Loretta Lynn, 2 songs, info
“Coal Miner’s Daughter”, “Portland Oregon”
1st major female singer/songwriter to maintain success
Liberated women in country music
Tammy Wynette
“Stand By Your Man” – Written by Bill Sheryl, prodcuer.
– Very Poor
– Married to George Jones, first country music couple
Dolly Parton
“Jolene”, “A Coat of Many Colors”
Dollywood
Grew up poor in East TN, First country artist on cover of rolling stones.
Broke in on Porter Wagner show as his female singer
Nashville Supporters of Dylan and Baez
Johnny Cash and Earl Scruggs
Louise Scruggs
1st big deal booking agent in Nashville
Found way for Flatt and Scruggs to appeal to a younger crowd
Earl Scruggs
“Foggy Mountain Breakdown”,
Performed with Bill Monroe on the Opry in 1945, instant hit
3-finger banjo style called “scruggs style”
Bridged nashville’s old guard with long-haired california kids who loved country
Sweethearts of the Rodeo
Byrd’s Album inspired by Gram Parsons
pioneer album into country rock
Nashville Sound
Late 1950’s as reaction to rock and roll
Came out of economic necessity
smooth, pop, chorus, non-traditional instruments
new listeners, younger audience
Crossed into pop without rock sound
Key Artists of Nashville Sound
Jim Reeves, Sonny James, Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold, Ray Price
Merle Haggard Songs, years
“The Bottle Let Me Down” (1960’s)
“Working Man’s Blues” (1970’s)
“Are the Good Times Really Over for Good?” (80’s)
Merle Haggard
Started playing bass in Buck Owen’s band
arrested for robbing restaurant,
inspired by Johnny Cash performing
Changed his voice throughout his career
Lefty Frizzel Song
“If you’ve got the Money, I’ve got the Time”
Lefty Frizzel
Competition for Hank Williams
Bending and Sliding Vowels, Hank no Like
More recognized after death, not as big as Hank
Inspired by Jimmie Rodgers
Merle copied Lefty’s style, many copied merle’s
Eddy Arnold Song
“Make the World Go Away”
Eddy Arnold
Started out singing western cowboy stuff
made transition to smoother nashville sound
performed at non-traditional country venues
Tennessee Plow Boy — nickname
Ray Price Song
“Heartaches by the Numbers”
“For the good times”
Ray Price
“For the Good Times”
^written by Kris Kristofferson
example of nashville sound
originated “shuffle beat”
Found Bill Anderson, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Album
“Will the Circle be Unbroken”
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Woodland Studios
old-guard country artists with present and future artists
Inspired by Earl Scruggs review to blend generations and styles
Scruggs Banjo, Carter Scratch, Jimmy Martin bluegrass, Bristol whispers, Acuffs train whistle
Charlie Pride Song
“Is Anybody Going to San Anton”
Charlie Pride
Grew up listening to Grand Ole Opry
wanted to be a professional baseball player
came to Nashville during segregation
Cowboy Jack recorded his first record
First consecutive winner male performer of the year
Ray Charles Album
“Modern Sounds in Country Music”
compilation of favorite country songs in own style
gave credibility, attracted new artists to country
Bob Dylan
“Desolation Road”
Recorded in NY with producer Bob Johnson
Charlie McCoy played guitar
Bob Dylan
“Rainy Day Women No. 12 and 35”
recorded in 1966, Nashville, A-team session players
Bob Dylan, Nashville Albums:
“Blonde on Blonde”
“John Wesley Harding”
“Nashville Skyline”
Bob Dylan ft. Johnny Cash
“Girl from the North Country”
Bakersfield Sound
Country mixed with edge from Cali
reaction to Nashville sound…very different
Defined by Buck Owens
Buck Owens Song
“Act Naturally”
Started string of number 1 singles
recorded by beatles
Buck Owens
Loved Western Swing and Rock and Roll
Hated Nashville Sound
Defined Bakersfield sound
Dixie Chicks
“Travelin Soldier”
#1 hit, pulled after their anti-american speech
Steve Earle Song
“Guitar Town”
Steve Earle
similar to Dwight Yoakam
Signed by Tony Brown
Impact of Elvis
Rock and Roll Revolution
Country Tried to Sound like rock, mistake.
led to development of nashville sound
Sonny James Song
“Young Love”
Sonny James
Signed by Ken Nelson
Worked Barn Dances at first
Paved way for Nashville Sound
Jim Reeves Song
“Four Walls”
Fit into Nashville Sound
Marty Robbins Song
“A white Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation”
Aimed at teens, recorded in New York, Tight voice
Everly Brothers
Phil and Don
1st rock and roll duo based in Nashville
Same session players as country music artists
Patsy Cline Song, writer
“Crazy”
Written by Willie Nelson
Patsy Cline
Big pop with sincerity of country
Car accident + Nervous Breakdown made it hard for her to record this song but she took it home and came back with it.
The A-Team
Talented Session musicians in Nashville
clean, versatile, efficient
Harold Bradley, Hank Garland, Bob Moore
Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys Song
“Heavy Traffic Ahead”
Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
original bluegrass band
template for future
Earl Scruggs on banjo
Nashville Sound Producers
Don Law, Owen Bradley, Chet Atkins
Wanda Jackson Song
“Let’s Have a Party”
1st female Rockabilly Star, “female elvis”
Station Inn
Most famous bluegrass club
Lester Flatt and Scruggs
“Foggy Mountain Breakdown”
Left Bill Monroe and formed their own band
Osborne Brothers Song
“Ruby”, “Rocky Top”
Osborne Brothers
Criticized for playing with steel guitar and drums
Sonny’s banjo, Bobby’s High Emotive Voice
Jimmy Martin Song
“20/20 Vision”
Jimmy Martin
King of Bluegrass
Started with Bill Monroe
Alison Kraus
Fiddle player, influenced by Tony Rice
teenage bluegrass player, some backlash
Kitty Wells Song
“It wasn’t God who made honky tonk Angels”
#1 spot, nyukka
Queen of Country Music
Pioneer for women
Hank Williams
Died at 29 in a cadillac
Fred Rose
Cofounder of Acuff Rose
Hank Snow Song
“I’ve Been Everywhere”
Hank Snow
From Canada
Guitar Player, triple threat
influenced By Jimmie Rodgers,
nicknamed singing ranger
Webb Pierce Song
“There Stands the Glass”
Webb Pierce
Biggest Star of the 1950’s
Honky-tonk twangy style
Ernest Tubb
“Walking the Floor Over You”
Started Record Shop
Electric Guitars to Country
Yodeled, tonsil surgery changed his voice
Stephen Foster
“Oh Susana!”
First Great American Songwriter
Eck Robertson
“Sallie Gooden”
On the Fiddle, became a prere for fiddle players
probably first country artist to be recorded
Ralph Peer
Tony Brown of 1920’s
Set up Bristol Sessions, 19 acts over 2 weeks
Carter Family Songs
“Wild Wood Flower”, “Bury me Under the Weeping Willow”
A.P. Carter
Father of country music
singer songwriter
Sara Carter
Lead Singer
Mother Maybellene Carter
1st guitar hero of Country
Carter Scratch
Singing Cowboys + Songs
Tex Ritter – “Sam Hall”
Gene Autry – “Back in the Saddle Again”
Roy Rogers – “Tumblin Tumbleweeds”
Woody Guthrie
“This land is your land”
Voice of working people
going after the establishment
influenced Dylan
Sons of the Pioneers
Western swing band
Founded by Roy Rogers
Elton Britt
“There’s a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere”
crippled kid wants to be a hero
boost morale in WWII
Bob Wills
King/founder of western swing
grew up in texas
Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, greatest western swing band
“San Antonio Rose”
Western Swing
dance driven, Milton Brown and Bob Wills
African American Influence
Hank Williams learned to play from naggers
DeFord Bailey
1st Nagger Country Star
sung “Ice Water Blues”
Huge star on Opry, fired in one of country music’s ugliest incidents, stopped playing prof. after that
Patsy Montana
“I want to be a cowboys sweetheart”
america’s numero uno cowgirl
1st real female solo star in western
wrote and sang own shit, influenced by Jimmie Rodgers
Minnie Pearl
More of a comedian than a Singer
star on grand ole opry
Roy Acuff
“The Great Speckled Bird”
King of Country Music
Acuff Rose publications
Helped make Nashville a place for country
Vernon Dalhart
“The Prisoners Song”
Country Music’s first million selling record/single
classically trained tenor with very good diction
George Jones
“He stopped loving her today”
claimed to have never recorded sober until 1990’s
Nanci Griffith
folkabilly music
story songs, highly literate
Tony Brown
A&R and producer for MCA records
part of nashville opening up to new music
brought people in who made nashville more hip music town
Rosanne Cash
“Seven year Ache”
Written about husband Rodney Crowell
multi week number one hit launched her
Daughter of Johnny Cash
Class of ’89
Mary Chapin Carpenter (folk sounding like Griffith), Travis Tritt (southern Rock influenced)
Alan Jackson (George Strait Mold)
Clint Black (like Brad Paisley)
Garth Brooks (biggest selling solo artist in any genre ever)
neo-traditionalist movement
sounded like old stuff by made by new people
George Strait
“Fool Hearted Memory”, “Amarillo by Morning”
stand strum, meat and potato type country
western influence from Texas
Ricky Skaggs
“Crying My heart out over you”
grew up playing bluegrass
high voice, inspired acoustic music
performed with JD Crowe and the New South in a classic lineup that feature Jerry Douglas and Tony Rice
Randy Travis
“On the Other Hand”
Started country workout trend, appearances became more important
smooth, classic voice
new car with old wheels
Reba McEntire
“Whoever’s in New England”
athletic, strong vocal style
drew out syllables
country girl from Oklahoma
expanded beyond just country music
Kris Kristofferson
Changed language and philosophy of country music
kept simple melodies of country and added very literate lyrics
Garth Brooks
“The Dance”
appealed to suburban world as well, 3 weeks @ #1
Impact of Soundscan
Exact Measurement of what is sold
becomes apparent that country is selling much more than people realized
has impact o radio, more stations turn to country, becomes most listened to genre on radio
Shania Twain
Looks were as influential as sound
touches of fiddle or steel guitar, big pop sound and rock drums
Tom T Hall
“Turn it On, turn it on, turn it on”, “A week in county jail”
Known as the story teller
changes way of communicating in standard country songs
Cowboy Jack Clement
Began Career at Sun Records with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis
Discovered Charlie Pride (1st nagger superstar)
Cowboy Jack Clement, wrote for:
Johnny Cash, George Jones, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton duet
Outlaw movement +Artists
movement toward artistic freedom
Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare, Tompall Glaser
Lines between country and rock became less defined
Billie Joe Shaver
Texas born, idolized Hank Williams
Only 3 fingers, met Waylon Jennings at Dripping Springs Festival and says he wants to record him
Jennings doesn’t, Billie Joe threatens to beat some ass
“Honky-Tonk Heroes” – album of Billie Joe’s songs by Jennings
Red Headed Stranger
Concept album by Willie Nelson, 1975
all songs worked together to tell a story
just voice, guitar, few instruments
record company forced to market it, ended up being a huge success
Helped make mainstream country
Emmylou Harris Songs + background
“Two more bottles of wine”, “Orphan Girl” – able to experiment more freely, “Boulder to Birmingham” – about Gram Parsons intent on carrying on his cosmic american lifestyle
Kenny Rogers
“The Gambler” #1 hit in 1978. Written by Don Schlitz while working at Vanderbilt as IT technician
Bobby Bare
“Lullabies, Legends and Lies” was first album of outlaw movement in 1973
Started trend of artist independence
Artists had taken control producing their own records
June Carter
Daughter of Mother Maybelle, wife of Johnny Cash
Telecommunications Act of 1996
Changed law: people can now own more than one radio station
small group of people are able to program all stations the same way
Major division between what is popular and what sells records