Although it may seem that country music has been around forever, it has actually only been around since the early 20th century. Although some may call it cowboy music the roots of country music can actually be found in the blues, gospel, Celtic and folk music. It began in the early 20th century in the Appalachians of the southeastern United States. Country music is the working class music of the south. It often tells a story or has a moral. In todays fast-paced, high-tech world, it is amazing that old fashioned country music still has a place in the hearts of so many-even if you listen to it on your ipod or MP3 player. The first country music recording that really got noticed was of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter family back in 1927. This type of music had been around for a few years before that, but this was the breakthrough album for the genre. Jimmie Rodgers played what was called country folk and told stories with his songs. He sang about everything from alcohol to women and even included humor in many of his songs. The Carter family was multi-talented and not only sang beautifully, but also played skillfully on guitars and other stringed instruments in true Appalachian tradition. The next pioneer of the country music industry was Hank Williams Sr. He took cues from his predecessor, Jimmie Rodgers and sang songs about life, love, and loss. He died young, just as Mr. Rodgers did but not before passing on his musical genius to his children and eventually his grandchild. The country scene changed in the 1960s just like everything else in the United States. Two branches broke apart and one followed the traditional and the other put more emphasis on a smooth solo vocal and less emphasis on solo instruments-like the rock and roll of the day. This division continues to some degree today. Another big division occurred in the 1990s when some of the younger performers blended the country sound with some rock and other sounds. This led to more disharmony and some protests by the old school country performers. But, country lives on. |
