Little Mary Phagan by Rosa Lee Carson (1925)
CD 6, track 20
When she recorded “Little Mary Phagan” in 1925, Rosa Lee Carson (1911-1992) was 13 years old—the same age as the unfortunate historical protagonist of the ballad, which was written by her father, Fiddlin’ John Carson. Rosa Lee was still a few years away from being called “Moonshine Kate,” and in fact, this side (her first recording) was one of only three that billed her by her real name.
