Roba Stanley

Roba Stanley

Roba Stanley (February 11, 1908 - June 8, 1986) was a country music singer who has been said to be the first woman to record country music. Others have pointed out that Samantha Bumgarner and Eva Davis recorded a session (including solos) three months before Roba recorded. However, she can still be said to be among the earliest of the women who recorded early country music. She was the daughter of Robert Morland Stanley, an old-time fiddler who recorded with her on some of her records.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 11, 1908 (Dacula), Died June 8, 1986 (Gainesville)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, harmonica, guitar, lyricist

Notes: Daughter of Bob Stanley (Robert Morland Stanley).

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

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
OKeh	8694	Not documented	Aug. 1924	[Unknown title(s)]	Stanley Trio	Guitar duet, with male vocal solo or female-male vocal duet	vocalist
OKeh	8695	Not documented	Aug. 1924	[Unknown title(s)]	Stanley Trio	Guitar duet, with male vocal solo or female-male vocal duet	vocalist
OKeh	8696	10-in.	Aug. 1924	Nellie Gray	Stanley Trio	Instrumental trio, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, guitar
OKeh	8697	10-in.	Aug. 1924	Whoa! Mule	Stanley Trio	Instrumental trio, with female-male vocal duet	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
OKeh	8698	10-in.	Aug. 1924	Devilish Mary	Bill Patterson ; Roba Stanley	2 guitars and harmonica, with female vocal solo	instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist
OKeh	8699	10-in.	Aug. 1924	Mister Chicken	Bill Patterson ; Roba Stanley	Guitar and harmonica duet, with female vocal solo	instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist
OKeh	8847	10-in.	Jan. 1925	All night long	Bill Patterson ; Roba Stanley	2 guitars and harmonica, with female vocal solo	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
OKeh	8848	10-in.	Jan. 1925	Little Frankie	Bill Patterson ; Roba Stanley	Guitar and harmonica duet, with female vocal solo	instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist
OKeh	8849	Not documented	Jan. 1925	[Unknown title(s)]	Bill Patterson ; Roba Stanley	Guitar and harmonica duet, with female vocal solo	instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist
OKeh	8850	Not documented	Jan. 1925	[Unknown title(s)]	Bill Patterson ; Roba Stanley	Guitar and harmonica duet, with female vocal solo	instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist
OKeh	8851	Not documented	Jan. 1925	[Unknown title(s)]	Bill Patterson ; Roba Stanley	Guitar and harmonica duet, with female vocal solo	instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist
OKeh	8852	10-in.	Jan. 1925	Railroad Bill	Bill Patterson ; Bob Stanley ; Roba Stanley	Violin and 2 guitars, with female vocal solo	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
OKeh	9213	10-in.	7/1/1925	Old maid blues	Roba Stanley	Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica	vocalist
OKeh	9214	Not documented	7/1/1925	[Unknown title(s)]	Roba Stanley	Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica	vocalist
OKeh	9215	10-in.	7/1/1925	A single life	Roba Stanley	Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica	vocalist
OKeh	9216	Not documented	7/1/1925	[Unknown title(s)]	Roba Stanley	Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica	vocalist
OKeh	W80594	10-in.	3/21/1927	Railroad Bill	The Georgia Crackers [OKeh Records jazz/dance band, 1927]	Male vocal duet, with fiddle (violin), banjo, and guitar	lyricist
OKeh	W402509	10-in.	7/9/1929	Railroad Bill	Frank Hutchison	Male vocal solo, with guitar	lyricist
OKeh	W403158	10-in.	10/17/1929	Railroad Bill	Otis Mote	Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica	lyricist

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Stanley, Roba," accessed November 6, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/112367.

Stanley, Roba. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 6, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/112367.

"Stanley, Roba." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 November 2024.