After the 1968 LP "Country Girl", West teamed with Don Gibson for a record of duets, "Dottie and Don", featuring the number-two hit "Rings of Gold" released in 1969. The album was her last with Atkins, and she followed it in 1970 with two releases, "Forever Yours" and "Country Boy and Country Girl", a collection of pairings with Jimmy Dean. Around the time of "Have You Heard Dottie West", released in 1971, she left her husband Bill, and in 1972, married drummer Byron Metcalf, who was 12 years her junior. Due possibly in part to her recent stratospheric success with duets, her solo career suffered between 1969 and 1972. Most of her singles released at the time had failed even to peak in the top 40, and her album sales were declining.