Kitty Wells photo courtesy of countrymusichalloffame.com.
May 15, 2008 — Kitty Wells and Roy Orbison are among 25 new additions to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, an attempt to collect some of the most significant audio moments in the nation’s history.
Kitty’s 1952 release "It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" — the first No. 1 country single by a female artist — was announced among the additions yesterday, as was Roy’s Nashville-recorded pop hit "Oh, Pretty Woman."
They’re officially archived alongside pop recordings by Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and Michael Jackson, as well as the first Cajun recording, late-‘70s broadcasts by Ronald Reagan and a song by gospel pioneer Thomas A. Dorsey.
The Thomas Dorsey induction had an ironic timeliness. He wrote the gospel classic "(There’ll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)," which the Jordanaires performed yesterday afternoon during the memorial service for the late Eddy Arnold.
The National Recording Registry was established in 2003. Some of the other country titles included in the collection are Bill Monroe’s "Blue Moon Of Kentucky," Hank Williams’ "Lovesick Blues," Patsy Cline’s "Crazy," the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will The Circle Be Unbroken and Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison.
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