Cousin Emmy

Cousin Emmy
Birth nameCynthia May Carver
Born(1903-03-14)March 14, 1903
OriginLamb, Barren County, Kentucky
DiedApril 11, 1980(1980-04-11) (aged 77)
Sherman Oaks, California
GenresOld-time music
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)banjo, fiddle
Years active1930s–1960s
LabelsDecca
Folkways
Formerly ofCousin Emmy and Her Kinfolk

Cynthia May Carver (March 14, 1903 – April 11, 1980), known professionally as Cousin Emmy, was a banjo player, fiddler and country singer who was one of the pioneering solo female stars in the country music industry. Although hit records eluded her, she proved to be a major name in personal appearances and on radio in the 1940s and 50s. In the 1960s she gained a new audience on the folk music circuit. Her song "Ruby, Are You Mad at Your Man?" became a bluegrass standard after it was covered by the Osborne Brothers. She started out her career by playing with Frankie Moore's Log Cabin Boys. She influenced the playing of Grandpa Jones. She appeared in two films, Swing in the Saddle and The Second Greatest Sex.