1. COUNTRY MUSIC!

2. Country = Good Music
TWO OF THE TOP SELLING ALBUMS OF ALL TIME WERE COUNTRY ARTIST’S ALBUMS- ELVIS PRESLEY AND GARTH BROOKS

3. COUNTRY/WESTERN
BEGAN BEING CALLED COUNTRY MUSIC IN THE 1940’S WHEN THE TERM “HILLBILLY” MUSIC STARTED TO BECOME OFFENSIVE

4. OLD TIME MUSIC
EVOLVED FROM THE EUROPEAN IMMIGRANT MUSIC FROM THOSE WHO SETTLED INTO THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS AND WAS ORIGINALLY COMPOSED OF FIDDLES, GUITARS AND BANJOS, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS OLD TIME MUSIC

5. Progressions
GREW IN TEXAS DUE TO IMMIGRANTS FROM EUROPE AND MEXICO SETTLING THERE
SOME OF THE EARLIEST COUNTRY SONGS DATE BACK TO 1922, WHEN THEY STARTED TO PLAY THIS TYPE OF MUSIC ON THE RADIO IN TEXAS AND GEORGIA.

6. First Big Sounds
“SALLIE GOODEN” = FIRST COUNTRY SONG, BY A.C. ECK ROBERTSON
VERNON DALHART – 1924 – FIRST BIG COUNTRY HIT WITH “WRECK OF THE OLD ‘97”
JIMMIE ROGERS AND THE CARTER FAMILY LEAD THE WAY

7. Later on…
30’S AND 40’S – GREAT DEPRESSION LEAD TO LESS RECORDS, MORE RADIO PLAY
BILL HALEY SANG COWBOY AND ROCKABILLY SONGS ROCK AND ROLL
EDDY ARNOLD – 8 HITS
SINGING COWBOYS MADE FAMOUS THROUGH FILMS (ROY ROGERS)

8. GRAND OLE OPRY

9. History of the Opry:
The “Grand Ole Opry” is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville.
Has presented the biggest country stars since 1925
Started as a 1 hour “barn dance” show
“The show that made country music famous”
“Country’s most famous stage”
Owned by Ryman Hospitality (Own the Ryman Auditorium too.)
Saturday night musical tradition for 30 years
Name came in 1927 – Grand opera  Opera show before – down to earth music
Opry moved to the Ryman Auditorium in 1943
Hank Williams – only guy to be banned (He was too drunk all the time)
Shows are broadcasted on TV as well
Elvis played in ’54
No drums for a long time, no loud electric music,
60’s – no “long hairs on the show”
1974- show started to be broadcasted at the Grand Ole Opry House, east of the city
Circle from the Ryman cut out and put in the Opry House
2010 Flooding
Christian fan base? Chely Wright not asked back
Resort and convention center, museum

10. Only 66 living members right now How do they get in??
Membership: “hall of fame” status- artists who define country music, must be nominated; after they die they are no longer a standing member, Mailboxes, plaques
Musicians can play there if they are not members, but must be asked to join.
Only 66 living members right now
How do they get in??
“The decision to increase the Opry’s ranks is, and always has been, made exclusively by the show’s management. The people who’ve been entrusted with the Opry’s tradition and future direction take into account all the standards of success in country music—radio airplay, recorded music sales, touring success, industry recognition—when considering an act for membership. The Opry considers career accomplishment as well as the potential for continued success.”
Recent additions:
2008 – Carrie Underwood
2010 – Blake Shelton
2011 – Rascal Flatts
Darius Rucker, Keith Urban
2013 – Old Crow Medicine Show
2014 – Little Big Town

12. PATSY MONTANA – COWGIRL SONGS
NO DRUMMERS – TOO LOUD – UNTIL THE 60’S
BOB WILLS – FIRST ELECTRIC GUITAR IN 1938
HILLBILLY BOOGIE – JOHNNY BARFIELD “BOOGIE WOOGIE”

13. EARLY GENRES 40’S BLUEGRASS WENT IT’S OWN WAY, GOSPEL BROKE OFF TOO
TEXAS HONKY TONK –BAR ROOMS AND WHISKEY DRINKERS – “PISTOL PACKIN’ MAMA”, AL DEXTER

14. ROCKABILLY = ROCK + HILLBILLY … 1956
HANK WILLIAMS, LEFTY FRIZZELL = TRADITIONAL COUNTRY GEORGE JONES, ROCK AND ROLL
ROCKABILLY = ROCK + HILLBILLY … 1956
ELVIS, JOHNNY CASH
NASHVILLE SOUND – MULTI MILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY IN THE EARLY 60’S

15. OUTLAW COUNTRY –70’S
ANGRY, BACK TO THEIR ROOTS. WAYLON, WILLIE, HANK JR, DAVID ALLEN COE, JESSI COLTER
NashvilleTexas

16. PATSY CLINE, EDDY ARNOLD
“COUNTRYPOLITAN” MAINSTREAM SOUND – TAMMY WYNETTE, CHARLIE RICH
BAKERSFIELD SOUND – MERLE HAGGARD, BUCK OWENS, DWIGHT YOKAM – SHARP, EDGY, ELECTRIC

17. COUNTRY GOES POP – 70’S + DOLLY, KENNY, GLEN CAMPBELL, EDDIE RABBIT
80’S – NEOTRADITIONALISTS – RANDY TRAVIS, TRAVIS TRITT. KATHY MATTEA, RICKY SKAGGS
90’S – CLINT BLACK, GARTH BROOKS
LINE DANCING
Making history?
2000’S MAINSTREAM
Barbara Mandrell – I was country when country wasn’t cool

18. Why country music was awful in 2013
Today’s Country
MAINSTREAM COUNTRYPOP? What sells?
What actually is Country today??
“Bro-Country”  Country pop/rap
Hell no, we won't bro
Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood - Ladies
George Strait – 65 #1’s
T- Swizzle- what happened?
Brooks and Dunn – Sugarland – FLA-GA line
Crossovers- Faith, Shania, T-Swift, Rascal Flatts?
Idol stars – Carrie, Kellie, Josh, Scotty, Lauren
Why country music was awful in 2013

19. Nashville Vs. Red Dirt
Red Dirt country is based out of Oklahoma, called red dirt, because the dirt is red there.
“Progressive Country,” Expanded into Texas (Austin)
Started with the outlaws, Waylon and Willie
Allows musicians to be who they want to be
Critics say that Red Dirt can best be likened to the indie genre of rock 'n' roll as there is no definitive sound that can be attributed to all the bands in the movement. Most Red Dirt artists would be classified by the music industry as Americana, folk, or alt-country, though the range of sounds in the Red Dirt spectrum goes beyond these genres. It has been described as a mix of folk, rock, country, bluegrass, blues, Western swing, and honky tonk, with even a few Mexican influences
Some define Red Dirt music as "country music with an attitude.
Different themes than Nashville singers, many sing about Texas (anthems)
Own music charts – focus on playing out not hunting down people on music row/non commercial
Artists: Pat Green, Stoney Larue, Wade Bowen, Brandon Rhyder, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Josh Abbott Band, Reckless Kelly, Roger Creager, Cory Morrow

20. Musicians
Artists: Pat Green, Stoney Larue, Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers Band, Brandon Rhyder, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Josh Abbott Band, Reckless Kelly, Roger Creager, Cory Morrow

21. Themes/Issues Drinking songs Eric Church /Zac Brown - drugs Family?
Not country anymore?
Where are the steel guitars?
Too stereotypical?
All lyrics similar?
Songs about me?/Relatability?
This is country music

22. Nash-Vegas