entries on the Hot Country Songs chart. In 2008, Jamey Johnson covered the track on his album That Lonesome Song, proving that the song's underlying structure possessed a timeless quality that transcended the specific 1976 arrangement.

The legacy of the group is now anchored in history, with both Dave Rowland and Vicki Hackeman passing away in 2018.

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