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Country
While the common association with country music’s origins lies in the deep South or the wild West, its true roots are with early immigrants of Appalachia, who brought with them old world instruments like fiddles, banjoes and guitars. Country derived from this “old time music” by way of the post-Civil War south, where black and white Americans would play together.
A key locale for these beginnings was the city of Atlanta, where many of those early Appalachians’…
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While the common association with country music’s origins lies in the deep South or the wild West, its true roots are with early immigrants of Appalachia, who brought with them old world instruments like fiddles, banjoes and guitars. Country derived from this “old time music” by way of the post-Civil War south, where black and white Americans would play together.
A key locale for these beginnings was the city of Atlanta, where many of those early Appalachians’ descendants came to work. 1920’s record companies believed that their characteristic “hillbilly” sound would appeal to the region’s many agricultural workers and began signing the first commercial artists. Some of these initial musicians, namely the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, incorporated other musical styles, like blues, gospel, and jazz.
The Great Depression brought radio to new heights, and country shows like the Grand Ole Opry flourished. Several subgenres, among them rockabilly and Western swing, soon rivaled the popularity of big band jazz in dance halls across the States. In the thirties, country music began infiltrating into Hollywood and attracting a national audience. This move brought influential artists, like Gene Autry and Patsy Montana, to the spotlight.
Though the idea of percussion was initially scorned, by the sixties, drums were a common part of country ensembles. Nashville bands brought country further into the realm of popular culture with electric guitar. Bluegrass and honky tonk had come at the end of World War II with the immensely prominent Red Foley. The genre gradually split into distinct sects: “country and Western” and “folk”.
The Rolling Stones and Gram Parsons spearheaded the crossover between country and rock to form the well-known modern sound. In the nineties, country began to merge with pop, creating a controversial mainstream push with figures like the Dixie Chicks and Garth Brooks, although the 2000’s brought a resurgence in traditional country. Truly a genre of all ages, country brings something for everyone, and its history makes it the essential music heart and soul of America.
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