Betty Amos
Betty Amos (July 27, 1934—September 30, 2021) was an American bluegrass and country guitarist, banjoist, and songwriter. Born near Roanoke, Virginia, she began performing in her family’s band, the Buck Mountain Ramblers, where she became a pioneering female Scruggs-style banjo player. She gained national attention in 1952 by joining The Carlisles under the pseudonym Betty Carlisle, appearing on Billboard-charting singles including "No Help Wanted". In 1954, she began a solo career fronting the Lump Boys on the Louisiana Hayride before establishing the Rhythm Queens trio alongside her sister, Jean Amos, and Judy Lee. As a songwriter, she achieved major commercial success when her composition "Second Fiddle to an Old Guitar" became a top-five Billboard country hit for Jean Shepard in 1964.
In the newsletter
- No. 6 Winter 1996