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

In the remote mountains of Tennessee, a young girl found joy in simple moments, like singing to the animals on her porch. Life was hard as one of twelve siblings living in poverty, but her dreams pushed her far beyond those rugged hills. Her story started deep in the Great Smoky Mountains, where a family of 14 made their home without modern conveniences. With no electricity or running water, life was tough, but they got by, leaning on each other and their strong faith. The parents, who married as teenagers, raised their twelve children in a two-room wooden house.

By their mid-thirties, they had six boys and six girls, creating a lively, noisy household. In this setting, full of music and shared chores, the children learned to make the best of what they had. But how did they manage everyday life and keep their spirits up despite the challenges? Making Do: A Life of Simple Means She developed her resilience and creativity at a young age. Born the fourth of twelve children, she grew up in a simple log cabin on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. The family’s home had no electricity or plumbing, and when she was born, her father paid the doctor with a sack of cornmeal.

“I’ve always joked that I’ve been raking in the dough ever since,” she said. Life in their two-room cabin was crowded and noisy. The twelve siblings shared beds, with newspapers lining the walls for insulation. Their mother sewed their clothes from scraps, and store-bought toys were out of reach. The children made up games and played outside. 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.