The Daily Chat

A chatbox where we can post comments and have discussions on artists & songs. However, if you just want to say thank you for a particular post then please continue using the usual comment box located below each post.

Back today with our regular postings of a blues/R&B and a hillbilly/country compilations.

Volume 51 of The Best Of Blues, R&B, Soul & Gospel kicks off with 2 stirring gospel tracks by The Exciting Singing Angels and The Awakening Echoes. There's some fine blues from Buddy Guy, some very early Ike Turner, including "Love Is A Gamble", a 1952 recording by Ike's first wife, Bonnie Turner. And wrapping up with a couple of Jimmie Lunceford tracks from the 1930s.

Volume 29 in the Hillbilly & Country Recordings series brings us The Armstrong Twins, The Milo Twins, Patsy Cline, The Stanley Brothers, The Texas Bluegrass Boys, Cowboy Jack Clement, and many others, then finishing off with "Faith Is the Answer", a fine country/gospel song from 1971 by Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers.

And today's photo is Linda Martell, who was the first commercially successful black female artist in country music, and the first ever to play the Grand Ole Opry. Born in South Carolina, Linda grew up listening to country, gospel and R&B music. In her teens, she formed a singing trio with her family called Linda Martell and the Anglos. During the 1960s, the group recorded a handful of R&B singles and performed alongside other black artists. However, after the group broke up Linda become a solo act singing country music on an air force base. This led to an introduction to producer Shelby Singleton, who signed her to his Nashville label in 1969. The same year, the label released her country cover of "Color Him Father." The song entered the Billboard charts and her debut album followed in 1970. She made several appearances on country music television programs and released two more singles with Plantation. She also made her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry during this time. She later performed there 12 times. Aged 81 and now retired from the music business, Linda is currently living in South Carolina.