Interview with Gloria Belle, May 25, 2006

Partial Transcript: Alright, um, I'm--my name's Murphy Henry and, uh, I'm here today to interview Gloria Belle.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle is introduced. She talks about her childhood in the Northeast United States, and about singing with her parents from an early age, first in church and then on the radio. She talks about learning to play many instruments during her childhood, including piano, guitar, harmonica, and mandolin. She talks about some of her early musical influences and her female musical role models. She talks about moving with her parents to California and continuing to play music.

Keywords: Advertising; Bailey Brothers (Artist); California; Carter Family (Artist); Clothing; Concerts; Cooper, Wilma Lee (Artist); Farms; Fathers; Female artists; Female musicians; Flickinger, Gloria Belle (Artist); Gigs; Gloria Belle Flickinger (Artist); Gospel music; Guitars; Harmonicas; Influences; Jobs; Last names; Lead guitar; Learning; Learning to play; Little Miss Evelyn (Artist); Long, Mike (Artist); Mandolins; Maryland; Mike Long (Artist); Molly O'Day (Artist); Mothers; Music lessons; O’Day, Molly (Artist); Parents; Pennsylvania; Pianos; Radio; Scruggs style (banjo); Shows; Siblings; Singing; Solos; Songs; Stage dress; Travel; WFMD (Radio station); Wilma Lee Cooper (Artist); Women artists

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Churches; Families.; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical ability.; Musical families; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Now, I know that--you told me because you liked to play music so much that you dropped out of high school in order to pursue a career in music.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about dropping out of high school to pursue her music career. She talks about the jobs she worked in factories before breaking into the music business. She talks about how she came to have a guest spot on the Cas Walker Show through her connection with Danny Bailey. She talks about the songs she sang, her playing style, and tells the story of meeting one of her heroes: Molly O'Day.

Keywords: Babysitting; Bailey Brothers (Artist); Bailey, Danny (Artist); Banjos; Careers; Churches; Danny Bailey (Artist); Dropping out; Factories; Factory; Guest spots; Heroes; High schools; Influences; Jobs; Knoxville (Tenn.); Midday Merry-Go-Round (Radio program); Molly O'Day (Artist); Musical styles; O’Day, Molly (Artist); Playing styles; Songs; Suggestions; The Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour (Radio program); The Cas Walker Show (Radio program)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Radio programs.; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Well, could we--let's just take--let's pause for a second on the Molly O' Day thing and, and back up to--how did you learnt he three-finger Scruggs style?

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about why she plays the banjo in the three-finger Scruggs' style instead of the clawhammer style.

Keywords: Bill Emerson (Artist); Clawhammer banjo style; Country Gentlemen, the (Artist); Don Reno (Artist); Emerson, Bill (Artist); Female artists; Female musicians; Learning to play; Music lessons; Reno and Smiley (Artist); Reno, Don (Artist); Ronnie Stoneman (Artist); Scruggs style (banjo); Stoneman, Ronnie (Artist); The Country Gentlemen (Artist); Three­finger banjo style; Women artists

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so now we'll jump back to, to your, uh--you and Danny Bailey.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks more about working on the Cas Walker Show, including how Cas Walker gave her her stage name "Gloria Belle." She talks about her work schedule, wages, and being able to sell her records and pictures.

Keywords: Auctions; Audiences; Bailey, Charlie (Artist); Bailey, Danny (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Charlie Bailey (Artist); Danny Bailey (Artist); Duets; Influences; Live television; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Names; Personal appearances; Pictures; Programs; Recording; Salary; Schedules; Selling; Singing partners; Singles; Stage names; Television programs; Television shows; The Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour (Radio program); The Cas Walker Show (Radio program); Wages

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Radio programs.; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so tell us about these--the, the singles that you recorded.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about the experience of recording her first singles. She talks about the other musicians who played on the recordings.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Bill Keith (Artist); Brewster, Bud (Artist); Bud Brewster (Artist); Clarence "Tater" Tate (Artist); DJ conventions; Deejay conventions; Female artists; Female musicians; Influences; Jack Tottle (Artist); Jam sessions; Jamming; Keith, Bill (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Record companies; Singles; Songs; Tate, Clarence "Tater" (Artist); Tottle, Jack (Artist); Women artists

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so you stayed with the Cas Walker Show for five years.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about the cutbacks at the Cas Walker Show that led her to begin working at Ghost Town in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. She talks about the songs she played and her fight to be able to switch up her setlist. She talks about her wages at Ghost Town.

Keywords: 1965; Advertising; Audiences; Auditions; Banjo Picking Girl (Song); Bonnie Lou & Buster (Artist); Bonnie Lou and Buster (Artist); Concerts; Cutbacks; Ghost Town; Gigs; Grocery stores; Guitar players; Guitars; Income; James Howard Nash (Artist); Layoffs; Live television; Maggie Valley, North Carolina; Nash, James Howard (Artist); Panhandle Pete (Artist); Salary; Sales; Selling; Shows; The Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour (Radio program); The Cas Walker Show (Radio program); Video clips; Wages

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Radio programs.; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: So then you worked at Ghost Town then for the summer and then what happened after the summer?

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about her experience playing with Betty Amos' band. She talks about other women in the country and bluegrass music fields. She talks about her conflict with Amos over selling her personal records and pictures after the band's shows, and talks about ultimately leaving the band.

Keywords: 1965; 1966; 1967; All-girl bands; Amos, Betty (Artist); Amos, Jean (Artist); Attitudes; Banjo players; Banjos; Bass players; Bassists; Betty Amos (Artist); Betty Amos with Judy and Jean (Artist); Betty Amos’s All-Girl Band (Artist); Booking; Boone, Claude (Artist); Clarence "Tater" Tate (Artist); Claude Boone (Artist); Concerts; Female artists; Female musicians; Fights; Fired; Gigs; Home; Jean Amos (Artist); Judy Lee (Artist); Learning; Leaving; Lee, Judy (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Mentors; Military bases; Mistakes; Pictures; Playing; Professional jealousy; Quitting; Records; Salary; Selling; Shows; Singing; Tate, Clarence "Tater" (Artist); Wages; Women artists; Women musicians

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: And is that when you started working on your first record album?

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about recording her first album. She describes the studio, the musicians who played on the record, and the label it was released on.

Keywords: Albums; Alexander, Ken (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Bass players; Bassists; Dick Freeland; Duets; Freeland, Dick; Guitar players; Guitars; Influences; Ken Alexander (Artist); Lead; Maddox, Rose (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Names; Photographs; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Rebel Records; Record labels; Recording studios; Revonah Records; Rose Maddox (Artist); Singing; Solos; Songs; Stanley, Ralph (Artist)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: So you went from Betty Amos to doing the record album.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about how she became the bandleader for an all-male band, formerly called the Bluegrass Travelers. She talks about their bookings, the instruments she played, and why they ultimately broke up over money disputes.

Keywords: 1967; Autoharps; Band leaders; Banjo players; Banjos; Beachley, Gene (Artist); Bluegrass Travelers (Artist); Bookings; Concerts; Female artists; Female musicians; Fireman's carnivals; Gas money; Gene Beachley (Artist); Gigs; Green Mountain Travelers (Artist); Green Mt. Travelers (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Money; Payment; Salary; Shows; Unusual; Wages; Wives; Women artists

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, Gloria, so you were telling us about working as the band leader for the Bluegrass Travelers.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about how Jimmy Martin came to be acquainted with her singing ability. She talks about being a "girl singer" in bands. She talks about how working with Lois Johnson and Kirk Hansard helped Jimmy Martin's career. She talks about the instruments she played while working with Jimmy Martin, and describes what it was like to work for him.

Keywords: 1968; Al Munde (Artist); Alan Munde (Artist); Attitudes; Barbara Martin Stephens; Bass players; Bassists; Bookings; Clements, Vassar (Artist); Concerts; Contracts; Country music; Duets; Earl Taylor (Artist); Female artists; Female musicians; Gigs; Girl singers; Golden Nugget; Guest spots; Guitar players; Guitars; Hansard, Kirk (Artist); High baritones; Hiring; Jay, Penny (Artist); Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Johnson, Lois (Artist); Kirk Hansard (Artist); Las Vegas (Nev.); Lois Johnson (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Methods; Mind games; Munde, Al (Artist); Munde, Alan (Artist); Nashville (Tenn.); Penny Jay (Artist); Personality; Phrasing; Pictures; Records; Rehearsals; Rough; Selling; Shows; Singing; Singing parts; Singing styles; Snare drums; Songs; Stephens, Barbara Martin; Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Taylor, Earl (Artist); Teaching; The Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour (Radio program); The Cas Walker Show (Radio program); Timing; Vassar Clements (Artist); Widowmaker (Song); Women artists

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Now, shortly after you joined Jimmy y'all went into the studio pretty quickly to record "Milwaukee."

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about her experience recording albums with Jimmy Martin and how he told her she ruined the recording for "Milwaukee Here I Come."

Keywords: Albums; Blending; Decca Records; Harry Silverstein; Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Jukeboxes; Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Milwaukee Here I Come (Song); Producers; Ruined; Silverstein, Harry; Songs; Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Voices

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical performance; Radio programs.; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Well, how was it when you were--uh, you told stories about traveling with Jimmy and the whole driving thing.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about having to drive Jimmy Martin's car in the snow, as well as driving the tour bus with no experience.

Keywords: Al Munde (Artist); Alan Munde (Artist); Buses; Cars; Driving; Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Munde, Al (Artist); Munde, Alan (Artist); Snow; Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Traveling

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Well, I know we've got some of the, uh, costumes and some of the dresses that you have.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle displays several of the costumes she wore while touring with Jimmy Martin, some of which were made by her mother. She talks about occasionally calling the band the Sunny Mountain Boys and Girl. She talks more about recording albums with Jimmy Martin.

Keywords: Band names; Caroline Flickinger; Choices; Costumes; Dresses; Flashy; Flickinger, Caroline; Green; Input; Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Matching; Mothers; On stage; Pink; Playing; Recording sessions; Singing; Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Sunny Mountain Boys and Girl (Artist)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: So how--you were in and out of Jimmy's band.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about leaving Jimmy Martin to work with Charlie Monroe. She talks about what it was like to work for Charlie Monroe.

Keywords: 1969-1973; Attitudes; Charlie Monroe & the Kentucky Pardners (Artist); Charlie Monroe (Artist); Charlie Monroe and the Kentucky Pardners (Artist); Driving; Duets; Festivals; Jimmy Martin (Artist); Job offers; Leaving; Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Meals; Money; Monroe, Charlie (Artist); Payment; Personality; Selling; Solos; Songs; Wages

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Now when you were doing these--the festivals at this time when you played with Jimmy Martin and you played with Charlie Monroe, were there many other women on the festival circuit?

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about the few women musicians on the festival circuit during the 1960s and 1970s.

Keywords: Bell, Delia (Artist); Delia Bell (Artist); Female artists; Female musicians; Festival circuit; Festivals; Friends; Lewis Family (Artist); Women artists

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: So you worked a summer with Charlie Monroe.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about leaving Charlie Monroe during the slower winter months. She talks about briefly joining an all-girl band called the Nashville Kitty Cats. She talks about the gas shortage at the time which hampered their success.

Keywords: All-girl bands; Banjo players; Banjos; Charlie Monroe (Artist); Clubs; Concerts; Country music; Electric bass; Featured; Gas shortages; Gigs; Money; Monroe, Charlie (Artist); Nashville Kitty Cats (Artist); North Carolina; Payment; Percentage jobs; Saturday night jamboree; Shows; Travel; Wages; Winter

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: So how long, how long were you with them?

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about returning to work for Jimmy Martin. She talks about touring in Japan, saving enough money to buy her own house through various side jobs, and recording another album with Martin.

Keywords: 1974; 1975; 1978; Accomplishments; Airplanes; Auto auctions; Businesswomen; Electric bass; Flights; Gospel music; Gusto Records; Homeowners; Houses; Income; Japan; Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Jobs; Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Payment; Reception; Salary; Savings; Singing; Songs; Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Touring; Tours; Travel; Wages; Working

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records.; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: But in between--somewhere in between this time period you recorded a second album of your own that, that Jimmy and, and some of the band members played on a couple of cuts.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about recording her second personal album. She talks about Jimmy Martin and his band playing on the record. She talks about bringing in other musicians when she could not finish the album with Martin. She talks about the difficulty of releasing the album, which was affected by Elvis Presley's death.

Keywords: 12-string guitars; A Good Hearted Woman (Album); Album covers; Albums; Attitudes; Auldridge, Mike (Artist); Chris Warner (Artist); Dacus, Johnny (Artist); Dick Freeland; Doyle Lawson (Artist); Ed Farris (Artist); Elvis Presley (Artist); Farris, Ed (Artist); Freeland, Dick; Friendly; Graham, Randy (Artist); Gray, Tom (Artist); Guitar players; Hunter, Mike (Artist); Jimmy Martin (Artist); Johnny Dacus (Artist); Lawson, Doyle (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Masters; Mike Auldridge (Artist); Mike Hunter (Artist); Personality; Presley, Elvis (Artist); Randy Graham (Artist); Rebel Records; Record labels; Records, kinds of: long-playing (LP); Singing; Songs; Steve Sutton (Artist); Sutton, Steve (Artist); Tom Gray (Artist); Twelve string guitars; Warner, Chris (Artist)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: That was your second album and then--but there was a third album.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about recording her third album with the Johnson Mountain Boys.

Keywords: Albums; Breaks; Costs; Duets; Earl Yager (Artist); Income; Johnson Mountain Boys (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Maple Sugar (Song); Payment; Rector, Red (Artist); Red Rector (Artist); Songs; Speed; Tempo; The Love Of The Mountains (Album); Wages; Webco Records; Yager, Earl (Artist)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so we've covered the three albums, we've got you working with Jimmy Martin for the second time. Let's see, what happened after that?

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about returning to work for Cas Walker. She talks about some of her side jobs, including filling in for various bands. She talks about playing at the World's Fair in Knoxville, especially during Women's Week.

Keywords: "Curly Dan"; 1980; 1982; Alice Gerrard (Artist); All-women's week; Bailey, Danny (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Bass players; Bassists; Bonnie Lou & Buster (Artist); Bonnie Lou and Buster (Artist); Danny Bailey (Artist); Don McCann (Artist); East Tennessee; Female artists; Female musicians; Filling in; Filming; Gerrard, Alice (Artist); Grooms, Jack (Artist); Guest spots; Guitar players; Guitars; Jack Grooms (Artist); Jobs; Knoxville (Tenn.); McCann, Don (Artist); Off the air; Photography; Pigeon Forge (Tenn.); Taping; Television programs; Television shows; The Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour (Radio program); The Cas Walker Show (Radio program); Women artists; World's Fair

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so once again you were without a music job.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about moving to Florida. She talks about finding the bluegrass community there, joining an all-girl band, and some of the many jobs she had. She talks about playing on a tribute show for Jimmy Martin.

Keywords: 1984; All-girl bands; Banjo shops; Barbara Martin; Chromatic style; Florida; Food demonstrations; Food demos; Foxfire (Artist); Frontier Ranch; Houses; IBMA Hall of Honor; Induction; International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA); International Bluegrass Music Awards; Jam sessions; Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jobs; Kelly Girl; Mandolin players; Martin, Barbara; Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Martin, Ray (Artist); Part-time jobs; Paul Williams; Ray Martin (Artist); Singing; Stipe Brothers (Artist); Temporary jobs; Tracy Girl; Tribute shows; Williams, Paul

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so now in, uh, 1989, is that correct? When you got married?

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about marrying Mike Long in 1989. She talks about why she waited so long to marry.

Keywords: 1989; Chris Warner (Artist); Dating; Family; Husbands; Late in life; Long, Mike (Artist); Married; Mike Long (Artist); Unusual; Warner, Chris (Artist); Wives

Subjects: Bluegrass musicians; Marriage; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so y'all got married in 1989--

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about her current band with her husband Mike Long, Gloria Belle and Tennessee Sunshine. She talks about their albums, their usual gigs, and their large repertoire of gospel music. She talks about doing a tribute to Molly O'Day.

Keywords: 1990; Albums; Churches; Clawhammer banjo style; Concerts; Davis, G. R. (Artist); Demand; Female artists; Female musicians; Festivals; G. R. Davis (Artist); Gigs; Gloria Belle and Tennessee Sunshine (Artist); Gospel music; Long, Mike (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Mike Long (Artist); Molly O'Day (Artist); O’Day, Molly (Artist); Popularity; Shows; Singing parts; Switching; Traditional music; Tribute to Molly O'Day; Women artists

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Okay, in, uh--let's see, you got your Distinguished Achievement Award from the IBMA.

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about how she felt to receive the IBMA's Distinguished Achievement Award. She talks about being part of Mark Newton's tribute to women in bluegrass, "Follow Me Back to the Fold." She talks briefly about current Gloria Belle and Tennessee Sunshine shows. She talks about the honor of playing on the Grand Ole Opry with Jimmy Martin.

Keywords: 1999; All-girl bands; Bookings; Churches; Concerts; Costs; Dickens, Hazel (Artist); Duets; Follow Me Back to the Fold: A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass (Album); Gigs; Goals; Grand Ole Opry (Radio program); Guest spots; Hazel Dickens (Artist); Honors; International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA); International Bluegrass Music Awards; Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Jimmy Martin (Artist); Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Long, Mike (Artist); Mark Newton (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Mike Long (Artist); Names; Newton, Mark (Artist); Opry House; Pain of Loving You (Song); Ryman Theater; Shows; Sunny Mountain Boys (Artist); Surprised; Verses; Women of Bluegrass; Workshops

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Women bluegrass musicians.

Partial Transcript: Well, what are you--I mean, what are your thoughts about, um--

Segment Synopsis: Gloria Belle talks about how there are more women in bluegrass today, but still a small number. She talks about how even fewer women are singing in the Appalachian style that she sings in. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Appalachian style; Changes; Costs; Female artists; Female musicians; Few; Income; Margie Sullivan (Artist); Musical styles; Payment; Rhonda Vincent (Artist); Sullivan, Margie (Artist); Sullivan, Tammy (Artist); Tammy Sullivan (Artist); Vincent, Rhonda (Artist); Wages; Women artists; Young people; Young women

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music--Social aspects.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Women bluegrass musicians.