Chanteuse Country US née Cynthia May Carver, le 14 Mars 1903 à Lamb (Kentucky). Cousin Emmy est décédée le 11 Avril 1980 à Sherman Oaks (Californie).

This mountain music gal might have been born in a log cabin, but she was often known as "the first hillbilly to own a Cadillac." She began recording for Decca in the late '40s, her album winding up a cherished item among folk music revivalists of the '60s. One such outfit, the New Lost City Ramblers, wound up backing up Cousin Emmy on a Folkways record, but she leaves them in the dust. She was born Cynthia May Carver and from the age of seven, she enjoyed being the star entertainer among the children. Her musical ambitions eventually drove her to seek a wider audience than just the neighborhood kids. She finally saved up her money and traveled the difficult distance of 135 miles to the big town of Louisville, where radio station WHAS beckoned. Nobody at the station would listen to her, however, so she went back home and continued singing at events such as bean hullings, quilting parties, and pie suppers. Finally, someone at the aforementioned station caved in and she wound up with her own spot. She still had to make a living doing personal appearances and would typically have to drive 500 miles within a single day to fulfill both the stage and radio commitments. Her radio shows began to pick up sponsors and the country girl was moving on to even bigger towns such as Chicago and St. Louis, where she performed on KMOX. During this time, she was chosen by the City Art Museum of St. Louis as the most-perfect singer of mountain ballads.
Despite her growing fame, she only recorded one single, "Come All You Virginia Gals," and one album for Decca. This recording and her performances with Cousin Emmy & Her Kinfolk, both on-stage and on radio, created an incredibly enthusiastic fan base. Among the classic country players who credit Cousin Emmy with inspiring them to play is Grandpa Jones, who worked with her on WWVA when he was too young to be a grandpa and had no banjo on his knee. The bluegrass pioneers the Osborne Brothers heard her version of "Ruby Are You Mad" on a jukebox and decided to run with it, turning it into their band's signature song. Her original version was finally put back in print via both a CMH anthology, Fair Tender Ladies, and a set of classic Decca recordings released by MCA.

Unlike some old-time music artists, Cousin Emmy also had a bit of a career in Hollywood, appearing in films such as Swing in the Saddle and Under Western Sky. She relocated to Los Angeles during the making of these films and wound up living there for years, raising a set of adopted children and playing at local country music clubs. The members of the New Lost City Ramblers convinced her to record with them in 1967, again resulting in a superior album. A new cycle of gigs involving collaborations with this band were set in motion, including a famous appearance at the Ash Grove in Los Angeles and the Newport Folk Festival. Excerpts from the latter event were released on an anthology collection by Vanguard. She performed with the Clinch Mountain Boys on Rainbow Quest, a series of televised programs of folk music produced by Pete Seeger, and is in Festival, a late-'60s folk festival documentary in which big wigs such as Bob Dylan and Donovan tend to hog screen time. She also toured Europe in the late '60s. An essential aspect of the Cousin Emmy experience is her brassy and even outrageous personality. This puts her in the class of performers such as Uncle Dave Macon or Minnie Pearl. It is certainly not an unheard of stance in country music, but is a contrast from the serious, brooding nature of much Appalachian balladry. Not that she doesn't touch on that, as her haunting song "Graveyard" attests. But she is just as likely to come on-stage dressed in an outlandish costume and begin blowing up a rubber glove for a gag, or producing a harmonica from the valley of her cleavage. Showmanship was always a big deal with her, and she once played almost two dozen different instruments during her show. She also seems to inspire songwriters to write songs -- about her. Singer/songwriter Laura Lind has recorded "Cousin Emmy's Blues," while the band Gallon Drunk has cut "Ruby/Us and Cousin Emmy."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_Emmy

Talents : Vocals, Songwriter, Banjo, Fiddle, Guitar, Harmonica, Tenor Guitar, Ukulele, Trumpet, Accordion, Piano, 12-String Guitar, Jaw’s Harp, Dulcimer, Hand Saw, Rubber Gloves, Comedy, Yodeler, Dancer, Actress

Style musical : Comedy, Old-Time Country, Appalachian Folk, Bluegrass

http://youtu.be/ER10j-tjDPo

PRETTY LITTLE MISS OUT IN THE GARDEN (1968)

BOWLING GREEN (1968)

Years in activity :

1910 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 2000 10 20

DISCOGRAPHY

78 t. & EP

1946 78 t. DECCA 23583 (US) . COUSIN EMMY & Her KINFOLK - Ruby / The Broken Hearted One You Left All Alone
1947 78 t. DECCA 24213 (US) . Come On All You Virginia Gals / Pretty Little Miss
1947 78 t. DECCA 24214 (US) . I Wish I Was In Bowling Green / Johnny Booker
1947 78 t. DECCA 24215 (US) . Lonesome Road Blues / I Wish I Was Single Again
1947 78 t. DECCA 24216 (US) . COUSIN EMMY & Her KINFOLK - Free Little Bird / Lost John
1947 4 78 t. DECCA A 574 (US) KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN BALLADS
1956 EP BRUNSWICK OE 9258 (UK) COUSIN EMMY & Her KINFOLK - KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN BALLADS - VOL. 1 - Come On All You Virginina Girls / Pretty Little Missy Out In The Garden / I Wish I Was In Bowling Green / Johnny Booker
1956 EP BRUNSWICK OE 9259 (UK) COUSIN EMMY & Her KINFOLK - KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN BALLADS - VOL. 2 - I Wish I Was A Single Girl / Lonesome Road Blues / Free Little Bird / Lost John

Albums

1968 LP 12" FOLKWAYS FTS-31015 (US) THE NEW LOST CITY RAMBLERS WITH COUSIN EMMY - Old Tim Brooks / A Home in Old Kentucky / I'm Going 'Cross The Sea / Pretty Little Miss Out In The Garden / Little Joe / Ruby, Are You Mad At Your Man? / Dance All Night With A Bottle In Your Hand / Lost John / Bowling Green / Cat's Got The Measles / Mother's Grave / Chilly Scenes Of Winter / Graveyard / Johnny Booker / Scat Tom Kitty Puss / Shortening Bread
09/2007 CD BEAR FAMILY BCD 16853 (GER) COUSIN EMMY & HER KINFOLKS 1939-1947 - I Wish I Was In Bowling Green / Johnny Booker / Come On All You Virginia Gals / Pretty Little Miss Out In The Garden / Lonesome Road Blues / I Wish I Was A Single Girl, Again / Chilly Scenes Of Winter / Barney-O-Barney / Lost John / Ruby / Freight Train Blues / Milk Cow Blues / Broken Hearted / One You Left Behind / Free Little Bird / Opening Theme: Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane (from Louisville Radio) / Turkey In The Straw (Kinfolk Gang) (from Louisville Radio) / Groundhog (from Louisville Radio) / Lost John (from Louisville Radio) / Mother's Grave (from Louisville Radio) / Sowing On The Mountain (from Louisville Radio) / Some Of These Days (from Louisville Radio) / Ragtime Annie (from Louisville Radio) / Closing Theme (from Louisville Radio) / Second Show - Opening Theme (from Louisville Radio) / Irish Washerwoman (The Shining Fiddlers) (from Louisville Radio) / Groundhog (from Louisville Radio) / Truck Driver's Blues (Collard Bros.) (from Louisville Radio) / Cacklin' Hen (from Louisville Radio) / Little Joe (from Louisville Radio) / Closing Theme (from Louisville Radio) / Third Show - Opening Theme (from Louisville Radio) / Arkansas Traveler (from Louisville Radio) / Fisher's Hornpipe (from Louisville Radio) / Ruby (from Louisville Radio) / Wonder Who Will Meet Me There (from Louisville Radio) / Closing Theme (from Louisville Radio) / Arkansas Traveler (bonus track) / Sleepy Lou (bonus track)

© Rocky Productions 8/10/2012