Aunt Molly Jackson

Aunt Molly Jackson (born 1880 – died September 1, 1960) was an influential American folk singer. Her full name was Mary Magdalene Garland Stewart Jackson Stamos.

Biography

Jackson was born in Clay County, Kentucky and began learning songs from her great-grandmother, Nancy MacMahan, at a young age. She married when she was 13 and became a certified midwife well before she was 18 [ [http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA05/luckey/amj/kentucky.htm Pistol Packin' Molly Jackson] ] .

Jackson traveled to New York City in 1931 to support striking Harlan coal miners. She stayed in New York for much of that decade and was a part of the Greenwich Village folk revival.

While only one of Jackson's recordings was released commercially, Alan Lomax recorded many of her ballads for the Library of Congress. Woody Guthrie called her "one of America's best native ballad singers". Many of her protest songs, such as "Hungry Ragged Blues" and "Poor Miner's Farewell", depict the struggle for social justice in a Depression-ravaged America.

References

Another famous song: "I Am a Union Woman"

External links

* [http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA05/luckey/amj/amjmain.htm American Studies at University of Virginia - Aunt Molly Jackson]
* [http://wc03.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wpfwxqu5ld6e~T1 All Music Guide]
* [http://www.press.uillinois.edu/f98/romalis.html Pistol Packin' Mama - Shelly Romalis]