Rose Maddox – Rose of the West Coast Country / Arhoolie CD-314

Women singers abound on today’s country music scene, but 40 or 50 years ago it was a different story. Rose Maddox, who began performing on country radio stations in the 1930s and started recording in the 1940s, was one of the female pioneers in the field. After launching her career with her brothers in the country group the Maddox Brothers and Sister Rose, she pursued a successful solo career and later recorded with Buck Owens and Bill Monroe. More recently, Maddox performed with members of the Vern Williams Band, a country and bluegrass group, who accompany her on this CD compilation which showcases her still-strong voice and exuberant delivery. The set, drawn from two albums originally released in the early 1980s, includes folk traditionals such as Woody Guthrie’s “Philadelphia Lawyer” and gospel staples such as “Amazing Grace.”