Kristine M. McCusker is a professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University. She is a coeditor of Country Boys and Redneck Women: New Essays in Gender and Country Music.

"McCusker's work sheds a welcome light on a musical movement still in living memory for some but forgotten or never known by others."--Library Journal"McCusker delves deep into the changing creations and perceptions of female country performers. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice"In her engaging and exciting book, McCusker brings the women of barn dance radio to life. Lonesome Cowgirls and Honky-Tonk Angels is a fascinating story of how these women constructed their public images to showcase a virtuous, all-American character and support the sale of sponsors' products. The women's lively firsthand accounts are delightful!"--Casey Henry, recording artist

• CoverTitleCopyrightContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Women, the Barn Dance Radio Genre, and the Roots of the Country and Western Music Industry1. "Family Songs of Surpassing Sweetness" Vaudeville, Appalachia, Technology, and the Emergence of Barn Dance Radio2. "Bury Me beneath the Willow" Jeanne Muenich, Linda Parker, and the Appearance of Southern Female Characters on Barn Dance Stages3. "Hey, Hey, Hey, the Hayloft Gang Is Here" Lulu Belle Wiseman and the Emergence of the Professional Radio Barn Dance4. "Will There Be Any Yodelers in Heaven?" The Girls of the Golden West and Selling the Stage5. Banjo Pickin' Girl Lily May Ledford, the Roosevelts, and Constructing National IdentityIllustrations6. "Howdee! I'm Jes So Proud T'Be Here" Sarah Colley Cannon (Better Known as Minnie Pearl), World War II, and the Grand Ole Opry7. "Oh Carry Me Back to the Mountains" Rose Lee Maphis and Laboring on the AirCoda: Barn Dance Radio's New Friend, Loretta LynnNotesBibliographyIndexBack cover