Tunes for Twangers
Music 305 A
A History of Country Music
Module 6 ~ Women of Country Music
Country music is often regarded as masculine, aggressive and old-fashioned –
genre that belongs more to hard-drinking, hard-living men than anyone else. But
female artists have always been important to the success of country music;
their contributions range from safe and traditional, such as Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" to cutting edge and
controversial, such as the
Polly Jenkins ~ Early Star
- native New Yorker
- vaudeville country-music artist
- as with other male stars [Uncle Dave Macon, Jimmie Rodgers, etc]
- probably only woman to "headline" a country-music act on the
vaudeville circuit
- Polly Jenkins and her Playboys
Gallery
Polly Jenkins
Roba Stanley ~ Early Recording Star
- only 1 year after Fiddlin' John Carson made his
first recording
- 3 years before Sara & Maybelle Carter – Bristol
Sessions
- 9 years before Patsy Montana become country's first million-selling artist
- 28 years before Kitty Wells would star at the Grand Ole Opry
- 69 years before Martina McBride and her acclaimed "Independence
Day"
Roba Stanley – began her career at the age of 15 –
fresh of the Georgia farm
career lasted barely nine to ten months
few recordings for Okeh – first female solo artist "Devilish
Mary" and "Mister Chicken"
- fall of 1925 – married – moved to Florida – quit singing
- was very surprised when 50 years later people tracked her down
- taken to Nashville and honored from the stage by members of the Grand Ole Opry
Gallery
Roba Stanley
Roni Stoneman ~ A Bit of a
Family Thing
First Lady of Banjo
Perhaps you remember from Module II the importance of Ernest Van
"Pop" Stoneman. Well – he is called Pop for
a reason as he and his wife Hattie had seventeen children – many of whom became
performers in the very famous musical tradition of the Stoneman
Family.
- sister Donna, mandolin; Van, guitar; Jimmy, bass and Roni,
banjo
- started touring with the family ~ Pop Stoneman and
His Little Pebbles
- 3-finger banjo style
- recorded and toured extensively
- bad marriages [1-"near pathological" aversion to work; 2-substance
abuse]
- Hee Haw
- "family" nature of country music – then and now
Gallery
Roni Stoneman
The Superstars
Patsy Montana, Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn
Patsy Montana (1908-1996)
Signature Tune ~ I Want to be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart (1935/6)
- first million-selling female artist
- energetic voice – yodeling
- played guitar and fiddle
- joined the Kentucky Ramblers – became the Prairie Ramblers
- Louisiana Hayride
*side note*
although the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville is, and has
been the “bastion” of country music – one needs to remember the importance of
other such venues as the WLS & WSB Barn Dances and the Louisiana Hayride
[among many] which have been important performance venues for many, many
artists
Kitty Wells (born 1919)
Signature Tune ~ It Wasn’t God that Made Honky Tonk
Angels (1952)
Queen of Country Music
- learned to play guitar at age 14
- father and uncle country musicians and mother was a gospel singer
- at age 18 married Johnnie Wright
- toured as “girl singer” with Johnnie & Jack
- Louisiana Hayride [KWKH Shreveport]
- incredible success with the Decca recording – It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
- top female country star of her generation
- has received virtually award possible for a recording artist
- proved a woman could “sell” records and “headline” shows
- opened doors for all other women in country music
Patsy Cline (1932-1963)
Signature Tunes ~ Crazy, Sweet Dreams, Walkin’ After
Midnight, I Fall to Pieces, et al
An Icon
- most popular female country singer in recording history [until Shania Twain]
- the “gold standard” for all female vocalists
- influenced Loretta Lynn, Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood, Wynona Judd, et al
- #1 jukebox hit of all-time – “Crazy” [written by Willie Nelson]
- short life and short career
- born in Winchester, Virginia [given name Virginia Patterson Hensley]
- showed musical talent at an early age
- father – amateur singer [also sexually abused Patsy at an early age]
- 1st marriage – Gerald Cline – short
- first recording contract – 1954 – bad business deal
- national television debut – Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts – sang Walkin’ after Midnight
- 2nd marriage – Charlie Dick – turbulent
- moved to Nashville – Randy Hughes, manager – performed with Grand Ole Opry
- Owen Bradley, Decca – started producing her classic recordings
-premonitions of her death to friends Loretta Lynn, Dottie West and June Carter
[Cash]
- killed tragic plane crash
- since death – remains hugely popular
- life made into a movie “Sweet Dreams”
- has received every honor possible in country music and also in popular music
[crossover artist]
Loretta Lynn (born 1934/35)
Signature Tune ~ Coal Miner’s Daughter
First Lady of Country Music
- born in Butcher Holler, KY – one-room log cabin, second of eight children
- poor coal-mining family and community
- married at age 13 – Oliver “Mooney” Lynn
- mother by age 14
- moved to Custer, Washington to get away from coal mines
- by the time she was 18 – had four children
- Mooney bought her a guitar and encouraged her to sing – started singing with
a local band in Washington
- drove cross-country with her husband promoting first record “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl”
- first appeared on Grand Ole Opry based upon
strength of first recording
- started touring with the Wilburn Brothers
- after move to Nashville – signed with Decca and producer Owen Bradley
- very successful
- started writing songs from a strong feminists point of view
such as Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your
Mind) (1966), Your Squaw Is on the
Warpath (1968), Woman of the World
(Leave My World Alone) (1969), and a tune about birth control called The Pill (1974)
- extraordinarily successful as solo artist and duet [Conway Twitty]
- many number one and top ten hits
- 1970 wrote – “Coal Miner’s Daughter” – became on of her biggest hits
- 1976 wrote autobiography – subsequently made into a hit movie [both names
Coal Miner’s Daughter]
- in 1993 recorded Hony Tonk
Angels with Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton
- in 2004 released Van Lear Rose
- hard to overstate contributions and influence on others
- has received every honor possible in country music
Listening
I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart
It wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Crazy ~ Sweet Dreams ~ Walkin’ After Midnight ~ I
Fall to Pieces
Coal Miner’s Daughter
Gallery
Polly Jenkins, Roba Stanley & Roni
Stoneman
Patsy Montana, Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline & Loretta Lynn
Note
at this juncture – a person could choose
from literally dozens and dozens of women who have been successful and
influential in the field of country music – I have chosen two more of which to
make special note – then list others – particularly stars of today that it
seems to me should be mentioned
Tammy Wynette & Dolly Parton
Tammy Wynette (1942-1998)
Signature Tune ~ Stand By Your Man (1968)
- along with Loretta Lynn & Dolly Parton
dominated country music charts in the 60’s and 70’s
- all three creative, unique and articulated the perspective of women
- very influential on others
- also D-I-V-O-R-C-E
- married several times – including George Jones [star in his own right]
- had over twenty #1 hits and sold tens of millions of records
Dolly Parton (born 1946)
True Crossover Artist
- took up with Lynn & Wynette – then moved also
to popular culture
- mother was a singer, grandfather – fiddling preacher
- very poor circumstance
- first appeared on Grand Ole Opry at age 13 (1959)
- co-starred with Porter Wagoner – duet partner
- early #1 hits [Joshua, Love is Like a Butterfly, Jolene, I Will Always Love
You]
- movie career [9 to 5 and Rhinestone]
- incredible business success – Dollywood
- continues to be a force in country music and popular culture
Listening
Stand By Your Man
Gallery
Tammy Wynette
Dolly Parton
Other Women of Note
Reba McEntire
Tanya Tucker
Trisha Yearwood
Lee Ann Womack
Allison Krause
Dixie Chicks
Wynonna Judd
Shania Twain