Rose Maddox

Little Songs Of Heartache (Singles As & Bs 1959-62) Rose Maddox

As Lefty Frizzell is deemed to be to be the father of modern country singing, the same thing can be said about Rose Maddox's abiding influence on women in country. From the age of 12, Rose and her brothers Cal, Fred and Henry were 'America's Most Colourful Hillbilly Band', with sister Rose's sometimes plaintive, sometimes sassy voice establishing a template that would be followed by many of the biggest female stars of the 1950s and beyond - among them Wanda Jackson, Skeeter Davis and Jean Shepard. When the family act disbanded in 1957 Rose carried on as a solo in much the same vein, and exuded much the same influence over a next generation of country women. Her solo 45s also helped to usher in a new era of the Bakersfield Sound as exemplified by the records of Buck Owens (with who Rose performs in this collection) Wynn Stewart and, slightly later on, Merle Haggard. Rose had been performing for almost a quarter of a century when she made these recordings but they were her first hits and they conclusively helped to usher in a new era for female country recordings. This Jasmine collection features many of the most popular numbers that Rose recorded in the first three years of her solo career, including the majority of her chart hits from 1959's 'Gambler's Love' onwards. Presented in the best possible sound, and from the best possible sources, it is a collection that no fan of late 50s/early 60s female country can afford to do without.