Patsy Montana

Born Ruby Rose Blevins on a farm near, Hot Springs, Arkansas, on 30 October 1908, Patsy Montana was the eleventh child and only daughter of her family. Wikipedia has her taking part of her stage name from the rope-trick silent film star, Monte Montana. Her recording career extended above fifty years during which time she had been typically busy in radio. She also composed titles like 'Homesick for My Old Cabin' in 1933. Knowing music from church and yodeler, Jimmie Rodgers, on the radio, Patsy left home for California in 1930 with her brother and his wife [*]. While studying music at UCLA a talent contest led to her own radio program called 'The Yodeling Cowgirl From San Antone' on KMIC in Los Angeles. In 1932 she headed back east where she obtained spots on radio KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, there meeting Jimmie Davis who invited her even further east to record western songs in New Camden, NJ. Praguefrank's, using Russell's 'Country Music Records', finds her there on November 4 of 1932, yodeling on 'Bury Me in Old Kentucky' (Victor 23749). DAHR adds 'Jealous Lover' and 'Gambler's Return' on Victor 23778 and 'Home in Caroline' on Victor 23749. That same date Ed Davis accompanied her at guitar on 'Montana Plains' (unissued), 'Sailor's Sweetheart' (unissued) and 'I Love My Daddy Too' bw 'When the Flowers of Montana Were Blooming' (Victor 23760). Rocky 52 has Victor 23749 issued in December of 1932. Victor 23760 saw issue in February of 1933.

'Bury Me In Old Kentucky'   Patsy Montana w Jimmie Davis

Montana's first-known recording

4 Nov 1932 in Camden NJ   Matrix BS-59064   Victor 23749

Fiddle: Montana   Guitar: Ed Davis

Composition: Jimmie Davis

'Jealous Lover'   Patsy Montana w Jimmie Davis

Montana's second-known recording

4 Nov 1932 in Camden NJ   Matrix BS-59065   Victor 23778

Fiddle: Montana   Guitar: Ed Davis

Composition: Jimmie Davis

'Gambler's Return'   Patsy Montana w Jimmie Davis

Montana's third-known recording

4 Nov 1932 in Camden NJ   Matrix BS-59066   Victor 23778

Fiddle: Montana   Guitar: Ed Davis

Composition: Jimmie Davis

'Home in Caroline'   Patsy Montana w Jimmie Davis

Montana's fourth-known recording

4 Nov 1932 in Camden NJ   Matrix BS-59067   Victor 23749

Fiddle: Montana   Guitar: Ed Davis

Composition: Ed Davis

'I Love My Daddy Too'   Patsy Montana w Ed Davis (guitar)

Montana's seventh-known recording   Third-known name recording   First-known to issue

4 Nov 1932 in Camden NJ   Matrix BS-59070   Victor 23760

Composition: Montana

'When the Flowers of Montana Were Blooming'   Patsy Montana w Ed Davis (guitar)

Montana's eighth-known recording   Fourth-known name recording   Second-known to issue

4 Nov 1932 in Camden NJ   Matrix BS-59071   Victor 23760

Composition: Montana

Patsy was at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 when she fell in with the Prairie Ramblers, she to sing and yodel with them for radio WLS AM on the 'National Barn Dance' program. She put away tracks with the Prairie Ramblers on 6 December of 1933: 'Homesick for My Old Cabin' with 'Home Coral' on Bluebird B-5973 and 'Montana Plains' with 'Waltz on the Hills' on Bluebird B-5404. Further recordings went down with the Prairie Ramblers on multiple dates in 1935 including her composition, 'I Wanna Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart' which brought her to the national spotlight in a big way when it became the first country record by a female musician to sell one million copies.

'Homesick For My Old Cabin'   Patsy Montana (guitar) w the Prairie Ramblers

6 Dec 1933 in Chicago   Matrix 77247-1   Bluebird B-5973

Mouth harp / guitar: Floyd Lee Salty Holmes

Fiddle: Shelby David Tex Atchison   Mandola: Charles Gilbert Chick Hurt

Upright Bass: Jack Taylor

Composition: Montana

'Home Corral'   Patsy Montana (guitar) w the Prairie Ramblers

6 Dec 1933 in Chicago   Matrix 77248-1   Bluebird B-5973

Mouth harp / guitar: Floyd Lee Salty Holmes

Fiddle: Shelby David Tex Atchison   Mandola: Charles Gilbert Chick Hurt

Upright Bass: Jack Taylor

Composition: Montana

'I Wanna Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart'   Patsy Montana w the Prairie Ramblers

16 Aug 1935 in NYC   Matrix 17966-1

Melotone 5-11-56 / Conqueror 8575 / Vocalion 03010

Clarinet: Bill Thall   Mouth harp / guitar: Floyd Lee Salty Holmes

Fiddle: Shelby David Tex Atchison   Mandola: Charles Gilbert Chick Hurt

Piano: Bob Miller   Upright Bass: Jack Taylor

Composition: Montana

'The Wheel of the Wagon Is Broken'   Patsy Montana w the Prairie Ramblers

25 March 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1320-2

Melotone 6-06-58 / Conqueror 8654 / Vocalion 04518

Guitar: Floyd Lee Salty Holmes

Fiddle: Shelby David Tex Atchison   Mandola: Charles Gilbert Chick Hurt

Upright Bass: Jack Taylor

Composition: Montana

'Give Me a Home in Montana'   Patsy Montana w the Prairie Ramblers

25 March 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1322-1

Melotone 6-06-58 / Conqueror 8654 / Vocalion 04518

Guitar: Floyd Lee Salty Holmes

Fiddle: Shelby David Tex Atchison   Mandola: Charles Gilbert Chick Hurt

Upright Bass: Jack Taylor

Composition: Montana

'Echoes From the Hills'   Patsy Montana (fiddle / guitar) w the Prairie Ramblers

13 Oct 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1561-2   Melotone 7-01-52 / Conqueror 8744

Fiddle: Shelby David Tex Atchison