Billie Maxwell

Billie Maxwell (1906–1954) is often said to be the first woman recorded in country music, and the first recorded musician from Arizona but she was actually neither: Rosa Lee Carson, the daughter of Fiddlin' John Carson (one of the first recorded country music acts) and professionally known as 'Moonshine Kate' cut the first recorded country music records by a woman during a June, 1925 session for Okeh records. Billie Maxwell played guitar with The White Mountain Orchestra and recorded six sides solo for the Victor Talking Machine Company in July, 1929 following the recordings made by the White Mountain Orchestra, which made her PART of the first recorded country music act in Arizona, and ARIZONA'S first recorded female country singer.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 1, 1906, Died 1954

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar, arranger

Notes: Shown on disc labels as "Billie Maxwell, the Cow Girl Singer."

= 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 Audio
Victor BVE-53294 10-in. 7/2/1929 Billy Venero Billie Maxwell Female vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) and violin arranger, instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Victor BVE-53295 10-in. 7/2/1929 Billy Venero Billie Maxwell Female vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) and violin instrumentalist, guitar, arranger, vocalist  
Victor BVE-55231 10-in. 7/11/1929 The Arizona girl I left behind me Billie Maxwell Female vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) and violin instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Victor BVE-55232 10-in. 7/11/1929 The cowboy's wife Billie Maxwell Female vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) and violin instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Victor BVE-55233 10-in. 7/11/1929 When your sweetheart waits for you, Jack Billie Maxwell Female vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) and violin instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  
Victor BVE-55234 10-in. 7/11/1929 Haunted hunter Billie Maxwell Female vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) and violin arranger, instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Maxwell, Billie," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/115435.

Maxwell, Billie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/115435.

"Maxwell, Billie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/115435

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