Cherokee Dee was born Dolores Irene Kellum on September 27, 1934 in Crane, Texas. Her father was a deputy sheriff at one time, with other jobs such as owning a painting business before his death at age 80 in 1976. Her mother was a reservation Indian of the Cherokee tribe, and died of TB at the age of 38. She had a talent for music right from the start. She taught herself piano and guitar and wrote her first song when she was just 7 years old. She and her older sister, Frances sang together, calling themselves the Cherokee Sisters. They toured the Honky Tonk circuit throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. They moved to California in the early 50’s. In 1957 Francis wanted to get off the road so the Cherokee Sisters were no more. Cherokee Dee went solo and continued to tour. She ran into an old friend from her childhood, Lefty Frizzell. They sang the same circuit. That relationship grew into something more. Their son, David Mark was born February 3, 1959. Lefty nicknamed his son Crockett because the television show, Davy Crockett was popular at that time. Although some say they had a marriage ceremony in Mexico, Cherokee and Lefty lived separate lives, maintaining what little contact was possible.

Cherokee started writing and singing more. Her songwriting spoke heavily of the sadness of being a single parent and heartbreak. She had three sons from her first marriage, Dee Ray, Victor and Ron Garcia. Cherokee gave all of her sons their love for music, and trained all of them to play. They began to back her in all her shows. In 1967 she met a soldier, Don Smock, who she would marry. With Don’s military career, she and the boys traveled many places, including Hawaii and Germany. The seventies brought more great writing; Cherokee Dee would write some of her best music. She wrote of being a wife of a man off fighting for his country. “Please Mr. Mailman” and “Vietnam Blues” had strong affects on her audience. Grown men would sometimes cry when those songs were sung. Her favorite venues were the military bases entertaining the troops. Cherokee signed a recording contract with Odle records in Houston, Texas. This company is no longer in business, sadly Cherokee’s music is only available sung by Crockett. Crockett’s album includes a ballot written by his mother, titled “I’ll Take A Chance”. Also included is the first song he ever wrote, “You And Me”, written about his Dad. Crockett was 16.

Crockett’s tribute song to his Mom, “One More Show” tells how she gave her all. One day, it is the family’s dream that others will be inspired to sing her songs and once again Cherokee’s music will be heard. A brief reunion with Lefty just prior to his untimely death in 1975, inspired her writing “Second Chance”. A song that speaks of having a second chance at love, by some, considered her best. Cherokee was a George Jones and Tammy Wynette fan her entire life, and they too were a part of the inspiration for this classic song. Cherokee never got the opportunity to present it to them.

A crushing phone call came on July 19th, 1975. One of Lefty’s closest friends and writing buddies, Rusty Adams, called Cherokee and told her that Lefty had died of a stroke. Lefty had purchased boots for Crockett during his last visit with Cherokee. She insisted he keep them and present them to their son himself on their upcoming summer visit together. Sadly, Crockett never saw the boots. Traveling from Colorado to Nashville, Cherokee took Crockett to see his Dad for the last time. Cherokee would never quite recover from Lefty’s death. She continued to write and play, but her heart was not there. Cherokee started to have increased health problems, inpart due to heavy whiskey. On September 29, 1977, only two years following Lefty’s death, Cherokee Dee also the victim of a stroke, passed from this lifetime at the young age of 43.Though Cherokee did not have the commercial success that Lefty did, there was many a soldier out there who thought she was a superstar!