Jenny Lou Carson
Encyclopedia
Jenny Lou Carson, born Virginia Lucille Overstake, was an American country music
singer-songwriter and the first woman to write a No. 1 country music hit. From 1945 to 1955 she was one of the most prolific songwriters in country music.
. She was raised in Decatur in modest surroundings. She learned to work early in life and was expected to do chores around the house. Her father had a strict, no-nonsense personality who instilled a strong work ethic and a fierce win-at-any-cost sense of competition in his children. In her adult life she rarely spoke of her early days to any of her friends or business associates, other than to occasionally remark, "You don't need friends if you've got your family with you."
's National Barn Dance
in Chicago. Carson also performed briefly as Winnie in the trio Winnie, Lou, and Sally (WLS). The Overstake sisters also performed as The Little Country Girls.
From 1938 to 1939 she recorded under the name Lucille Lee with the Sweet Violet Boys, also known as The Prairie Ramblers.
Fashioning herself as a 20th-century Annie Oakley, Overstake assumed the name Jenny Lou Carson in September 1939. She became an expert sharpshooter and learned to spin a rope and manipulate a bullwhip. She toured the state of Texas putting on her cowgirl show and singing with her partner Texas Tommy.
During World War II she wrote popular songs about soldier boys and home. She was known as the “Radio Chin-Up Girl” and received lots of fan letters from servicemen and their families.
Jenny Lou Carson authored "Jealous Heart
" for Tex Ritter
, a song that stayed on the hit charts for 23 weeks in 1945, and "You Two-Timed Me Once Too Often", the first top country hit written by a woman, which stayed at No. 1 on the country chart for 11 weeks in 1945.
Carson wrote a great many songs for a number of country music stars such as Roy Acuff
, Eddy Arnold
, Ernest Tubb
and Red Foley
, who had married her sister Eva. She co-wrote with Al Hill, a pseudonym used by Fred Wise
, Kathleen Twomey, and Ben Weisman
the 1954 popular hit "Let Me Go, Lover!
", first performed by 18 year old Joan Weber
and subsequently recorded by Hank Snow
, Teresa Brewer
, Peggy Lee
, Patti Page
, and Sunny Gale.
Her song catalog contains over 170 songs which have been professionally recorded by over 180 artists.
In 1971 she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
.
performer Donald Francis "Red" Blanchard
. The marriage was doomed from the start. They quickly separated and were divorced shortly thereafter.
She immediately married 34-year-old Indiana native Myrl "Jack" Dumbauld on November 17, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois. After nine months the marriage was falling apart and they eventually separated several months later. It was not until September 1945 that Carson applied for and was granted a divorce from Dumbauld.
On May 1, 1946 Carson married 39-year-old Harry Lawrence "Tiny" Hill
, a successful big band
entertainer. The couple had a successful business partnership with Hill performing many of Carson's songs. In January 1947 the Hills purchased a home in Ft. Wayne, IN. Their marriage was not successful, and Carson filed for divorce in April 1949; it became final on July 5, 1949.
Carson entered her fourth marriage on April 28, 1951 to a 45-year-old Chicago drug store executive named William H. Newman. Within two years Carson left Newman and moved to Texas with her mother.
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...
singer-songwriter and the first woman to write a No. 1 country music hit. From 1945 to 1955 she was one of the most prolific songwriters in country music.
Early life
The second of six children of Herschel Jewel Overstake and Helen Elizabeth Nalefski, she was born in Decatur, IllinoisDecatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
. She was raised in Decatur in modest surroundings. She learned to work early in life and was expected to do chores around the house. Her father had a strict, no-nonsense personality who instilled a strong work ethic and a fierce win-at-any-cost sense of competition in his children. In her adult life she rarely spoke of her early days to any of her friends or business associates, other than to occasionally remark, "You don't need friends if you've got your family with you."
Career
Carson began her professional music career at age 17 in 1932, performing with her sisters Evelyn and Eva Alaine (AKA: Judy Martin) Overstake as the Three Little Maids on WLS-AMWLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
's 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...
in Chicago. Carson also performed briefly as Winnie in the trio Winnie, Lou, and Sally (WLS). The Overstake sisters also performed as The Little Country Girls.
From 1938 to 1939 she recorded under the name Lucille Lee with the Sweet Violet Boys, also known as The Prairie Ramblers.
Fashioning herself as a 20th-century Annie Oakley, Overstake assumed the name Jenny Lou Carson in September 1939. She became an expert sharpshooter and learned to spin a rope and manipulate a bullwhip. She toured the state of Texas putting on her cowgirl show and singing with her partner Texas Tommy.
During World War II she wrote popular songs about soldier boys and home. She was known as the “Radio Chin-Up Girl” and received lots of fan letters from servicemen and their families.
Jenny Lou Carson authored "Jealous Heart
Jealous Heart
"Jealous Heart" is a classic C&W song which has also been recorded by several Pop singers.-Early versions:The first recording of "Jealous Heart" was made in 1944 by its composer Jenny Lou Carson...
" for Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter
Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
, a song that stayed on the hit charts for 23 weeks in 1945, and "You Two-Timed Me Once Too Often", the first top country hit written by a woman, which stayed at No. 1 on the country chart for 11 weeks in 1945.
Carson wrote a great many songs for a number of country music stars such as Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
, Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
, Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
and Red Foley
Red Foley
Clyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
, who had married her sister Eva. She co-wrote with Al Hill, a pseudonym used by Fred Wise
Fred Wise (lyricist)
Fred Wise was the co-writer of the lyrics to the 1948 song "'A' — You're Adorable" with Buddy Kaye. He subsequently wrote many of the songs sung by Elvis Presley in his movies....
, Kathleen Twomey, and Ben Weisman
Ben Weisman
Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971...
the 1954 popular hit "Let Me Go, Lover!
Let Me Go, Lover!
"Let Me Go, Lover!", a popular song, was written by Jenny Lou Carson and Al Hill, a pseudonym used by Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey, and Ben Weisman. It is based on an earlier song called "Let Me Go, Devil," about alcoholism. It was featured on the television program Studio One on November 15, 1954,...
", first performed by 18 year old Joan Weber
Joan Weber
Joan Weber was an American popular music singer.Weber was raised in Paulsboro, New Jersey and married to a young bandleader...
and subsequently recorded by Hank Snow
Hank Snow
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...
, Teresa Brewer
Teresa Brewer
Teresa Brewer was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs. Born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, Brewer died of a neuromuscular...
, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Patti Page
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
, and Sunny Gale.
Her song catalog contains over 170 songs which have been professionally recorded by over 180 artists.
In 1971 she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is uniquely associated with music community in the city of...
.
Married life
On July 16, 1934, at age 19, she married fellow National Barn DanceNational 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...
performer Donald Francis "Red" Blanchard
Red Blanchard
Donald Francis "Red" Blanchard was an American comedian and country musician.-Biography:He was born in Pittsville, Wisconsin, the third son of William and May Blanchard. In his teens he learned to play guitar, fiddle and banjo. Inspired by the "Blue Yodeler" Jimmie Rodgers, he purchased his first...
. The marriage was doomed from the start. They quickly separated and were divorced shortly thereafter.
She immediately married 34-year-old Indiana native Myrl "Jack" Dumbauld on November 17, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois. After nine months the marriage was falling apart and they eventually separated several months later. It was not until September 1945 that Carson applied for and was granted a divorce from Dumbauld.
On May 1, 1946 Carson married 39-year-old Harry Lawrence "Tiny" Hill
Tiny Hill
Harry Lawrence “Tiny” Hill was a band leader of the Big Band era. During the height of his career Hill was billed as “America’s Biggest Bandleader” because of his weight of over . His signature song was “Angry” which he first recorded in 1939 on Columbia records Vocalion label...
, a successful big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
entertainer. The couple had a successful business partnership with Hill performing many of Carson's songs. In January 1947 the Hills purchased a home in Ft. Wayne, IN. Their marriage was not successful, and Carson filed for divorce in April 1949; it became final on July 5, 1949.
Carson entered her fourth marriage on April 28, 1951 to a 45-year-old Chicago drug store executive named William H. Newman. Within two years Carson left Newman and moved to Texas with her mother.
Partial list of Carson's songs
- Ain'tcha Tired of Makin' Me Blue
- A Pair of Broken Hearts (1945) (Co-written by Fred RoseFred Rose (musician)Fred Rose was an American Hall of Fame songwriter and music publishing executive.-Biography:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Fred Rose started playing piano and singing as a small boy. In his teens, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he worked in bars busking for tips, and finally vaudeville...
) - A Penny For Your Thoughts (1947)
- Another night is coming (1950) (Co-written by Moon MullicanMoon MullicanAubrey Wilson Mullican , known as Moon Mullican, was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. However, he also sang and played jazz, rock 'n' roll and the blues...
) - Blues in My Heart (1949) (Co-written by Red Foley)
- Chained to a Memory (1946)
- C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S (1949) (co-written by Eddy Arnold)
- Darling, What More Can I Do? (1945) (Co-written by Gene AutryGene AutryOrvon 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...
) - Don't Rob Another Man's CastleDon't Rob Another Man's Castle"Don't Rob Another Man's Castle" is a song written by Jenny Lou Carson. The song was first performed by Eddy Arnold who reached #1 on the Folk Best Seller charts in 1949. Later that same year, Ernest Tubb and The Andrews Sisters along with The Texas Troubadors, took their version of the song to...
(1949) (#1 Hit for Eddy Arnold) - Down by the Rippling Stream (We'll go a-strolling) (1942)
- Echo of Your Footsteps (1949)
- Foolish tears (1947)
- If I Never Get to Heaven
- I Left My Heart in Texas (1940)
- I'd Trade All of My Tomorrows (For Just One Yesterday)
- Jealous HeartJealous Heart"Jealous Heart" is a classic C&W song which has also been recorded by several Pop singers.-Early versions:The first recording of "Jealous Heart" was made in 1944 by its composer Jenny Lou Carson...
(1944) - The Keys to the Kingdom (1952)
- Let Me Go, Lover!Let Me Go, Lover!"Let Me Go, Lover!", a popular song, was written by Jenny Lou Carson and Al Hill, a pseudonym used by Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey, and Ben Weisman. It is based on an earlier song called "Let Me Go, Devil," about alcoholism. It was featured on the television program Studio One on November 15, 1954,...
(1953) (co-written by A. Hill) - Lovebug Itch (1950) (co-written by Roy Botkin)
- Many Tears Ago (1945)
- Marriage Vow (1949)
- Never Trust a Woman (1947)
- One little tear-drop too late (1946)
- Penny for your thoughts (1947)
- You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often (1945)