Overview

Roni Stoneman was the youngest daughter of the pioneering country music family and a woman who overcame poverty and abusive husbands to claim the title of ""The First Lady of Banjo,"" a fixture on the Nashville scene, and, as Hee Haw's Ironing Board Lady, a comedienne beloved by millions. Drawn from more than seventy-five hours of recorded interviews, Pressing On reveals Roni's gifts as a master storyteller. With characteristic spunk and candor, she describes her ""pooristic"" (""way beyond 'poverty-stricken'"") Appalachian childhood, and how her brother Scott taught her to play the challenging and innovative three-finger banjo picking style developed by Earl Scruggs. She also warmly recounts Hee Haw-era adventures with Minnie Pearl, Roy Clark, and Buck Owens; her encounters as a musician with country greats like Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, June Carter, and Patsy Cline; as well as her personal struggles with shiftless and violent husbands, her relationships with her children, and her musical life after Hee Haw.

Full Product Details

9780252031915

Table of Contents

Reviews

Pressing On is an Appalachian Angela's Ashes told from a female perspective. It tells the story of Roni Stoneman's private and public life with remarkable and appealing candor. It is a book full of unfolding revelations, told with a sense of humor, and without an ounce of self-pity. Her story is entertaining at times, heartbreaking at others, but always compelling. Sandy L. Ballard, editor of Appalachian Journal This is a unique book: the authentic story, in her own voice, of a woman who was once one of America's most widely known entertainers. There will never be another Roni Stoneman, and there will never be another book like this one. Elinor Langer, author of Josephine Herbst We already knew Roni as a first-rate banjo player and comic. This book reveals her as a sharp, observant, thinking woman, and a captivating storyteller. Murphy Henry, banjo player, and columnist for Banjo Newsletter and Bluegrass Unlimited THis is the often-harrowing story of the banjo-playing daughter of the legendary Stoneman family. --BCMA Bulletin, December 2007

Author Information

Roni Stoneman was a member of the legendary Stoneman Family and a longtime cast member of Hee Haw. She remains a performing banjo player, entertainer, and comedienne. Ellen Wright is Distinguished Senior Lecturer Emeritus in the writing program at Northwestern University.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available