Girls of the Golden West
Encyclopedia
The Girls of the Golden West comprising (Mildred Fern Good, April 11, 1913 - May 3, 1993) and (Dorothy Laverne Good, December 11, 1915 - November 12, 1967) was an American
female country music
female duo
that was popular during the "Western Era" of the 1930s and 1940s. Mildred and Dolly Good were born in Mt. Carmel, Illinois
.
in St. Louis
, Missouri
. In 1933, they moved to the WLS National Barn Dance
, then the home of country music pioneers Gene Autry
and Patsy Montana
. Bradley Kincaid
, also at WLS, later worked with the girls in their recordings
. They first started recording for Bluebird Records
in 1933. They named themselves the Girls of the Golden West, taken from the opera
by Puccini, The Girl of the Golden West. They started singing songs such as "Put My Little Shoes Away" and "Ragtime Cowboy Joe
".
The Girls of the Golden West were one of the most popular acts of the 1930s and 1940s, and were one of the few women then found performing country music. The Girls also had kept up a fictitious story of their life. They would claim they were from Muleshoe, Texas
but in reality, they were farming girls from Illinois. However, this was all part of the image of the "Western Music" craze. They would normally wear cowgirl western-style outfits for their appearances on television program
s.
, The girls would inspire a whole new breed of country music singers such as Kitty Wells
, Jean Shepard
and Patsy Cline
. They would also inspire a short-lived girl group, The Davis Sisters
. The Girls of the Golden West still remained a popular group, with other songs like "Lonesome Cowgirl" and "Silvery Moon on the Golden Gate", which became their signature tune. Later in their careers, they performed on more television shows such as Renfro Valley Barn Dance
and Boone County Jamboree. Toward the end of the 1940s, their careers faded. They also later moved from WLS to WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio
. After this, they occasionally performed and recorded again in the early 1960s.
In 1967 Dolly Good died, and Millie Good followed at the age of eighty in 1993.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
female country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
female duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
that was popular during the "Western Era" of the 1930s and 1940s. Mildred and Dolly Good were born in Mt. Carmel, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Rise to fame
The Girls of the Golden West first entertained family and friends before they worked on a radio stationRadio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. In 1933, they moved to the WLS National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance, broadcast by WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the Grand Ole Opry...
, then the home of country music pioneers Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
and 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...
. Bradley Kincaid
Bradley Kincaid
William Bradley Kincaid was an American folk singer and radio entertainer.He was born in Point Level, Garrard County, Kentucky but built a music career in the northern states. His first radio appearance came in 1926 when he performed on the National Barn Dance show on WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois...
, also at WLS, later worked with the girls in their recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
. They first started recording for Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records is a sub-label of RCA Victor Records originally created in 1932 to counter the American Record Company in the "3 records for a dollar" market. Along with ARC's Perfect Records, Melotone Records and Romeo Records, and the independent US Decca label, Bluebird became one of the best...
in 1933. They named themselves the Girls of the Golden West, taken from the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
by Puccini, The Girl of the Golden West. They started singing songs such as "Put My Little Shoes Away" and "Ragtime Cowboy Joe
Ragtime Cowboy Joe
"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" is a popular song lyrics by Grant Clarke, music by Lewis F. Muir and Maurice Abrahams. © 1912, F.A. Mills, 122 W. 36th St, New York....
".
The Girls of the Golden West were one of the most popular acts of the 1930s and 1940s, and were one of the few women then found performing country music. The Girls also had kept up a fictitious story of their life. They would claim they were from Muleshoe, Texas
Muleshoe, Texas
Muleshoe is a small city in Bailey County, Texas, United States. The town of Muleshoe was founded in 1913 when the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway built an line from Farwell, Texas to Lubbock through northern Bailey County. In 1926, Muleshoe was incorporated. The population was 5,158 at the 2010...
but in reality, they were farming girls from Illinois. However, this was all part of the image of the "Western Music" craze. They would normally wear cowgirl western-style outfits for their appearances on television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s.
Career peak and decline
Girls of the Golden West were pioneers in country music at the time. There were few women then in the genre, excluding Patsy MontanaPatsy 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...
, The girls would inspire a whole new breed of country music singers such as Kitty Wells
Kitty Wells
Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
, Jean Shepard
Jean Shepard
Ollie Imogene Shepard , better known as Jean Shepard, is an American honky tonk singer-songwriter who was a pioneer for women in country music. Shepard released a total of 73 singles to the Hot Country Songs chart, one of which reached the #1 spot...
and Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
. They would also inspire a short-lived girl group, The Davis Sisters
The Davis Sisters (country)
The Davis Sisters were an American country music duo consisting of two unrelated singers, Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis. One of the original female country groups, they are best known for their 1953 No...
. The Girls of the Golden West still remained a popular group, with other songs like "Lonesome Cowgirl" and "Silvery Moon on the Golden Gate", which became their signature tune. Later in their careers, they performed on more television shows such as Renfro Valley Barn Dance
Renfro Valley Barn Dance
Renfro Valley Barn Dance was an American country music stage and radio show originally carried by WLW-AM in Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday nights. It debuted on October 9, 1937 from the Cincinnati Music Hall and moved to the Memorial Auditorium in Dayton, Ohio. It was hosted by John Lair, Red Foley,...
and Boone County Jamboree. Toward the end of the 1940s, their careers faded. They also later moved from WLS to WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. After this, they occasionally performed and recorded again in the early 1960s.
In 1967 Dolly Good died, and Millie Good followed at the age of eighty in 1993.