This week on Inside Appalachia, we speak with the author of a new graphic novel about the West Virginia Mine Wars. Also, professional storyteller James Froemel invents quirky characters, like a sign maker who can't spell. And, one of the most common animals to get hit by cars are possums. But, there’s a kind of animal rescue called pouch picking. We talk with author Laura Jackson.
Home » July 9, 1923: Singer Molly O'Day Born in Pike County KY
Published
July 9, 1923: Singer Molly O'Day Born in Pike County KY
Listen
Share this Article
Singer Molly O’Day was born in Pike County, Kentucky, on July 9, 1923. She played guitar and sang, while accompanied by her brothers “Skeets” and “Duke” Williamson.
While just a teenager, Molly played with Skeets on radio stations in Charleston, Williamson, Beckley, and Bluefield, where she met bandleader “Lynn” Davis. After getting married, O’Day and Davis moved frequently. Although they performed duets, it was Molly’s solo numbers that made her one of the pioneer female singers in country music. She signed with Columbia Records in 1946 and cut 36 recordings.
In 1950, Molly and Lynn gave up show business. After which, Molly sang only in churches, and Lynn became a minister. In 1973, they started a gospel radio program in Huntington. Here’s a clip of Molly singing the show’s theme song, “Living the Right Life Now”:
Molly died in 1987 at age 64, but Lynn continued the show until his own death in 2000.
On this week's encore broadcast of Mountain Stage, you'll hear performances from Bettye LaVette, Kim Richey, Keller Williams, The Langan Band, and Megan Jean’s Secret Family. This episode was recorded live at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium in Athens, Ohio with our friends at Ohio University and WOUB.
This week's encore broadcast of Mountain Stage was recorded on the campus of West Virginia University (WVU) at the Canady Creative Arts Center. On this episode, we hear live performances from Duke Robillard Band, Cedric Burnside, Sam Weber, Las Cafeteras, and The Black Feathers.
In this album, Soltis performs works all by American female composers, highlighting a group of underrepresented musicians in the Classical realm. Soltis says this album shows how “American women in classical music are not isolated novelties … but rather they represent an unbroken tradition of compositional excellence.” Some highlights from the album include Amy Beach’s “Berceuse” and Florence Price’s "Adoration."