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10. Maddox Brothers & Rose

In the mid-1930s, Fred Maddox got tired of picking fruit in the migrant camps and gathered four of his six siblings together (brothers Cliff, Cal, and Don and 11-year-old sister Rose) to form a musical group. After Fred was able to get a radio spot for the group, they began traveling around California’s barns and festivals using the slogan “America’s Most Colorful Hillbilly Band”. The slogan referred to their high-energy shows and sometimes risqué lyrics. Their popularity was beginning to pick up in the California area when a majority of the band got drafted to fight in World War 2. Once the war was completed, the five siblings got back together and things continued to heat up. They made their first record label recordings in 1946. Using electric mandolin and stand-up bass, combined with their high energy performances means that they were possibly the originators of the rockabilly sub-genre. Rose Maddox is also considered the first woman to sing country boogie. Continuing their hot streak, they signed with Columbia records in 1951. They were also a big touring act at that point, hitting up locations like the Louisiana Hayride and the Grand Ole Opry. By 1956, Rose made the decision to go solo and the rest of the group slowly faded away. With them having helped originate a huge sub-genre in country music history on top of their many other accomplishments, it would be a celebrated moment if they were chosen to the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

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