Louise Massey
Louise Massey (born Victoria Louise Massey; 10 August 1902 – 20 June 1983, in San Angelo, Texas), American singer and songwriter born in Midland, Texas. The Massey family left Texas while Louise Massey was very young and she grew up near Roswell in Lincoln County, New Mexico. In 1918, Louise's father, Henry Massey, started a band that featured himself and three of his eight children singing and playing musical instruments. Most of the children were able to play several instruments while dressed in “elaborate cowboy outfits as their stage attire,” Louise played piano and sang. The Massey’s music career began in 1920s, when they played and sang at local shows and church socials. At the age of 15, Louise married Milton Mabie, who also joined the group. In 1930, the quintet known as "the Westerners" included Louise, Curt and Allen Massey, Milton Mabie, and Larry Wellington, who had replaced Henry Massey. Louise, with her flamboyant Spanish-style costumes, became the focal point of the act and received lead billing. The Westerners' first radio performance was on KMBC in Kansas City. They moved to WLS Radio in Chicago in 1933. In 1934, the song "When the White Azaleas Start Blooming" was released by the band and sold three million copies. In 1936, they moved to New York where they continued their radio work on NBC. In 1938, Louise Massey and the Westerners appeared in the Tex Ritter movie Where the Buffalo Roam. The group returned to WLS Radio in 1939 and did a morning broadcast on NBC called "Reveille Roundup." In the early 1940s, the Westerners were "well known for numerous radio appearances" and were appearing on Plantation Party broadcasts three nights a week. Louise Massey recorded for several record labels including Vocalion Records, OKeh Records, and Conqueror Records. Massey's house in Roswell is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Midland, Died June 20, 1983 (San Angelo)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933 - 1947
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, leader, harmony vocal, songwriter, guitar, piano
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 39 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | D7VB-0036 | 10-in. | 1/7/1947 | My adobe hacienda | Pecos River Rogues ; Billy Williams [1913-2001] | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-0740 | 10-in. | 5/18/1947 | My adobe hacienda | Lonzo and Oscar ; Winston County Pea Pickers | Male vocal duet, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | C639 | 10-in. | 10/13/1933 | The cowboy's dream | Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, harmony vocal | |
| Columbia | C640 | 10-in. | 10/13/1933 | New river train | Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with group vocal | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C641 | 10-in. | 10/13/1933 | Trail to Mexico | Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C642 | 10-in. | 10/13/1933 | The big corral | Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |
| Columbia | C668 | 10-in. | 11/21/1933 | The cowboy's dream | Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C669 | 10-in. | 11/21/1933 | The trail to Mexico | Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with group vocal | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C787 | 10-in. | 11/6/1934 | Beautiful Texas | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C811 | 10-in. | 11/8/1934 | Honeysuckle schottische | The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band | leader | |
| Columbia | C838 | 10-in. | 11/14/1934 | If Jesse James rode again | The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with mixed vocal ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C842 | 10-in. | 11/14/1934 | Varsovienna | The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band | leader | |
| Columbia | CP1001 | 10-in. | 3/20/1933 | There's an empty cot in the bunkhouse tonight | The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band with group vocal | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CP1002 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | Ridin' down that old Texas trail | Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with group vocal | ||
| Columbia | CP1003 | 10-in. | 3/22/1934 | Goin' down to Santa Fe town | Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CP1004 | 10-in. | 3/20/1934 | When the white azaleas start blooming | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | Female vocal solo, with string band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CP1006 | 10-in. | 03/1934 | When it's prayer meetin' time in the hollow | The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | WC2757 | 10-in. | 9/25/1939 | South of the border (Down Mexico way) | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, harmony vocal | |
| Columbia | WC2758 | 10-in. | 9/25/1939 | A gay ranchero (Las altenitas) | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, harmony vocal | |
| Columbia | WC2760 | 10-in. | 9/25/1939 | Bunkhouse jamboree | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, harmony vocal | |
| Columbia | WC2765 | 10-in. | 9/26/1939 | I only want a buddy - not a sweetheart | Curt Massey ; Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
| Columbia | WC2767 | 10-in. | 9/26/1939 | Ragtime Cowboy Joe | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | Vocal and instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | WC2846 | 10-in. | 12/9/1939 | Billie Boy | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | String band, with female vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | WC2848 | 10-in. | 12/9/1939 | Listen to the mocking bird | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | Vocal and instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | WC2931 | 10-in. | 2/20/1940 | Pop goes the weasel | Louise Massey ; The Westerners [Massey Family] | Vocal and instrumental ensemble | leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Massey, Louise," accessed December 15, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/359237.
Massey, Louise. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 15, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/359237.
"Massey, Louise." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 15 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2005074272
Wikidata: Louise Massey - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16749882
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/24792290
MusicBrainz: Louise Massey - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/568743f3-6920-4877-9b47-40ec9f351f02
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