Country music

Country music, also called country and western music or country-western, is an amalgam of popular musical forms developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues.

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, Wynonna 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
• Guitars & Cadillacs,
  Sabine Keevil, Thinking Dog Publishing, 2002, ISBN 0-968-99730-9
• Country Music USA,
  Bill C. Malone, University of Texas Press, 1985, ISBN 0-292-71096-8

Early innovators

• Vernon Dalhart recorded hundreds of songs until 1931.
• Jimmie Rodgers, first country superstar, the "Father of Country Music", also a bluesman
• The Carter Family, rural country-blues, known for hits like "Wildwood Flower"
• Roy Acuff Grand Ole Opry star for 50 years, "King of Country Music"
• 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" and "Your Cheatin' Heart"
• 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.
• Wilf Carter, the "yodeling" cowboy, aka Montana Slim.
• Webb Pierce, classic honky-tonker who dominated '50s country music
• Kitty Wells, country's first female superstar, called the "Queen of Country Music"

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
• 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
• Donna Fargo, one of Nashville's most thought-provoking singer-songwriters
• 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
• 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 (and only) Afro-American country music star
• 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
• Billie Jo Spears, a hard-country vocalist with international popularity
• Ray Stevens, comedy crossover artist, Branson businessman
• Conway Twitty, honky-tonk traditionalist
• Porter Wagoner, pioneer on country television
• Dottie West, country glamour girl who had her biggest success 20 years into her career
• Wilburn Brothers, popular male duet for decades
• Tammy Wynette, three-time CMA top female vocalist
• Faron Young, a country chart topper for three decades

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Country rock

• The Allman Brothers Band, bluegrass-influenced jam band
• The Band
• Blackfoot
• The Byrds, pioneers in the field
• Flying Burrito Brothers
• The Eagles, possibly the most popular country rock band
• The Everly Brothers, predated others in this category but important figures in the transition from rockabilly to country rock
• Kinky Friedman
• Grateful Dead, extremely long-lived bluegrass and psychedelic band
• Gram Parsons, critical favorite of the country rock movement
• Poco
• John Rich
• Lynyrd Skynyrd, for many, the archetypal country rock band
• Kid Rock, only part of his music is Country Rock most notabilly the music on the album "Kid Rock"

Contemporary Country Stars 1980-2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Alabama
• Dierks Bentley
• Big & Rich
• Clint Black
• Paul Brandt
• Brooks & Dunn
• Garth Brooks
• Johnny Cash
• Jeremy Castle
• Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Kenny Chesney
• Cowboy Troy
• The Dixie Chicks
• Sara Evans
• Vince Gill
• Ty Herndon
• Faith Hill
• Alan Jackson
• Toby Keith
• Sammy Kershaw
• Allison Krauss
• Lonestar
• Patty Loveless

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Barbara Mandrell
• Martina McBride
• Lila McCann
• Tim McGraw
• Mindy McCready
• Reba McEntire
• Jo Dee Messina
• Montgomery Gentry
• Craig Morgan
• Lorrie Morgan
• Brad Paisley
• Rascal Flatts
• George Strait
• Bob Style
• Pam Tillis
• Randy Travis
• Shania Twain
• Keith Urban
• Clay Walker
• Steve Wariner
• Gretchen Wilson
• Trisha Yearwood
• Dwight Yoakam

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Television and radio shows of note

• Austin City Limits, PBS goes country
• The Beverly Hillbillies, legendary situation comedy series that featured a country theme song and frequent appearances, by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs
• Grand Ole Opry, broadcasting on WSM from Nashville since 1925
• Hee Haw, featuring Buck Owens and Roy Clark and a pack of droll, cornball comedians, notably Junior Samples. Other artist of note, Archie Campbell, writer and on-air talent.
• Lost Highway, a significant BBC documentary on the History of Country Music
• Louisiana Hayride, featured Hank Williams in his early years
• Ozark Jubilee
• The Porter Wagoner Show, aired from 1960 to 1979 and featured a young Dolly Parton