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Mar 14, 2009 | 3:14 PM PST
Tags: Jimmy , Wayne , Jimmy Wayne , Lonestar , CMA , Nashville
Jimmy Wayne returns to the 2008 "Lonestar & Friends Strike Out For The Kids" - Photo: David G. Mills / FrontRowNews
Are you getting ready for the 2009 CMA Music Festival Festival, than consider coming to a benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, PRIOR to the CMA Music Fest! Multi-platinum selling Lonestar will help kick-off the CMA Music Festival with “Lonestar Strikes Out For The Kids”, a bowling party to raise money and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The strike and spare event will be held at the Hermitage Lanes in Nashville, Tenn. on Monday, June 8th from 5:30 -10 p.m. CT.
FrontRowNews has been to every "Lonestar & Friends Strike Out For The Kids". This is the best way to start off a week in Nashville.
Jan 2, 2009 | 8:13 PM PST
Tags: Chicago , Las Vegas , Los Angeles , Miami , South Beach , Nashville , New York , New Orleans , Orlando , San Diego , San Francisco , Madrid , Munich , Paris , Harlem , Mykonos
Chicago Party Pass 4 hours
Starting from USD $54.00 per person
After dark, hit two of Chicago's hotspots for the best in blues and late night entertainment. At each club you will be treated to some of the City's popular Blues artists and entertainers. Transportation, admission and a drink (beer or wine) will be included at each club.
Crescent City Party Pass 3.5 hours
Starting from USD $68.99 per person
A gastronomic delight! Your evening begins at Tujagues restaurant, the second oldest in New Orleans where you'll enjoy a three course meal. Continue on to Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter for some local jazz, before winding down with Cafe au Lait and Beignets - a local tradition.
Harlem Party Pass 5 hours
Starting from USD $124.99 per person
Take a tour of Harlem, then dine on soul food and see a jazz show at a famous Harlem club. There's no better way to explore the full range of Harlem's diverse ethnic history, music and food!
Las Vegas Party Pass Flexible
Starting from USD $119.00 per person
Las Vegas has so many cool and hip clubs that sometimes it's hard to know which one you want to go to. Well, problem solved! The Ultimate Nightclub Hopping Package gives you front-of-line entry to over 17 of Las Vegas' hottest clubs as well as discounts at a variety of restaurants and retailers!
Los Angeles Party Pass 4 hours
Starting from USD $138.29 per person
Admire the spectacular sights of Los Angeles with your own personal escort. After a night drive to the West Hollywood's Sunset Strip and glitzy Beverly Hills, experience the nightlife of the alluring City of Angels, while dining among the rich and famous on the Sunset Strip.
Madrid Party Pass 4 - 4.5 hours
Starting from USD $42.08 per person
At night, Spaniards put on their dancing shoes and step out for an evening of fun, feasting, and friendly flirting. At Florida Park Nightclub you can watch a Flamenco dance and choose from a fabulous selection of dinner choices. Wear your dancing shoes, you never know when Flamenco fever will hit you!
Miami Party Pass Flexible
Starting from USD $25.00 per person
Purchase the Miami Nightlife Pass and you'll get treated like a VIP with unlimited free entrance, no waiting in line and special privileges at the hottest nightclubs and lounges in South Florida. Free entrance and special offers to all the clubs in this program. Go to 1 venue or to all 10 in the program for one low rate.
South Beach Party Pass 6 hours
Starting from USD $50.00 per person
If dark nightclubs and loud music are not your idea of a good time, then let the locals shuttle you to three of the best bars and lounges in South Beach and Miami on this South Beach Bar Hopping Tour.
Mykonos-Athens Party Pass 2 Days/ 1 Night
Starting from USD $343.66 per person
Kick back and relax by the beach or live it up in one of the many nightclubs Mykonos is famous for on this two day island escape from Athens.
Munich Party Pass 4.5 hours
Starting from USD $91.18 per person
Pass beautifully illuminated monuments, fountains, and buildings before relaxing in the famous Hofbrauhaus. Be treated to an evening of Bavarian style with music, show and dinner. Afterwards, ascend the Olympic Tower to enjoy great views of the city by night.
Nashville Party Pass 2 - 2.5 hours
Starting from USD $15.00 per person
Join this walking tour of some of Nashville's most haunted bars and pubs. Relax and enjoy a beverage at each location and learn some of the haunted history behind each establishment. Remember to bring your camera - ghosts are unpredictable creatures, you never know where they will show up!
New Orleans Party Pass 2 hours
Starting from USD $23.99 per person
Take a walk through the French Quarter on this 2 hour tour and learn how the famous "spirits" of New Orleans evolved in this unique city. Take a walk through the French Quarter's famous bars and restaurants and discover the history of the city's celebrated cocktails. It's history...with a twist!
New York City Party Pass Flexible
Starting from USD $30.00 per person
Skip the lines at New York's hottest nightclubs and bars when you purchase your New York Party Pass. Offering a range of benefits including free admission, free drinks and jumping the queue for fast-track entry, the New York Party Pass is your ticket to party!
Orlando Party Pass Flexible
Starting from USD $25.00 per person
Be treated like a VIP when you head out to enjoy the nightlife in Orlando! Purchase the Orlando Party Pass and you'll receive 1 free drink at each nightclub, free entrance, no waiting in line and special privileges at the hottest nightclubs and bars in town. UNLIMITED Free Entrance and Special offers to all the clubs in this program. Go to 1 Club or to all the clubs in the program for one low rate.
Paris Party Pass 3.5 hours
Starting from USD $133.26 per person
Go out in the trendiest and liveliest spots in Paris! Sample a selection of the best bars in the city bars ranging from those with DJs and dance floors to the most luxurious and trendy ones. Finish off with a little dancing and flirting in the most fashionable clubs of Paris.
San Diego Party Pass Flexible
Starting from USD $74.99 per person
Enjoy VIP admission to San Diego's Hottest Nightclubs for one low price! All over the Gas Lamp district and other areas, you will see lines to the most popular venues. With your VIP Nightclub Package, you can cut the rope and cruise right into the club.
San Francisco Party Pass 5 hours
Starting from USD $207.99 per person
For an unforgettable experience in San Francisco... be sure to join this exclusive tour! This club soiree includes a night ride to Treasure Island followed by a visit to the Palace of Fine Arts and dinner at the fabulous AsiaSF, world famous gender illusionist.
Jun 21, 2008 | 2:07 PM PST
Tags: music , country , videos , artists , charts , hall of fame , music store , hip hop , spanish music , buy music , music online , mp3 , download , live music , nashville , texas , japan , california , south , mountains
Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s. The term country music began to be used in the 1940s when the earlier term hillbilly music was deemed to be degrading, and the term was widely embraced in the 1970s, while country and western has declined in use since that time, except in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it is still commonly used.
In the Southwestern United States a different mix of ethnic groups created the music that became the Western music of the term country and western. Country music has produced two of the top selling solo artists of all time. Elvis Presley, who was known early on as “The Hillbilly Cat” and was a regular on the radio program Louisiana Hayride, went on to become a defining figure in the emerging genre of rock 'n roll. Garth Brooks is the top-selling solo artist of all U.S. history. The record was recently presented at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards.
While album sales of most musical genres have declined, country music experienced one of its best years in 2006, when, during the first six months of the year, U.S. sales of country albums increased by 17.7 percent to 36 million. Moreover, country music listening nationwide has remained steady for almost a decade, reaching 77.3 million adults every week according to the radio-ratings agency Arbitron Inc.
The term "country music" is used to describe many styles, genres, or subgenres. Cowboys, Western Swing, and Hillbilly Boogie, The countrypolitan sound of Nashville, Rockabilly, Bakersfield Sound , * 5 Changing instrumentation in the mid twentieth century o 5.1 Drums o 5.2 Electric guitar * 6 Not Nashville o 6.1 Outlaw Country o 6.2 Country Rock * 7 Country-Pop o 7.1 Other developments * 8 Country music outside the United States o 8.1 Canada o 8.2 Australia o 8.3 Other International Country Music * 9 Performer and shows * 10 See also * 11 Further reading * 12 References * 13 External links
Early history Immigrants to the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North America brought the music and instruments of the Old World along with them for nearly 300 years. The Irish fiddle, the German derived dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the African banjo were the most common musical instruments. The interactions among musicians from different ethnic groups produced music unique to this region of North America.
Appalachian string bands of the early twentieth century primarliy consisted of the fiddle, guitar, and banjo. This early country music along with early recorded country music is often referred to as Old-time music. Throughout the nineteenth century, several immigrant groups from Europe, most notably from Ireland, The United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Italy moved to Texas.
These groups interacted with the Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and U.S. communities that were already established in Texas. As a result of this cohabitation and extended contact, Texas has developed unique cultural traits that are rooted in the culture of all of its founding communities. The settlers from the areas now known as Germany and the Czech Republic established large dance halls in Texas where farmers and townspeople from neighboring communities could gather, dance, and spend a night enjoying each other’s company. The music at these halls, brought from Europe, included the waltz and the polka, played on an accordion, an instrument invented in Italy, which was loud enough to fill the entire dance hall.
Early recorded history The first commercial recording of what can be considered country music was "Sallie Gooden" by fiddlist A.C. (Eck) Robertson in 1922 for Victor Records. Columbia Records began issuing records with "hillbilly" music (series 15000D "Old Familiar Tunes") as early as 1924. A year earlier on June 14, 1923 Fiddlin' John Carson recorded "Little Log Cabin in the Lane" for Okeh Records. Vernon Dalhart was the first country singer to have a nationwide hit in May of 1924 with "Wreck of the Old '97".
The flip side of this record was "Lonesome Road Blues", which also became very popular. Other important early recording artists were Riley Puckett, Don Richardson, Fiddlin' John Carson, Al Hopkins, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers and The Skillet Lickers. The steel guitar entered country music as early as 1922, when Jimmie Tarlton met famed Hawaiian guitarist Frank Ferera on the West Coast.
The origins of modern country music can be traced to two seminal influences and a remarkable coincidence. Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family are widely considered to be the founders of country music, and their songs were first captured at a historic recording session in Bristol, Tennessee/Bristol, Virginia on August 1, 1927, where Ralph Peer was the talent scout and sound recordist.
Rodgers fused hillbilly country, gospel, jazz, blues, pop, cowboy, and folk; and many of his best songs were his compositions, including “Blue Yodel” (Victor 21142 ), which sold over a million records and established Rodgers as the premier singer of early country music. Beginning in 1927, and for the next 17 years the Carters recorded some 300 old-time ballads, traditional tunes, country songs, and Gospel hymns, all representative of America's southeastern folklore and heritage.
One effect of the Great Depression was to reduce the number of records that could be sold. Radio, and broadcasting, became a popular source of entertainment, and "barn dance" shows featuring country music were started all over the South, as far north as Chicago, and as far west as California. One of the most important of these shows was the Grand Ole Opry from 650 WSM in Nashville, TN. Some of the early stars on the Opry were Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Acuff, and African American harmonica player DeFord Bailey. WSM's 50,000 watt signal (1934) could often be heard across the country.
Singing Cowboys, Western Swing, and Hillbilly Boogie
During the 1930s and 1940s Cowboy songs, or "Western music", which had been recorded since the 1920s, were popularized by films made in Hollywood. Some of the popular singing cowboys from the era were, Gene Autry, the Sons of the Pioneers, and Roy Rogers.
Another "country" musician from the Lower Great Plains who had become very popular as the leader of a “hot string band”, and who also appeared in Hollywood Westerns was Bob Wills. His mix of "country" and jazz, which started out as dance hall music, would become known as Western Swing. Spade Cooley and Tex Williams also had very popular bands and appeared in films. At the height of its popularity, Western Swing rivaled the popularity of other big band jazz. Country musicians began recording boogie in 1939, shortly after it had been played at Carnegie Hall, when Johnny Barfield recorded "Boogie Woogie". The trickle of what was initially called Hillbilly Boogie, or Okie Boogie (later to be renamed Country Boogie), became a flood beginning around late 1945. One notable country boogie from this period was the Delmore Brothers' "Freight Train Boogie", considered to be part of the combined evolution of country music and blues towards rockabilly.
In 1948 Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith achieved Top 10 US country chart success with his MGM Records recordings of "Guitar Boogie" and "Banjo Boogie", with the former crossing over to the US pop charts. Other country boogie artists include Merrill Moore, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. The Hillbilly Boogie period lasted into the 1950s, and remains as one of many subgenres of country into the twenty first century. By the end of World War II "mountaineer" string band music known as Bluegrass had emerged when Bill Monroe joined with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, led by Roy Acuff at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Gospel music, too, remained a popular component of country music.
From Crackle:
Another type of stripped down and raw music with a variety of moods and a basic ensemble of guitar, bass, dobro or steel guitar and sometimes drums became popular, especially among poverty striken white southerners. It became known as Honky Tonk and had its roots in Texas. East Texan Al Dexter had a hit with "Honky Tonk Blues", and seven years later "Pistol Packin' Mama". These "honky tonk" songs associated barrooms, were performed by the likes of Ernest Tubb, Ted Daffin, Floyd Tillman, and the Maddox Brothers and Rose, and Hank Williams, would later be called "traditional" country. In this post WWII period "country" music was called "folk" in the trades, and "hillbilly" within the industry.
Many musicians performed and recorded songs in any number of styles. Moon Mullican played Western Swing, but also recorded songs that can be called rockabilly. Bill Haley sang cowboy songs, and was at one time a cowboy yodeler. Haley became most famous as an early player of rock n roll. Lefty Frizzell played in honky tonks Jimmie Rodgers-stylings to his environment, thus creating a sound that was very much his own. [edit] The 1950s and 1960s By the late 1940s, Nashville began to slowly integrate the popular big band jazz and swing sounds of top 40 radio with the honky tonk storytelling of country pioneers. Between 1947 and 1949, country crooner Eddy Arnold placed a total of 8 songs in the top 10.
The countrypolitan sound of Nashville Beginning in the mid 50's, and reaching its peak during the early 1960s, the "Nashville Sound" turned country music into a multimillion-dollar industry centered on Nashville, Tennessee. Under the direction of producers such as Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, and later Billy Sherrill, the "Nashville sound" brought country music to a diverse audience and helped revive country as it emerged from a commercially fallow period.[25] This sound was notable for borrowing from 1950s pop stylings: a prominent and "smooth" vocal, backed by a string section and vocal chorus. Instrumental soloing was de-emphasized in favor of trademark "licks". Leading artists in this genre included Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and later Tammy Wynette and Charlie Rich. The "slip note" piano style of session musician Floyd Cramer was an important component of this style. Peter Dempsey was also active during this period.
Rockabilly 1956 could be called the year of rockabilly in country music. The number 2, 3, and 4 songs on Billboard's charts for that year are: Elvis Presley "Heartbreak Hotel", Johnny Cash "I Walk the Line", and Carl Perkins "Blue Suede Shoes".[26] Cash and Presley would place songs in the top 5 in 1958 with #3 "Guess Things Happen That Way/Come In, Stranger" by Cash, and #5 by Presley "Don't/I Beg Of You".[27] What is now most commonly referred to as rockabilly was most popular with country music fans in the 1950s, and was recorded and performed by country musicians. Within a few years many rockabilly musicians returned to a more mainstream style, or had defined their own unique style. By the end of the decade, backlash as well as traditional artists such as Ray Price, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Horton began to shift the industry away from the Rock n' Roll influences of the mid-50's. [edit]
Bakersfield Sound
Located 112 miles (180 km) north north west of Los Angeles, Bakersfield, California gave rise to one of the next genres of country music. This sound grew out of hardcore honky tonk with elements of Western swing, and was influenced by one time West Coast residents Bob Wills and Lefty Frizzell. By 1966 it was known as the Bakersfield Sound. The Bakersfield Sound relied on electric instruments and amplification, in particular the Telecaster electric guitar, more than other subgenres of country of the era, and can be described as having a sharp, hard, driving, no-frills, edgy flavor. Leading practitioners of this style were Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Tommy Collins, and Wynn Stewart, each of whom had his own style.[28] [29] [edit]
Changing instrumentation in the mid twentieth century [edit] Drums Drums were scorned by early country musicians as being "too loud" and "not pure", but by 1935 Western Swing big band leader Bob Wills had added drums to the Texas Playboys. In the mid 1940s, The Grand Ole Opry did not want the Playboys’ drummer to appear on stage. Although drums were commonly used by rockabilly groups by 1955, the less-conservative-than-the-Gra nd Ole Opry Louisiana Hayride kept their infrequently-used drummer back stage as late as 1956. By the early 1960s, however, it was rare that a country band didn't have a drummer.[30]
Electric guitar Bob Wills was one of the first country musicians known to have added an electric guitar to his band, in 1938.[31]. A decade later (1948) Arthur Smith achieved Top 10 US country chart success with his MGM Records recording of "Guitar Boogie", which crossed over to the US pop chart, introducing many people to the potential of the electric guitar. For several decades Nashville session players preferred the warm tones of the Gibson and Gretsch archtop electrics, but a “hot” Fender style, utilizing guitars which became available beginning in the early 1950s, eventually prevailed as the signature guitar sound of country.[30][32] [edit]
Not Nashville In 1962 Ray Charles surprised the pop world by turning his attention to country & western music, topping the charts and rating # 3 for the year on BillBoard’s pop chart[33] with the "I Can't Stop Loving You" single, and recording the hugely popular album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. [edit] Outlaw Country Derived from the traditional and honky tonk sounds of the late 50's and 60's, including Ray Price (whose band, the "Cherokee Cowboys", included Willie Nelson and Roger Miller) and mixed with the anger of an alienated subculture of the nation during the period, outlaw country revolutionized the genre of Country music. "After I left Nashville (the early 70s), I wanted to relax and play the music that I wanted to play, and just stay around Texas, maybe Oklahoma. Waylon and I had that outlaw image going, and when it caught on at colleges and we started selling records, we were O.K. The whole outlaw thing, it had nothing to do with the music, it was something that got written in an article, and the young people said, 'Well, that's pretty cool.' And started listening."
(Willie Nelson)[34] The term "Outlaw Country" is traditionally associated with David Allan Coe, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Billy Joe Shaver, and was encapsulated in the 1976 record Wanted! The Outlaws. Country Rock The late 1960s in American music produced a unique blend as a result of traditionalist backlash within separate genres. In the aftermath of the British Invasion, many desired a return to the "old values" of Rock n' Roll. At the same time there was a lack of enthusiasm in the Country sector for Nashville-produced music. What resulted was a crossbred genre known as Country rock. Early innovators in this new style of music in the 60s and 70s included Rock n' Roll icon band The Byrds (while Gram Parsons was the front man) and its spin-off The Flying Burrito Brothers, Micheal Nesmith & The First National Band, Commander Cody, Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and The Eagles among many. Even The Rolling Stones got into the act with songs like Honky Tonk Woman which resulted in many others recording country rock type songs including Neil Young. Subsequent to the initial blending of the two polar opposite genres, other offspring soon resulted, including Southern rock, Heartland Rock and in more recent years Alternative country.
In the decades that followed, artists such as Juice Newton, Alabama, Hank Williams, Jr., Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Rosanne Cash and Linda Ronstadt moved country further towards rock influence. [edit] Country-Pop Country Pop or soft pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to adult contemporary. Country pop found its first widespread acceptance during the 1970s. It started with Pop music singers, like The Bellamy Brothers, Glen Campbell, John Denver, Olivia Newton-John, Marie Osmond, B.J. Thomas and Anne Murray having hits on the Country charts. Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" was among one of the biggest crossover hits in Country music history. These Pop-oriented singers thought that they could gain higher record sales and a larger audience if they crossed over into the Country world. In 1974 Olivia Newton-John, an Australian pop singer, won the "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" as well as the Country Music Association's most coveted award for females, "Female Vocalist of the Year". In the same year, a group of artists, troubled by this trend, formed the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers. The debate raged into 1975, and reached its apex at that year's Country Music Association Awards when reigning Entertainer of the Year, Charlie Rich (who himself had a series of crossover hits), presented the award to his successor, John Denver. As he read Denver's name, Rich set fire to the envelope with a cigarette lighter. The action was taken as a protest against the increasing pop style in country music. In 1980 country music was popularized by the film Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta and spurred on by Dolly Parton's movie 9 to 5. Among other songs "Urban Cowboy" featured "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band.[35]
During the 1980s, several primarily country artists saw their records perform well on the pop charts. Willie Nelson and Juice Newton each had two songs in the Billboard Top 5 in the early eighties: Nelson charted "Always On My Mind" (#5, 1982) and "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" (#5, 1984), and Newton achieved success with "Queen of Hearts" (#2, 1981) and "Angel of the Morning" (#4, 1981).
Four country songs topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s: "Lady" by Kenny Rogers, which was the #3 song for the entire year in 1981, the aforementioned "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton, "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt (these two back to back at the Top in 1981), and "Islands in the Stream", by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers in 1983, a pop-country crossover hit written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, of the Bee Gees. Newton's "Queen of Hearts" almost reached #1, but was kept out of the spot by the pop ballad juggernaut "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. [36] [edit]
Other developments In the mid 1990s country western music was influenced by the popularity of line dancing. This influence was so great that Chet Atkins was quoted as saying "The music has gotten pretty bad, I think. It's all that damn line dancing."[37] By the end of the decade, however, at least one line dance choreographer complained that good country line dance music was no longer being released. One infrequent, but consistent theme in country music is that of proud, stubborn independence.
"Country Boy Can Survive"[38] and "Copperhead Road"[39] are two of the more serious songs along those lines; while "Some Girls Do"[40] and "Redneck Woman"[41] are more light-hearted variations on the theme. There are at least four U.S. cable networks at least partly devoted to the genre: CMT (owned by Viacom), CMT Pure Country (also owned by Viacom), Rural Free Delivery TV (owned by Rural Media Group) and GAC (owned by The E. W. Scripps Company).
The original American country music video cable channel was TNN (The Nashville Network). The channel was launched in the early 1980s. In 2000, the channel was renamed and reformatted to TNN (The National Network), which was a general-interest network to compete with USA Network, TNT, and Superstations, such as TBS and WGN. Subsequently, The National Network became Spike TV, the first network for men. [edit] Country music outside the United States [edit] Canada This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)
Outside of the US, Canada has the largest country music fan and artist base. Canadian country music originated in Atlantic Canada in the form of Celtic folk music popular amongst Irish and Scottish immigrants to Canada's Maritime Provinces. Despite this however, many traditional country artists are present in Eastern and Western Canada and make common use of fiddle and pedal steel guitar styles. Some notable Canadian country artists include: Shania Twain, Hank Snow, Wilf Carter, Stompin' Tom Connors, Corb Lund and Anne Murray. [edit]
Australia Country music in Australia has always been popular, especially given the rural nature of the country. Starting in the 1800s with bush balladeers writing songs of their tales of the bush, as well as songs of protest against the tyranny of the government. In the 1940s the legendary Slim Dusty embarked on a country music career that spanned over fifty years and over 100 albums. Smoky Dawson was also a country music pioneer in Australia, modelling himself very much in the traditional cowboy style, even starring in his own comic books and radio serials. In more recent years, names like Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole, Adam Brand, Troy Cassar Daley and Kasey Chambers have been keeping the tradition of country music alive, whilst also paving the way for new names in the industry, including Catherine Britt, Amber Lawrence, Shea Fisher, Talia Whitman and "Captain Goodtimes" Steve Forde. The constant source of up-to-date news and reviews in Australia is Country HQ, which assists the industry through showcasing the vast array of legends and new talent on the rise in the country music scene downunder. [edit] Other International Country Music Tom Roland, from the Country Music Association International, explains Country Music’s global popularity: “In this respect, at least, Country Music listeners around the globe have something in common with those in the United States. In Germany, for instance, Rohrbach identifies three general groups that gravitate to the genre: people intrigued with the American cowboy icon, middle-aged fans who seek an alternative to harder rock music and younger listeners drawn to the pop-influenced sound that underscores many current Country hits.”[42]
One of the first Americans to perform country music abroad was George Hamilton IV. He was the first country musician to perform in the Soviet Union; he also toured in Australia and the Middle East. He was deemed the "International Ambassador of Country Music" for his contributions to the globalization of country music.[43] Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, and Dwight Yoakam have also made numerous international tours.[42]
Jun 19, 2008 | 12:37 AM PST
Tags: Little Feat , rock music , country music , new orleans , jazz , bluegrass , Mexico , Louisiana , New Orleans , Nashville , BBC , London
Aug 27, 2007 | 3:25 PM PST
Tags: grateful dead , Audio , Pigpen , The Music Never Stopped , Just a Little Light , China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider , Midnight Hour , Fillmore West , San Francisco , Grateful Dead , Europe , Nashville , New Jersey , Windows , QuickTime , Donna , Estimated Prophet , Playing In The Band , Eyes of the World , Drums
As we move toward the symbolic end of summer, we have some great music to play spanning about 21 years of Grateful Dead music, from 1968 to 1989, two fine years with which to bookend this week’s offerings.
Our first entry this week is the encore from 8/21/68 at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, a nice, juicy Midnight Hour. Although not quite as prevalent at shows in 1968 as it had been in 1966, the Grateful Dead continued to play monster versions of this Pigpen vehicle.
Next we’ll stop into 1972, to the opening night of the rightfully famous Europe 72 tour, to 4/7/72 in London. From the middle of that night’s first set is a typically hot 1972 rendition of China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider.
In 1976, at the end of their very successful summer of comeback shows, the Grateful Dead entered the studio and recorded a couple of the songs they’d been playing that summer. From one of those sessions on 8/29/76 is this bare-bones Dancing In The Street with only on vocals. While we’re in mid-1970s mode, we also have this terrific Samson and Delilah from 5/12/77 in Chicago. Despite the frequency that song was played in 1976-1977, they never seem to get tired of it, always offering up an inspired rendition.
Finally from the 1970s, on 4/22/78 in Nashville to be precise, we are pleased to bring you a couple of tracks from the second set, starting with the second set opening Lazy Lightning>Supplication and the pre-Drums Estimated Prophet>Eyes of the World, both very nicely performed songs on this night.
Our last stop this week is in New Jersey on 7/10/89, a show that took place in and out of a massive thunderstorm. By request, we have the first set closer, The Music Never Stopped, and from the start of the second set, a great 1989 combination of Foolish Heart, Just a Little Light, Playing In The Band>Uncle John’s Band. What a great tour.
Be sure to check in next week, as we’ll be exploring some intriguing material from 1969 and 1980, and other material between those years, and likely after. We try to surprise even ourselves. Feel free to write with questions or comments.
David Lemieux
vault [at] dead.net
Rock music is a genre of popular music often, though not necessarily, employing electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums. Many styles of rock music also use keyboard instruments such as organ, piano, mellotron, and synthesizers. Other instruments sometimes utilized in rock include saxophone, harmonica, violin, flute, French horn, banjo, melodica, and timpani. Also, less common stringed instruments such as mandolin and sitar are used. Rock music usually has a strong back beat, and often revolves around the guitar, either solid electric, hollow electric, or acoustic.
Rock music has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, which evolved from blues, country musicAllmusic, "In its purest form, Rock & Roll has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat, and a catchy melody. Early rock & roll drew from a variety of sources, primarily blues, R&B, and country, but also gospel, traditional pop, jazz, and folk. All of these influences combined in a simple, blues-based song structure that was fast, danceable, and catchy."
In the late 1960s, rock music was blended with folk music to create folk rock, blues to create blues-rock and with jazz, to create jazz-rock fusion, and without a time signature to create psychedelic rock. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. Also in the 1970s, rock developed a number of subgenres, such as soft rock, glam rock,
heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock. Rock subgenres that emerged in the 1980s included New Wave, hardcore punk and alternative rock. In the 1990s, rock subgenres included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.
A group of musicians specializing in rock music is called a rock band or rock group. Many rock groups consist of a guitarist, lead singer, bass guitarist, and a drummer, forming a quartet. Some groups omit one or more of these roles and/or utilize a lead singer who plays an instrument while singing, sometimes forming a trio or duo; others include additional musicians such as one or two rhythm guitarists and/or a keyboardist. More rarely, groups also utilize stringed instruments such as violins or cellos, and/or horns like saxophones, trumpets or trombones.
The 1950s & early 1960s Rock and roll
Rock and roll evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and quickly spread to the rest of the world. Its immediate origins lay in a mixing together of various popular musical genres of the time, including rhythm and blues, gospel music, and country and western. In 1951, Cleveland, Ohio disc jockey Alan Freed began playing rhythm and blues music for a multi-racial audience, and is credited with first using the phrase "rock and roll" to describe the music.
There is much debate as to what should be considered the first rock & roll record. One leading contender is "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (in fact, Ike Turner and his band The Kings of Rhythm), recorded by Sam Phillips for Sun Records in 1951. Four years later, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" (1955) became the first rock and roll song to top Billboard magazine's main sales and airplay charts, and opened the door worldwide for this new wave of popular culture. Rolling Stone magazine argued in 2004 that "That's All Right (Mama)" (1954), Elvis Presley's first single for Sun Records in Memphis, was the first rock and roll record. But, at the same time, Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle & Roll", later covered by Haley, was already at the top of the Billboard R&B charts. Other artists with early rock and roll hits included Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent.
The 1950s saw the growth in popularity of the electric guitar, and the development of a specifically rock and roll style of playing through such exponents as Berry, Link Wray, and Scotty Moore. It also saw major developments in recording technology such as multitrack recording developed by Les Paul, and the electronic treatment of sound by such innovators as Joe Meek. All these developments were important influences on later rock music.
The social effects of rock and roll were worldwide and massive. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. In addition, rock and roll may have helped the cause of the civil rights movement because both African American teens and white American teens enjoyed the music. However, by the early 1960s, much of the initial musical impetus and social radicalism of rock and roll had become dissipated, with the growth of teen idols, an emphasis on dance crazes, and the development of lightweight teenage pop music.
Metallica - All Nightmare Long (Video)
