Stephanie Vander Wel Knihy

A PopMatters Best Non-Fiction Book of 2020 From the 1930s to the 1960s, the booming popularity of country music threw a spotlight on a new generation of innovative women artists. These individuals blazed trails as singers, musicians, and performers even as the industry hemmed in their potential popularity with labels like woman hillbilly, singing cowgirl, and honky-tonk angel. Stephanie Vander Wel looks at the careers of artists like Patsy Montana, Rose Maddox, and Kitty Wells against the backdrop of country music's golden age. Analyzing recordings and appearances on radio, film, and television, she connects performances to real and imagined places and examines how the music sparked new ways for women listeners to imagine the open range, the honky-tonk, and the home. The music also captured the tensions felt by women facing geographic disruption and economic uncertainty. While classic songs and heartfelt performances might ease anxieties, the subject matter underlined women's ambivalent relationships to industrialism, middle-class security, and established notions of femininity.

Focusing on the careers of pioneering female country artists like Patsy Montana, Rose Maddox, and Kitty Wells, this book explores their contributions during country music's golden age. It examines how their performances in various media shaped women's perceptions of freedom and home, while also reflecting the societal challenges they faced, such as economic uncertainty and industrialism. Through analysis of recordings and appearances, the author highlights the complex emotions these artists evoked, revealing the ambivalence women felt towards traditional roles and modernity.