Profile of Patsy Montana on Famous Like Me

Rubye Blevins aka Patsy Montana (30 October 1908–3 May 1996) was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first female country music performer to sell one million records.

Rubye Blevins was born at Beaudry, Arkansas on 30 October 1914 and grew up near Hope, Arkansas. Blevins had ten siblings, all of them boys.

In 1929 Blevins went to California to study violin at the University of the West. She won a local talent contest with her singing, yodelling, and playing the guitar and first prize was an opportunity to play on the Hollywood Breakfast Club radio program.

In the summer of 1933 Blevins went to the Chicago World's Fair and auditioned at WLS radio for a group called the Prairie Ramblers. Blevins and the Ramblers became regulars on WLS's National Barn Dance program. The Prairie Ramblers would also back Blevins on most of her hits with ARC, Decca Records, and RCA Records. Blevins performed on the National Barn Dance until the 1950s and worked with the likes of Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, Red Foley, the Girls of the Golden West, and George Gobel.

On 4 July 1934 she married Paul Rose who was the manager of the duo Mac and Bob. They had two daughters, Beverly and Judy. Blevins and her two daughters later appeared as the Patsy Montana Trio.

Blevins took her nickname from silent film star and world-champion roper Monte Montana who she had an opportunity to work with early in her career. She made one feature-length movie called Colorado Sunset with Buttram and Autry.

She became the first female country music performer to sell one million records with her song I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart released in 1935.

Rubye Blevins passed away on 3 May 1996 at her home in San Jacinto, California. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996.

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