Ollie Gilbert

Ollie Gilbert (1892–1980) was a folk musician from the Ozarks in Arkansas.[1][2] She sometimes performed as "Auntie Ollie". Max Hunter recorded her singing more than 300 folk songs.[3]

She was from the Mountain View area.[4]

In 1964, she and Jimmie Driftwood were interviewed by Studs Terkel.[5] A recording of her performing "Willow Green" is on the album Songs of the Ozarks.[6] An archival recording of her performing Balladeer of Cole Younger was presented on Danny Dozier's Ozark Highlands Radio show where she was introduced as a "prodigious Ozark folk balladeer".[7]

One writeup described her voice as being like gravel.[8]

She recorded Auntie Ollie Gilbert Sings Old Folksongs to Her Friends on Rackensack RLP.[4] She recorded a version of Blue Suede Shoes in 1965.[9] Gilbert was an influence on Shirley Collins who visited and recorded her on a trip with Alan Lomax.[10] Her husband Oscar Gilbert played the fiddle, was also a singer, and was a moonshiner.[10]

  1. ^ "Ollie Eva Woody Gilbert (1892–1980) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas". www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net.
  2. ^ "Jewish Post 14 February 1975 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov.
  3. ^ Cochran, Robert (February 3, 1996). Our Own Sweet Sounds: a Celebration of Popular Music in Arkansas - 2nd Ed. (p). University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 9781610752947 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b William M. Clements (1992). Arkansas Folklore Sourcebook (c). University of Arkansas Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-1-61075-033-2.
  5. ^ "Jimmie Driftwood, Ollie Gilbert in conversation with Studs Terkel". The WFMT Studs Terkel Radio Archive.
  6. ^ "Various - Folk Songs From The Ozarks". Discogs.
  7. ^ "PRX". beta.prx.org.
  8. ^ Nelson, Sarah Jane (Spring 2016). "A Salesman Amidst Scholars—Collector Max Hunter" (PDF). CDSS News. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  9. ^ Cochran, Robert (23 December 1996). Our Own Sweet Sounds: a Celebration of Popular Music in Arkansas - 2nd Ed. (p). University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 9781610752947 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b folkradiouk (27 October 2016). "Shirley Collins: New Video 'Pretty Polly' + Live Dates - Folk Radio UK".