This article is about the genre of popular music from the United States and Canada. For other music genres that are sometimes described as country music, see Country music (disambiguation)

Country music
Stylistic origins	Appalachian folk music, blues, spirituals and Anglo-Celtic music
Cultural origins	early twentieth century Southern United States, esp. Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland, The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Spirituals (or Negro spirituals) are songs which were created by African slaves in America. Celtic music is a term utilised by artists record companies music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of Musical genres that evolved out of the Folk The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive Appalachia, (Tennessee, West Virginia, and Kentucky)
Typical instruments	Guitar - Violin - Steel Guitar - Dobro - Harmonica - Bass - Fiddle - Drums - Mandolin - Banjo
Mainstream popularity	1920s–present High in USA and Canada Medium in United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand Low in Asia, Latin America, and Europe (except UK). Appalachia is a term used to describe a region in the eastern United States that stretches from southern New York state to northern Alabama, Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The pedal steel guitar is a type of Electric guitar that uses a metal slide to stop the strings rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar Dobro is a Trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of Resonator guitar. A harmonica is a free reed Wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes (reed chambers or The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed The banjo is a Stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island
Derivative forms	Bluegrass, Dansband
Subgenres
Bakersfield Sound - Bluegrass - Close harmony - Honky tonk - Jug band - Lubbock Sound - Nashville Sound - Neotraditional Country - Outlaw country - Red Dirt - Texas Country
Fusion genres
Alternative country - Country rock - Psychobilly - Rockabilly - Cowpunk - Country-rap - Country pop - Western Swing
Other topics
Country musicians - List of years in country music

Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of Country music. Dansband ("Dance band" is a term in Swedish which describes bands playing a kind of Popular music, dansbandsmusik ("Dance The Bakersfield sound was a genre of Country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of Country music. Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range A honky tonk (also called a honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is a type of bar with musical entertainment that is common in the Southwestern A jug band is a band employing a jug player and a mix of traditional and home-made instruments Lubbock sound is a genre of American music that began with the popularity of Lubbock, Texas native Buddy Holly. The Nashville sound arose during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American Country music, replacing the chart dominance of Honky tonk music which was Neotraditional country, also known as "new traditional" country, is a Country music style that rejects most elements of modern Top 40 country Outlaw country was a significant trend in Country music during the late 1960s and the 1970s (and even into the 1980s in some cases commonly referred to as The Outlaw Red Dirt Music gets its name from the color of soil found in Oklahoma. Texas Country Music (more popularly known just as "Texas Country" or "Texas music") is a rapidly growing sub-genre of Country Alternative country is a term used to describe a number of Country music subgenres that tend to differ from mainstream or pop country music For the geological term see Country rock (geology. Country rock is a Musical Genre formed from the fusion of rock Psychobilly is a genre of Rock music that mixes elements of Punk rock, Rockabilly, and other genres Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock and roll music and emerged in the early 1950s Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of Punk rock that began in Southern California in the 1980s especially Los Angeles. Country-rap is a genre of popular music blending Country music with Hip hop music -style rapping Country pop, with roots in both the Countrypolitan sound and in Soft rock, is a subgenre of Country music that first emerged in the 1970s This article is about the Musical genre. For the popular western swing Steel guitar tuning see E9 tuning. This is an alphabetical list of notable country music performers. This page indexes the individual year in country music pages The music of the United States reflects the country's multi-ethnic population through a diverse array of styles The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, blues, gospel music, hokum, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Celtic music is a term utilised by artists record companies music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of Musical genres that evolved out of the Folk The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to This article refers to a particular song type of American Blues music and a comedic style prevalent in Blues and Country music. Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland, ^[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, except in the United Kingdom, where it is still commonly used. Hillbilly is a term referring to people who dwell in remote Rural, Mountainous areas of the United States, primarily southern Appalachia and The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[1]

In the Southwestern United States a different mix of ethnic groups created the music that became the Western music of the term country and western. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 The ancestry of the people of the United States is widely varied and includes descendants of Populations from around the World, some presumably extinct Western music is a form of Folk music originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the

Country music has produced two of the top selling solo artists of all time. Elvis Presley, who was known early on as “The Hillbilly Cat” and was a regular on the radio program Louisiana Hayride^[2], went on to become a defining figure in the emerging genre of rock 'n roll. The Louisiana Hayride was a radio (later television broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport Louisiana, that during its heyday from Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Garth Brooks is one of the top-selling country artists of all time, and except for a short foray into non-country in the late 1990s, has remained in that genre. Troyal Garth Brooks, known professionally as Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music Singer-songwriter.

While album sales of most musical genres have declined, country music experienced one of its best years in 2006, when, during the first six months of the year, U. S. sales of country albums increased by 17. 7 percent to 36 million. Moreover, country music listening nationwide has remained steady for almost a decade, reaching 77. 3 million adults every week according to the radio-ratings agency Arbitron Inc. ^[3][4]

The term "country music" is used to describe many styles, genres, or subgenres. This is a list of music sub-genres of Country music. Alternative country Americana Bakersfield sound

Contents 1 Early history 2 Early recorded history 3 Singing Cowboys, Western Swing, and Hillbilly Boogie 4 The 1950s and 1960s 4.1 The countrypolitan sound of Nashville 4.2 Rockabilly 4.3 Bakersfield Sound 5 Changing instrumentation in the mid twentieth century 5.1 Drums 5.2 Electric guitar 6 Not Nashville 6.1 Outlaw Country 6.2 Country Rock 7 Country-Pop 7.1 Other developments 8 Country music outside the United States 9 Performer and shows 10 See also 11 Further reading 12 References 13 External links

Early history

Immigrants to the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North America brought the music and instruments of the Old World along with them for nearly 300 years. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The Irish fiddle, the German derived dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the African banjo^[5] were the most common musical instruments. The Appalachian dulcimer is a Fretted String instrument of the Zither family typically with three or four strings A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles The banjo is a Stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments The interactions among musicians from different ethnic groups produced music unique to this region of North America. Appalachian string bands of the early twentieth century primarliy consisted of the fiddle, guitar, and banjo. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. ^[6] This early country music along with early recorded country music is often referred to as Old-time music. Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland,

Throughout the nineteenth century, several immigrant groups from Europe, most notably from Ireland, The United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Italy moved to Texas. American immigration ( emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. These groups interacted with the Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and U. See also History of Mexican-Americans Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican ancestry Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States S. communities that were already established in Texas. As a result of this cohabitation and extended contact, Texas has developed unique cultural traits that are rooted in the culture of all of its founding communities. The settlers from the areas now known as Germany and the Czech Republic established large dance halls in Texas where farmers and townspeople from neighboring communities could gather, dance, and spend a night enjoying each other’s company. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, The music at these halls, brought from Europe, included the waltz and the polka, played on an accordion, an instrument invented in Italy, which was loud enough to fill the entire dance hall. The waltz is a ballroom and folk Dance in time, performed primarily in Closed position. The polka is a fast lively Central European Dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest ^[7]

Early recorded history

Columbia Records began issuing records with "hillbilly" music (series 15000D "Old Familiar Tunes") as early as 1924. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company ^[8] A year earlier on June 14, 1923 Fiddlin' John Carson recorded "Little Log Cabin in the Lane" for Okeh Records. Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Fiddlin' John Carson (born March 23, 1868 Fannin County Georgia – died December 11, 1949 Atlanta Georgia) was Okeh Records began as an Independent record label based in the United States of America in ^[9] Vernon Dalhart was the first country singer to have a nationwide hit in May of 1924 with "Wreck of the Old '97". Vernon Dalhart ( 6 April, 1883 - 15 September, 1948) was a popular United States Singer and Songwriter of the The "Old 97", a Southern Railway Train officially known as the Fast Mail, was en route from Monroe Virginia to Spencer North ^[10][11] The flip side of this record was "Lonesome Road Blues", which also became very popular. ^[12] Other important early recording artists were Riley Puckett, Don Richardson, Fiddlin' John Carson, Al Hopkins, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers and The Skillet Lickers. George Riley Puckett (b May 7, 1894 Alpharetta Georgia, USA - d Don Richardson was an American fiddler who may have made the first Country music recording in 1914 eight years before the first generally recognised country recording was made Fiddlin' John Carson (born March 23, 1868 Fannin County Georgia – died December 11, 1949 Atlanta Georgia) was Albert Green Hopkins (1889 – October 21, 1932) ( Al Hopkins) was an American musician a pioneer of what later came to be called Country Charlie Poole ( March 22, 1892 in Spray North Carolina – May 21, 1931) was the leader of the North Carolina Ramblers, ^[13] The steel guitar entered country music as early as 1922, when Jimmie Tarlton met famed Hawaiian guitarist Frank Ferera on the West Coast. Frank Ferera (1885-1951 was a Hawaiian Musician who recorded successfully between 1915 and 1930 ^[14]

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/Bristol, Virginia on August 1, 1927, where Ralph Peer was the talent scout and sound recordist. Jimmie Rodgers ( September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) an early purveyor of Delta blues, known as "The Singing Brakeman" The Carter Family was a Country music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956 The Bristol sessions are considered the "Big Bang" of modern Country music. Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Bristol is an Independent city in Virginia, bounded by Washington County Virginia, and Sullivan County Tennessee. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ralph Peer ( May 22 1892 &ndash January 19 1960) was born Ralph Sylvester Peer in Independence Missouri. ^[15]

Rodgers fused hillbilly country, gospel, jazz, blues, pop, cowboy, and folk; and many of his best songs were his compositions, including “Blue Yodel” (Victor 21142 [5]), which sold over a million records and established Rodgers as the premier singer of early country music. [6] ^[16]

Beginning in 1927, and for the next 17 years the Carters recorded some 300 old-time ballads, traditional tunes, country songs, and Gospel hymns, all representative of America's southeastern folklore and heritage. [7]

One effect of the Great Depression was to reduce the number of records that could be sold. Radio, and broadcasting, became a popular source of entertainment, and "barn dance" shows featuring country music were started all over the South, as far north as Chicago, and as far west as California. One of the most important of these shows was the Grand Ole Opry from 650 WSM in Nashville, TN. The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly Country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee Some of the early stars on the Opry were Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Acuff, and African American harmonica player DeFord Bailey. Uncle Dave Macon ( October 7 1870 - March 22 1952)—also known as "The Dixie Dewdrop"—was an Roy Claxton Acuff ( September 15, 1903 &ndash November 23, 1992) was an American country Musician known DeFord Bailey ( December 14, 1899 &ndash July 2, 1982) was an early Country music star and the first African American performer WSM's 50,000 watt signal (1934) could often be heard across the country. [8]

Singing Cowboys, Western Swing, and Hillbilly Boogie

During the 1930s and 1940s Cowboy songs, or "Western music", which had been recorded since the 1920s, were popularized by films made in Hollywood. Western music is a form of Folk music originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Some of the popular singing cowboys from the era were, Gene Autry, the Sons of the Pioneers, and Roy Rogers. A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal Cowboy hero of early Western films popularized by many of the B-movies of the 1930s and the 1940s Orvon Gene Autry ( September 29 1907 &ndash October 2 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy The Sons of the Pioneers was an American cowboy singing group founded in 1933 by Leonard Slye (better known by his later screen name Roy Rogers) with Tim Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye) (November 5 1911 &ndash July 6 1998 was a singer and Cowboy Actor. [9]

Another "country" musician from the Lower Great Plains who had become very popular as the leader of a “hot string band”, and who also appeared in Hollywood Westerns was Bob Wills. The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. James Robert (Bob Wills ( March 6, 1905 &ndash May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician Songwriter His mix of "country" and jazz, which started out as dance hall music, would become known as Western Swing. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States This article is about the Musical genre. For the popular western swing Steel guitar tuning see E9 tuning. Spade Cooley and Tex Williams also had very popular bands and appeared in films. Donnell Clyde 'Spade' Cooley ( December 17, 1910 &ndash November 23, 1969) was an American Western Swing musician Tex Williams (born Sollie Paul Williams) August 23, 1917 &ndash October 11, 1985) was an American Western swing musician At the height of its popularity, Western Swing rivaled the popularity of other big band jazz. A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late

Country musicians began recording boogie in 1939, shortly after it had been played at Carnegie Hall, when Johnny Barfield recorded "Boogie Woogie". Boogie-woogie is a style of Piano -based Blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s but originated much earlier and was extended from piano The trickle of what was initially called Hillbilly Boogie, or Okie Boogie (later to be renamed Country Boogie), became a flood beginning around late 1945. One notable country boogie from this period was the Delmore Brothers' "Freight Train Boogie", considered to be part of the combined evolution of country music and blues towards rockabilly. Alton (1908-1964 and Rabon Delmore (1916-1952 billed as The Delmore Brothers, were Country music pioneers and stars of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock and roll music and emerged in the early 1950s In 1948 Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith achieved Top 10 US country chart success with his MGM Records recordings of "Guitar Boogie" and "Banjo Boogie", with the former crossing over to the US pop charts. Arthur Smith (born April 1, 1921 in Clinton South Carolina) is an American musician and songwriter [10] Other country boogie artists include Merrill Moore, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. Merrill Moore (1903 &ndash 1957 was an American MD psychiatrist and poet Ernest Jennings Ford ( February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991) better known by the Stage name Tennessee Ernie Ford, was The Hillbilly Boogie period lasted into the 1950s, and remains as one of many subgenres of country into the twenty first century.

By the end of World War II "mountaineer" string band music known as Bluegrass had emerged when Bill Monroe joined with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, led by Roy Acuff at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of Country music. William Smith Monroe ( September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American musician who developed the style of music known as Lester Raymond Flatt ( June 19, 1914 - May 11, 1979) was one of the pioneers of Bluegrass music. Earl Eugene Scruggs (born January 6, 1924) is a musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger style (now called Scruggs style) on the 5-string Roy Claxton Acuff ( September 15, 1903 &ndash November 23, 1992) was an American country Musician known The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly Country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Gospel music, too, remained a popular component of country music.

Another type of stripped down and raw music with a variety of moods and a basic ensemble of guitar, bass, dobro or steel guitar and sometimes drums became popular, especially among poverty striken white southerners. It became known as Honky Tonk and had its roots in Texas. East Texan Al Dexter had a hit with "Honky Tonk Blues", and seven years later "Pistol Packin' Mama". ^[17] These "honky tonk" songs associated barrooms, were performed by the likes of Ernest Tubb, Ted Daffin, Floyd Tillman, and the Maddox Brothers and Rose, and Hank Williams, would later be called "traditional" country. Ernest Dale Tubb ( February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984) nicknamed the "Texas Troubadour" was an American Singer Floyd Tillman ( 8 December 1914 – 22 August 2003) was a Country musician who in the 1930s-40s helped create the Western swing The Maddox Brothers and Rose are known as "America’s Most Colorful Hillbilly Band" and were based in California from the 1930s to the 1950s Hank Williams ( September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who has

In this post WWII period "country" music was called "folk" in the trades, and "hillbilly" within the industry. ^[18]

Many musicians performed and recorded songs in any number of styles. Moon Mullican played Western Swing, but also recorded songs that can be called rockabilly. Aubrey Wilson Mullican ( March 29, 1909 - January 1, 1967) known as Moon Mullican, was an American Country and western Bill Haley sang cowboy songs, and was at one time a cowboy yodeler. This article is specifically about the singer For detailed information about his rock and roll group see Bill Haley & His Comets. Haley became most famous as an early player of rock n roll. Lefty Frizzell played in honky tonks Jimmie Rodgers-stylings to his environment, thus creating a sound that was very much his own. William Orville 'Lefty' Frizzell ( March 31, 1928 &ndash July 19, 1975) was an American Country music Singer and

The 1950s and 1960s

By the late 1940s, Nashville began to slowly integrate the popular big band jazz and swing sounds of top 40 radio with the honky tonk storytelling of country pioneers. A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late Between 1947 and 1949, country crooner Eddy Arnold placed a total of 8 songs in the top 10. Richard Edward Arnold (known as Eddy Arnold) ( May 15, 1918  &ndash May 8, 2008) was an American Country music ^[19][20]

The countrypolitan sound of Nashville

Beginning in the mid 50's, and reaching its peak during the early 1960s, the "Nashville Sound" turned country music into a multimillion-dollar industry centered on Nashville, Tennessee. The Nashville sound arose during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American Country music, replacing the chart dominance of Honky tonk music which was Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. 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 and helped revive country as it emerged from a commercially fallow period. Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins ( June 20, 1924 &ndash June 30, 2001) was an influential Guitarist and Record producer Owen Bradley (c October 21, 1915 - January 7 1998) was an influential American Record producer Billy Sherrill (born Phil Campbell, Alabama, November 5 1936) was a record producer and arranger who is most famous for his association with ^[21] 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-emphasized in favor of trademark "licks". Leading artists in this genre included Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and later Tammy Wynette and Charlie Rich. Patsy Cline (b Virginia Patterson Hensley September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American Country James Travis "Jim" Reeves ( August 20 1923 &ndash July 31 1964) was an American country and Pop singer Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette ( May 5, 1942 - April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer-songwriter Charlie Rich ( December 14, 1932 - July 25, 1995) was an American Country Music Singer/Musician. The "slip note" piano style of session musician Floyd Cramer was an important component of this style. Floyd Cramer ( October 27, 1933 – December 31, 1997) was an American Hall of Fame Pianist who was one of the architects Peter Dempsey was also active during this period.

Rockabilly

1956 could be called the year of rockabilly in country music. The number 2, 3, and 4 songs on Billboard's charts for that year are: Elvis Presley "Heartbreak Hotel", Johnny Cash "I Walk the Line", and Carl Perkins "Blue Suede Shoes". " Heartbreak Hotel " is a Rock and roll song performed by Elvis Presley, with Bill Black ( bass) Scotty Moore ( Johnny Cash (born J R Cash; February 26 1932 - September 12 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American country Singer-songwriter. For the 1964 album see I Walk the Line (album. For the 1970 soundtrack album see I Walk the Line (soundtrack album. Carl Lee Perkins ( April 9, 1932 &ndash January 19, 1998) was an American pioneer of Rockabilly music a mix of Rhythm " Blue Suede Shoes " is a Rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955. ^[22] Cash and Presley would place songs in the top 5 in 1958 with #3 "Guess Things Happen That Way/Come In, Stranger" by Cash, and #5 by Presley "Don't/I Beg Of You". ^[23]

What is now most commonly referred to as rockabilly was most popular with country music fans in the 1950s, and was recorded and performed by country musicians. Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock and roll music and emerged in the early 1950s Within a few years many rockabilly musicians returned to a more mainstrean style, or had defined their own unique style.

By the end of the decade, backlash as well as traditional artists such as Ray Price, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Horton began to shift the industry away from the Rock n' Roll influences of the mid-50's. Ray Price (born January 12, 1926 in Perryville Texas) is an American Country and western singer/songwriter/guitarist Martin David Robinson ( September 26 1925 – December 8, 1982) was an American singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Johnny Horton ( April 30, 1925  &ndash November 5, 1960) was an American Country music singer who was most famous

Bakersfield Sound

Located 112 miles (180 km) north north west of Los Angeles, Bakersfield, California gave rise to one of the next genres of country music. This sound grew out of hardcore honky tonk with elements of Western swing, and was influenced by one time West Coast residents Bob Wills and Lefty Frizzell. This article is about the Musical genre. For the popular western swing Steel guitar tuning see E9 tuning. James Robert (Bob Wills ( March 6, 1905 &ndash May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician Songwriter William Orville 'Lefty' Frizzell ( March 31, 1928 &ndash July 19, 1975) was an American Country music Singer and By 1966 it was known as the Bakersfield Sound. The Bakersfield sound was a genre of Country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. The Bakersfield Sound relied on electric instruments and amplification, in particular the Telecaster electric guitar, more than other subgenres of country of the era, and can be described as having a sharp, hard, driving, no-frills, edgy flavor. The Fender Telecaster, also known as the Tele (pronounced Telly is typically a dual-pickup solid-body Electric guitar made by Fender. Leading practitioners of this style were Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Tommy Collins, and Wynn Stewart, each of whom had his own style. Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr, (August 12 1929 – March 25 2006 was an American Singer and Guitarist, with 20 number-one hits on the Merle Ronald Haggard (born April 6, 1937) is an American Country music Singer, Guitarist and Songwriter. Tommy Collins sometimes referred to as Tom Collins is an Irish filmmaker Wynn Stewart (born Winford Lindsey Stewart June 7, 1934 - July 17, 1985) was an American Country music [11] [12]

Changing instrumentation in the mid twentieth century

Drums

Drums were scorned by early country musicians as being "too loud" and "not pure", but by 1935 Western Swing big band leader Bob Wills had added drums to the Texas Playboys. A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late In the mid 1940s, The Grand Ole Opry did not want the Playboys’ drummer to appear on stage. The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly Country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee Although drums were commonly used by rockabilly groups by 1955, the less-conservative-than-the-Grand Ole Opry Louisiana Hayride kept their infrequently-used drummer back stage as late as 1956. The Louisiana Hayride was a radio (later television broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport Louisiana, that during its heyday from By the early 1960s, however, it was rare that a country band didn't have a drummer. [13]

Electric guitar

Bob Wills was one of the first country musicians known to have added an electric guitar to his band, in 1938. [14]. A decade later (1948) Arthur Smith achieved Top 10 US country chart success with his MGM Records recording of "Guitar Boogie", which crossed over to the US pop chart, introducing many people to the potential of the electric guitar. Arthur Smith (born April 1, 1921 in Clinton South Carolina) is an American musician and songwriter For several decades Nashville session players preferred the warm tones of the Gibson and Gretsch archtop electrics, but a “hot” Fender style, utilizing guitars which became available beginning in the early 1950s, eventually prevailed as the signature guitar sound of country. [15][16]

Not Nashville

In 1962 Ray Charles surprised the pop world by turning his attention to country & western music, topping the charts and rating # 3 for the year on BillBoard’s pop chart^[24] with the "I Can't Stop Loving You" single, and recording the hugely popular album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Ray Charles Robinson ( September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) known by his Stage name Ray Charles, was an American " I Can't Stop Loving You " is a Popular song written and composed by country singer songwriter and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it on December Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, also known as Modern Sounds, is a Studio album by American Rhythm and blues musician

Outlaw Country

Derived from the traditional and honky tonk sounds of the late 50's and 60's, including Ray Price (whose band, the "Cherokee Cowboys", included Willie Nelson and Roger Miller) and mixed with the anger of an alienated subculture of the nation during the period, outlaw country revolutionized the genre of Country music. Ray Price may refer to Ray Price (musician, an American country and western singer Ray Price (cricketer, a Zimbabwean cricketer Willie Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country Singer-songwriter and Actor. Roger Dean Miller ( January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American Singer, Songwriter and Outlaw country was a significant trend in Country music during the late 1960s and the 1970s (and even into the 1980s in some cases commonly referred to as The Outlaw

"After I left Nashville (the early 70s), I wanted to relax and play the music that I wanted to play, and just stay around Texas, maybe Oklahoma. Waylon and I had that outlaw image going, and when it caught on at colleges and we started selling records, we were O. Waylon Arnold Jennings ( June 15, 1937 &ndash February 13, 2002) was an influential American Country music Singer K. The whole outlaw thing, it had nothing to do with the music, it was something that got written in an article, and the young people said, 'Well, that's pretty cool. ' And started listening. " (Willie Nelson)^[25]

The term "Outlaw Country" is traditionally associated with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Billy Joe Shaver, and was encapsulated in the 1976 record Wanted! The Outlaws. Billy Joe Shaver (He was born August 16, 1939 in Corsicana Texas) is an American Country music singer and songwriter Wanted! The Outlaws is an Album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, released in RCA

Country Rock

The late 1960s in American music produced a unique blend as a result of traditionalist backlash within separate genres. In the aftermath of the British Invasion, many desired a return to the "old values" of Rock n' Roll. The British Invasion was the term applied by the news media — and subsequently by consumers — to the influx of Rock and roll, beat and pop performers At the same time there was a lack of enthusiasm in the Country sector for Nashville-produced music. What resulted was a crossbred genre known as Country Rock. For the geological term see Country rock (geology. Country rock is a Musical Genre formed from the fusion of rock

Early innovators in this new style of music included Rock n' Roll icon band The Byrds (while Gram Parsons was the front man) and its spin-off The Flying Burrito Brothers, Commander Cody, and The Eagles. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African The Byrds were a popular American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964 Gram Parsons ( November 5, 1946  – September 19, 1973) was an American Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist The Flying Burrito Brothers was an early Country rock band best known for its influential debut album 1969's The Gilded Palace of Sin.

Subsequent to the initial blending of the two polar opposite genres, other offspring soon resulted, including Southern Rock and Heartland Rock. Southern rock is a subgenre of Rock music. It developed in the Southern United States from Rock and roll, Country music, and Blues In the late 1970s and 1980s one of the most popular forms of Rock and roll was heartland rock.

In the decades that followed, artists such as Alabama, Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks and Linda Ronstadt moved Country farther towards rock influence. Alabama is a Grammy Award -winning Country music band that originated in Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967 in Whangarei, New Zealand) is an Australian Grammy - and ARIA -winning Country music singer Shania Twain ʃəˈnaɪə 'tweɪn OC (born Eilleen Regina Edwards, August 28 1965 is a Canadian Singer and Songwriter in the Troyal Garth Brooks, known professionally as Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music Singer-songwriter. Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15 1946 in Tucson Arizona) is an American popular vocalist and Entertainer whose vocal styles in a variety

Country-Pop

Country Pop or soft pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Country pop, with roots in both the Countrypolitan sound and in Soft rock, is a subgenre of Country music that first emerged in the 1970s The Nashville sound arose during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American Country music, replacing the chart dominance of Honky tonk music which was Soft rock, also referred to as light rock or easy rock, is a style of Music which uses the techniques of Rock and roll to compose a softer Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to adult contemporary. Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreviated AC, refers to styles of popular music that ranges from "lush Sixties pop often vocal -based and rooted in

Country pop found its first widespread acceptance during the 1970s. It started with Pop music singers, like Glen Campbell, John Denver, Olivia Newton-John, and Anne Murray having hits on the Country charts. Glen Travis Campbell (born April 22 1936 in Delight, Arkansas) is a Grammy Award, Dove Award winning and two time nominated Golden John Denver (December 31 1943 &ndash October 12 1997 born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr Olivia Newton-John, AO, OBE (born September 26 1948) is a Grammy Award -winning and Golden Globe -nominated English-born Anne Murray CC ONS (born Morna Anne Murray on June 20 1945 is a Canadian singer Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" was among one of the biggest crossover hits in Country music history. These Pop-oriented singers thought that they could gain higher record sales and a larger audience if they crossed over into the Country world.

In 1974 Olivia Newton-John, an Australian pop singer, won the "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" as well as the Country Music Association's most coveted award for females, "Female Vocalist of the Year". In the same year, a group of artists, troubled by this trend, formed the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers. The debate raged into 1975, and reached its apex at that year's Country Music Association Awards when reigning Entertainer of the Year, Charlie Rich (who himself had a series of crossover hits), presented the award to his successor, John Denver. Charlie Rich ( December 14, 1932 - July 25, 1995) was an American Country Music Singer/Musician. As he read Denver's name, Rich set fire to the envelope with a cigarette lighter. The action was taken as a protest against the increasing pop style in country music.

In 1980 country music was popularized by the film Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta and spurred on by Dolly Parton's movie 9 to 5. This article is about the 1980 film For the Broadway musical of the same name see Urban Cowboy. Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American Country music Singer / Songwriter, Author, actress Among other songs "Urban Cowboy" featured "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band. " The Devil Went Down to Georgia " is a song written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 album Million Mile Reflections Charlie Daniels (born October 28, 1936 in Wilmington, North Carolina) is an American musician famous for his contributions to ^[26]

Willie Nelson had three songs in the Billboard top 5 in the early eighties: Always On My Mind (1982), To All The Girls I've Loved Before with Julio Iglesias; (1984) both at #1, and Highwayman with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson at #5 in 1985. Waylon Arnold Jennings ( June 15, 1937 &ndash February 13, 2002) was an influential American Country music Singer Willie Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country Singer-songwriter and Actor. Johnny Cash (born J R Cash; February 26 1932 - September 12 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American country Singer-songwriter. The #1 hit in 1983 was Shelly West’s barn burning Jose Cuervo. Shelly West (born May 23 1958, in Cleveland Ohio) is an American Country music Singer. "Jose Cuervo" is the name of a Country music song made popular by Shelly West in 1983 [17]

Other developments

In the mid 1990s country western music was influenced by the popularity of line dancing. A line dance is choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines (British English "rows" without regard This influence was so great that Chet Atkins was quoted as saying "The music has gotten pretty bad, I think. Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins ( June 20, 1924 &ndash June 30, 2001) was an influential Guitarist and Record producer It's all that damn line dancing. "^[27] 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.

One infrequent, but consistent theme in country music is that of proud, stubborn independence. "Country Boy Can Survive"^[28] and "Copperhead Road"^[29] are two of the more serious songs along those lines; while "Some Girls Do"^[30] and "Redneck Woman"^[31] are more light-hearted variations on the theme.

There are at least four U. S. cable networks at least partly devoted to the genre: CMT (owned by Viacom), CMT Pure Country (also owned by Viacom), Rural Free Delivery TV (owned by Rural Media Group) and GAC (owned by The E. W. Scripps Company). Country Music Television, or CMT as it is usually called is an American Country music -oriented Cable television network Viacom ( ( short for " Vi deo & A udio Com munications" is an American Media conglomerate with various worldwide interests CMT Pure Country is a Digital cable and Satellite Television channel, it is the sister network to CMT. RFD-TV, or Rural Free Delivery TV, is a United States satellite and cable television channel devoted to rural issues concerns and interests "GAC" redirects here For other uses of this three-letter abbreviation see Gac (disambiguation. The EW Scripps Company ( is an American Media conglomerate founded by Edward W The original American country music video cable channel was TNN (The Nashville Network). The channel was launched in the early 1980s. In 2000, the channel was renamed and reformatted to TNN (The National Network), which was a general-interest network to compete with USA Network, TNT, and Superstations, such as TBS and WGN. Subsequently, The National Network became Spike TV, the first network for men. Spike (formerly called Spike TV) a division of MTV Networks, is an American cable network designed for an audience described

Country music outside the United States

Country music's international popularity is increasing.

Tom Roland, from the Country Music Association International, explains Country Music’s global popularity: “In this respect, at least, Country Music listeners around the globe have something in common with those in the United States. The Country Music Association (CMA was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. In Germany, for instance, Rohrbach identifies three general groups that gravitate to the genre: people intrigued with the American cowboy icon, middle-aged fans who seek an alternative to harder rock music and younger listeners drawn to the pop-influenced sound that underscores many current Country hits. ”^[32]

One of the first Americans to perform country music abroad was George Hamilton IV. George Hamilton IV (born July 19, 1937 in Winston-Salem North Carolina) is an American Country musician He began performing in the He was the first country musician to perform in the Soviet Union; he also toured in Australia and the Middle East. He was deemed the "International Ambassador of Country Music" for his contributions to the globalization of country music. ^[33] Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, and Dwight Yoakam have also made numerous international tours. ^[32]

The Country Music Association undertakes various initiatives to promote country music internationally. The Country Music Association (CMA was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. ^[32]

Country music in Australia has always been popular, especially given the rural nature of the country. Starting in the 1800's with bush balladeers writing songs of their tales of the bush, as well as songs of protest against the tyranny of the government. In the 1940's the legendary Slim Dusty embarked on a country music career that spanned over fifty years and over 100 albums. Smoky Dawson was also a country music pioneer in Australia, modelling himself very much in the traditional cowboy style, even starring in his own comic books and radio serials. In more recent years, names like Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole, Adam Brand, Troy Cassar Daley and Kasey Chambers have been keeping the tradition of country music alive, whilst also paving the way for new names in the industry, including Catherine Britt, Amber Lawrence, Shea Fisher, Talia Whitman and "Captain Goodtimes" Steve Forde. The constant source of up-to-date news and reviews in Australia is Country HQ, which assists the industry through showcasing the vast array of legends and new talent on the rise in the country music scene downunder.

Performer and shows

Main article: List of country music performers

Main article: List of country performers by era

Main article: List of country television and radio shows

See also

• Academy of Country Music
• Country Music Association
• WSM Radio
• Country Music Hall of Fame
• Great American Country
• List of country genres
• Country and Western dance
• Tejano: Country music performed in Spanish to a Polka beat
• Western music (North America)
• Southern Culture
• Australian country music

Further reading

• In The Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music,
  Nicholas Dawidoff, Vintage Books, 1998, ISBN 0-375-70082-X
• Are You Ready for the Country: Elvis, Dylan, Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock,
  Peter Dogget, Penguin Books, 2001, ISBN 0-14-026108-7
• Roadkill on the Three-Chord Highway,
  Colin Escott, Routledge, 2002, ISBN 0-415-93783-3
• Guitars & Cadillacs,
  Sabine Keevil, Thinking Dog Publishing, 2002, ISBN 0-9689973-0-9
• Proud to Be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern California,
  Peter La Chapelle, University of California Press, 2007, ISBN 0-52-024889-9
• Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity,
  Richard A. This is an alphabetical list of notable 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 The following lists country music TV and radio shows of note Television Listed alphabetically American Idol - While not strictly a country The Academy of Country Music (ACM was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy The Country Music Association (CMA was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. WSM is the Callsign of a 50000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville Tennessee. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is located at 222 Fifth Avenue South in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. "GAC" redirects here For other uses of this three-letter abbreviation see Gac (disambiguation. This is a list of music sub-genres of Country music. Alternative country Americana Bakersfield sound Tejano music (Spanish-Texan music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Hispanic populations of Central and Southern Texas The polka is a fast lively Central European Dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas Western music is a form of Folk music originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the The Culture of the Southern United States or Southern Culture is a Subculture of the United States that has resulted from the blending of a heavy amount Australian country music is a vibrant part of the Music of Australia. Peterson, University of Chicago Press, 1999, ISBN 0226662853
• Country Music USA,
  Bill C. Malone, University of Texas Press, 1985, ISBN 0-292-71096-8, second Rev ed, 2002, ISBN 0-292-75262-8
• Don't Get Above Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern Working Class (Music in American Life),
  Bill C. Malone, University of Illinois Press, 2002, ISBN 0-252-02678-0
• It All Happened In Renfro Valley,
  Pete Stamper, University of Kentucky Press, 1999, ISBN 978-0813109756

References

External links

• The Country Music Association
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
• Grand Ole Opry
• GAC - Great American Country TV
• Country Music Television
• Country HQ - From Texas to Tamworth and everywhere in between
• Country Weekly magazine
• A TIME Archive of country music's progression
• Cowboy FM
• Countryfied Soul
• The Piano in Country Music

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