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["Ella Hanshaw (b. Ella Samples, October 7, 1934 Procious, WV- d. July 29, 2020, Seville, OH) was a songwriter and musician who grew up in Maysel, West Virginia. She was most recently living with her husband Tracy in Seville, OH. In the 1980s, Ella, Tracy, and Maxine and Chester Spencer formed the Hallelujah Hill Quartet, performing Ellas original gospel songs and traditional gospel in churches across West Virginia. Hanshaw was raised in a Baptist church, but became Pentecostal in 1991. She experienced holy visions and believed her songs were a gift from God. In 2018, Ellas granddaughter Kelly Kerney, and Kerneys partner Ethan Bullard, produced a CD-R of the Hallelujah Hill Quartet recordings.In this interview, Hanshaw discusses her life in music in West Virginia and Ohio, her songwriting process, her holy visions, and her faith. Ellas obituary reads:Ella E. Hanshaw, 85, of Seville, died Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at her residence after a courageous battle with cancer.Ella was born October 7, 1934 in Procious, West Virginia to Raymond and Pearl Samples.She was a member of the Crossroads Assembly of God. She enjoyed sewing, gardening, playing Hand and Foot, writing and playing music, singing, and praising her God.Ella was a devoted wife to her husband Tracy Hanshaw; beloved mother to her children Pam (Danny) Kerney of Ashtabula, Terry Hanshaw of Seville, Sandy (Walter) Warner of Spencer, Theresa (Dan) Plevny of Parma and Larry Brooks (Sheila) Hanshaw of East Lake; beloved MawMa to her grandchildren Scott, Tracy Lynn, Kelly, Troy, Christina, Jason, Andy, Joshua, Ben, James, Zac, Nick and Ashley; great-grandchildren Maureen, Chase, Ezra, Silas, Hope, Nathan, Dacey, Rachel Ella, Lincoln, and Brooke; brother George Bucky Samples; sisters Ethel Sis Mullins and Ophelia Puggy DeBoard.Ella was preceded in death by her stillborn son Roger Dean, grandson Brian, nephew James Burton, brothers Stanley and Guy, sisters Virginia Ginny, Opal and Eileen."]%

289. Transcript of oral history of Ella Hanshaw

Identifier:
4224.HanshawElla.IntTranscript.11.20.18
Title:
Transcript of oral history of Ella Hanshaw
Date:
2018-11-20
Creator:
Hanshaw, Ella
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Gospel music, Country music, Old-time music, Clay County (W. Va.), Women lyricists, Folk music--West Virginia, Working class--Songs and music
Location:
Seville (Ohio)

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290. Oral history of Elaine Purkey, 1 of 2

Identifier:
4224.PurkeyElaine.AudioInt.001.10.27.16
Title:
Oral history of Elaine Purkey, 1 of 2
Date:
2016-10-27
Creator:
Purkey, Elaine
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily, Wilson, Rick
Subject:
Working class--Songs and music, Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--West Virginia, Purkey, Elaine, Country music, Folk music--West Virginia, Coal mines and mining
Location:
Harts (W. Va.), Lincoln County (W. Va.)

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291. Oral history of Elaine Purkey, 2 of 2

Identifier:
4224.PurkeyElaine.AudioInt.002.10.27.16
Title:
Oral history of Elaine Purkey, 2 of 2
Date:
2016-10-27
Creator:
Purkey, Elaine
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily, Wilson, Rick
Subject:
Purkey, Elaine, Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--West Virginia, Country music, Folk music--West Virginia, Coal mines and mining, Working class--Songs and music
Location:
Lincoln County (W. Va.), Harts (W. Va.)
["Elaine (Moore) Purkey is an activist songwriter and musician from Harts Creek, West Virginia in Lincoln County. She was born on May 29, 1949, on the same piece of property where she still lives. She was raised in a family of musicians and flatfoot dancers and attributes her powerful voice to the acapella singing she learned as a member of the Church of Christ. As a teenager she played in bands with her brother, and in early adulthood she was the lead singer of a local country band. In the 1980s, she began performing regularly on the Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show, a live radio program out of Logan County that has been on the air since 1967. She now hosts the show. Purkey wrote songs for the Pittston Coal Strike and Ravenswood Lockout and has performed at concerts and festivals across the continent. Her song \"One Day More\" written for the Ravenswood Lockout, is featured on the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings compilation Classic Labor Songs. Purkey is portrayed in the 2014 film Moving Mountains, based on a book by Penny Loeb. A proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Purkey teaches singing classes to children at the Big Ugly Community Center."]%

292. Oral history of transcript of Elaine Purkey

Identifier:
4224.PurkeyElaine.IntTranscript.10.27.16
Title:
Oral history of transcript of Elaine Purkey
Date:
2016-10-27
Creator:
Purkey, Elaine
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Working class--Songs and music, Country music, Purkey, Elaine, Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--West Virginia, Coal mines and mining, Folk music--West Virginia
Location:
Harts (W. Va.), Lincoln County (W. Va.)

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293. Three songs by Elaine Purkey

Identifier:
4224.PurkeyElaine.Music.10.27.16
Title:
Three songs by Elaine Purkey
Date:
2016-10-27
Creator:
Purkey, Elaine
Contributor:
Wilson, Rick, Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Purkey, Elaine, Gospel music, Working class--Songs and music, Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--West Virginia
Location:
Harts (W. Va.), Lincoln County (W. Va.)
["Elaine (Moore) Purkey is an activist songwriter and musician from Harts Creek, West Virginia in Lincoln County. She was born on May 29, 1949, on the same piece of property where she still lives. She was raised in a family of musicians and flatfoot dancers and attributes her powerful voice to the acapella singing she learned as a member of the Church of Christ. As a teenager she played in bands with her brother, and in early adulthood she was the lead singer of a local country band. In the 1980s, she began performing regularly on the Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show, a live radio program out of Logan County that has been on the air since 1967. She now hosts the show. Elaine performed a concert at Yasou Greek Restaurant in McDowell County on July 8, 2017. The concert was sponsored by the West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council and McArts."]%

294. Elaine Purkey plays her original song "Keepers of the Mountains" at Yasou Greek Restaurant

Identifier:
4224.PurkeyElaine.Video.001.7.8.17
Title:
Elaine Purkey plays her original song "Keepers of the Mountains" at Yasou Greek Restaurant
Date:
2017-07-08
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Working class--Songs and music, Purkey, Elaine
Location:
Kimball (W. Va.)
["Elaine (Moore) Purkey is an activist songwriter and musician from Harts Creek, West Virginia in Lincoln County. She was born on May 29, 1949, on the same piece of property where she still lives. She was raised in a family of musicians and flatfoot dancers and attributes her powerful voice to the acapella singing she learned as a member of the Church of Christ. As a teenager she played in bands with her brother, and in early adulthood she was the lead singer of a local country band. In the 1980s, she began performing regularly on the Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show, a live radio program out of Logan County that has been on the air since 1967. She now hosts the show. Elaine performed a concert at Yasou Greek Restaurant in McDowell County on July 8, 2017. The concert was sponsored by the West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council and McArts."]%

295. Elaine Purkey plays her original song "One Day More" at Yasou Greek Restaurant

Identifier:
4224.PurkeyElaine.Video.002.7.8.17
Title:
Elaine Purkey plays her original song "One Day More" at Yasou Greek Restaurant
Date:
2017-07-08
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Purkey, Elaine, Working class--Songs and music
Location:
Kimball (W. Va.)
["Singer-songwriter Glen Simpson of Hardy, Kentucky plays his original song \"Don't Shoot Him Anymore,\" based on the murders of Sid Hatfield and Edward Chambers during the West Virginia Mine Wars. Shot at United Mine Workers of America Local 1440 in Matewan, West Virginia as part of the George Mason Folklore Field School. Find more of Simpson's music at http://glen-simpson.com/"]%

296. Singer-songwriter Glen Simpson of Hardy, KY sings "Don't Shoot Him Anymore," based on the murders of Sid Hatfield and Edward Chambers during the West Virginia Mine Wars

Identifier:
4224.SimpsonGlenn.Video.001.5.22.18
Title:
Singer-songwriter Glen Simpson of Hardy, KY sings "Don't Shoot Him Anymore," based on the murders of Sid Hatfield and Edward Chambers during the West Virginia Mine Wars
Date:
2018-05-22
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Coal mines and mining in art, Working class--Songs and music, Labor union members, Coal miners--West Virginia, Labor disputes--West Virginia, Coal mines and mining, Labor union locals
Location:
Mingo County (W. Va.)