Country: A Regional Exploration

(Hardback)

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Description

Over its eighty-year history, country music has evolved from little-known local talents to multimillion-dollar superstar musicians. In the 1920s, the first country music was broadcast from WSB radio in Atlanta and WBAP in Fort Worth, and the first records were recorded for Victor. In the 1930s, the first singing cowboys, among them Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, became film stars. After the war years, recordings boomed, and the Country Music Association was founded in 1958. Country music programs began on television with Porter Waggoner's program in 1960, followed by The Johnny Cash Show and Hee Haw. The Nashville Network channel was established in 1993, and from then on, the popular stars of country music have continued to break records, selling millions of copies of their albums. This book examines country music as it developed in regions throughout the United States, noting characteristics of its various subgenres such as bluegrass, honkytonk, and neotraditional music. It provides an indepth look at the people and events that have shaped the industry, and identifies the landmark recordings that old and new fans alike will want to add to their collections. Provides a detailed history of the following subgenres: hillbilly music, cowboy music, western swing, country rock, bluegrass, Nashville sound, and neotraditional, among others. Includes a chronology of country music and an extensive chapter of biographical sketches of all the major songwriters, musicians, and people in the industry.

Reviews

Because fanzine material on country music is far more plentiful than scholarly writing, this release in the Greenwood Guides to American Roots Music series is particularly welcome. Country music's escalating popularity in recent decades coincides with many university music departments' inclusion of popular and traditional music in their curricula. Tribe does not present original research but instead draws on existing studies and on his lifelong love of country music to craft a detailed history of the genre. Discussing how country music and its many subgenres evolved in particular regions of the US, the author takes the reader from early southeastern fiddle music through Texas western swing, California and Texas honky-tonk, southern bluegrass, Memphis rockabilly, and finally the Nashville sound. A brief opening chronology of major milestones in country music and a lengthy closing section of biographical sketches of country musicians and musical groups enhance the narrative. Each chapter is carefully footnoted, and the selected bibliography, though short, is well chosen. Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. * Choice *
Any music library and any library dealing with American cultural studies will be advised to get this authoritative and atrractively produced series. * Reference Reviews *
As part of the series Greenwood Guides to American Roots Music, this volume aspires to examine music from a particular region of the US. Here Tribe focuses on country music, beginning with an overview of styles, then discusses hillbilly music of the Southeast, cowboy music of the West, regional styles of western swing, honky-tonk, rockabilly, and bluegrass, and Nashville and country music there since 1958. Biographical sketches of many musicians are provided at the end of the book. * Reference & Research Book News *
The 304-page hardback selectively chronicles country-musics evolution from 1922 through 2005. [P]rofessor Tribes contribution to Greenwoods Guides to American Roots Music is a ready reference for readers wishing to explore much of what he touches on in greater detail. * The Roughstock Network *
a useful historical account of country music, placing a number of familiar stories alongside some not so well known ones.The facts provided are very useful and make for a handy resource for researchers in the area * The Journal of Popular Music *

Author Bio

IVAN TRIBE is Professor of History in the Social Science Department at University of Rio Grande.