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Known as the “Father of Country Music”, Jimmie Rodgers was an early star of the genre, with a remarkable yet short career which spanned from the late 1920s through his death in 1933. In this episode of Nashville Public Television’s A Word on Words, author and music journalist Barry Mazor discusses his book on the artist, entitled “Meeting Jimmy Rodgers”.
Begun in 1925, the Grand Ole Opry stage show found its first star in “Uncle” Dave Macon, an early country musician and vaudeville performer. In 1970, National Public Radio aired an in-depth interview with his son, Arch Macon, who discussed his father’s life and career. [This clip is not publicly available.]
Gene Autry, “The Singing Cowboy”, had a career spanning nearly 40 years which encompassed music as well as television, radio, and film. His popular films were instrumental in introducing a mass audience to the world of country music. In 1948, the Municiple Broadcasting System aired this performance by Autry for the March of Dimes.
Patsy Montana was one of the earliest female country stars and the first to sell a million records with her 1935 single, “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” In this episode of the series Over Easy, produced by San Francisco’s KQED in 1977, Montana was interviewed and performed her signature song live on the program. [This clip is not publicly available]
By the 1940s, traditional folk music had evolved into the genre of Bluegrass. Based in the Appalachian region, this energetic style became increasingly popular in the post-war period and featured complex musicianship and improvisation. In the radio series Bluegrass and Mountains, the University of Michigan offered an introduction to the genre as well as other styles of “old time music.”
By the early 1950s, country music had become increasingly popular. During this period, artists from other musical backgrounds such as Elvis Presley and Ray Charles began exploring country influences in their own work, introducing the genre to an expanded audience. In this unedited interview footage from 1995, created by WGBH for their series entitled Rock and Roll, Ray Charles discusses his life and musical influences. [This clip is not publicly available]
Women have played a role in country music since its earliest days and as the genre evolved with each passing decade, female artists became increasingly prominent and popular. In this 2-part radio series, produced by the Feminist Radio Network and Sophies Incorporated, the contributions by women to country music are highlighted.
One of the few African American artists to have a successful country music career, Charlie Pride released numerous hit singles during his peak in the 1960s through the 1980s. He was eventually inducted into both the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. In this episode of A Word on Words, aired by Nashville Public Television in 1994, Charley Pride discusses his autobiography.
During a career spanning almost 50 years, Johnny Cash became one of the most popular and revered artists in country music. In 1969, this episode of the NET series Public Broadcast Library offered an intimate view of Cash, his family, and his music. [This clip is not publicly available]
Rebelling against the traditional music establishment, Waylon Jennings’ was an originator of the “Outlaw Country” subgenre, most popular in the 1970s. In this 2-part interview from 1996 which aired on the Nashville Public Television series A Word on Words, Jennings discusses his autobiography and music career.
Country music can trace its earliest roots to the traditional folk songs of Europe, brought by immigrants to American and shaped into the musical styles of today. As people and communities migrate, they continue to carry their local cultures with them, as depicted in the 1979 program, Tarheels of the Northwest, produced by KCTS in Seattle. In this film, North Carolina transplants bring their music and culture with them to Washington state.
Though most commonly associated with the southern United States, country music is played and celebrated throughout the nation. Since 1979, the family-owned Wisconsin Opry has put on live performances, such as this televised concert from 1981, produced by WHA-TV in Madison.
The Judds were a highly successful mother-daughter country duo, producing 5 platinum-selling albums from 1984 to 1990, an era when the genre began to reach the level of popularity it enjoys today. After disbanding the group in 1991, daughter Wynonna began a successful music career of her own, while mother Naomi began work in television and penned the memoir, Love Can Build a Bridge, which she discussed on Nashville Public Television’s A Word on Words in 1994.
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