Born on This Day in 1941, the Legendary Country Blues Artist Who Performed Behind the Iron Curtain, Recorded in Tokyo, and Worked With Willie Nelson

On this day (December 26) in 1941, Rosan Gallimore was born in Puryear, Tennessee. As a child, Gallimore’s respect for snakes earned her the nickname Rattlesnake Annie. Decades later, countless music lovers around the globe would come to know that name. She was the first American country artist to go behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. She was also the first American artist sign with Sony Music Japan.

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Rattlesnake Annie grew up on a cotton and tobacco farm in Paris, Tennessee. As an infant, her parents would carry her into the fields in a washtub. There, she was listening to a mixture of Black, white, and migrant farm workers share songs and stories. By the time she was 10, she could play guitar and write songs. Two years later, she enlisted two of her cousins to form a trio called The Gallimore Sisters.

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According to Annie’s website, the trio was regionally successful. They landed a radio show, which Martha White Flour sponsored. They also won a talent contest that put them on the Grand Ole Opry. However, sitting still wasn’t an option for Annie. At 16 years old, she traveled to Memphis and dug into the rock and blues music coming out of the city at the time. She found herself in the company of the likes of Lightnin’ Hopkins, Memphis Minnie, and Muddy Waters.

A few years later, she moved from Memphis to Texas, where she became friends with Willie Nelson.

Rattlesnake Annie Broke Multiple Barriers

Rattlesnake Annie is a trailblazer. For instance, she released her debut album, Rattlesnakes and Rusty Water, in 1980 via her own label, Rattlesnake Records. It was uncommon for any artist to do that at the time, let alone a woman. She was also one of the first women to produce her own recording sessions.

Her album became incredibly popular in Europe, which afforded her a rare opportunity. She was invited to go behind the Iron Curtain and tour Eastern Bloc countries in 1982. Additionally, she partnered with Czech artist Michal Tucny to record Rattlesnake Annie and The Last Cowboy, which later earned a Platinum certification.

Nearly a decade later, in 1991, Annie became the first American recording artist to sign with Sony-Tokyo. The partnership allowed her access to the broader World Music market and led to collaborations with some of Japan’s most lauded artists.

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