Country music is not a genre which is usually associated with the Black community in the United States of America. To think that there are no African American country singers who have enjoyed success would be mistaken, though. Over the years, there have been a few shining examples of Black artists making a success of this type of music; this article will take a look at three of them.
The name of Charley Pride continues to resonate through country music to this day, with the singer's peak period in the 1970s seeing him become RCA's best selling artist since the great Elvis Presley. Pride, a former professional baseball player, was only the second African American artist to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He is still highly regarded by music fans across the world, too.
Pride was originally marked out for a career as a professional baseball player, but an injury contributed to him drifting out of the game at a young age. Sport's loss would be music's gain, however, and Pride, after a few years as a professional musician, would be signed up by RCA records. His first recordings were made at Sun Studios, and his real success, in chart terms, would be reached in the late 1960s and on into the 1970s.
Pride has now sold around 70 million records, and he continues to make public appearances, maintaining his strong connection with baseball, in particular the Texas Rangers team. Other sporting occasions he has graced include the Super Bowl of 2010, when he sang the Star Spangled Banner. Pride was not the first African American to be invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, however.
The first Black musician to be inducted into this genre of music's most venerable institution was DeFord Bailey, a grandson of slaves who was born into poverty in 1899. Known as a harmonica and blues harp artist, rather than a singer as such, his contribution to this genre of music is immense. A proponent of country blues, his musical career stretched from the 1920s into the 1940s, sadly, after that, he went back to shining shoes for a living.
Bailey died in 1982, and is an obscure figure to many fans of this genre of music these days. Although he died in 1982, he his career was marked and commemorated before his passing. Bailey was often the victim of less enlightened attitudes towards his racial origins at times in his musical career.
A more contemporary artist who has enjoyed huge commercial success in this genre is Darius Rucker. The former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish has moved on from the alternative rock of his earlier career, to become a star in country music. As well as his number one singles, Rucker enjoys a close friendship with golf professional Tiger Woods.
These three African American country singers are musicians who have forged a path in a type of music which is not often associated with their community. All have played a part in making the music what it is today. It is to be hoped that their songs and stories will continue to be remembered.
The name of Charley Pride continues to resonate through country music to this day, with the singer's peak period in the 1970s seeing him become RCA's best selling artist since the great Elvis Presley. Pride, a former professional baseball player, was only the second African American artist to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He is still highly regarded by music fans across the world, too.
Pride was originally marked out for a career as a professional baseball player, but an injury contributed to him drifting out of the game at a young age. Sport's loss would be music's gain, however, and Pride, after a few years as a professional musician, would be signed up by RCA records. His first recordings were made at Sun Studios, and his real success, in chart terms, would be reached in the late 1960s and on into the 1970s.
Pride has now sold around 70 million records, and he continues to make public appearances, maintaining his strong connection with baseball, in particular the Texas Rangers team. Other sporting occasions he has graced include the Super Bowl of 2010, when he sang the Star Spangled Banner. Pride was not the first African American to be invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, however.
The first Black musician to be inducted into this genre of music's most venerable institution was DeFord Bailey, a grandson of slaves who was born into poverty in 1899. Known as a harmonica and blues harp artist, rather than a singer as such, his contribution to this genre of music is immense. A proponent of country blues, his musical career stretched from the 1920s into the 1940s, sadly, after that, he went back to shining shoes for a living.
Bailey died in 1982, and is an obscure figure to many fans of this genre of music these days. Although he died in 1982, he his career was marked and commemorated before his passing. Bailey was often the victim of less enlightened attitudes towards his racial origins at times in his musical career.
A more contemporary artist who has enjoyed huge commercial success in this genre is Darius Rucker. The former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish has moved on from the alternative rock of his earlier career, to become a star in country music. As well as his number one singles, Rucker enjoys a close friendship with golf professional Tiger Woods.
These three African American country singers are musicians who have forged a path in a type of music which is not often associated with their community. All have played a part in making the music what it is today. It is to be hoped that their songs and stories will continue to be remembered.
About the Author:
Read more about Three Of The Best Known African American Country Singers visiting our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment