the little sunbonnet girl

linda parker
born in kentucky 1912
but grew up in hamond
indiana

she got expelled from
hammond high
an incorrigibl youth
for being a singer

on radio station wwae
in little saloons an nightclubs
downtown on state street
weekends were jammed

she was discovrd
by wls radio
and toured th usa
with th nationl barn dance
they had her wear
a sunbonnet on stage
strings hanging down
an a little gingham dress

in pictures she held
a banjo
but couldnt realy play
an she wasnt a real hillbilly
but sang soft and sweet
lush melodic old timey
like home

in august 1935
in elkhart indiana
her belly hurt so bad
but she sang and sang
two days later went
to the hospital and died
burst appendix

they said her last song
on the radio was
bury me beneath th willow
maybe jus to sell records

the rest of th troupe
went their separate ways

her real name was genevieve