Rosalie Allen
Encyclopedia
Rosalie Allen was born Julie Marlene Bedra on June 27, 1924, in Old Forge, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
and died September 24, 2003. Allen grew up the daughter of a Polish
immigrant chiropractor in a large, impoverished Pennsylvania
family. Inspired by the singing cowboys of the 1930s, she taught herself to sing and play her brother's guitar
, then began working on the radio in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
and later performed on Denver Darling's Swing Billies pseudo-western radio show in New York City.
Allen's first hit came in 1946 with RCA Victor with a yodeling update of Patsy Montana
's "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." Allen's final hits paired her with yodeler Elton Britt
. Their first single, "Beyond the Sunset," hit number seven in 1950. They also recorded "The Yodel Blues" and "Quicksilver."
In 1944, she took up a job as a disc jockey. Her half-hour program, Prairie Stars on WOV
in New York, was so popular that Country Music magazine named her the most famous country music personality in Manhattan. She stayed with the show until rock music bumped her off the air in 1956. In the 1960s, she ran a country western record shop called Rosalie Allen's Hillbilly Music Center in New York City. Allen retired to Alabama to raise a family.
In 1999, her work in radio was recognized and she was the first woman inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame. After a brief battle with congestive heart failure, Allen died on September 24, 2003.
Old Forge, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Old Forge is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,313 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Old Forge is located at . The borough has a total area of 3.5 square miles which is all land..-History:The history of Old Forge can be traced back to the creation of...
and died September 24, 2003. Allen grew up the daughter of a Polish
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
immigrant chiropractor in a large, impoverished Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
family. Inspired by the singing cowboys of the 1930s, she taught herself to sing and play her brother's guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, then began working on the radio in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
and later performed on Denver Darling's Swing Billies pseudo-western radio show in New York City.
Allen's first hit came in 1946 with RCA Victor with a yodeling update of Patsy Montana
Patsy Montana
Ruby Rose Blevins , known professionally as Patsy Montana, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first female country performer to have a million-selling single...
's "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." Allen's final hits paired her with yodeler Elton Britt
Elton Britt
Elton Britt , born James Elton Baker, was a country music guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Biography:Elton Britt was born in Searcy County, Arkansas...
. Their first single, "Beyond the Sunset," hit number seven in 1950. They also recorded "The Yodel Blues" and "Quicksilver."
In 1944, she took up a job as a disc jockey. Her half-hour program, Prairie Stars on WOV
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
in New York, was so popular that Country Music magazine named her the most famous country music personality in Manhattan. She stayed with the show until rock music bumped her off the air in 1956. In the 1960s, she ran a country western record shop called Rosalie Allen's Hillbilly Music Center in New York City. Allen retired to Alabama to raise a family.
In 1999, her work in radio was recognized and she was the first woman inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame. After a brief battle with congestive heart failure, Allen died on September 24, 2003.
Discography
- 1957: Rosalie Allen Sings Country & Western Hits (Waldorf Music)
- 1957: Songs of the Golden West (Grand Award)
- 1959: Rodeo (Grand Award)
- 1961: Rosalie Allen (RCA)
- 1966: Starring Elton Britt and Rosalie Allen (Grand Award)
External links
- [ Allmusic]
- Rosalie Allen at Venerable Music. Includes some sound clips from the album Jealous Heart.