Overview
Country music took many different roads during the 1960s and 1970s, and in this lesson, we will examine a few of the major trends from this period. Television increased the visibility of and market for country music and country artists. Country musicians also continued to embrace the honky-tonk style of music. Further, artists became stars (or at least increased their star power) when they promoted themselves as “outlaws,” musicians who refused to conform to the rules of the Nashville establishment.
Objectives
- Examine the role that television played in country music during the 1960s
- Recall the growth and progression of honky-tonk music after the death of Hank Williams
- Identify the roles of female country singers during the 1960s and 1970s
- Recall the significance of the outlaw image and how it helped the careers of musicians such as Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings
Country Music on Television
The barn dance format, which was already popular on radio stations across the country, was adapted to television soon after World War II. The Midwestern Hayride, a Cincinnati television program, premiered in 1948 and was picked up by NBC in 1955. Interestingly, the most popular country music radio program, The Grand Ole Opry, did not begin televising its programs until the late 1970s.
Two of the most popular country music programs during the 1960s were The Wilburn Brothers Show and The Porter Wagoner Show. Both of these programs featured traditional country music, skits, comedic patter, and appearances by many guest artists.
In many ways, these two programs followed the formats of radio programs but simply translated their material to a visual medium. The Porter Wagoner Show was the most widely syndicated country music television program in the United States. The host wore brightly colored cowboy suits studded with rhinestones, and he made no apologies for his commitment to traditional country music. In addition to music performed by Wagoner himself, the thirty-minute program featured other country music performers, comedy by Speck Rhodes, old time fiddling by Mack Magaha, and banjo playing by Buck Trent. Norma Jean Beasler, known simply as Miss Norma Jean or as Pretty Miss Norma Jean, was Wagoner's co-host and the show's so-called girl singer until 1967, when she was replaced by Dolly Parton.
In 1969, three country music shows were airing on the major television networks. Glen Campbell's Goodtime Hour was a fast-paced show with a down-home atmosphere, hosted by session musician (and one-time Beach Boy) Glen Campbell. The Johnny Cash Show was hosted by Cash and featured performances of his own music, historical narratives, and guest appearances by artists such as Bob Dylan and Maybelle Carter (who was Cash's mother-in-law). During the 1970s, Cash's program was increasingly dominated by appearances of popular music and non-country artists, and the show began to feature an over-the-top production style, both of which pushed away dedicated fans of country music. Finally, Hee Haw was an hour-long program that featured music and comedic skits. The tone of Hee Haw was that of hillbilly buffoonery, and often, the skits were caricatures of rural life that were far removed from reality; skits took place in general stores, cornfields, and cabins. Hee Haw featured many remarkable country musicians of the era, many of whom were also gifted comedians, such as David "Stringbean" Akeman, a banjoist who had performed with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in the 1940s, and Sheb Wolley, a singer, songwriter, and actor who performed the role of Ben Colder, a song parodist who was always intoxicated.
