Jim Reeves:
The Nashville Sound is a blend of pop and country that developed in the 1950’s. A result of this blending was many crossover hits by the 50’s king of 
country pop, Jim Reeves (1924-1964.) Reeves possesed a smooth voice which was combined with mellow string orchestration and slick production techniques to make this enormousely popular sound. Read the rest of this entry »
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 loving and then losing the one you love. Its greatest practioners owe their singing style to Jimmie Rodgers and much of the music to the steel guitar and drums of Bob Wills and Western Swing. Read the rest of this entry »
Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys
This pioneer invented the style of music we know today as bluegrass. During the late thirties and into the early 40’s Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys (from whom the style derived its name) experimented with instrumental techniques on the guitar, bass, fiddle and mandolin and created a sound which would later be known as bluegrass. Read the rest of this entry »
Bob Wills (1905-1975)
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. Read the rest of this entry »
The songs of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers 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. Read the rest of this entry »
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 and to this day membership on the Opry remains one of a Country Music artists greatest ambitions.
The Opry began as a show with primarily part-time artists who used the show to promote their live apearances throughout the South and Midwest, but with the help of Roy Acuff, the professionalism of country music became established at the Opry. Read the rest of this entry »
Although musicians had been recording fiddle tunes (known as Old Time Music at that time) in the southern Appalachains for several years, It wasn’t until August 1, 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee, that Country music really began. On that day and in that place, Ralph Peer signed Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to recording contracts for Victor Records.
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These two recording acts set the tone for those to follow - Rodgers with his unique singing style and the Carters with their extensive recordings of old time music. Read the rest of this entry »
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Welcome to the World Wide Web’s first exhibit focusing on the history of Country Music. This exhibit has an emphasis on the influential artists and songs of the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s and early 60’s.
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Find here, documentation on such artists as, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Lefty Frizzell, among others. Specifically, look for images, sound clips, and digital movies. Read the rest of this entry »
Country America" magazine published a list of the "Top 100 Country Songs of
All Time" in the October 1992 issue. The list was generated by asking the readers for their favorite songs, and then merging these lists with lists from a group of "country music critics". They only counted songs that appeared on *BOTH* top-100 lists, taking the average of the two.
I had some free time, so I figured, what the hell, I’ll type in all 100 song Read the rest of this entry »
Strictly speaking, “Adam Gregory” is not the first album by Adam Gregory. If, however, at how he was thirteen-year-old the title of “The Way I’m Made” for marketing only in his native country of Canada, you can be sure that now with Big Machine / NSA / Midas Records debut released album, bears his name, the now mature 22-year-old artist far beyond the borders of his homeland that is a huge audience is. Read the rest of this entry »
