Topical Tom, if you do not mind, I will mention to Nelle Yandell that you remembered the Poe Sisters from their radio days. I see her around town from time to time and we also visit by phone on occasion as well. Nelle and Ruth grew up in Mississippi and learned songs from the radio before they had the opportunity to join the Grand Ole Opry. They also toured with Ernest Tubb and Justin Tubb was a close friend to them through the years.

They never did record but recordings were made from radio transcriptions. Cattle released an lp of the Poe Sisters a few years back.

THE POE SISTERS - Cattle 122 - Early Stars Of The Grand Ole Opry
According to the notes: "The Poe Sisters were discovered by George D. Hay in the 1940's. All songs on this album were done on the Grand Ole Opry in Ernest Tubb's segment of the show. Justin Tubb already spread the news around on his Nashville "Midnight Jamboree" that this album gets its release. It's the first time that this Sister duo is on a record, and the original lacquer discs were cut for a personal memory only from 1944 to 1946. Ruth plays mandolin and Nelle guitar. They perform exactly in the style of the "Blue Sky Boys". If they hadn't disbanded because of marriage in the 1940's I guess they could have been the "female" Blue Sky Boys. Top oldtime pickin' and singin'-a real gem!"

Song Listing: As Long as I Live/ Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die/ False Hearted Girl/ Flower Blooming in the Wildwood/ Green Valley Waltz/ Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?/ In a Little Village Church Yard/ The Best of Friends must Part/ The Farmer's Girl./ The Farmer's Son

Ruth and Nelle stopped performing when they married and Nelle moved to New England with her husband. When they retired Nelle and Frank moved to Arkansas which was his home state. As luck would have it, they settled just outside of Mountain View. Ruth lived in Memphis for many years but may have now moved to Nashville. She was not in good health when I first met Nelle and I never did meet Ruth. She and Nelle did get an invitation to some occasion in Nashville a few years back and both attended.

Nelle kept a scrapbook of her country music days and Ronnie Pugh used her as one of his resources in writting the Ernest Tubb biography.