This book recounts the fascinating life of Roni Stoneman, the youngestdaughter of the pioneering country music family, and a girl who, in spiteof poverty and abusive husbands, eventually became The First Lady ofBanjo, a fixture on the Nashville scene, and, as Hee Haw's Ironing BoardLady, a comedienne beloved by millions of Americans nationwide.Drawn from over seventy-five hours of recorded interviews, Pressing On reveals that Roni is also a master storyteller. In her own words and with characteristic spunk and candor, she describes her pooristic (way beyond poverty-stricken') Appalachian childhood, and how she learned from her brother Scott to play the challenging and innovative three-finger banjo picking style developed by Earl Scruggs. She also warmly recounts Hee Haw-era adventures with Minnie Pearl, Roy Clark, and Buck Owens; her encounters as a musician with country greats including Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, June Carter, and Patsy Cline; as well as her personal struggles with shiftless and violent husbands, her relationships with her children, and her musical life after Hee Haw.
