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The Sweethearts of Country Music

Lulu Belle and Scotty were entertainers whose lives and music bridged the gap between the traditional mountain community and the early commercial country music business. Scotty, born in 1909 near Spruce Pine, North Carolina, and Lulu Belle (Myrtle Eleanor Cooper), born in 1913 in Boone, met in 1933 when Skyland Scotty joined Lulu Belle in performances for the WLS National Barn Dance radio program in Chicago. Married in 1934, they were one of the most popular acts of the day. Lulu Belle made an important breakthrough for women entertainers as a headliner comedienne and singer. Her popularity was so great that in 1936 she was voted National Radio Queen by listeners from all across America.

The Wisemans' music was anchored in the mountains. Scotty was a gifted writer whose songs embraced a nostalgic view of rural life and audiences throughout the Midwest and South responded wholeheartedly to their songs.

All items on loan from Lulu Belle Wiseman Stamey.