Sunshine Sue Songbook Question
Steve Gardner
Hi,
I just found an old songbook (circa 1945) in a used bookstore here. It's
paperbound and stapled (and subsequently tattered). The songbook is for
Sunshine Sue and the Happy Valley Girls and it is called "Radio Hymns."
This book his an intro in the beginning telling of this group. They
played daily on WRVA in Richmond, VA. The book is made up of hymns that
they sang on their program (A Beautiful Life, Daniel Prayed, Just a Little
Talk With Jesus, etc).
The band was made up of Sunshine Sue Workman "Virginia's favorite radio
star", Ramona Riggins "champion girl fiddler", Jane Allen "Smokey Mountain
Sweetheart" and John and Billy Workman.
It also says that the Workman's were from Iowa. Ramona Riggins and Jane
Allen were from Indiana which makes me think Chirps or Jim might know
something about them.
So, does anyone know more about this group? I'm curious. Did they ever record?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
* *Topsoil* Steve Gardner gardner(at)nuteknet(dot)com *
* Oldtime, Bluegrass & Celtic *
* WXDU 88.7 FM and 103.5 FM *
* Sundays 1-3pm. Durham, NC *
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
pa...@thing.oit.unc.edu
Howdy Steve,
You can find outmore about this group by reading Everybody's Grandpa by
Grandpa Jones and Charles Wolfe. Ramona Riggins married Grandpa!
Paul
==============================================================================
Paul Mitchell email: pa...@thing.oit.unc.edu
Academic Technology and Networks phone: (919) 962-5259
University of North Carolina
==============================================================================
William A. Kristensen
Steve Gardner wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I just found an old songbook (circa 1945) in a used bookstore here. It's
> paperbound and stapled (and subsequently tattered). The songbook is for
> Sunshine Sue and the Happy Valley Girls and it is called "Radio Hymns."
> This book his an intro in the beginning telling of this group. They
> played daily on WRVA in Richmond, VA. The book is made up of hymns that
> they sang on their program (A Beautiful Life, Daniel Prayed, Just a Little
> Talk With Jesus, etc).
>
> The band was made up of Sunshine Sue Workman "Virginia's favorite radio
> star", Ramona Riggins "champion girl fiddler", Jane Allen "Smokey Mountain
> Sweetheart" and John and Billy Workman.
>
> It also says that the Workman's were from Iowa. Ramona Riggins and Jane
> Allen were from Indiana which makes me think Chirps or Jim might know
> something about them.
>
> So, does anyone know more about this group? I'm curious. Did they ever record?
>
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
> * *Topsoil* Steve Gardner gardner(at)nuteknet(dot)com *
> * Oldtime, Bluegrass & Celtic *
> * WXDU 88.7 FM and 103.5 FM *
> * Sundays 1-3pm. Durham, NC *
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
no Girls.
I have the following which may apply to what you're looking for:
On 78rpm Stinson 100, recorded under the name "SUNSHINE GIRLS QUARTET"
"A sermon in song" & Walking in the sea".
Gail Gillespie
Steve Gardner (gar...@nuteknet.com[NOSPAM]) wrote:
: Hi,
: The band was made up of Sunshine Sue Workman "Virginia's favorite radio
: star", Ramona Riggins "champion girl fiddler", Jane Allen "Smokey Mountain
: Sweetheart" and John and Billy Workman.
: It also says that the Workman's were from Iowa. Ramona Riggins and Jane
: Allen were from Indiana which makes me think Chirps or Jim might know
: something about them.
: So, does anyone know more about this group? I'm curious. Did they ever record?
Hi Steve...
There sure are some great used book stores around here! Ramona Riggins
became Ramona Jones, wife of Grandpa Jones. She was on the cover of one
OTH & was the subject of the lead article. In it she remembers the
Richmond radio days. The issue of OTH was a few years back - I can
look through my archives and locate it if you're interested. I also
reviewed her county recording (co 783) "Lady's Fancy," in that same issue.
-Gail
Gail Gillespie
Steve Gardner (gar...@nuteknet.com[NOSPAM]) wrote:
: The band was made up of Sunshine Sue Workman "Virginia's favorite radio
: star", Ramona Riggins "champion girl fiddler", Jane Allen "Smokey Mountain
: Sweetheart" and John and Billy Workman.
Found it:
Ramona Riggins (Jones) was the subject of Rachel Anne Goodman's article
"Keeping up with Ramona Jones," in the Nov. 91, Jan. 92 issue of the
Old-Time Herald. (Vol. 3, No. 2) In it is an old photo of Ramona with
Sunshine Sue and Jane Allen, ca. 1942.
-Gail
Jim Nelson
Steve Gardner wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just found an old songbook (circa 1945) in a used bookstore here.
> (snip)
> The band was made up of Sunshine Sue Workman "Virginia's favorite
> radio
> star", Ramona Riggins "champion girl fiddler", Jane Allen "Smokey
> Mountain
> Sweetheart" and John and Billy Workman.
> (snip)
> So, does anyone know more about this group? I'm curious. Did they
> ever record?
Steve,
As Gail pointed out, Ramona Riggins, went on to fame and fortune as
Ramona Jones. I don't have too many details about the group committed
to memory, but I think Sunshine Sue hosted to Old Dominion Barn Dance
for a couple of decades in the forties and fifties. The now-defunct
magazine, "Old-Time Country" ran an article about Sunshine Sue a few
years ago. I'll see if I can't dig it up at home. I don't think this
group ever recorded.
Jim Nelson
Mitch Drumm
: paperbound and stapled (and subsequently tattered). The songbook is for
: Sunshine Sue and the Happy Valley Girls and it is called "Radio Hymns."
:
: The band was made up of Sunshine Sue Workman "Virginia's favorite radio
: star", Ramona Riggins "champion girl fiddler", Jane Allen "Smokey Mountain
: Sweetheart" and John and Billy Workman.
i am not positive, but reasonably sure that sunshine sue is better known to
us all as-------rose lee maphis.