Features
The First Ladies of Country Music: Samantha Bumgarner & Eva Davis’s 1924 Recordings
On April 22 & 23, 1924, North Carolina folk singers Samantha Bumgarner and Eva Davis became the first ever female folk and old-time country recording artists. Following only Eck Robertson, Fiddlin’ John Carson, Henry Whitter, Riley Puckett, Gid Tanner, and maybe George Reneau, they were among the first handful of all country recording artists. Bumgarner and Davis’ session also wins honors as the first female duo, first female solo, and likely the first 5-string banjo recordings.