The Growth of Country Music

Country music originated from the old folk music that the pioneers sang and played as they session tled across the country. They used wagon trains. That’s where a group of people drive their wagons across the country is a single file trying to go further west. At night they would gathering and the ones that may play fiddles, banjo, and guitars, would play and make up songs about their experiences on the trail.

Then came along people like the Carter family members and Jimmy Rodgers (the singing brakeman) and they came up with a newer style of country songs. Still everything was acoustical, no electrical instruments. When wannabe singers heard Jimmy Rodgers, they all wanted to sing like him. His singing had confidence and you could hear it.

The Grand ole Opry started wide casting in 1925. This let millions of individuals hear folk and country music all across the country. The Louisiana Hayride started in 1948 and a lot of singers got their start there. The radio shows made a lot of young children want to sing, and a lot of them did come on and make stars, each bringing a new style to country music. Recording businesses then did not want you to sound like somebody else, they want your sound. Assuming that they like d it you got a contract.

When Hank Williams was on the hayride, I had a nice friend playing for the hayride. He was playing when Hank had seven encores for lovesick blues. Then everybody wanted to sound like Hank Williams. Hank was top dog, then came Elvis to knock him off the mountain. Of course Hank had died before Elvis made it. Still Hank was on top after his death.

Every year country progresses to something new. Still there’s a lot of people that don’t progress with it. A lot still prefer the old traditional type of country. That is what makes the world go around.