Moonshine Kate
Moonshine Kate (born Rosa Lee Carson; born October 10, 1909, Atlanta, Georgia – died 1992, Bainbridge, Georgia) was an American country, old-time, and folk guitarist, banjo player, singer, and comedian. who is best known for recording with her father Fiddlin' John Carson and his band, the Virginia Reelers. Kate was among the earliest recorded women in country music, and arguably her best remembered song was a rendition of her father's composition "Little Mary Phagan". Carson was born the youngest of nine children born to Jenny Nora Scroggins and John Carson. She began learning guitar and banjo from her father early in her childhood. As early as the age of five, she appeared as a vocalist and dancer at stage shows and political rallies as an accompaniment to her father's musical act. By age 14, Carson proficiently performed with the guitar and banjo as she played alongside her father on Atlanta's flagship radio station, WSB, and toured with him and the Virginia Reelers throughout Georgia. When Carson graduated from high school, she became a permanent member of the band. She became well known for her "Moonshine Kate" persona which highlighted hillbilly comedy as well as songs about rural living. In June 1925, Carson made her recording debut accompanying her father on guitar on four sides for OKeh Records. In the same session, she also recorded two solo efforts, "The Lonely Child", which was about a lonely wandering orphan, and "Little Mary Phagan". The somber ballad was composed by Fiddlin' John Carson in 1915, as a response to the notorious, and highly publicized murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan, which was allegedly perpetrated by her manager, Leo Frank. She played and recorded with the Virginia Reelers until 1934, after graduating from high school, adopting the stage name Moonshine Kate in 1928 at the suggestion of Okeh Records man Polk Brockman, to appeal to the increasing popularity of rural-themed humor. Many of Kate's recordings for Okeh play up her name, consisting of short musical passages interspersed with quick-witted dialogues revolving around the moonshine trade. She was among one of the earliest women to perform and record old-time and country music in a solo capacity. Her performances were known for combining fiddle-based tunes and comedic storytelling, making her a popular figure in the south. The Great Depression ended the Carsons' recording days, due to record sales declining, and she continued to perform intermittently throughout the 1930s, also working with Eugene Talmadge on his 1932 bid for Governor of Georgia, providing music for rallies and public events and for the Atlanta Department of Recreation, performing at community events. In 1944, she married J. Wayne Johnson, a sailor and machinist. After retiring, Carson moved to Lake Seminole in southern Georgia. In 1983, both she and her father were inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame. She later reflected on her career in interviews, describing her early experiences with recording sessions and her father’s influence on her musical development. Her recordings and legacy would go on to influence many future female performers in old-time and country music. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Atlanta (capital city of Georgia, United States), Died 1992 (Bainbridge (county seat of Decatur County, Georgia, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1934
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, speaker, banjo, songwriter, composer, lyricist, yodeling
Notes: Daughter of John Carson ("Fiddlin' John Carson"). Also known as "Moonshine Kate."
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 131 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-78995 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Papa's billy goat | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-78997 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Mama's nanny goat | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-78998 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | I'm glad my wife's in Europe | Fiddlin' John Carson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-78999 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Be kind to a man when he's down | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Female-male vocal duet, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-82100 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | You'll never miss your mother till she's gone | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82101 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Since she took my licker from me | Fiddlin' John Carson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82102 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | The new "Comin' 'round the mountain" | Fiddlin' John Carson | Mixed vocal trio, with string band | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82103 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | I was born four thousand years ago | Fiddlin' John Carson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82104 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | When the saints go marching in | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Mixed vocal trio, with string band and talk | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82105 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | The honest farmer | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82106 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Taxes on the farmer feeds them all | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Mixed vocal trio, with string band | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82107 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Bear me away on your snowy white wings | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Mixed vocal trio, with string band and talk | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82108 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | I want to make heaven my home | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Mixed vocal trio, with string band | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82109 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Going where the sugar cane grows | Fiddlin' John Carson | Mixed vocal trio, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-82110 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Tennessee Wagner | Fiddlin' John Carson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82111 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | The storm that struck Miami | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82112 | 10-in. | 2/27/1934 | Georgia's three dollar tag | Fiddlin' John Carson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82113 | 10-in. | 2/28/1934 | I'm old and feeble | Fiddlin' John Carson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-82114 | 10-in. | 2/28/1934 | Old and in the way | Fiddlin' John Carson | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-82117 | 10-in. | 2/28/1934 | Stockade blues | Peanuts Brown ; Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Mixed vocal trio, with instrumental trio and talk | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Victor | BS-82118 | 10-in. | 2/28/1934 | Do you ever think of me? | Peanuts Brown ; Fiddlin' John Carson ; Moonshine Kate | Vocal and instrumental trio, with talk and yodeling | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, yodeling, speaker | |
| Victor | BS-82119 | 10-in. | 2/28/1934 | Ain't no bugs on me | Fiddlin' John Carson | Vocal and instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | |
| Columbia | W140628 | 10-in. | 5/27/1925 | Little Mary Phagan | Al Craver | Male vocal solo, with harmonica and guitar | songwriter | |
| OKeh | 9185 | 10-in. | 7/1/1925 | Bully of the town | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Virginia Reelers | Instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, guitar | |
| OKeh | 9186 | 10-in. | 7/1/1925 | Hop light, lady | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Virginia Reelers | Instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Moonshine Kate," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/201619.
Moonshine Kate. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/201619.
"Moonshine Kate." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Moonshine Kate, 1911-1992 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n00067126
Wikidata: Moonshine Kate - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1946761
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/62778869
MusicBrainz: Moonshine Kate - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e97176e7-f1f8-47f3-8520-bfae90660296
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/446925 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/446925
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