A country singer named Rattlesnake Annie used to perform on TNN years ago. What is she doing now?
—Edwin H., Vermont
Rattlesnake Annie still makes records and tours regularly. For the last 18 years, the Paris, Tenn., native has made her home in southern Spain, where she has honed her skills as a Flamenco guitarist, singer, and recording artist. While that might seem surprising at first, Rattlesnake Annie always has absorbed different types of music and incorporated them into her own style. As a baby, she was carried in a washtub out to the fields, and she grew up listening to migrant workers and local pickers ease their hard work with field calls, spirituals, blues, and amusing stories. Rattlesnake Annie started writing songs and playing guitar at age 10 and performing by age 12. By 16 she was playing in Memphis, Tenn., learning her craft from such legends as Muddy Waters and Lightnin' Hopkins. In the 1960s, she went to Texas, where she met Willie Nelson. Eventually, she landed a recording contract and had a number of hits on the country charts. Her success in the United States took her to Europe and Asia, where her unique blending of American musical styles was warmly welcomed.
