The Badgett Sisters were an American folk and gospel group from Yanceyville in Caswell County, North Carolina, and recipients of a 1990 North Carolina Heritage Award. ^[1] The trio began singing together in 1933 and consisted of sisters Celester, Connie, and Cleonia Badgett. ^[2]

As of 2019, Connie B. Steadman performs as an acappella musician and storyteller solo artist throughout North Carolina. ^{[3] [4]}

History

Under their father's tutelage, the Badgett Sisters learned to sing spirituals, hymns, and gospel songs in the jubilee style, a form of unaccompanied close harmony learned from their father, Cortelyou Odell Badgett (1905-1978). They sing in the jubilee style, a form popular in the 1930s and 1940s. The Badgett Sisters began performing at the ages of 4-6. All of the Badgetts' arrangements are original.

Having performed around the world, the Badgett Sisters traveled as far as Australia and performed at Carnegie Hall. ^[5]

Awards

• 1990: North Carolina Folk Heritage Award, awarded to the state of North Carolina's most eminent folk artists. ^[6]
• Old Highway #62 that runs south from Yanceyville, North Carolina, was renamed Badgett Sisters Parkway.

Albums

• 1990: Just A Little While to Stay Here
• 1986: The Voice That Refused

References