Country music is now one of the
most important genres in the music industry, with tons of fans even beyond the
United States. Country music artistes are able to live luxurious lifestyles,
which just shows the popularity of the genre. But how did it all begin?
The Humble Origins
The origins were pretty humble. They
date back to the second decade of the 21st century, to the southern
Appalachian region where musicians playing the humble fiddle started making
recordings. But it was only in the 1920s that country music became a
sustainable genre rather than just a fad. Credit for the first commercially
sold record in the country music genre goes to fiddler Eck Robertson back in
1922. That record was released by Victor Records (now RCA). But the first
country song to become a national hit was “Wreck of the Old ‘97” by Vernon
Dalhart, back in 1924. It sold over a million copies. Despite the tremendous
success, some historians don’t consider even that crucial year as the birth of
country music. They point to 1927, when The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers
were signed up by Victor Records.
The First Stars of Country Music
This brings us to the pioneering
celebrities of country music. In fact, Jimmie Rodgers is considered the Father
of Country Music. That’s probably because his “Blue Yodel #1” was the first
ever million-selling single, and it featured his distinctive style of yodeling.
He tasted national success instantly, and his songs, all of which were recorded
in the period from 1927 to his death in 1933, were successful and solidified
his position as country music’s pioneering great. He was also a pioneer in the
blues genre. Unfortunately he was prevented from churning out more hits due to
tuberculosis that caused his death at just 35 years of age. In 1961, his
greatness and contributions to establishing the country music genre as a
consistently successful arena were posthumously acknowledged by an induction
into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
But if Jimmie Rodgers is the
Father of Country Music, The Carter Family is the “First Family of Country
Music.” As you guessed, it was a family that performed country music, making
them the genre’s first vocal group to enjoy fame. Songs that are held as the
benchmarks for country music, “Wildwood Flower” and “Keep on the Sunny Side,”were
hits of The Carter Family who tasted success following the release of their
first song collection in 1927. They did perform with Jimmie Rodgers too, and
during their decade long existence, performed with the gospel singing group
Speer Family as well. The Carter Family consisted of AP Carter, Carter’s wife
Sara Dougherty Carter, and sister-in-law Maybelle Addington Carter. Though their
songs are classified under country music, their work also impacted gospel
music, particularly Southern Gospel, as well as bluegrass, pop and rock music. Their
impact was felt in the 1960s too, during the US folk revival. Their music lived
on in the 2nd generation as The Carter Sisters.
Western Swing
Mention also has to be made of
Bob Wills, considered the “King of Western Swing.” The western swing style hit
the peak of popularity in the early 1940s. It was the western swing sub-genre
that first brought in drums to country music. There were also pianos,
saxophones and the steel guitar.
The influences of these
pioneering stars contributed to laying the foundations of
country music and eventually giving it worldwide popularity, beyond the shores
of the United States.
