Billie Maxwell
| Billie Maxwell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Billie Maxwell, the Cow Girl Singer |
| Born | 1906 |
| Died | 1954 |
| Genres | Country music |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1929 |
| Labels | Victor Records |
Billie Maxwell (1906–1954)[1] was the first woman recorded in country music,[1][2] and the first recorded musician from Arizona.[3] She played guitar with The White Mountain Orchestra, and recorded three vocal discs with Victor Records.
Life
She was born in 1906 to Curtis Maxwell, a locally known fiddler.[2] She grew up in Nutrioso,[3] near Springerville, Arizona.[2] The family worked primarily as ranchers.[3] Her father started a folk group called The White Mountain Orchestra while Billie was a child, and they would perform around the area, often playing at dances.[2] She joined the band as a guitarist in her teens.[4]
She was married in 1929 to A. Chester Warner, a school teacher.[4] She continued playing with the band.[2] Around that time, Ralph Peer was having auditions held around the southwestern U.S. to find new artists for Victor Records.[2] The White Mountain Orchestra was selected from a local audition in June 1929 to travel to El Paso, Texas, to record for him.[4] The band went to El Paso on 2 July 1929 and recorded four songs, including Escudilla Waltz.[4] While Peer was listening to the session, he asked Billie to sing.[4] She recorded five songs singing solo, with guitar and violin.[5] The first song was recorded on July 2, the remainder on July 11.[5] The discs were published with Maxwell identified as Billie Maxwell, the Cow Girl Singer.[5] Her songs spoke honestly of the struggles of poorer women.[3] She continued to perform with the White Mountain Orchestra until the birth of her first child.[2] She had two children,[6] and died at age 48 from cancer.[3]
Discography
Maxwell released three discs with two songs each, in 78rpm format.[3]
Disc One:
- "Billy Venero, pt I"
- "Billy Venero, pt II"[5]
It was issued 22 November 1929 and sold 3125 copies.[7]
Disc Two:
- "The Arizona Girl I Left Behind Me"
- "The Cowboy's Wife"[5]
It sold 2641 copies.[7]
Disc Three:
- "Haunted Hunter"
- "When Your Sweetheart Waits For You, Jack"[5]
It sold 1300 copies.[7]
The Cowboy's Wife was re-released on the Banjo Pickin' Girls album published by Rounder.[8] Billy Venero was re-released on When I Was A Cowboy, Vol. 2: Early American Songs of the West, Classic Recordings from the 1920s and 30s by Yazoo Records.[9] Her original discs are collector's items, worth more than $400 in 2011.[3] Her work was featured in the Musical Instrument Museum's 100 Years of Arizona Music exhibit.[2]
References
- 1 2 Wolfe 2002, p. 261.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The Arizona Experience 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ventre 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Wolfe 2002, p. 262.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Discography of American Historical Recordings 2016.
- ↑ Wolfe 2002, p. 265.
- 1 2 3 Wolfe 2002, p. 264.
- ↑ Wolfe 2002, p. 263.
- ↑ Yazoo Records 2000.
Sources
- Ventre, Sarah (7 April 2011). "Billie Maxwell's Records Are the Oldest Made By an Arizonan-- and John Dixon Wants One". Phoenix New Times (Phoenix, AZ). Retrieved 15 Jan 2016.
- Wolfe, Charles K. (2002). Classic Country: Legends of Country Music. Routledge. ISBN 9781135957346. Retrieved 15 Jan 2016.
- "Billie Maxwell (vocalist)". Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library. 2016. Retrieved 15 Jan 2016.
- "Cowboy Music". The Arizona Experience. Arizona Centennial Commission. 2012. Retrieved 15 Jan 2016.
- "When I was a Cowboy, Vol. 2". Yazoo Records. 2000. Retrieved 15 Jan 2016.
External links
- Maxwell, Billie (1929). "Cowboy's Wife". Soundcloud. Victor Records. Retrieved 15 Jan 2016.
- The White Mountain Orchestra (1929). "Escudilla Waltz". Soundcloud. Victor Records. Retrieved 15 Jan 2016.
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