I think it is safe to assume that during our lives or at least during some point of our lives music play a vital role in each of our lives. No matter what type of music you are into music plays a vital role in each life. I myself have always liked several types of music. From pop to easy soft sounds all the way to heavy metal and long hair metal, jazz and soul music have always been good for me also.
back in the 60's my mother and older sister took me to a country music show. Now back then I was only a small child but still I was thrilled and totally in awe of a singer by the name of Jean Shepard. This lady had me memorized at her stage presence and her style. Since that point I knew I would love country music forever
A little background for you on the birth of country music. The first commercial recording of what was considered country music was "Sallie Gooden" by fiddlist A.C. (Eck) Robertson in 1922 for Victor Records. Columbia Records began issuing records with "hillbilly" music (series 15000D "Old Familiar Tunes") as early as 1924.
Country music back then was pretty simple and straight forward . Through out the years country music evolved into a music of the people real people with real lives and country music was a music the folks could identify with because it was a music filled with hopes and dreams and tragedy just like the lives of the people who listened to it and bought the recordings of country.
Country music grew so much in such a short time that a radio show was started called the Grand Ole Opryin 1925 on radio station WSM am out of Nashville Tenn. As country went on to continue to gain much popularity it found a permanent home in the Ryan Auditorium or the mother church of country music also in Nashville.
Country music continued to grow and grow in popularity and for many years drums were not allowed on the Grand Ole Opry as thet were considered to make to much noise and not to be pure as the country sound was considered to be. Then in the early 40's drums were finally brought to the Opry stage for the first time. Still, country music stayed fairly simple and straight forward.
As time went on and now into the 1950's Country Music simply exploded and we now had such artis such as Kitty Wells, Buck Owens and, jean Shepard on the opry and Jean as well as Kitty Wells opened the door for many other female country music artist because up until Kitty Wells and Jean Shepard country music was very much a man's world. These two ladies are still very active and still tour bringing real Country Music to people all over the world. Just a few of the other artist that can be said to have helped Country Music come as far as it has are artist like Buck Owens, Charlie Poole,
Roy Acuff, Minnie pearl, Grandpa Jones, Earnest Tubb, Patsy Cline. These are just to name a few and if it were not for these artist Coutry Music would not be what it is today and artist such as Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette , Garth Brooks and Clint Black may not have had the chances they had to be in Country Music or at least may not have achieved the great success that they have enjoyed.
today's Country Music is not what it was back in the 50's and 60's when Country Music was exploding but, if you listen carefully you can still hear the country sounds of yesteryear . You will still hear the fiddle and banjo and that good old down home country sounds that will always be part of Country Music.
Now I will share with you 3 links to You Tube videos of Jean Shepard. if you watch these videos you see how Country Music has changed and you will also see a Country Music artist that has been a part of the grand ole opry for over 55 years and how she has always been able to wrap a song around her finger to make that great country music
From the 60's
From the 70's
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