State

Mama Lulu Belle and Papa Scotty with their two fine children, Linda Lou and Stephen Scotty Wiseman. Lulu Belle and Scotty Those two North Carol in In ns have achieved consider a hie fame over the national networks through the presentation of their native mountain songs. By J. II. HICK LIN Ln.U BELLE and Skvland Scotty, headline radio artists, who hail m from Western Xorth Carolina, will “Ik- getting mighty homesick be¬ fore we see that cabin in Avery County again/’ They said so themselves after they had signed a contract to make two movies this summer, which will pre¬ vent their usual summer vacation in their native hills. In private life. Skvland Scotty and Lulu Belle are Mr. and Mrs. Scott Wiseman. And a more fascinating true romance than theirs probably has never been told. Lulu Belle, or Myrtle Cooper, as wa< her maiden name, was a pretty mountain la.*.* of the Boone region in Watauga County, and learned the old mountain ballad* at her mother'* knee. As she grew older, she found employment in a rayon mill of tin- region, and with her mother some times sang the ballads at school and benefit performances. F.ven then she sang with a sincerity that gave new beauty and charm to this folklore — hut her audience* probably never dreamed she would one day be sing¬ ing these same selections to millions sitting by their radios. Then her family moved to Evan¬ ston, Ill., and not long afterward Myrtle Cooper was “discovered” by a talent scout of WI.S, Chicago, and she became Lulu Belle to increasing thou¬ sands of fans over the length and breadth of this land, and in foreign lands. Scotty’s career wiih loss of an ac¬ cident. From earliest years, lie loved the old ballads, and carefully collected each new one lie found in the moun¬ tains surrounding hi* home at Ingall*. Avery County. He went to Crossnorc School and had one year at I hike before he entered Fairmont Teachers College in West Virginia. At Fairmont he was award¬ ed the medal as the outstanding stu¬ dent of the school in his senior year — and was president of, the senior class. lie worked his way through school, serving as a carpenter's helper at Crossnorr and was program director of Station WMM at Fairmont, aftoi doing varied work for fhe station dur¬ ing his college days. He graduated with a B.S. degree from State Teachers' College, Fair¬ mont, W. Ya. Ho had planned to fit himself to teach in Southern mountain schools, but postponed this career tem¬ porarily in order to take a fling at ballad singing, for he had received flattering encouragement to develop this talent. Radio seemed to offer the best field, and he found himself on the famed National Barn Banco, originating at WLS, Chicago. Lulu Belle was featured on this program, as was he. But they were working in the same studio some time before they discovered they were both from Xorth Carolina, and hail live I on opposite sides of Grandfather Mountain, not more than -JO milps dis¬ tant. They found a great many thing* in common — they had both been taught to sing tiic ballads in their childhood homes; they were both a little homesick for their native high lands. Too, they both liked fishing, horseback riding and the outdoor-. But Scotty says that the thing that really made them decide that they could not get along without each other was their thrilling discovery that they both liked corn bread for breakfast. They found this out one morning when both had appeared on an early- hour program and were breakfasting together. It wasn't long afterwards that a pastor at Joliet, III., was awakened by a loud knock at the door. He leaned out the window to inquire what these intruders on his slumber* wanted. Lulu Bello called back : “We want to get hitched.” That was in December 1934, and they were mar ried nearly a year before they started ( Continued on pxujr twenty-four)