Born near Ripley, Starcher learned to play guitar from his father and began performing on the radio in the 1930s on stations like WCHS in Charleston, WMMN in Fairmont, and WPDX in Clarksburg

In the 1950s and 1960s, Starcher appeared on TV in Florida and Virginia. In 1960, he started a morning show on WCHS-TV in Charleston that ran for six years and made him even better known.

He recorded his first songs in 1946, including his hit “I’ll Still Write Your Name in the Sand.” In 1966, his spoken song "History Repeats Itself" became a country and pop hit. He was known for encouraging young musicians, including future star Keith Whitley.

Buddy Starcher was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2015.