This Girl Was the 4th Child of 12 in a Poor Family Living in the Mountains with No Electricity — Now She’s a Famous Singer
The girl and her siblings learned to make the best of what they had. | Source: Getty Images
“Outside was just an extension of our house,” she narrated. They ate meals there, played music, and did chores. Even with so little, the family found ways to stay hopeful.
“We were poor, but I never felt poor,” she shared. Her parents taught their children to be grateful and reminded them that some families had even less. This lesson in gratitude stayed with her throughout her life.
Growing up in the mountains meant learning to make the most of what they had. With twelve mouths to feed, the family often relied on hunting and farming to put food on the table. Her father, a tobacco farmer, would head into the woods with his shotgun, bringing back whatever game he could find.
“People hear me talk about eating squirrel and groundhogs, but in the mountains like that, you didn’t have much of a choice,” she explained. They ate turtles, frogs, and even groundhogs—known locally as “whistle pigs”—prepared in ways that masked their strong taste.
Despite these tough choices, the family found joy in sharing their meals. Beans, cornbread, and whatever game her father hunted were staples. The children knew the importance of working together, whether it was gathering firewood, fetching water, or helping with chores.
Without electricity, they’d catch fireflies in mason jars to light their small rooms. At the time, she and her siblings were content with what they had she would say, recalling the love and warmth that filled their home.