Appalachian Women and Traditional Music

Annotated Books

Allen, Bob. Blackwell Guide to Recorded Country Music. 1994

Alloy, Evelyn. Working Women's Music: The Songs and Struggles of Women in the Cotton
    Mills, Textile Plants, and Needle Trades. Somerville, MASS: New England Free Press,
    1976.

• This book is a collection of labor songs with historical background information to place the songs in their correct context. The most pertinent chapter contains information about the spread of the textile industry into the South. Over a dozen songs (vocal line only) are provided to represent the laborers of the region. Other chapters discuss early industrialization, labor revolts and organizers, and the struggles of black workers.

Blackwell, Lois. The Wings of the Dove: The Story of Gospel Music in America. Norfolk:
    Downing, 1978

• Weak overview of the emergence of gospel music in America. Numerous female singers are discussed.

• Invaluable source on the history of women in country music. This survey begins with country music's pre-commercial Appalachian roots in the 1800's and documents through the 1990's. Hundreds of female performers are covered, both the famous and the more obscure. The extensive bibliography is organized by performer.

Burt, Jesse, and Duane Allen. The History of Gospel Music. Nashville: K&S Press, 1971.

• This volume does not specifically address the issue of women in gospel music, though numerous women of Appalachian extraction are discussed or interviewed (Dottie Rambo, for example). Of particular interest is the biographical information provided for major performers and performing families.

• This slim volume contains information on five female ballad singers from the Beech Mountain [North Carolina] region: Rena Hicks, Buna Hicks, Hattie Presnell, Lena Harmon, and Bertha Baird. They talk about their life histories and discuss the ballads they sing. Includes lyrics and photos and cassette.

Campbell, Olive. The Life and Work of John Campbell. Madison, WI:
    College Printing & Typing Company.

• 650- page biography of the collector, by his research partner and wife, Olive Campbell. Difficult to wade through, as no index is provided.

• A fabulous look at the rich history of bluegrass music. Chapters cover hillbilly music as a predecessor to bluegrass, the history of southern song, the complexity of bluegrass rhythms, the relationship between bluegrass and jazz, the social history of the region from which the idiom emerged, etc. Bill Monroe's career is discussed at length. Though little attention is paid to the contributions of female performers, some females are discussed.

• A look at the folk revival of the sixties and seventies. The focus of this book is largely upon male performers such as Pete and Mike Seeger, Bob Dylan, and the Kingston Trio. However, some mention is made of Appalachian women performers (like Jean Ritchie, Aunt Molly Jackson, and the Carter women) and how they fit into the movement.

• A history of country music with chapters devoted to the beginnings of commercialization, the rise of Nashville, and modern country, etc. Numerous photographs are included, as well as a song title index. The Carter Family, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and more are discussed, but not in tremendous detail.

• The autobiography of Jeanette Carter, daughter of Sara and A.P. Carter. Includes photographs.

• June Carter, daughter of the Carter Family's Maybelle Carter, tells the story of her life from her early life in the Clinch Mountains of Virginia, her years as a performer, up to her life as a grandmother. Many topics are covered including her years at WRVA in Richmond, VA with her mother and her sisters Anita and Helen, her career at the Grand Ole Opry, her marriage to Johnny Cash and her subsequent step back from an active performing career. (Note: Carter-Cash still releases music sporadically, the latest in 1999).

• This book consists of a series of vignettes, arranged without regard to chronological order. They consist of personal stories from Cash's performing career, her memories of such greats as Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline, her role as mother and wife, and generally life lessons learned.

Conway, Cecilia. African Banjo Echoes in Appalachia: A Study of FolkTraditions. U of T Press, 1995.

• A definitive study of the banjo and its place in the American, and especially African-American, folk tradition. Included are discussions of the banjo's African birth, the role minstrelry played in popularizing banjo music in America, construction methods and use, tunings, etc. Though the book focuses largely on male banjoists, there are some references to female players. Also notable are the excellent photographs and illustrations. Contains selected bibliography and song title index.

• Contains section on the Carter Family and their rise to fame. Some excellent photos included.

Cuthbert, John A. West Virginia Folk Music. WVUP, 1982.

• A listing of archival musical holdings in the state of West Virginia. Many females included. An excellent resource for the serious researcher.

• This book is divided into seven sections devoted to musicians in the various genres of "country music". Of particular interest is the section entitled "Deep Country". It includes biographical information about Sara Carter and patsy Cline, both from Eastern Virginia. Good bibliography.

• This book discusses the relationship between folk music and leftist movements in the United States. Chapters discuss the roots of folk awareness in rural America, the relationship between folk music and the radical right, etc. Numerous female singers are discussed.

• This book contains five chapters- on each devoted to a popular female country singer. Three hail from the Appalachian region: Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and June Carter. Many excellent and rare photos.

Dowda, Russ. Appalachian Women in the 19th Century and Their Image in the Murder Ballads of the Time.
    Berea, KY: Council of the Southern Mountains, 1978.

The Early Recording Career of Earnest V. "Pop" Stoneman: A Bio-Discography.
    The John Edwards Memorial Foundation.

• This pamphlet provides a short written account of the life and recording career of Earnest Stoneman. It also provides a definitive list of the recordings he made. This source would be of interest to anyone researching Stoneman's wife, Hattie.

• This book traces the development of some of the prevalent themes in country music. Some discussion of how female singers acted as models for female fans. The songs of Cline, Lynn, and Parton are discussed in relation to women and traditional roles.

• An Annotated bibliography whose topics include: Collections and Anthologies, Collectors, Singers Musicians and Other Performers, Text-Centered Studies, Studies of History Context and Style, Festivals, Dance, Specialized Reference Tools, etc. Contains many annotations regarding female musicians from Kentucky. Very useful resource.

• A look at the meteoric rise of Dolly Parton- her Eastern Tennessee roots, her start in Nashville (particularly her partnership with Porter Waggoner, her Hollywood ventures, and her career as a songwriter. Of special interest is the role that music played in the family life of the Parton's, and also the ramifications of attempting to "cross-over" into more mainstream styles while still holding to the image of a mountain girl.

• A collection of essays about country music. Of particular interest: "Loretta and the Pill: The Changing Relationships between Men and Women" about Lynn's controversial song and the change in marital dynamics it describes.

•     Ed. Julia S. Ardery. Lexington: UP of KY, 1983.The story of Jim Garland's life. An extensive autobiography, it includes information on Aunt Molly Jackson and Sarah Ogan Gunning, his relations.

• This autobiography of Miles, a writer and artist, uses information collected from her diaries and letters. It follows her life from her birth in Indiana in 1879, her move to Walden's Ridge TN when she was eleven, her writings on Appalachia and Appalachian music, to her early death at age 39 from poverty and tuberculosis. Valuable resource on one of Appalachia's pioneers in the field of Appalachian study.

Grattan, Virginia L. Women Songwriters: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Press, 1993.

Green, Archie. "Aunt Molly Jackson: A Bio-Bibliography." Ms. Archie Green papers.
    Southern Folklife Collection, UNC at Chapel Hill. 1964.

Green, Archie. Only a Miner: Studies in Recorded Coal-Mining Songs. Urbana: U of ILL Press, 1972.

• Discussion of songs about the coal-mining industry. Includes some discographies and an extensive bibliography. Appalachian singers discussed include Aunt Molly Jackson, Sarah Ogun Gunning, Hedy West, etc.

• A history of country music- informative, but not as comprehensive or as scholarly as some of the other texts available. Topics discussed include the oral traditions, early commercialism, comedy, bluegrass, gospel, etc. Many female performers are discussed, such as Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Cousin Emmy, Molly O'Day, and more. The true strength of the book lie in its excellent use of illustrations, a chronology including Top Five records, and a representative discography.

• This book follows the history of the Grand Ole Opry and its most popular performers from its inception as the WSM Barn Dance in 1925, its years at the Ryman Auditorium, up through the late eighties. Many female performers are discussed, including Minnie Pearl, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, etc. Very thorough.

• A fine (if slim) introduction to women in country music. This hostory spans from the oral tradition that preceeded the industrialization of music, up through the early nineties. Topics covered include the barn dance, Western Swing, Honky Tonk, the Nashville Sound, folk movements, etc. Numerous women of Appalachian extraction are discussed.

Hull, Kenneth. Lily May- A Legend in out Time. Paris, KY: K.Hull, 1970.

• Slender volume on Lily May Ledford. Provides information on the Coon Creek Girls and some transcripts of lyrics. This volume will suffice for an overview on Ledford's career, but there are other more comprehensive resources available.

Hurst, Jack. Nashville's Grand Ole Opry. NY: Henry N. Abrams, 1975.

• A large, pictorial history of the Opry. Excellent source for photographs.

• An academic look at issues of authenticity that inevitably arise in studying country music of the 50's and 60's. Much of the book focuses on Patsy Cline (of Winchester, VA) and the question of whether her music was more "country" or more "pop". Included are discussions on the problems of romanticization in folk idioms and the influence of rock 'n' roll.

Karpeles, Maud. Cecil Sharp: His Life and Work. Chicago: U of Chicago Press, 1967.

• A biography of Cecil Sharp, written by Sharp's Literary Executor and friend Maud Karpeles. Contains information on Sharp's time in the Appalachians where he collected ballads. Many of the people he gathered songs from were women.

• History of country music published by the CMF in Nashville. Huge number of photographs, an excellent resource.

• A collection of articles, essays, and reviews by contributors to the Journal of Country Music. Of particular interest: "The Legend that Peer Built" by Charles Wolfe, an essay about the 1927 Bristol sessions- Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family in particular- and "The JCM Gallery", a collection of photographs that have appeared in the journal. The book concludes with reviews of books on country music.

• Encyclopedic entries feature bio with representative recordings for the artist. Includes ten essays on country music, plus numerous appendices.

Kochman, Marilyn. The Big Book of Bluegrass. NY: William Morrow & Co., 1984.

• This book is exclusively male-focused except for an interview with members of the McLain Family Band of Berea, KY. Ruth, a daughter in the McLain family is one interviewed.

• This account begins with the early settlement of James Renfro and depicts the life of Kentuckians in the region through the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. Lair discusses the music he heard in his childhood, and the singing of old ballads by his grandmother, Matilda Dulton. The latter portion of this slim book contains information on the start of the Renfro Valley Barn Dance and some of its early performers, such as the Coon Creek Girls.

• This slim volume is the autobiography of Lily May Ledford, an original member of the Coon Creek Girls, one of the first all- female bands. The book documents her childhood in Powell County, Kentucky through her career at Chicago's WLS, Renfro Valley Barn Dance, etc. up through the late seventies.

• A collection of photographs by Les Leverett, one-time photographer for the Grand Ole Opry. All photographs are owned by the IBMA museum in Owensboro, KY. The dates of the photographs range from the early sixties through the early nineties. Some of the women included are Wilma Lee Cooper, June and Maybelle Carter, Minnie Pearl, the Lewis and Whites families, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, and Jean Shepherd.

• A good textbook on American folk music- Anglo-American, African- American, and Native American. More attention is payed to historical developments than to specific performers, but this is still a good, beginner source. Chapters of interest: Beginnings, Mass Media, Anglo-American Secular Music, Anglo-American Folk Music, and The Folk Revivals.

• Provides extensive discographies for Virginia recordings of blues, country, and gospel. Many Anglo-American Appalachian performers, females included. Notes on the performers.

• The autobiography of Loretta Lynn's rise to fame, later made into a film starring Sissey Spacek. Her childhood in Eastern Kentucky is discussed, as well as her "hillbilly" image in country music. The long career of this performer has displayed her intriguing contradictions- the traditional nature of many of her songs such as "Coal Miner's Daughter", and her more radical side, evident in songs like "The Pill".

• An indispensable source for the study of country music in the United States. The term "country music" may be misleading as the topics covered include folk music before commercialization, early commercialization and hillbilly music, Western music, bluegrass, and chapters on what is more commonly considered "country music". Included are excellent bibliographical essays for each chapter, containing as much pertinent information as the chapters proper. Also a guide to recordings and an index of song titles.

• This book is comprised of three essays on the development of country music: "Southern Rural Music in the Nineteenth Century", "Popular Culture and the Music of the South", and "Mountaineers and Cowboys: Country Music's Search for Identity". The third essay is of particular interest as it contains critical examinations of the Carter Family and Jean Ritchie. Chapter notes provide extensive bibliographical information.

• The focus of this text is almost exclusively male, except for sections on both the Carter Family and Loretta Lynn.

Miles, Emma Bell. The Spirit of the Mountains. NY: James Poll & Co., 1905.

• Book by the poet, artist, and writer Emma Bell Miles, written by the author when she was in her mid-twenties. It describes Southern mountain life and culture. Though it did not sell well at the time, this book influenced a generation of later scholars studying Appalachia. Of particular signifigance is the eighth chapter "Some Real American Music" which describes the music of the Appalachians, both instrumental and vocal, and includes transcriptions for some songs.

• Biography of the Judds. Provides information on Naomi's early marriage and move out West, her return to Kentucky with her children, their start in the music industry, and their enormous success. Some photos. Includes a chapter devoted to the story behind their hits.

Milnes, Gerald. Play of a Fiddle: Traditional Music, Dance, and Folklore in West Virginia. UP of KY, 1999.

• An exploration into West Virginia's rich history of traditional music, as well as other art forms and social aspects that influenced the growth of the music. Chapters focus on fiddling, gospel-singing, ballad-singing, the African-American influence, dulcimer traditions, etc. Wonderful photographs, bibliography, and selected discography.

• A study of white vernacular sacred singing in the nineteen counties which comprise south central Kentucky. Does not include African-American gospel singers. Topics covered include shape-note singing, singing conventions, church-singing, gospel quartets, singing families and more. Many female musicians, singers, and all-female musical groups are included.Comprehensive list of amateur gospel groups (past and present) from the region, as well as a list of current shape-not singing teachers.

• A book of interviews with country greats. Of particular interest are interviews with the Judds (26 pages), Loretta Lynn (19 pages), Dolly Parton (22 pages), and Minnie Pearl (23 pages).

• A substantial biography of Dolly Parton. Includes discography, but no index. Numerous photos.

• Story of the life of Patsy Cline (1932-1964) from her childhood in Winchester, Virginia to her death in a plane crash in Tennessee. An appendix includes Cline's recording history and songs recorded by Cline.

• Story of the Carter family, one of the first groups to bring country music to a broad audience. Beginning with the early lives of the original Carter Family, their discovery at the 1927 Bristol Sessions, Maybelle Carter's career with her daughters, through June Carter's marriage to Johnnie Cash. Some pictures, but no index of recordings.

• Autobiography of Dolly Parton, perhaps the most famous country singer of all time. Beginning with her rural childhood in East Tennessee, the book follows her career from her first record at the age of twelve through her years on the Grand Ole Opry, her numerous partnerships with Porter Waggoner and Kenny Rogers, and her adult recordings. Of particular interest are the stories concerining music in her Appalachian family. Numerous photographs are included, as well as a question and answer chapter.

• Portrait of the Parton family, by Willadeene, Dolly's older sister. Provides information on the homelife of the twelve Parton children, the role of music and religion in their lives, etc. Includes, recipes, songs, verses, few photos.

• This book is a history of bluegrass, though not as comprehensive as Cantwell's or Rosenberg's books. Its focus is nearly exclusive male, though mention is made of a few female performers including the Carter Family, and the Lewis Family.

• A somewhat simplified look at country music. Topics covered include country's European and African roots, love songs, work songs, adventure songs, and songs of home. Many songs are quoted extensively and some attention is payed to female performers, such as the Carter Family.

• Reference guide to major bluegrass players. Designed for radio programmers.

• Autobiography of Almeda Riddle's life: influences of her father and his songs, as well as other family singers. Musical transcriptions of many ballads and texts as sung by Granny Riddle.

Ritchie, Jean. Dulcimer People. NY: Oak Publications, 1963.

Ritchie, Jean. A Garland of Mountain Song. NY: Broadcast Music, 1953.

• A collection of songs with intoductions. Forward by Aln Lomax discusses the singing Ritchies.

• The autobiography of singer-songwriter Jean Ritchie's childhood in Viper, Kentucky. It offers an intimate portrait of growing up in Appalachia in the first half of the twentieth century, with many insights into the music of the region. Discussions of and transcriptions of many ballads are included.

• Biography of Molly Jackson, a Kentucky folksinger and songwriter, political activist. The book is divided into three sections: the first discusses the growth of coal-mining communities in Appalachia; the second covers the life of Molly Jackson, as well as that of her sister and fellow singer, Sarah Ogun Gunning; the final section covers music and political resistance and the role of women in resistence. Excellent bibliography.

Sandberg, Larry, and Dick Weissman. The Folk Music Sourcebook. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.

• This resource covers many ethnic groups and locales, but offers valuable information on Anglo-American folk music. Includes info on recordings of instrumental music, traditional songs and singers, old-time string bands, and bluegrass. Includes sections on songbooks, reference books, instructional books, etc.

• A collection of ballads and songs collected by Dorothy Scarborough, a collector and professor at Columbia. The songs were collected in Virginia and North Carolina. Of particular note are her accounts of collecting songs from the women of the region. Included are thorough indexes and a discussion of the use of modality in southern ballads.

• A slim biography of Dolly Parton.

Shelton, Robert. The Country Music Story. NY: Bobbs-Merrill, 1966.

• Chronicles the rise of country music. Section on influential performers includes information on the Carter Family. Though some other women are listed, marginal information is provided. Excellent photos.

• Information on many women singers and songwriters in the alphabetical listing. There is also an expansive discography.

• Biography of Jane Hicks Gentry, of Watauga County NC, the most fruitful source of ballads collected by Cecil Sharp. Forty of the seventy ballads Sharp collected from Gentry were published in Sharp's English Folksongs from the Southern Appalachians. This biography chronicles her life, her family, and her singing. Included are transcriptions of the songs Sharp collected and a discography of Maud Gentry Long, daughter of Jane and also a singer.

Sorrels, Rosalie, ed. What, Women, and Who. Wooden Shoe, 1974.

Stambler, Irwin, and Grelun Landon. The Encyclopedia of Folk, Country, and Western Music.
    NY: St Martin's, 1984.
 

• Encyclopedic listings with one- or two-page bios. Some photos.

• Slim retrospective for the Opry. Not the most comprehensive available.

• A narrative and collection of folk songs from the Cumberlands, collected by Jean Thomas, herself from Kentucky. Some tunes collected from females.

• A collection of ballads and songs (with vocal line and chordal accompaniment) collected by Jean Thomas, a Kentucky collector known as the "traipsin' woman". The first half of the book consists of chapters discussing how the songs were used in daily life in the Southern Highlands- at funerals, parties, courting, singing to children, etc.

• This book takes an academic look at the prevalent themes of country music: the lost childhood home, the road, class struggle, and loneliness. Some of the female artists discussed include Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Kathy Chiavola, and Andrea Zonn. Included are a discography of featured songs, bibliography, and chapter notes, as well as CD featuring Parton, Harris, Chiavola, Laurie Lewis, and the Tashians.

• This slim volume includes a biographical sketch of Molly O'Day [Lois LaVerne Williamson], a singer from Kentucky who deeply influenced country and bluegrass music. A discography is included.

• An excellent source on the regional folk idioms of West Virginia. Chapters cover mountaineer musical heritage, early recording artists, the rise of radio and later television, the post-war growth of bluegrass, West Virginia in relation to the national country scene, etc. Many female performers are mentioned. Excellent bibliography.

• Excellent biography of the Stoneman family. Lots of information on the female members of the family, though the discography includes only the work of Ernest V. Stoneman.

• Excellent book of black and white photographs of Nashville country music artists. Some women from the Appalachian region are represented.

• A collection of lyrics and music for folksongs collected by Anne and Frank Warner. A portion of the book focuses on Beech Mountain, NC with songs collected from members of the Hicks family.

• Scholarly book on folk music scholarship.

Wolfe, Charles K. Kentucky Country: Folk and Country Music of Kentucky. Lexington:
    UP of Kentucky, 1982.

• An in-depth look at the growth of folk idioms and artists in Kentucky, beginning with the balladeers of the nineteenth century through more recent artists like Jean Ritchie and Loretta Lynn. Many female artists are discussed such as the Ledford sisters (The Coon Creek Girls), Cousin Emmy, Molly O'Day, etc. Selected discography and chapter sources.

• This book examines seven genres of music that often entwine with one another in Tennessee: Old-time, blues and roots, gospel, bluegrass, country, soul, and new acoustic. The second half of the book (acting as a tour guide) focuses on the regions of Tennessee from which the genres sprang. Many female performers of the twentieth century are discussed.

• This volume is an annotated listing of Lynn's recording career. It includes a few short interviews with people she worked with, and a listing of songs she wrote. An indispensible resource.

• This anthology organizes country song lyrics by theme: home, religion. social commectary, travelling, death, cheating, etc. Numerous songs by Appalachian women are included such as Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, etc.