Country music

Country music is an American-developed popular musical form, with roots in traditional folk music. Initially derived from the same Appalachian[?] and celtic folk tradition as bluegrass, another form of American roots music, country music is now one of the most popular forms of music in the world, particularly in the southern United States. Country music often includes steel guitar, fiddle (violin), and acoustic guitar although drums and electric guitar have become standard instruments also. The term "Country & Western" is now considered obsolete.

At the time of its early popularity, country shared America's affection with swing music, a type of jazz and enterprising musicians such as Bob Wills fused the two to form western swing[?].

During the 1960s, country music became a multi-million dollar industry centered on Nashville, Tennessee. Under the direction of Chet Atkins, the Nashville sound brought country music to a diverse audience. Although country music has great stylistic diversity, this diversity is not usually well-reflected in radio airplay and the popular perception of country music is still dominated by maudlin ballads.

In the 1990s a new form of country music emerged, called by some alternative country, or "insurgent country". Performed by generally younger musicians and inspired by traditional country performers, 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.

Early Innovators:

• Jimmie Rodgers, first country superstar, also bluesman
• Carter Family, rural country-blues, known for hits like "Wildwood Flower"
• Hank Snow
• Hank Williams Sr, honky tonk pioneer, singer and songwriter, known for hits like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Your Cheatin' Heart", followed in music by his son and grandson
• Bill Monroe, father of bluegrass
• Grand Ole Opry, one of the oldest radio programs
• Louvin Brothers[?], inspired the Everly Brothers

Golden Age

• Roy Acuff[?]
• Johnny Cash, long-lived performer with strong gospel and blues influences
• Patsy Cline, immensely popular balladeer
• Lefty Frizzell[?]
• Merle Haggard, popularized the Bakersfield sound
• Johnny Horton[?]
• Waylon Jennings, one of the leaders of the outlaw country[?] sound
• George Jones
• Kris Kristofferson, songwriter and one of the leaders of the outlaw country[?] sound
• Loretta Lynn
• Ronnie Milsap[?]
• Willie Nelson, songwriter and one of the leaders of the outlaw country[?] sound
• Buck Owens[?], pioneer innovator of the Bakersfield sound
• Charley Pride[?]
• Charlie Rich[?]
• Marty Robbins
• Conway Twitty[?], honky tonk traditionalist
• Kitty Wells[?]
• Tammy Wynette

Country Rock

• Allman Brothers Band, bluegrass influenced jam band
• Blackfoot[?]
• The Byrds, pioneers in the field
• Flying Burrito Brothers
• The Eagles, possibly the most popular country rock band
• Kinky Friedman
• Grateful Dead, extremely long-lived bluegrass and psychedelic band
• Lynyrd Skynyrd, for many, the archetypal country rock band
• Gram Parsons, critical favorite of the country rock movement
• Poco[?]

Television and radio shows of note:

• Grand Ole Opry
• Hee Haw. featuring Buck Owens[?] and Roy Clark[?] and a pack of droll, cornball comedians, notably Junior Samples[?]
• Austin City Limits, PBS goes country

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 0-140-26108-7

• Dreaming Out Loud: Garth Brooks, Wynona Judd, Wade Hayes and the changing face of Nashville, Bruce Feiler, Avon Books, 1998. ISBN 0-380-97578-5

• Roadkill on the Three-Chord Highway, Colin Escott, Routledge, 2002. ISBN 0-415-93783-3

Other links

Academy of Country Music

List of country musicians for a comprehensive list of current and past performers

Country Music Association

Alternative country for a list of the performers in that sub-genre