Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

How can Patsy Montana still yodel at 83?

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

There are many vocal techniques that exist in our time, but there is one vocal technique that shines due to the rarity of the people that can do it, just like 83-year-old Patsy Montana. Yodeling is where someone rapidly switches between singing voice and falsetto. Changing pitches while singing is already hard but changing pitches swiftly takes it to the next level. So how does Patsy still do it with such accuracy and grace at her age?

Patsy Montana, an Arkansas girl, can be considered as someone who has been blessed with a natural affinity for music. She has an exceptional vocal range – A#3 – D5, vocal prowess, and great mastery with playing musical instruments just like the guitar, violin, and organ.

And she displayed her genius with her live performance of “I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” 

“I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart” is an original song that was written and performed by Patsy Montana. The melody is quite familiar, especially to those who listen to country music, as the melody was derived from Stuart Hamblen’s “Texas Plains.” This original song from Patsy’s features a great share of her vocal prowess, especially when she’s yodeling.

Technically speaking, this song is difficult especially when you perform it live. That’s why only a handful have tried to do so. But Patsy makes it look and sound so effortless. One of her most remarkable live performances of the song was in 1991 on the KWC Americana Radio Station. 

Patsy, with her trusted guitar along with two cowboy guitarists, performed the song. And as hard as this song can be, Patsy was just having fun and feeling the vibe of the music. Even during the yodeling parts (where the effort needed to sing it well needs to be twice as much), Patsy was just smiling like it was a usual Tuesday singing on her own balcony.

But the interesting question now is how does she still manage to sing so effortlessly like her young self – especially yodel – at 83?

It is true that older singers decline due to aging, but it looks like this does not apply to Patsy, because this cowgirl can still yodel so easily. One of the main reasons for this is her natural born vocal cord which gives her the ability to do such vocal technique with ease maintained through consistent vocal training. Patsy has always loved singing, and she would sing whenever given the chance. Throughout her career, she did performances on Late Night shows like Letterman and more. Her mastery of various instruments also aided in improving her vocal techniques like yodeling. 

And lastly, a lot of people may not know this, but one of the biggest factors that cause a decline in old singers is the habitual use of cigarettes as it damages the vocal cords. Smoking is common for country singers, but Patsy stayed clean from smoking. Being a nonsmoker is a huge thing for the cowgirl. If she was a smoker, she probably could not yodel with such strength, not to mention sing with such grace at that age. 

Check out Patsy Montana’s amazing yodeling performance of “I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart” in the video below.

Latest Stories

Cody Johnson performs at an outdoor concert in front of an American flag, shown here during a previous show, before he paused his Tailgate N Tallboys set to address anti-Trump protests and lead the crowd in a "God Bless America" sing-along.

Cody Johnson Blasts Anti-Trump Protests and His Crowd Responds With a “God Bless America” Sing-Along

Cody Johnson doesn’t tiptoe. He stomps. During his June 14 stop at the Tailgate N Tallboys festival in Bloomington, Illinois, CoJo grabbed the mic, hit pause on the hits, and ...

HARDY performing live onstage in the U.S., shown here during a past show, ahead of canceling the European leg of his Jim Bob World Tour to prioritize family and crew.

HARDY Cancels European Leg of Jim Bob World Tour Ahead of First-Ever Headlining Dates

The long-awaited European run for HARDY’s Jim Bob World Tour just hit the brakes, and fans across the pond are understandably bummed. On the morning of June 16, HARDY dropped ...

Billy Ray Cyrus stands on the red carpet in a black leather jacket and sunglasses, unintentionally becoming the center of family drama after Trace Cyrus called him out online.

Trace Cyrus Blasts Billy Ray for Skipping Grandma’s Funeral to Chase Fame and It’s About as Ugly as It Gets

When your son calls you “the l𝐚mest man to ever walk planet earth,” it’s safe to say things have gone past the point of no return. Trace Cyrus is not ...

Holly Dunn performs passionately under soft stage lights with her guitar in hand, capturing the emotion behind her heartfelt classic “Daddy’s Hands.”

Holly Dunn Wrote “Daddy’s Hands” for Her Dad and Somehow Spoke for an Entire Generation

This is the kind of song that makes grown men stare out the truck window in silence and pretend it’s just the pollen getting to them. When Holly Dunn wrote ...

Oliver Anthony belts out raw heartbreak in a dimly lit studio session, his face scrunched in pain, strumming a resonator guitar with the kind of fury only divorce can fuel.

Oliver Anthony Poured His Divorce Hell Into “Scornful Woman” and It’s Flat-Out Devastating

You can smell the smoke coming off this one before the first note even hits. Oliver Anthony isn’t one for PR gloss or neatly packaged pain. He’s raw, gravel-throated, and ...

Brad Paisley strums his guitar under a spotlight—looking like he’s about to sing the song that breaks every stepdad’s heart wide open. Not the original performance, but you can feel the same lump in your throat.

Brad Paisley’s “He Didn’t Have to Be” Is the Ultimate Tribute to Men Who Chose to Be Dad

It’s the kind of song that sneaks up on you, then hits like a freight train made of soft memories and old regrets. Before Brad Paisley was co-hosting the CMAs ...

John Foster beams under the spotlight, guitar in hand—looking every bit like the guy who just sold out Baton Rouge in under an hour. Not from that night, but you get the vibe.

John Foster Sold Out Baton Rouge Show in 52 Minutes and Night Two Is Already Locked In

The tickets were gone faster than a cold beer in a Louisiana summer. That’s how fast 1,350 seats disappeared for John Foster’s August 2 show at The Texas Club in ...

Lainey Wilson, George Strait, and Chris Stapleton are featured in a celebratory graphic as the Grammys announce a new Traditional Country Album category, finally recognizing the roots of real country music.

Traditional Country Just Got Its Own Grammy Category and That’s a Win We’ve Waited Decades For

You can almost hear a fiddle crying out in joy from a dusty honky-tonk in Texas. The Recording Academy just handed traditional country music the kind of validation it’s been ...

Lauren Alaina and husband Cam Arnold cradle their newborn daughter Beni Doll Arnold in a hospital room, sharing a joyful family moment just after her birth on June 11.

Lauren Alaina and Husband Cam Arnold Welcome Their First Child, a Beautiful Baby Girl

One minute, she’s singing about “Getting Good,” and the next, she’s holding a baby on her chest, a tear-stained guitar in the corner, and a song she never planned to ...

Zach Bryan performs live on stage in a previous concert, wearing a sleeveless shirt and ball cap, as he announces a surprise $50 Red Rocks show set for August.

Zach Bryan Drops Surprise Red Rocks Show With a $50 Ticket Cap and a Promise to Keep It Real

While everyone else is out here selling pit passes for the price of a mortgage payment, Zach Bryan just dropped a $50 Red Rocks show like it was nothing. On ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.