Congo Square in New Orleans is widely believed to be where Blues originated, with recently arrived Black slaves performing music from the heart of Africa.
Others say it all started in Mississippi, and some say it came to life here in Macon, Georgia. So let’s take a closer look at the origins of Blues and Country.
Let’s hear what Grammy-winning Chris Thomas King, King of New Orleans Blues, tells us about where the blues was born. He is convinced it was in Louisiana, not in Mississippi or in Texarkana.
Check out this TEDxLSU video as King talks about the history of blues. Chris, the son of Tabby Thomas, the legendary musician, made his mark in the blues world and is a true champion of the great Louisiana blues tradition.
But now back to the origins. After arriving on southern plantations, they continued their musical traditions, including the “banjar,” which became the banjo. They sang about their lives and hardships, not only from working in fields but also from working in mines, on railroads, and in logging camps.
Their voices became an instrument, especially with the “blue note” compositions. Many learned to play pianos, guitars, and harmonicas, which became the principal instruments of the Blues. Georgia’s Music Hall of Fame has many famous inductees, but in the rest of this post, we’ll look at the origins and development of Country Music.
Country
Country’s origins are largely rooted in British heritage. However, other African and European influences are also present in Country, which started out in the Deep South with banjoists, fiddlers, balladeers, string bands, and Gospel singers that joined together in song and music at fiddle contests, house parties, corn shuckings, fish fries, barn raising, and medicine/vaudeville shows.
Like blues, country has been mainly a working-class music genre that reflects the work and conditions of railroad men, textile workers, mine workers, carpenters, cowboys, wagoners, and even country preachers, doctors, and lawyers.
Before World War I, string bands like the Fruit Jar Drinkers, the East Texas Serenaders, and the Skillet Lickers played popular British dance tunes, ragtime, hoedown tunes, and marching band numbers. By the mid-1920s, booking agents, recording and radio executives, and advertisers at stations like WSM, WSB, WBAP, and WBT had taken notice of country music.
Soon, stars like Uncle Dave Macon, Vernon Dalhart, Jimmie Rodgers, and the Carter Family filled American airways and stages across the nation. Charlotte, North Carolina, became home to RCA’s studios from 1927-1945, and at RCA, more than 1,500 recordings were made.
During the Great Depression, two stations became key to country music: the Grand Ole Opry (WSM) and the National Barn Dance (WLS). Here, legends like Eddy Arnold, Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, George Jones, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Bill Monroe, Grandpa Jones, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Minnie Pearl, etc had their big breaks.
In the Southwest, there was also a form of country music, and Gene Autry, a Texas radio hillbilly singer, was the first cowboy who captured the hearts of so many Americans. Then “western swing” emerged, performed by bands like Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies, and The Light Crust Doughboys.
In the 1970s, we saw an impressive Country revival with artists like Emmylou Harris, who was discovered by Gram Parsons, also known as “The Father of Country Rock.” Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Glen Campbell, Charlie Pride, Waylon Jennings, and Barbara Mandrell became great Country legends. The 80s then launched Country greats such as Ricky Skaggs, Reba McEntire, Alabama, Dwight Yoakam, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, and George Strait.
During the 1990s, Country Music continued to play a key role, with performers like Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis, and more. In the 21st century, the Country tradition continued with Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, etc.