Rosa Lee Carson

Moonshine Kate (born Rosa Lee Carson, October 10, 1909, Atlanta, Georgia - 1992, Bainbridge, Georgia) was an American country and folk guitarist and banjo player who is best known for recording with her father Fiddlin' John Carson and his band, the Virginia Reelers. Kate was among the earliest recorded women in country music, and arguably her best remembered song was a rendition of her father's composition "Little Mary Phagan".

Carson was born the youngest of nine children in Atlanta, Georgia. As early as the age of five, she appeared as a vocalist and dancer at stage shows and political rallies as an accompaniment to her father's musical act. By age 14, Carson proficiently performed with the guitar and banjo as she played alongside her father on Atlanta's flagship radio station, WSB, and toured with him and the Virginia Reelers throughout Georgia. When Carson graduated from high school, she became a permanent member of the band.

In June 1925, Carson made her recording debut accompanying her father on guitar on four sides for OKeh Records. In the same session, she also recorded two solo efforts, "The Lonely Child", which was about a lonely wandering orphan, and "Little Mary Phagan". The somber ballad was composed by Fiddlin' Jon Carson in 1915, as a response to the notorious, and highly publicized murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan, which was allegedly perpetrated by her manager, Leo Frank. She played and recorded with the Virginia Reelers until 1934, adopting the stage name Moonshine Kate in 1928 at the suggestion of Okeh Records man Polk Brockman. Many of Kate's recordings for Okeh play up her name, consisting of short musical passages interspersed with quick-witted dialogues revolving around the moonshine trade.

The Great Depression ended the Carsons' recording days, and she continued to perform intermittently, also working with Eugene Talmadge on his 1932 bid for Governor of Georgia and for the Atlanta Department of Recreation. She married in 1944 and retired in Georgia. In 1983, both she and her father were inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 10, 1909 (Atlanta), Died 1992 (Bainbridge)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, speaker, banjo, songwriter, composer, lyricist, yodeling

Notes: Daughter of John Carson ("Fiddlin' John Carson"). Also known as "Moonshine Kate."

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 131 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh 9187 10-in. 7/1/1925 The hawk and the buzzard Fiddlin' John Carson ; Virginia Reelers Instrumental quartet instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh 9189 10-in. 7/1/1925 Soldiers' joy Fiddlin' John Carson ; Virginia Reelers Instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh 9259 10-in. 7/7/1925 The drinker's child Rosa Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
OKeh 9260 Not documented 7/7/1925 [Unknown title(s)] Rosa Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist  
OKeh 9261 Not documented 7/7/1925 [Unknown title(s)] Rose Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist  
OKeh 9262 Not documented 7/7/1925 [Unknown title(s)] Rose Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist  
OKeh S-73456 10-in. 6/24/1925 Sally Ann Fiddlin' John Carson ; Rosa Lee Carson Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73457 Not documented 6/24/1925 [Unknown title(s)] Fiddlin' John Carson Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73458 10-in. 6/24/1925 There's a hard time coming Fiddlin' John Carson ; Rosa Lee Carson Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73459 10-in. 6/24/1925 The Boston burglar Fiddlin' John Carson ; Rosa Lee Carson Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73460 Not documented 6/24/1925 [Unknown title(s)] Rosa Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73461 10-in. 6/24/1925 Little Mary Phagan Rosa Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73462 Not documented 6/24/1925 [Unknown title(s)] Rosa Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73463 10-in. 6/24/1925 The honest farmer Fiddlin' John Carson Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73464 10-in. 6/24/1925 To welcome the travellers home Fiddlin' John Carson ; Rosa Lee Carson Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73465 10-in. 6/24/1925 Run along home with Lindy Fiddlin' John Carson ; Rosa Lee Carson Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) and guitar instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73467 Not documented 6/24/1925 [Unknown title(s)] Rosa Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh S-73468 10-in. 6/24/1925 The lone child Rosa Lee Carson Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh 74000 10-in. Feb. 1926 Little Mary Phagan Tobe Little Male vocal solo and whistling, with fiddle (violin), guitar, and harmonica songwriter  
OKeh W80550 10-in. 3/17/1927 Be kind to a man when he's down Virginia Reelers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh W80551 10-in. 3/17/1927 Welcome the traveler home Virginia Reelers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh W80552 10-in. 3/17/1927 In my old cabin home Virginia Reelers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh W80553 10-in. 3/17/1927 Old and in the way Virginia Reelers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh W80554 10-in. 3/17/1927 Papa's billy goat Virginia Reelers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
OKeh W80555 10-in. 3/17/1927 I'm glad my wife's in Europe Virginia Reelers String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 26-50 of 131 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Carson, Rosa Lee," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/201619.

Carson, Rosa Lee. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/201619.

"Carson, Rosa Lee." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/201619

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