Blanche Hobson Born:  December 11, 1924 Died:  August 22, 1988 WEHT Henderson, KY

About The Artist In December 1924, Blanche Elnora Hobson was born in New Harmony, IN to parents Cameron Russel and Eloise Hobson. In 1964, she recorded two sides for the Eunice Records label. Her story is not the usual path a country singer might take, but her journey inspired others. Along about 1952, Blanche was part of the Evansville Press Youth Fund's 1952 Talent Round-up Series. It took place in the YMCA auditorium. The newspaper arranged to have Jack Racine, a pianist and show musician to rehearse with the various acts and accompany them in the main show. There were over 200 contestants, so a series of weekly rounds of appearances to help reduce the field by the process of elimination. The grand final winner would get $500 in cash as prize. The first two-hour elimination program was held at Evansville Bosse High School auditorium. Mike Finn of radio station WEOA and Bish Thompson, entertainment editor of the Evansville Press, were to act as co-emcees. Blanche took in the annual WSM Grand Ole Opry Disc Jockey convention in 1954. She was president of the Rex Allen fan club at the time. An Evansville columnist noted she got to chat with the likes of Gene Autry, Jimmy Dickens, Red Foley, Eddy Arnold as well as Rex Allen and others. She attended the 2nd annual Fan Club Convention on October 20 and 21, 1964. Meetings and displays were at the Noel Hotel and Andrew Jackson Hotel. Mrs. Blanche Trinajistick turned over the reigns of hostess for the went to Mrs. Ruth Slack of Philadelphia that year. The country stars turned out for the event - names such as Carl and Pearl Butler, Claude Gray, Johnny Wright, Kitty Wells, Bill Anderson, Jack Barlow, Jack Greene, Ernie Ashworth and Blanche Hobson. In the summer of 1966, her travels took her to the midwest where she was the guest of columnist Maryann Cooper of Country Music Life magazine. Her Eunice recording had been released and was said to be getting some good radio action in the midwest. Mary Ann wrote in October that Blanche was trying to get a new music trade publication off the ground. The Eunice Records label was based in Evansville, IN. Blanche was the fan club president for local artist, Ray Guyce. His fan club had a big picnic in 1967 - over 135 members and guest showed up. During the annual convention in late 1967, readers learned that Blanche performed her record and was backed by the Po' Boys - Bill Anderson's band. Research has not found any other recordings by Blanche. But it did uncover a bit more of her life after she had passed away. A friend of hers (Betty Barnett) was interviewed by Garret Mathews. Blanche needed a special shoe for her left foot — it was six inches shorter than her other foot due to polio. Betty made sure Blanche got the needed shoe. Mr. Mathews went on to explain that Blanche worked by cleaning houses and would use her earnings to take trips to Nashville. She would also join fan clubs and collect photos of her favorites. When Blanche was unable to drive to Music City, Betty drove her. Blanche died on August 22, 1988. The small amount of funds Blanche had would only cover the funeral. To get Blanche a headstone, Betty helped raise the funds to pay the $674.10 bill to the monument company. Ms. Hobson lived most of her life with her mother. But her mother was living in a nursing home the last ten years of her life; Blanche lived alone in a trailer. Ms. Barnett told Mr. Mathews that Blanche contracted polio when she was six years old; a doctor thought she would not live past 13. She was of a strong will. She had a bad limp, but she had a desire to live a full life. Her numerous trips to Nashville saw her meeting many of the stars - Marty Robbins, Ernest Tubb, Margo Smith and Loretta Lynn. She was never well off, but she always seemed to know someone in Music City that would give her a place to stay. When some of the stars saw her in the audience, they would stop and give her a shout out and for a moment, she felt special and made her happy. The article said she paid to have two of her songs recorded - "Honky Tonk Guy" and "Lost Love". But she may have written them under an alias as the record label lists the writer as "Mary K. Weiss." It did not chart, but some of the local radio stations played the record. As she grew older, her health began to fail her. She was diagnosed with diabetes and was no longer able to clean houses. Her only income was $350 she got from the government each month. It was said that she would sometime sing in Graysville, IL when Rex Allen was performing there. Ms. Barnett said, "(Rex) would call her up to the stage and she'd have a big time. Little Blanche had a wonderful voice. There just never was anybody to promote her." Blanche often cooked for the entertainers when they came to Evansville - her friend Mrs. Barnett helped Blanche cook up large servings of fried chicken, potato salad and chocolate cookies. She never took a dime from the entertainers though she most certainly could have used the extra funds. She found joy in just being able to spend time with them and enjoying their conversations. Mrs. Barnett told Mr. Mathews, "I've been going through the stuff in her trailer and about all she had were a few clothes and box after box of fan club letters and photographs of her favorite singers. That was all in he world she cared about." Mrs. Barnett went on: I'm sure Blanche could have gone to Nashville and gotten taken care of, but she promised her mother she'd stay. She became content to go to Nashville whenever she got a little money saved up. ... I remember being with her in Nashville when she had walked all day and her feet ached from the pain. She'd take off smiling the next day as if nothing was wrong and do even more. I couldn't help but love somebody like that." Mrs. Barnett was said to be outside the intensive care room when the doctor told her the bad news. A golf-ball sized tumor had been found on Blanche's brain, a tumor that had been growing for some 20 years. Mrs. Barnett was at her friend Blanche's bedside until "...no more brain waves were registered on the hospital's life-support system." Blanche Hobson passed away on the afternoon of August 22, 1988. She was survived by her mother, Eloise Spradley; she passed away at a nursing home in Poseyville, IN on November 3, 1988. Blanche and her mother are buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery in New Harmony, IN and share the same headstone. Credits & Sources Southeast Notes; Bea and Red Wilcox; December 1965; Country Music Life; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA Midwest Notes; Mary Ann Cooper; July 1966; Country Music Life; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA Midwest Notes; Mary Ann Cooper; October 1966; Country Music Life; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA Midwest Notes; Mary Ann Cooper; November 1966; Country Music Life; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA Midwest Notes; Mary Ann Cooper; December 1967; Country Music Life; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA Say, Kay! Shows N' Such; Karl Kae Knecht; November 28, 1954; Evansville Press; Evansville, IN Blanche Hobson; July 1965; Music City News; Music City News, Inc.; Nashville, TN Death Didn't Bring A Halt To Friendship; Garret Mathews; September 1, 1988; Evansville Courier and Press; Evansville, IN Obituary: Blanche Hobson; August 23, 1988; Evansville Courier and Press; Evansville, IN Obituary: Eloise Spradley; November 5, 1988; Evansville Courier and Press; Evansville, IN

Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)

Eunice Records
Rec. No.	Side	Song Title
13213	B	Honky Tonk Guy
13214	A	Lost Love