This Clay County native learned the clawhammer banjo style from her brother, Jenes Cottrell. Though Jenes was better known, Sylvia became a respected musician in her own right. She lived most of her life simply on Deadfall Mountain without electricity or running water, often hosting music gatherings with neighbors.

After briefly living in Baltimore during World War II, she returned home and gained recognition during the 1960s folk revival. In 1989, she received the Vandalia Award, West Virginia’s highest folklife honor. Some of her favorite tunes included “Wildwood Flower,” “John Brown’s Body,” and “Minner on a Hook.”