A Short History of American Country Music In 2000, the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?

(starring, amongst others, George Clooney) hit the US movie theaters. Whereas the film itself was relatively successful, it was the soundtrack that caught the publics eye. Featuring traditional country songs written between 1880s and 1935, it didnt sell to country music listeners only, but to millions of Americans across the country. Famous music historian Colin Escott in his widely acclaimed book Lost Highway: The True Story of Country Music, which was published in conjunction with the 4-part BBC series of the same name, claims that the soundtrack helped the United States [in] rediscovering itself through old, quintessentially American music at a time when its values and its soil were under attack (Escott, 2003, p. 173). The fact that country music, be it traditional or modern, appeals to the masses had actually become even more obvious already some ten years before the film mentioned above. In 1991, Billboard magazine - with the assistance of the company SoundScan - began analyzing barcode data from the registers to compile the weekly music charts. This new method, which provided more accurate data than previous methods, together with the advent of country superstar Garth Brooks made country music [] the most popular music and the most popular radio format in the United States (Escott, 2003, p. 166). Stemming from the hills and valleys of the Appalachians as well as the western plains, country music had finally conquered the whole nation. 2012 marks the 85th anniversary of what is traditionally called the big bang in country music - enough reason to give a short overview of the history of American country music, which is the focus of this paper. In addition, it will be made obvious why American music, especially country music may be a useful tool in the Estonian classroom. Finally, some current examples will be provided to show how American culture and opinion are reflected in specific songs. Although country music had been recorded since 1922, it wasnt until 1927 that a considerable amount of promising artists were put on record. In the hope of discovering new artists, record companies started sending producers to the South, among them Ralph Peer, who in 1923 went to Atlanta, Georgia. Peer didnt expect much from the records produced there but to his astonishment, the demand was unexpectedly high. In 1927, after switching to the Victor Talking Machine Company (Victor), Peer went south again, this time to the city of Bristol, which is located on the Tennessee - Virginia state line and is now considered to be the Birthplace of Country Music. On July 24, 1927, the Bristol Herald-Courier published the following announcement: The Victor Co. will have a recording machine in Bristol for 10 days beginning Monday to record records - Inquire at our Store (Tribe, 1993, p. 58). In the same issue, Peer told the newspaper of the royalties that acts he had recorded had received. As people got word of this, they made their way from the mountains to Bristol. The list of the acts recorded is too long to be cited here, but among those who were recorded on the second floor of a hat factory, where Peer had set up his equipment, are the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, who would become the first stars of country music. Whereas the origin of the Carter Familys music on the one hand might be attributed to the ballads that settlers had brought to the new continent from their homes in the British Isles and on the other hand can also be traced back to gospel songs, blues, topical ballads, and vaudeville numbers (Escott, 2003, p. 22) that were of American origin, Jimmie Rodgers music was quite different from that of the Carter Family. As a group, the latter produced heavenly harmonies that would have their impact on future vocal groups. Jimmie Rodgers, who was the first successful

country music solo-singer that achieved stardom, was heavily influenced by black music, such as jazz and blues, and paved the road for future solo country singers. As radios became more widespread and affordable, they helped to popularize singers from the South across the nation. Radio, however, needed the presence of electricity, which was not available in poorer and more rural homes. In the beginning, therefore, wind-up phonographs and records did even more for country music than radio (Escott, 2003, p. 21). With the arrival of the Great Depression, however, record sales plummeted and radio became the most favorite form of entertainment. After all, the availability of electricity in rural areas of Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and other states from the mid-1930s onwards was one of the results of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which was passed in 1933. Soon so-called barn dance shows introduced country music through much of the South and as far away as Chicago and California. The most important one of them all was the Grand Ole Opry, which was first broadcast from Nashville on November 28, 1925. By the 1930s the show could be heard in almost 30 states and from 1939, it was broadcast nationally on NBC Radio (Radio Hall of Fame & Museum, 2008). Whereas the 1920s had seen songs from the hills and valleys of the Appalachian Mountains such as those of the Carter Family, whose show posters promised The Show is Morally Good (Escott, 2003, p. 24), the 1930s and 1940s were dominated by cowboy songs, aka western music. While the Carter Family played in churches, schools, and other tame environments, western music could be heard in dancehalls and beer joints (Escott, 2003, p. 28), making it obvious that this style of music was much rougher and meant for dancing (Escott, 2003, p. 28). Most notable artists of that era were Tommy Duncan, Gene Autry (The Singing Cowboy), Roy Rogers, and Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, who are regarded as the fathers of western swing, a style that incorporated elements of the swing and big band era. The mid-1940s saw the arrival of yet a rougher country music style - honky tonk music. Though according to the OED the origin of the word honky tonk is not clear, its first usage can be traced back to the Texas area of the late 1880s and was used for rough establishments that served alcoholic beverages (and sometimes other forms of entertainment, i.e. gambling and prostitution). Honky tonk music made heavy use of electrified instruments and amplifiers, without which bands would probably not have been audible in the rough and rowdy jukejoints or beerjoints (or just joints), as these establishments were also called. Mentioning the fact that honky tonk songs were also called drinking songs or cheatin songs makes clear what the lyrics were all about. Defining honky tonk artists were Floyd Tillman, Ernest Tubb, and Ray Price. The end of the 1940s also witnessed the rise of the first superstar of country music singersongwriter Hank Williams. Despite his short career (Williams died in the wee hours of January 1, 1953 in the back of a car that was taking him a to New Years Day concert, the reason of death being heart failure which was probably caused by alcohol and drug abuse.), he managed to become a legend and is commonly regarded as one of the most important country music artists if not the most important artist of all time. From 1949 with Lovesick Blues up to 1953 with Take these Chains from My Heart, Hank Williams scored 11 number one hits as well as 25 top ten hits (three of them posthumously). Ask any country music artist and he will name Williams as one of his influences; rock n roll singers of the 1950s such as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Ricky Nelson and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded his songs at the beginning of their careers (Koda & Unterberger). Williams songs have been recorded by other artists uncountable times and have become part of American culture. The mid-1950s saw the arrival of rockabilly, the raw forerunner of the more refined rock n roll, on the pop music scene. The style had such a tremendous impact on the music industry in general that in 1956, several rockabilly / rock n roll songs topped the country charts for many

weeks (e.g. Elvis Presleys Heartbreak Hotel, Carl Perkins Blue Suede Shoes, Johnny Cashs I Walk the Line). Traditional country artists felt the change of times and tried to adjust to the new situation, which in the end shifted country music towards pop music and resulted in the elaborate Nashville sound. As matter of fact, in his essay The Nashville Sound Begins David Cantwell claims: A two-sided single with Hound Dog, Dont Be Cruel [sung by Elvis Presley in 1956] topped the country charts for over two months, heralding the arrival of what would soon be called the Nashville Sound (Cantwell, 2006). This sound was very much different from the raw honky tonk style that had dominated country music before. Soft elements from 1950s pop music were introduced, among them string sections, background vocals and structures similar to those in pop music. All of these records were produced in Nashville, Tennessee, which by the 1960s was the center of country music recording studios. A small group of studio musicians called the Nashville A-Team were used at the recording sessions (Cusic, 2011). The result were highly crafted and artistic records that appealed to listeners of pop music but in the eyes of hardcore country fans had increasingly less in common with traditional country music. Throughout the 1960s, country music meant in most cases the Nashville Sound. Good examples are Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, and Ray Price. The 1970s and 1980s saw a continuation of the tendencies described above, which resulted in country pop, a fusion of country music and soft rock that tried to appeal to the masses but put off many country fans. Artists like Glen Campbell, John Denver, Olivia Newton-John and Anne Murray often sounded more pop than country as did Kenny Rogers, Charlie Rich and Dolly Parton. Fans that called themselves true country lovers were appalled and feared that a tradition had come to an end. The 1980 motion picture Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta as Bud Davis, who moves from a Texas small town to Houston to work in an oil refinery, starts embracing the nightlife of the city and spends most of his nights at honky tonks, gave country pop even more momentum with its best-selling soundtrack. After a short while, however, sales in country music declined and it seemed as if pop had eaten up country music. In the mid-1980s, however, a group of musicians called the Neotraditionalists was fed up with the latest developments and favored traditional, back-to-the roots productions. Artists like Ricky Skaggs were inspired by Bluegrass (a sub style of country music that relies on the banjo and fiddles) pioneers like Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley, and artists like Randy Travis, George Strait or Alan Jackson were very much oriented towards earlier styles of country music. Two artists in this so-called New Country movement stand out: Clint Black, whose 1989 debut album Killin Time had an unprecedented five number one singles (Hodges, 2000) and who was one of the most successful artists of the 1990s, and Garth Brooks, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. Brooks incorporated elements of rock into country music, his concerts filled huge stadiums, and he has sold over 200 million records worldwide. If it hadnt been for Brooks, many people in Europe in the 1990s wouldnt have known about country music. Since the arrival of the New Traditionalists and their increasing love affair with rock and pop elements, traditional country music fans have again feared that what they regard as true country music is being washed down by the attempt to appeal to the masses across musical genres. It is artists like Canadian Shania Twain, who enjoyed worldwide success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and Taylor Swift, whose country pop (or should we say pop country) has made her known to European teenagers as well, that have shifted country music into the pop and rock spectrum once more. However, latest developments can also shed a positive light on the latest trends in country music. The rock bands Hootie & the Blowfish singer Darius Rucker released his country debut album in 2010. Three singles of that album made it to number one, making him the first African American with a number one country hit since 1983 (Guerra, 2009).

So much for a short overview of the history of American country music. Where does this leave us in the Estonian classroom, though? There is no doubt that one goal of language instruction should be the understanding of the relevant culture. You cannot understand a nation if you dont know their language; but you cannot completely embrace their language if you dont know their culture. Dry, and not so dry, textbook texts may help us understand some other culture, but they cannot replace direct contact with it. Listening to a nations songs and their lyrics is one of the best things we can do in absence of direct contact with native speakers. Although American music does make it over to Europe and, in fact, dominates our charts, we tend to overlook the kind of music that is listened to by the average American. We might approach this topic the following way: If someone wanted to find out about what is really going on in Estonia, who should this person talk to, some government official, a university professor, or to the man on the street? Those of us who have spent time in Britain via Comenius usually treasure the everyday contact with locals and living under the same roof with Britons the most. Thus, dealing with the songs that a considerable part of a nation listens to should give us some insight into their thinking. American country music also offers a link to historical events. In 1949, Floyd Tillman sang about This Cold War with You. Used as a metaphor, Tillman sings about the cold war between two lovers:
The sun goes down and leaves me sad and blue. The iron curtain falls on this cold war with you. Though you wont speak and I won't speak that's true. Two stubborn people with a cold war to go through. []

In 1969, on the background of the anti-war movement, country singer Merle Haggard cowrote and sang Okie from Muskogee (Okie denoting a resident of Oklahoma):
We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee; We don't take our trips on LSD; We don't burn our draft cards down on Main Street; We like livin' right, and bein' free. []

As these two examples show, usually these songs are quite patriotic and support the mainstream. More recent examples are a song by Alan Jackson and one by Darryl Worley. Alan Jacksons Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) was written shortly after the 9/11 attacks and expresses the deep sorrow people felt:
Where were you when the world stopped turning That September day? Out in the yard With your wife and children Workin' on some stage in LA? Did you stand there in shock At the sight of that black smoke Rising against that blue sky? Did you shout out in anger

And fear for your neighbor Or did you just sit down and cry? [] I'm just a singer of simple songs, I'm not a real political man. I watch CNN but I'm not sure I could Tell you the difference in Iraq and Iran. But I know Jesus and I talk to God And I remember this from when I was young, Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us And the greatest is love []

In March 2003, Darryl Worley published Have You Forgotten, an even more patriotic song that was full of thoughts of revenge for 9/11. Despite negative criticism, the song reached number one on Billboards Country Songs charts and number 22 on Billboards Top 100:
I hear people saying we don't need this war. But, I say there's some things worth fighting for. What about our freedom and this piece of ground, We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down. They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in. Before you start your preaching, let me ask you this my friend. Have you forgotten how it felt that day? To see your homeland under fire, And her people blown away. Have you forgotten when those towers fell? We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell. And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden. Have you forgotten? They took all the footage off my T.V. Said it's too disturbing for you and me It'll just breed anger, that's what the experts say. If it was up to me, I'd show it every day. Some say this country's just out looking for a fight. Well, after 9/11, man, I'd have to say that's right. []

People have actually noticed that if a song is not pro-war, you wont hear it on country radio (Associated Press, 2004). The successful female band the Dixie Chicks learned a bitter lesson in this regard in 2003. At their concert in London, lead singer Natalie Maines said: We don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States [George W. Bush] is from Texas" (Clarke, 2003). As a result, country radio stations across the nation deleted the Dixie Chicks from their playlists. By that time, however, the group had already reached the number one spot with their album Home and also held the number one position on the country singles charts with their song Travelin Soldier about a US soldier in Vietnam (Reuters, 2003).

It is safe to say that country music reflects the social and political developments of its time and therefore can, at times, provide a useful source for discussing those developments. Of course, reading this extra-short overview of American country music or any of the vast number of books written on the subject will probably bring you only half an inch closer to this musical style. Those who want to research its history are invited to listen to the 5-CD series Columbia Country Classics, which was issued by Sony in 1990. An audio-visual presentation of its history - by means of an introductory lecture - might provide the chance to get acquainted with country music and, through it, with the thinking of the average American. For a start, the interested reader may also be referred to YouTube, which should provide the songs mentioned in this paper. SOURCES Associated Press. (2004, June 9). If it aint pro-war, it aint on country radio: While Toby Keith gets airtime, Emmylou Harris gets ignored. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from MSNBC Today - Music: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/5174757/ns/today-entertainment/t/if-itaint-pro-war-it-aint-country-radio/#.TzlcvrRs2qF Cantwell, D. (2006, September 19). Living In Stereo - Blog Archive - The "Nashville Sound" Begins. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from Living In Stereo: http://livinginstereo.com/?p=252 Clarke, B. (2003, March 12). The Dixie Chicks. The Guardian. Cusic, D. (2011, February 24). Nashville Recording Industry. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture: http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1113 Escott, C. (2003). Lost Highway: The True Story of Country Music. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books. Guerra, J. (2009, March 14). Darius Rucker thrilled to be living his dream. Houston Chronicle. Hodges, A. (2000, June 6). Every Life a Story: 'Biography' to Profile Clint Black, 26 others. Houston Chronicle, pp. Section Houston, p. 8. Koda, C., & Unterberger, R. (n.d.). AllMusic. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from AllMusic: http://allmusic.com/ Radio Hall of Fame & Museum. (2008, November 7). Radio Hall of Fame - The Grand Ole Opry, Music. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from National Radio Hall of Fame & Museum: http://www.radiohof.org/music/grandoleopry.html Reuters. (2003, March 15). Dixie Chicks pulled from air after bashing Bush. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from CNN.com: http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/14/dixie.chicks.reut/ Tribe, I. M. (1993). The Stonemans: An Appalachian Family and the Music That Shaped Their Lives. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. PICTURES All pictures courtesy of Bear Family Records Ltd. Copyright: www.bear-family.com