Ramona Russell - Singing in the Hopyards
Interviewer: Ramona so tell me where were you in the United States?
Ramona: We were in a Hopyard out of Independence.
Interviewer: Hopyard out of Independence, okay.
Ramona: Her family were working in the Hobbs and my family were working in the hops and this group, they had a musical group. And they were pretty good and well I was only 14.
Interviewer: Right.
Ramona: But anyhow, my folks of course wouldn’t let me go. They wanted to go around to the hop yards and sing. And they had guitars and everything.
Interviewer: Oh, really?
Ramona: Oh yeah! But I am thankful that my folks didn’t let me go. I was only 14
Interviewer: So you like to sing as a kid?
Ramona: Oh yes my brother and I both did!
Interviewer: Okay
Ramona: We sang together.
Ramona Russell - Miss Tucker
Interviewer: So then there were competitions or how did you meet Miss Tucker?
Ramona: My dad said I couldn’t go with these guys to sing and then this other group was camping at the same campground. And I don’t know how it got that she said she would go with them because she sang good with the guitar. I mean I just sing a little bit but she sang good. So she went with them then of course and became Tammy Tucker.
Interviewer: Tammy Tucker, that’s great. Yeah she has some good music, she’s a country singer.
Ramona: Oh yes they do! Yes, very good.
Interviewer: Well Ramona, that’s impressive!
Ramona: It was neat back in those days because everybody had a guitar and sang.
Interviewer: Yes! That’s great, wow. In your family, how many kids were there?
Ramona: In my family? Just my brother and I.
Interviewer: Okay, did you guys work in the fields?
Ramona: Oh sure!
Interviewer: And those are the hop fields?
Ramona: Hops, berries, cherries. Anything that you could make money at!
Transcription and Audio Edit by Ileana Chavez and Samantha Alcaraz.