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bluegrass music
The virtual base on which the whole of bluegrass music rests, William Smith (Bill) Monroe was born at Rosine, Kentucky, on September 13, 1911, the youngest of eight children. Brother Charlie was next youngest, having been born eight years earlier. This gap, coupled with Bill's poor eyesight, inhibited the youngest son from many of the usual play activities and gave him an introverted nature which carried through into later life. -
feautured live music acts
Since 1925, it has featured country music acts on it's stage for live Saturday night broadcasts. -
history of the beginning of country music
August 1, 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee, Country Music really began. Although musicians had been recording fiddle tunes. -
first family of country music
The Carter Family was country music’s first famous vocal group. Comprised of A.P. Carter, his wife, Sara Dougherty Carter, and A.P.’s sister-in-law, Maybelle Addington Carter, the group flourished in the late ‘20s after the release of their first collection of songs in 1927. Different variations of The Carter Family continued recording and performing for decades. Two of their earliest hits, “Keep on the Sunny Side” and “Wildwood Flower” remain country standards to this day. -
different music stages
This very popular style of Country Music developed in Texas and Oklahoma the 1930's and saw enormous popularity in the 40's. The style is a blend of big band, blues, dixieland, and jazz, among others. Musically, it contributed the drums and Hawaiian Steel Guitar to Country Music. It was a Saturday night dance type of music which combined the style of jazz and big band swing with the culture of the Southwest. -
cowboy music
The songs of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and the Sons of the Pioneers put the Western in Country and Western Music. Much of this music was written for and brought to the American public through the cowboy films of the 30's and 40's and was widely popular. -
western swing music begins.
The songs of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and the Sons of the Pioneers put the Western in Country and Western Music. Much of this music was written for and brought to the American public through the cowboy films of the 30's and 40's and was widely popular. -
outlaw country
The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the resurgence of traditional country on Music Row. The Nashville sound was slowly losing popularity, eventually merging into the pre-British Revolution pop culture in many areas. -
hollywood goes country
The cowboy films of the 1930s and ‘40s contributed greatly to the evolution of country music. Stars like Roy Rogers (the “King of the Cowboys”) and Gene Autry parlayed their musical careers into very successful acting careers. Much of the great music from this era was actually written specifically for the movies. As these films flourished at the box office, their soundtracks were pressed to vinyl, and the buying public ate them up. Great cowboy stars of the era also included Rogers’ wife, Dale E -
honky donk dancing music
Perhaps no other style of country music has had a greater influence on today's artists than the style known as Honky Tonk. Honky Tonk music embodied the spirit of dancing and drinking, and of loving and then losing the one you love. Its greatest practitioners owe their singing style to Jimmie Rodgers and much of the music to the steel guitar and drums of Bob Wills and Western Swing. -
bakersville sound
The Bakersfield Sound
Developed in the mid-1950s, the Bakersfield Sound originated in the honky-tonk bars in and around Bakersfield, California. Grittier than the polished and highly produced music coming out of Nashville, Bakersfield country drew on many aspects of rock and roll and rockabilly, predominately loud amp-up guitars, usually twin Telecasters played through Fender amplifiers, and loud drums. The biggest Bakersfield stars of the day included Buck Owens (the “Baron of Bakersfield”), Me -
nashville music
The Nashville Sound, a blend of pop and country with an emphasis on , experienced its greatest success in the 1950s. The music in this era combined the big band jazz and swing of the '30s, '40s and early '50s with the storytelling of folk and country artists. A trio of country legends were instrumental in establishing its prominence in popular music. -
urban cowboy movement
The Urban Cowboy movement of the early '80s led country music away from its roots. The genre's move toward pop culture was popularized by John Travolta's movie, Urban Cowboy, and spurred on by Dolly Parton's movie 9 to 5 and the popularity of its title song. -
garth and new country
was a country singer in the 1950s and had regularly appeared on Red Foley's Ozark Jubilee radio and TV shows, as well as recordings for Capitol Records. By the time Garth was born, she had retired from a professional career and the Brooks' house reverberated with as much rock and pop music as country. -
class of 89'
The list of superstars who debuted in 1989 reads like a future Country Music Hall of Fame induction class: Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt and Dwight Yoakam all scored their first country hits in 1989. They drastically altered the direction of country music by infusing a youthful vitality and rock-and-roll mentality into a genre that was quickly growing stale and predictable. The amazing Class of ’89 bridged the gap between 20th and 21st Century country music. -
Grand Ole Opry
Perhaps no other institution is more synonymous with country music than WSM Radio's Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 1925, it has featured country music acts on it's stage for live Saturday night broadcasts. This program has introduced the nation to most, if not all, of the greats of country music. To this day, membership on the Opry remains one of a Country Music artist's greatest ambitions
