this is everything about country music
Country music, the first half of Billboard's country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, blues, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s.[1] The term country music began to be used in the 1940s when the earlier term hillbilly music was deemed to be degrading, and the term was widely embraced in the 1970s, while country and western has declined in use since that time. [1]
However, country music is actually a catch-all category that embraces several different genres of music: Nashville sound (the pop-like music very popular in the 1960s); bluegrass, a fast mandolin, banjo and fiddle-based music popularized by Bill Monroe and by Flatt and Scruggs; Western, which encompasses traditional Western cowboy campfire ballads and Hollywood cowboy music made famous by Roy Rogers, The Sons of the Pioneers, and Gene Autry; Western swing, a sophisticated dance music popularized by Bob Wills; the Bakersfield sound which used the new Fender Telecaster guitars, a big drum beat, and dance style music that would catch your attention like "a freight train running (Buck Owens)" (popularized by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard); outlaw country made famous in the 1970's by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, David Alan Coe, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams, Jr.,; Cajun style music from the Louisiana Bayou; zydeco; Evangelical Christian inspired gospel; oldtime (generally pre-1930 folk music); honky tonk; Appalachian; rockabilly; neotraditional country; and jug band.
Each style is unique in its execution, its use of rhythms, and its chord structures, though many songs have been adapted to the different country styles. One example is the tune "Milk Cow Blues", an early blues tune by Kokomo Arnold that has been performed in a wide variety of country styles by everyone from Aerosmith to Bob Wills to Willie Nelson, George Strait to Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley.
While often maligned, country music has produced the two top selling solo artists of all time. Elvis Presley, “The Hillbilly Cat”, appeared on the Louisiana Hayride for 3 years [1] , went on help define rock ‘n’ roll, and became known as “The King”. Garth Brooks, except for a short foray into non country near the end of his recording career, recorded and peformed country music, and is the other top selling solo artist.
History
Vernon Dalhart was the first country singer to have a nationwide hit (May 1924, with "The Wreck of Old '97") (see External Links below). Other important early recording artists were Riley Puckett, Don Richardson, Fiddlin' John Carson, Ernest Stoneman, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers and The Skillet Lickers.
The origins of modern country music can be traced to two seminal influences and a remarkable coincidence. Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family are widely considered to be the founders of country music, and their songs were first captured at a historic recording session in Bristol, Tennessee on August 1, 1927, where Ralph Peer was the talent scout and sound recordist. It is possible to categorize many country singers as being either from the Jimmie Rodgers strand or the Carter Family strand of country music:
[edit] Jimmie Rodgers' influence
Jimmie Rodgers' gift to country music was country folk. Building on the traditional ballads and musical influences of the South, Rodgers wrote and sang songs that ordinary people could relate to. He took the experiences of his own life in the Meridian, Mississippi, area and those of the people he met on the railroad, in bars and on the streets to create his lyrics. He used the musical influences of the traditional ballads and the folk to create his tunes. Since 1953, Meridian's Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival has been held annually during May to honor the anniversary of Rodger's death. The first festival was on May 26, 1953.
Pathos, humour, women, whiskey, murder, death, disease and destitution are all present in his lyrics and these themes have been carried forward and developed by his followers. People like Hank Williams, Sr., Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Townes van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash have also suffered, and shared their suffering, bringing added dimensions to those themes. It would be fair to say that Jimmie Rodgers sang about life and death from a male perspective, and this viewpoint has dominated some areas of country music. It would also be fair to credit his influence for the development of honky tonk, rockabilly and the Bakersfield sound.
[edit] Hank Williams
Jimmie Rodgers is a major foundation stone in the structure of country music, but the most influential artist from the Jimmie Rodgers strand is undoubtedly Hank Williams, Sr. In his short career (he was only 29 when he died), he dominated the country scene and his songs have been covered by practically every other country artist, male and female. Indeed, his songs were covere by jazz, pop, and rhythm and blues performers from early in his career. Songs like "Cold, Cold Heart" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" have long been pop standards.
Williams had two personas: as Hank Williams he was a singer-songwriter and entertainer; as Luke the Drifter, he was a songwriting crusader. The complexity of his character was reflected in the introspective songs he wrote about heartbreak, happiness and love (such as "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Your Cheating Heart"), and the more upbeat numbers about Cajun life ("Jambalaya") or cigar store Indians ("Kaw-Liga"). He took the music to a different level and a wider audience.
Country artists have included Williams in their compositions. Waylon Jennings pondered whether his career matched up with Hank's in "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" and Hank Williams Jr. recounts the uproarious conditions in his and his father's bands in "A Family Tradition". David Allen Coe boasts in "Longhaired Redneck", "I can sing you every song Hank Williams ever wrote".
Both Hank Williams, Jr. and his son Hank Williams III have been innovators within country music as well, Hank Jr. leading towards rock fusion and "outlaw country", and Hank III going much further in reaching out to death metal and psychobilly soul.
[edit] The Carter Family's influence
The other Ralph Peer discovery, the Carter family, consisted of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara and their sister-in-law Maybelle. They built a long recording career based on the sonorous bass of A.P., the beautiful singing of Sara and the unique guitar playing of Maybelle. A.P.'s main contribution was the collection of songs and ballads that he picked up in his expeditions into the hill country around their home in Maces Springs, Virginia. In addition, being a man, he made it possible for Sara and Maybelle to perform without stigma at that time. Sara and Maybelle arranged the songs that A.P. collected and wrote their own songs. They were the precursors of a line of talented female country singers like Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton and June Carter Cash, the daughter of Maybelle and the wife of Johnny Cash.
[edit] Bluegrass
Main article: Bluegrass music
Bluegrass carries on the tradition of the old String Band Music and was invented, in its pure form, by Bill Monroe. The name "Bluegrass" was simply taken from Monroe's band, the "Blue Grass Boys". The first recording in the classic line-up was made in 1945: Bill Monroe on mandolin and vocals, Lester Flatt on guitar and vocals, Earl Scruggs on 5-String banjo, Chubby Wise on fiddle and Cedric Rainwater on upright bass. This band set the standard for all bluegrass bands to follow, most of the famous early Bluegrass musicians were one-time band members of the Bluegrass Boys, like Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Jimmy Martin and Del McCoury, or played with Monroe occasionally, like Sonny Osborne, The Stanley Brothers and Don Reno. Monroe also influenced people like Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss and Sam Bush, who carry on the folk and ballad tradition in the bluegrass style.
[edit] The Nashville sound
Main article: Nashville sound
During the 1960s, country music became a multimillion-dollar industry centered on Nashville, Tennessee. Under the direction of producers such as Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, and later Billy Sherrill, the Nashville sound brought country music to a diverse audience. This sound was notable for borrowing from 1950s pop stylings: a prominent and 'smooth' vocal, backed by a string section and vocal chorus. Instrumental soloing was de-emphasised in favor of trademark 'licks'. Leading artists in this genre included Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and later Tammy Wynette and Charlie Rich. Although country music has great stylistic diversity, some critics say this diversity was strangled by the formulaic approach of the Nashville Sound producers. Others point to the commercial need to re-invent country in the face of the dominance of '50s rock'n'roll and subsequent British Invasion. Even today the variety of country music is not usually well reflected in commercial radio airplay and the popular perception of country music is fraught with stereotypes of hillbillies and maudlin ballads.
[edit] Reaction to the Nashville sound
The supposedly "vanilla"-flavored sounds that emanated from Nashville led to a reaction among musicians outside Nashville, who saw that there was more to the genre than "the same old tunes, fiddle and guitar..." (Waylon Jennings).
California produced the Bakersfield sound, promoted by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and is based on the work of the legendary Maddox Brothers and Rose, whose wild eclectic mix of old time country, hillbilly swing and gospel in the 1940s and 1950s was a feature of honky-tonks and dance halls in the state. Dwight Yoakam helped lead a revival of the Bakersfield Sound in the 1980's and Brad Paisley incorporates it in much of his music today.
Within Nashville in the 1980s, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs and others brought a return to the traditional values. Their musicianship, songwriting and producing skills helped to revive the genre momentarily. However, even they, and such long-time greats as Jones, Cash, and Haggard, fell from popularity as the record companies again imposed their formulas and refused to promote established artists. Capitol Records made an almost wholesale clearance of their country artists in the 1960s.
[edit] Other developments
The two strands of country music have continued to develop since 1990s. The Jimmie Rodgers influence can be seen in a pronounced "working man" image promoted by singers like Brooks & Dunn and Garth Brooks. On the Carter Family side, singers like Iris Dement and Nanci Griffith have written on more traditional "folk" themes, albeit with a contemporary point of view.
In the mid 1990s country western music was influenced by the popularity of line dancing. This influence was so great that Chet Atkins was quoted as saying "The music has gotten pretty bad, I think. It's all that damn line dancing." [2] By the end of the decade, however, at least one line dance choreographer complained that good country line dance music was no longer being released.
In the 1990s a new form of country music emerged, called by some alternative country, neotraditional, or "insurgent country". Performed by generally younger musicians and inspired by traditional country performers and the country reactionaries, it shunned the Nashville-dominated sound of mainstream country and borrowed more from punk and rock groups than the watered-down, pop-oriented sound of Nashville.
One infrequent, but consistent theme in country music is that of proud, stubborn independence. "Country Boy Can Survive", and "Copperhead Road" are two of the more serious songs along those lines; while "Some Girls Do", and "Redneck Woman" are more light hearted variations on the theme.
There are at least three U.S. cable networks devoted to the genre: CMT (owned by Viacom), VH-1 Country (also owned by Viacom), and GAC (owned by The E. W. Scripps Company).
[edit] Performers
Main article: List of country music performers
Below is a list of notable country performers alphabetically by period, with each listing followed by a description of the artists' work.
[edit] Early innovators
Vernon Dalhart recorded hundreds of songs until 1931.
Jimmie Rodgers, first country superstar, the "Father of Country Music".
The Carter Family, rural country-folk, known for hits like "Wildwood Flower".
Roy Acuff Grand Ole Opry star for 50 years, "King of Country Music".
Patsy Montana, the first female Country singer to sell 1 million records.
Girls of the Golden West, one of the first Country music duo groups.
Ernest Tubb Beloved Texas troubadour who helped scores become stars.
Hank Snow Canadian-born Grand Ole Opry star famous for his traveling songs.
Hank Williams Sr, honky-tonk pioneer, singer, and songwriter, known for hits like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)".
Bill Monroe, father of bluegrass music.
Grand Ole Opry, one of the oldest radio programs.
Louvin Brothers, inspired the Everly Brothers.
Little Jimmy Dickens 4-foot 11 inch star of the Grand Ole Opry.
Goldie Hill, the "golden hillbilly", best known for the hit song "I Let the Stars Get in My Eyes".
Wilf Carter, the "yodeling" cowboy, aka Montana Slim.
Jean Shepard, one of Country's leading female vocalists in the 1950s.
Webb Pierce, classic honky-tonker who dominated '50s country music.
Kitty Wells, country's first female superstar, called the "Queen of Country Music".
[edit] The golden age
Bill Anderson, singer who is still a major songwriter of new hits
Liz Anderson, as famous for her songwriting as her singing
Hank Williams
Lynn Anderson, a California blonde who became a top country star
Eddy Arnold, the all-time hit leader by Joel Whitburn's point system
The Browns, brother-sister trio who hit No. 1
Johnny Cash, a major influence on country music who died in 2003
Patsy Cline, immensely popular balladeer who died in 1963
Skeeter Davis, major female vocalist for decades
Jimmy Dean, singer and TV personality, former owner of Jimmy Dean Sausage Company
Roy Drusky, smooth-singing Opry star for 40 years
Jimmy Martin, The King of bluegrass
Lefty Frizzell, perhaps the greatest of the honky-tonkers
Don Gibson, wrote and recorded many standards
Merle Haggard, popularized the Bakersfield sound
Tom T. Hall, "The Storyteller", wrote most of his many hits
Buddy Holly, an early country-rock'n'roll singer
Johnny Horton, made the story-song very popular about 1960
Jan Howard, pop-flavored female vocalist who sang pure country
Stonewall Jackson, honky-tonk icon
Sonny James, had a record 16 consecutive No. 1 hits
Wanda Jackson, honky-tonk female vocalist equally at home in rock and roll
Waylon Jennings, one of the leaders of the "outlaw" country sound
George Jones, widely considered "the greatest living country singer", #1 in charted hits
Kris Kristofferson, songwriter and one of the leaders of the "outlaw" country sound
Loretta Lynn, arguably country music's biggest star in the 1960s and 1970s
Roger Miller, a Grammy record breaker
Ronnie Milsap, country's first blind superstar
Willie Nelson, songwriter and one of the leaders of the outlaw country sound
Norma Jean, gifted "hard country" vocalist
Buck Owens, pioneer innovator of the Bakersfield sound
Dolly Parton, began her career singing duets with Porter Wagoner
Ray Price, went from hard country to Las Vegas slick
Charley Pride, the first black country music star
Jeanne Pruett, female vocalist of the 70s, best known for the song "Satin Sheets"
Susan Raye, Buck Owens' protégée who became a solo star
Jim Reeves, crossover artist, invented Nashville Sound with Chet Atkins
Charlie Rich, '50s rock star who enjoyed greatest success in '70s country
Marty Robbins, another performer of story-songs who did well in the pop field
Jeannie C. Riley, sexy girl in a miniskirt who socked it to the pop charts
Kenny Rogers, unique-voiced storyteller who also recorded love ballads and more rock material. He defined what was known as country crossover and became one of the biggest artists in country and any music genre.
Jeannie Seely, known as "Miss Country Soul"
Connie Smith, known for her "big" voice
Sammi Smith, best known for her "husky" voice and 1971 hit song "Help Me Make It Through the Night".
Billie Jo Spears, a hard-country vocalist with international popularity
Ray Stevens, comedy crossover artist, Branson businessman
Conway Twitty, honky-tonk traditionalist
Don Walser, yodeling Texas legend
Porter Wagoner, pioneer on country television
Dottie West, country glamour girl who had her biggest success 20 years into her career
The Wilburn Brothers, popular male duet for decades
Tammy Wynette, three-time CMA top female vocalist
Faron Young, a country chart topper for three decades
[edit] Country Rock
The Band
Blackfoot
The Byrds
Charlie Daniels Band
Gene Clark
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
The Eagles, a very popular country rock band
The Everly Brothers, predated others in this category but important figures in the transition from rockabilly to country rock
Firefall
Flying Burrito Brothers
Kinky Friedman
Gram Parsons, critical favorite of the country rock movement
Grateful Dead, extremely long-lived bluegrass and psychedelic band
Heartsfield
Rick Nelson, in the latter stage of his career, particularly on songs such as "Garden Party."
Marshall Tucker Band
Michael Nesmith
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Juice Newton, the top-selling female country rocker of the 1980s
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Poco
Pure Prairie League (Vince Gill was the lead singer of this group on their biggest pop hit, 1980's "Let Me Love You Tonight.")
John Rich
Kid Rock, only a part of his music is Country Rock; most notably, the music on the album Kid Rock
Linda Ronstadt, in 1978 Country Music Magazine put her on the cover with the title "Queen Of Country Rock".
KANE
Neil Young, a diverse artist whose music spans many other genres as well
Steve Young
[edit] Contemporary country stars 1980-2006
Chris LeDoux [2]
Trace Adkins [3]
Alabama[4]
Jason Aldean[5]
Keith Anderson [6]
Jessica Andrews[7]
Sherrié Austin [8]
Baillie & the Boys
Dierks Bentley [9]
Bering Strait
Big & Rich [10]
Clint Black [11]
Blackhawk [12]
Suzy Bogguss [13]
Paul Brandt [14]
Brooks & Dunn [15]
Garth Brooks [16]
Jann Browne
Tracy Byrd[17]
Chris Cagle [18]
George Canyon
Mary Chapin Carpenter[19]
Carlene Carter[20]
Deana Carter [21]
Johnny Cash
Rosanne Cash
Jeremy Castle
Kasey Chambers
Mark Chesnutt
Terri Clark[22]
Tammy Cochran [23]
Paul Collins
J.K. Coltrain
Cowboy Troy
Rodney Crowell
Billy Currington[24]
Billy Ray Cyrus[25]
Miley Cyrus[26]
Linda Davis
Diamond Rio[27]
Dixie Chicks
Holly Dunn[28]
Sara Evans[29]
Shelly Fairchild
Steve Ford & The Flange
Forester Sisters
Steve Fox
Janie Fricke
Crystal Gayle[30]
Vince Gill[31]
Nanci Griffith
Vern Gosdin
Josh Gracin [32]
Emmylou Harris
Ty Herndon[33]
Highway 101
Faith Hill [34][35]
Steve Holy
Alan Jackson[36]
Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Wynonna Judd[37]
The Judds
Toby Keith[38]
Sammy Kershaw[39]
Mark Knopfler
Alison Krauss
Miranda Lambert[40]
k.d. lang
Tracy Lawrence[41]
Danni Leigh
Aaron Lines
Little Big Town
Little Texas[42]
Lonestar [43]
Patty Loveless[44]
Lyle Lovett
Shelby Lynne
Barbara Mandrell
Kathy Mattea[45]
The Mavericks
Martina McBride[46]
Lila McCann [47]
Jason McCoy
Neal McCoy[48]
Mindy McCready
Charly McClain
Reba McEntire[49]
Tim McGraw[50]
Jo Dee Messina[51]
John Michael Montgomery[52]
Montgomery Gentry
Allison Moorer
Craig Morgan
Lorrie Morgan[53]
Anne Murray
Heather Myles
Juice Newton
Joe Nichols
Nickel Creek
Jamie O'Neal
Texas Lightning
K.T. Oslin
Jake Owen[54]
Brad Paisley
Dolly Parton
Kellie Pickler[55]
Rachel Proctor
Eddie Rabbitt
Collin Raye
Riders in the Sky
LeAnn Rimes
Julie Roberts
Kenny Rogers
Sawyer Brown
Steven Seagal
Kevin Sharp
Shedaisy
Blake Shelton
Ricky Skaggs
Margo Smith
George Strait
Bob Style
Sugarland
Sweethearts of the Rodeo
Taylor Swift
Sylvia
Pam Tillis
Aaron Tippin
Randy Travis
Trick Pony
Travis Tritt
Tanya Tucker
Josh Turner
Shania Twain
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Van Zant
Phil Vassar
Rhonda Vincent
Clay Walker
Steve Wariner
Dale Watson
Brittany Wells
Bryan White
Lucinda Williams
Kelly Willis
Mark Wills
Gretchen Wilson
Lee Ann Womack
Darryl Worley
The Wreckers
Chely Wright
Michelle Wright
Trisha Yearwood
Dwight Yoakam
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