Carolina Cotton (born Helen Hagstrom) began singing and yodelling with the western swing band of Dude Martin in her teens. In 1942, she moved to Hollywood and was immediately hired by top bandleader Spade Cooley, and two years later was offered a part in the movie SING, NEIGHBOR, SING, alongside Roy Acuff and his band. Over the next 10 years she appeared in more movies including FEUDIN' RHYTHM and HOEDOWN, and was cast as Charles Starrett’s leading lady in 1952's THE ROUGH, TOUGH WEST. During the mid-'50s, she scored numerous hits, including her self-penned "Three Miles South Of Cash In Arkansas," but by the 1960s, she'd had enough of the grueling lifestyle and became a teacher.