Samantha Bumgarner
Encyclopedia
"Aunt" Samantha Bumgarner (October 31, 1878 - December 24, 1960) was an acclaimed early country and folk music performer from Dillsboro, North Carolina
. She won much praise for her work with the fiddle and banjo. In 1924, accompanied by guitarist Eva Davis, she traveled to New York City
and recorded about a dozen songs, making her perhaps the first recorded female country music artist. The recordings are also notable for being the first use of a 5-string banjo on a recording. She was a yearly staple at Bascom Lamar Lunsford
's Mountain Dance and Folk Festival from 1928 til shortly before her death.
Dillsboro, North Carolina
Dillsboro is a town in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. The town is a popular tourist location, at which visitors tend to stop on their way into the Great Smoky Mountains. The town of Sylva is located just one mile east of Dillsboro and is the county seat...
. She won much praise for her work with the fiddle and banjo. In 1924, accompanied by guitarist Eva Davis, she traveled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and recorded about a dozen songs, making her perhaps the first recorded female country music artist. The recordings are also notable for being the first use of a 5-string banjo on a recording. She was a yearly staple at Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Bascom Lamar Lunsford was a lawyer, folklorist, and performer of traditional music from western North Carolina. He was often known by the nickname "Minstrel of the Appalachians."- Early life :...
's Mountain Dance and Folk Festival from 1928 til shortly before her death.