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History of Country Music Throughout the Decades in The U.S.
My purpose of this exhibit is to inform and explain the historical context of the genre of country music originating from the South. My research of country music throughout the decades will guide my audience to significant, perhaps surprising, and new information based on my research question, “To what extent did the genre of country music, originating from the South, develop over the decades?” -
James D. Vaughan
James D. Vaughan, a music publisher, hires a quartet of singers to tour southern churches to promote his songbooks. A. P. Carter receives his first lessons in close harmony singing. The Vaughan Music Company published his first songbook ”Gospel Chimes”, in 1900. Business grew steadily and in 1909 he sold 30,000 songbooks. James D. came up with an idea in May 1910 to promote the books, and the first professional all-male Southern Gospel Quartet in America hit the road. -
First Recording of Country Music
The Victor and Okeh recording companies begin recording the first country music artists. Fiddler Eck Robertson records "Arkansas Traveler" and "Sallie Gooden" for Victor Records, becoming the first pure country music artist to make a recording. -
Wurlitzer Introduces Its First Jukebox.
Wurlitzer introduces its first ever jukebox.A brief history of how the Wurlitzer Jukebox came to be and how it evolved from the 78 players to the One More Time CD Jukebox.The musical tradition of the Wurlitzer family can be traced back to the 17th century. In the Thirties, the Jukebox became the “small man’s concert hall”. -
Hillbilly Bands Introduced to Military Soldiers
The Special Service Division of the military introduces hillbilly bands to a wide audience of soldiers in USO shows. Honky tonk, bluegrass, and other country standards spread across the world. -
Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee, becomes the center for country music. -
Country Artists
Rockabilly artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Buddy Holly, and the Everly Brothers begin recording hit after hit. -
Country Music on Broadway
Archival Object: Old Joe Clark and Minnie Pearl in a scene from the film "Country Music on Broadway." The 1964 film is packed with non-stop music performances of popular country & western stars of the day singing their hits or recent recordings. It was financed and produced by Hank Williams' widow, Audrey. -
Dolly Parton
Archival Object: Dolly Parton performing at a local event in the Summer of 1972. By the early 1970s, her solo hits regularly appeared in the top 10, as did her duets with Wagoner. Her first chart-topper, 1970's "Joshua", followed by 1971's "Coat of Many Colors", 1972's "Touch Your Woman", and 1973's "Traveling Man" and "Jolene", all reached the top 10 on the US country singles chart, with "Jolene" becoming her second number one single in February 1974. -
Nashville, Ryman Auditorium, Home of the Grand Ole Opry country music show
Archival Object: Grand Ole Opry House [Ryman Auditorium housed Grand Ole Opry 1943-74], Nashville, Tenn.Grand Ole Opry House [Ryman Auditorium housed Grand Ole Opry 1943-74], in Nashville, Tennessee. The Grand Ole Opry is the stage that showcases country music's past, present, and future. Some of the Grand Ole Opry’s most historic moments happened inside Ryman Auditorium: Hank Williams made his debut. Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Jeannie Seely, and Dolly Parton joined the Opry. -
The Charlotte Country Music Story
Archival Object: Generated by "The Charlotte Country Music Story," a project made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council represents a novel collaboration between a state and a local cultural agency to recover a vital piece of North Carolina's cultural history. Tom Hanchett, first proposed that a series of concerts be arranged to present some of the artists who helped make Charlotte a center of the emerging country music industry in the 1930's and '40s. -
Artists Introduced to Country Music Hall of Fame
Willie Nelson is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Patsy Montana is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Elvis Presley and Tammy Wynette are inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Dolly Parton is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.