Betsy Gay

American former yodeler and actress, born 2 February 1929 in Waterford, Connecticut, USA. Gay started performing with her family at age three. Her parents, Prof. Charles and Helen Gay, had a music school, taught singing, and gave lessons on piano, banjo, violin, steel guitar bass, accordion, and guitar. Because of the family music school, Betsy and her sister and brother started doing shows at an early age and continued while they were growing up. The family moved to Hollywood when Betsy was six years old. Betsy got into movie making fast, and appeared in the 'Our Gang Comedies' beginning with 'Arbor Day' in 1935. The 'Our Gang Comedies' later became known as the 'Little Rascals' when they started. She had appeared in over forty feature movies by the age of thirteen. Betsy had some speaking parts, and she also sang and yodeled in some of the movies. In 1941, she was asked to sing and yodel in an Andy Clyde movie short for Columbia Pictures. Betsy quickly learned to yodel by listening to Wesley Tuttle who at that time was on the Stuart Hamblen Radio Show. She was a regular part of her parents’ family radio broadcast in 1943. They were known as the Gay Family. They featured Western Music and by now Betsy was becoming an accomplished yodeler. In 1944–46 she appeared regularly with Stuart Hamblen And His Lucky Stars. In 1945, she won the California State Yodeling Championship at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Betsy started her recording career in 1946, recording "Belle Of The Old Barn Dance" and "Slam My Door When You Go Out" (both written by her mother) for Superior (6). In the early 1950s, Betsy and Mary Lou recorded as "The Gay Sisters" with Russ Morgan (2)'s band for Decca, including "Mockin' Bird Hill." She later recorded with Morgan as a solo artist as well. In 1947–49, Betsy appeared regularly on Saturday Nights at the Riverside Rancho. She also appeared through the 1950s with Tex Williams and his band. She was one of the pioneers of television in the Los Angeles area when in 1948 she was a regular cast member of the Squeakin' Deacon's 'Country Store' TV show on ABC. From 1948 through 1950 she was a regular on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree TV Show and Dance at the El Monte Legion Stadium. During 1954 to 1956 Betsy was a regular on the Town Hall Party Television Show and Dance in Compton, California. From May 1957 through 1959 she was a regular cast member of 'Country America' on KABC TV.