Almost fifty years after issuing a collection of Appalachian folksongs, Ellen Kossoy unexpectedly crossed paths once more with the repertoire of her early years. While seated in a cinema watching scenes from O Brother, Where Art Thou? unfold onscreen, she had no anticipation of recognizing any familiar voices among the soundtrack. Her astonishment grew when the singing of both herself and her twin sister, Irene Kossoy, suddenly filled the space. The Kossoy Sisters’ rendition of “I’ll Fly Away,” cut in the 1950s for their Tradition Records release Bowling Green and featuring Erik Darling, had been chosen for the Coen Brothers production. That particular recording, however, does not appear on the accompanying soundtrack album; instead the track is performed by Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss. Ethan Coen, the film’s director, had been given the sisters’ sole album as a present; instantly captivated by their style, he elected to feature them. Because of the terms of their long-ago agreement with Tradition, the pair received none of the substantial royalty percentages common in contemporary film and recording arrangements.
Born in New York City, the siblings first encountered folk material while attending summer camp. They soon mingled with the Greenwich Village scene, forming connections with Ralph Rinzler, John Cohen, and other musicians in Washington Square Park and even crossing paths with Woody Guthrie following an appearance in Bound for Glory. Fellow players supplied and recommended numerous folk recordings to the seventeen-year-old aspirants. In 1959 the sisters took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival. Despite the auspicious beginning, each eventually married and set music aside; Ellen Kossoy moved with her husband to St. Louis, while Irene Kossoy continued briefly by performing alongside spouse Tony Saletan. More than four decades afterward, at a moment when their work is attracting renewed attention, Irene is divorced and Ellen is widowed, and the two women live on opposite sides of a shared twin house.
