The Coon Creek Girls

Popular all-female "string band" in the Appalachian style of folk music (a precursor of country music) which began in the mid-1930s. Created (and named) by John Lair for the Renfro Valley Barn Dance show, the band originally consisted of: sisters Lily May Ledford, banjo and Rosie Ledford, guitar (from Powell County, Kentucky) along with Esther "Violet" Koehler,mandolin (from Indiana) and Evelyn "Daisy" Lange, bass (from Ohio). Youngest sister Minnie Lena aka Susie Ledford , guitar, was also credited elsewhere. [stage name "Black-eyed Susie" or "Susie" for short] --------------------------------------- The Coon Creek Girls, by John Lilly 0n the evening of June 8,1939 limousines began to deliver the cream of Washington D.C. society to the East Room of the White House. President and First Lady, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt were entertaining King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England and had arranged a command performance in their honor. ... the royal guests sat in the front row with their hosts. Music for the evening was provided by the finest representatives of American culture, including opera tenor LawrenceTibbett, classical musician Marion Anderson, the large and popular Kate Smith, and Alan Lomax singing Western songs. For many, the highlight of the evening was a performance by four energetic young women from the Ohio Valley called the Coon Creek Girls, who would play traditional stringband music and accompany Bascom Lunsford's square dance group from North Carolina. As their performance time gradually approached, the Coon Creek Girls readied themselves in a warm-up area. They had beautiful new dresses to wear; Lily May in white, Rosie in pink, lavender for Violet, and Daisy dressed in gold and white, all trimmed in lace and ribbons. After an impromptu jam session with fiddling Vice-President Jack Nance Garner, several miles-of nervous pacing, and just the right amount of rehearsal, it was time for the Coon Creek Girls to go on. Rosie tucked a $20 bill in her garter belt for safe keeping, and they bounded onto the stage with all the fire and enthusiasm of an old-time Kentucky barndance. "How Many Biscuits Can You Eat?" was their first number that night, featuring Lily May Ledford's outstanding five-string banjo, sister Rosie on guitar, Violet Koehler on mandolin, and Daisy Lange on bass, with all four sharing the comical verses. They knew this piece was a favorite of Mr. Roosevelt and had performed it countless times back home in Kentucky and Ohio. Another FDR favorite, "Get Along Miss Cindy" was planned as well as an English ballad, "The Soldier and the Lady," in honor of the royal couple. Yet there was a nervousness for them in this strange situation; singing about ham and biscuits to the caviar crowd, with the leaders of the Western World sitting one broken string's length away. Lily May stole a glance out of the corner of her eye. The Roosevelts were smiling. Rosie's $20 bill had slipped from her garter belt and down the front of her hose where it stuck. The Queen was smiling, but the King looked dour and dead-pan. They played and sang their hearts out. Then, one at a time, their hearts were put at ease as they glanced to the floor and saw George VI quietly tapping his royal foot in time to the music. They knew they had him! Note: In 1979, Lair revived the name with the The New Coon Creek Girls, a combo which remained popular for several decades, despite numerous changes in line-up.