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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."]%

37. Portrait of musician Ella Hanshaw, 1 of 2

Identifier:
4224.HanshawElla.Photo.002.11.20.18.tif
Title:
Portrait of musician Ella Hanshaw, 1 of 2
Date:
2018-11-20
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Women lyricists, Gospel music, Country music, gospel quartets, Working class--Songs and music
Location:
Seville (Ohio)
["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."]%

38. Portrait of musician Ella Hanshaw, 2 of 2

Identifier:
4224.HanshawElla.Photo.003.11.20.18.tif
Title:
Portrait of musician Ella Hanshaw, 2 of 2
Date:
2018-11-20
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Gospel music, gospel quartets, Country music, Working class--Songs and music, Women lyricists
Location:
Seville (Ohio)

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39. Oral history of Alan "Cathead" Johnston

Identifier:
4224.JohnstonAlan.AudioInt.4.14.16
Title:
Oral history of Alan "Cathead" Johnston
Date:
2016-04-14
Creator:
Johnston, Alan
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Street, Mel, Banjo, Bluegrass music, Country music radio stations, Fiddle tunes, Goins, Melvin, 1933-, Stringed instruments, Folk music--West Virginia, Country music, Fiddling, Old-time music, McCoury, Del, 1939-
Location:
Welch (W. Va.), McDowell County (W. Va.)
["Thomas Alan Cathead Johnston (b. 1952) is a bluegrass and country musician from McDowell County, WV. He is a former bassist in Mel Streets band The Swing Kings and his songs have been recorded by Del McCoury, Tommy Webb, and others."]%

40. Transcript of oral history of Alan "Cathead" Johnston

Identifier:
4224.JohnstonAlan.IntTranscript.4.14.16
Title:
Transcript of oral history of Alan "Cathead" Johnston
Date:
2016-04-14
Creator:
Johnston, Alan
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Fiddling, Fiddle tunes, Banjo, Folk music--West Virginia, McCoury, Del, 1939-, Bluegrass music, Goins, Melvin, 1933-, Street, Mel, Old-time music, Country music radio stations, Country music, Bowed stringed instruments
Location:
Welch (W. Va.), McDowell County (W. Va.)
["Thomas Alan Cathead Johnston (b. 1952) is a bluegrass and country musician from McDowell County, WV. He is a former bassist in Mel Streets band The Swing Kings and his songs have been recorded by Del McCoury, Tommy Webb, and others."]%

41. Photo of songwriter and musician Alan "Cathead" Johnston

Identifier:
4224.JohnstonAlan.Photo.001.4.14.16
Title:
Photo of songwriter and musician Alan "Cathead" Johnston
Date:
2016-04-14
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Stringed instruments, Folk music--West Virginia, Bluegrass music, Old-time music, Country music
Location:
Welch (W. Va.), McDowell County (W. Va.)
["Thomas Alan Cathead Johnston (b. 1952) is a bluegrass and country musician from McDowell County, WV. He is a former bassist in Mel Streets band The Swing Kings and his songs have been recorded by Del McCoury, Tommy Webb, and others."]%

42. Portrait of songwriter and musician Alan "Cathead" Johnston

Identifier:
4224.JohnstonAlan.Photo.002.4.14.16
Title:
Portrait of songwriter and musician Alan "Cathead" Johnston
Date:
2016-04-14
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Bluegrass music, Country music, Stringed instruments, Folk music--West Virginia, Old-time music
Location:
Welch (W. Va.), McDowell County (W. Va.)

Listen to Audio

43. 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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44. 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."]%

45. 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:
Folk music--West Virginia, Working class--Songs and music, Country music, Purkey, Elaine, Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--West Virginia, Coal mines and mining
Location:
Harts (W. Va.), Lincoln County (W. Va.)
["Elaine (Moore) Purkey was an activist songwriter and musician from Harts Creek, West Virginia in Lincoln County. She was born in 1949, on the same piece of property where she lived when she died in 2020. She was raised in a family of musicians and flatfoot dancers and attributed 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 eventually became the host of the show. Read state folklorist Emily Hilliard's tribute to Purkey: https://wvfolklife.org/2020/09/03/a-tribute-to-west-virginia-labor-singer-songwriter-elaine-purkey-1949-2020/"]%

46. Portrait of Elaine Purkey

Identifier:
4224.PurkeyElaine.Photo.001.10.27.16
Title:
Portrait of Elaine Purkey
Date:
2016-10-27
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Purkey, Elaine, Working class--Songs and music, Country music
Location:
Harts (W. Va.)
["The Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show is a live radio program, recorded in Logan County, and airing for over 50 years on WVOW, The Voice of the Coalfields. Wallace Horn founded the show and passed the creative directorship on to Elaine Purkey. This taping of the Friendly Neighbors Show, on November 18, 2017, was recorded at the Chapmanville Towers in Chapmanville, WV. Other taping locations include the Hot Cup coffee shop in Logan. Shows are taped twice a month."]%

47. Elaine Purkey and company introduce the Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show at a live taping in Chapmanville, 1 of 2

Identifier:
4224.WallaceHornFriendlyNeighborsShow.Photo.002.11.18.17
Title:
Elaine Purkey and company introduce the Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show at a live taping in Chapmanville, 1 of 2
Date:
2017-11-18
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Working class--Songs and music, Purkey, Elaine, Live radio programs, Country music
Location:
Chapmanville (W. Va.)
["The Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show is a live radio program, recorded in Logan County, and airing for over 50 years on WVOW, The Voice of the Coalfields. Wallace Horn founded the show and passed the creative directorship on to Elaine Purkey. This taping of the Friendly Neighbors Show, on November 18, 2017, was recorded at the Chapmanville Towers in Chapmanville, WV. Other taping locations include the Hot Cup coffee shop in Logan. Shows are taped twice a month."]%

48. Elaine Purkey and company introduce the Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show at a live taping in Chapmanville, 2 of 2

Identifier:
4224.WallaceHornFriendlyNeighborsShow.Photo.003.11.18.17
Title:
Elaine Purkey and company introduce the Wallace Horn Friendly Neighbors Show at a live taping in Chapmanville, 2 of 2
Date:
2017-11-18
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Working class--Songs and music, Live radio programs, Purkey, Elaine, Country music
Location:
Chapmanville (W. Va.)