This paper describes the background of some of the few women who were household names in country music in the post-World War II boom. George Lewis writes, "The roots of modern country music are sunk deep in post-World War II America, a time of great shifts and changes in the social fabric of the country" (7). Reflecting society as a whole at the time, women were present and active, but often in supporting roles. It was not until the later 1950s that country music began to shift from being a largely male-dominated field.
Being a member of a family group was often the best hope a female country singer had of building a successful career up until this time. As the Grand Ole Opry and other Nashville, Tennessee, concerns began to establish Nashville as the center of country music, the Opry slowly started to feature more women in the main spotlight, but it was still a rare sight. Wolfe writes, "There were banjo-picking girls like Lily May Ledford and Molly O'Day and cowgirls like Patsy Montana. There were novelty singers like the Dezurik Sisters, whose trick yodeling and harmonizing gave them the name 'the Cackle Sisters' and landed them a radio spot for Purina Feeds" (56).
The Carter Family (including lead vocalist Sara Dougherty Carter and Maybelle Addington Carter, who sang harmony and played guitar) started recording in 1927; by the end of the war, they had disbanded, but their influence was still powerful. Charles K. Wolfe calls them "the granddaddy of all country music success stories" (2). The family was the product of the mountains of southwest Virginia singing traditional gospel and shape note songs. Maybelle's daughters, Anita, June, and Helen, went on to form the Carter Sisters, often including their mother in the act. During this period, Chet Atkins frequently played electric guitar with them.
Martha Carson was one of the women popular during this period, and she had started as a perform...