American singer, yodeler, guitarist, banjo player, and television host.
Born: October 27, 1924 Towanda, Illinois, USA Died December 8, 2015 Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
She is considered a musical pioneer, recognized as one of the first female rock and roll singers. She is also one of the first artists to gain crossover success from country music to rock and roll. She was a regular musical performer on popular shows in the 1960s and 1970s and is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
She was interested music already as a child and initially learned violin before taking up the guitar at the age of eleven. In 1939, at age 15, Kath had her first radio appearances under her given name and also soon played public appearances. In 1945, Kath transferred from KMBC to WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it was there that she took the stage name Bonnie Lou.
When TV became more popular than radio, she made the transistion and starred in the TV edition of the Midwestern Hayride until its ending in the 1970s. She also became part of various other TV programs of the station, including The Paul Dixon Show. After Paul Dixon’s death in 1974, she semi-retired from TV and music business, only performing occasionally.