4.07 Conclusion – Content

Overview

First called “hillbilly music” by record labels, early country and western music was recorded in southern areas of the United States by ambitious record producers who were looking for a new, commercially-appealing sound. With the advent of radio, this type of music became incredibly popular, spawning a number of subgenres, such as bluegrass, honky-tonk, and country crooning. The film popularity of singers such as Gene Autry also cemented the image of the singing cowboy in the minds of many Americans. As we will see, early country and western music had many themes and images that continue to permeate country music to this day.

Objectives

Examine how country music was first discovered by record executives such as Ralph Peer and what made it so commercially appealing
Identify early recording artists who increased the commercial appeal of hillbilly music.
Recognize the several subgenres of country music developed during and after World War II.
Identify instruments played in a bluegrass ensemble
Recall the BMI and the ASCAP strike in the early 1940s and how it helped the development and distribution of early country music.

Conclusion

With the advent of radio, film, and organizations such as BMI, early country and western musicians had many opportunities to promote their music. Radio programs such as the Grand Ole Opry are a testament to the commercial viability and staying power of country music. The migration of Americans from the South to Northern, urban areas of the country also created concentrated listening areas with high demands for this type of music. These musicians incorporated many elements of Anglo-American folk music, such as the instrumentation and modal harmonies, but they also borrowed techniques from African American musicians, such as blue notes and timbral effects. Superstars such as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Hank Williams set the stage for the next several generations of country music performers.

“I don’t know why we like [Country Music.] Some of it I don’t think we do like […] I think it speaks to our basic fundamental feelings, you know. Of emotions. Of love. Of breakup. Of Love and Hate and Death and Dying. Mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a lot of territory, Country Music does.”

-Johnny Cash

“[The country singer] sings more sincere than most entertainers, because the hillbilly was raised tougher than most entertainers. The people who has been raised something like the way the hillbilly has, knows what he is singing about and appreciates it. For what he is singing, is the hopes, and prayers, and dreams and experiences of what some call the "common people."”

-Hank Williams

"The banjo, which mimics the banjar played in Africa, was invented by Southern blacks in the late 1690s."

Chicago Tribune