Hank Williams was arguably the most influential country music star of all time. Though his life of fame was short-lived, his legend continues to live among millions of fans. Hank was the first legendary country music singer, and he was an innovator of his time. Hank helped country music spread from the rural south to other parts of the nation. Hank was launched to fame with many songs such as “Your Cheatin Heart,” “Jambalaya,” and “Cold, Cold Heart.” The legacy of Hank Williams continues to influence country music fans worldwide.
Hiram “Hank” Williams, third child of Lon and Lillie Williams, was born on September 17, 1923 in Mount Olive, Alabama near Georgiana. Hank was raised by his mother because his father was in a veteran’s hospital most of his childhood. Hank’s childhood was shaped by a spinal condition called spina bifida so he could not play sports or do regular activities with the other children. Perhaps his inability to do normal activities sparked his interest in music. Hank got his first guitar at eight years old (Harden).
In 1937, the Williams family moved to Montgomery. He met Rufus Payne, also known as Tee-tot, while living in Montgomery. Tee-tot was a local folk, blues, and jazz singer and taught Hank everything he knew about music. Hank made his first radio appearance at the age of thirteen. One year later he formed his own band called The Drifting Cowboys. They began entering talent shows and performing all across Montgomery. By performing in shows around Alabama, Hank Williams and his band caught the attention of Nashville (“Hank Williams”).
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In the early 1940’s, The Drifting Cowboys landed a spot on a local radio station WSFA. At a medicine show in 1943 Hank met his futur...
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... They reached a gas station in Oak Hill, West Virginia to get gas and Carr discovered that Hank was dead. Carr notified the authorities who concluded after a careful autopsy that Hank had died from heart complications (“Hank Williams Sr.”).
Hiram “Hank” Williams was an inspiration to millions of people around the world. He wrote several songs that many people love and know today. He introduced a new generation of country music. He also inspired two generations of his own kin to pursue the life and career that he once desired. He was the very first country music legend. Even after departing the earth, Hank has received many honors such as being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. This reward shows that people still love and respect his work and life accomplishments. Hank is resting in piece knowing that people continue to enjoy his music.
The “king of Western swing,” Bob Wills, was a prominent figure from the 1930s through 1950s. At at a young age he learned to play the fiddle and he and his father performed at dances and other social gatherings. He was exposed to other genres of music as a young boy such a blues, conjunto and mariachi, but it was the new sounds of jazz that inspired him to experiment with traditional country music. In 1929 Wills moved to Fort Worth, Texas, were he formed a band, the Wills Fiddle Band, which would soon change to Light Crust Doughboys. Their music was played was played on the Fort Worth radio station, KFJZ radio, and their unique sound quickly spread which is what the radio advertisers needed during the economic downfall. However, in 1933 Wills left the band and formed a new one called Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys and they toured together over the next forty years. In 1945 Wills appeared at the Grand Ole Opry and insisted that there be a horn and drum section on stage. The audience was surprisingly pleased with this unwanted change by the directors. Despite his somewhat strained relationship with Nashville, the local country music establishment formally recognized Wills and his important overall impact on country music when the Country Music Association Hall of Fame inducted him in 1968 (Hartman, 146). Bob Wills died in 1975, but was still a major influence in up and coming young country artists like Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Strait and Lee Ann Womack.
The music industry during the 1940s was filled with many talented artists who impacted the music industry and the history of rock n’ roll forever. But one of the very well known and talented artists was Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly was the first to pioneer new music genres and progressive music. Charles Hardin Holley (1936-1959) was an American musician and artist whose creative career began in 1956. The family name is correctly spelled “Holley” but his first recording contract from Decca Records in 1956 spelled his last name “Holly” and he kept it that way for the rest of his career (Griggs 1). Holly took a very influential position in the music industry and built an audience for his Rock and Roll music very quickly due to his unique voice and advanced knowledge of music. Buddy Holly is a prime example of a musical pioneer who blended resources from various music genres including a variety of popular genres such as rhythm and blues (RNB), oriental, and African (Schinder and Schwartz 85).
Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas on February 26, 1932 (Enslow 19). He began to take an interest to music when his father bought a radio. His mother loved listening to music and his mother and Johnny would sing songs all throughout the house. Taught by his mother and childhood friend, he learned to play guitar (Enslow 19). Working hard and practicing, he became very good at guitar and singing. However, he grew up through the Great Depression and this was very difficult for him and his family. In Edward Enslow’s “The Man in Black” Johnny Cash states, “We were very poor, and I almost died of starvation as a child.” This quote shows how life was a struggle for Cash in his early life. Facing all the many challenges was difficult for him but he found a way through it. Through his older brother Jack, he was able to cope with his life growing up. Jack was a huge role model to Johnny growing up, he would teach...
Unlike other genres of music, country music did not begin until August 1, 1927. On this day in Bristol, Tennessee, Ralph Peer signed Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to recording contracts for Victor Records. These two acts set the tone for others to follow – Rodgers with his unique singing style and the Carters with their extensive recording of old-time music (Roughstock’s History of Country Music). However, it was not until 1950 when the “Nashville Sound” began. The “Nashville Sound” is defined as a blend of pop and country music. This is the category of country music in which Kenny Chesney falls into.
Most americans have probably heard the phrase, “Mamas don’t let your babies to grow up to be cowboys.” That phrase is one from one of Waylon Jennings most prominent songs. Jennings was one of the many country music stars that started the outlaw country music movement. Outlaw country was not recognized by most country music enthusiasts but it soon took over and swept them off their feet. Jennings also incorporated rock into his music, which opened the door to a wide variety of genres and listeners. Waylon Jennings left an everlasting impression on country music which earned him a name as one of the greatest country music stars.
For many Americans, country isn’t just a type of music. It’s a lifestyle. From sippin’ sweet tea on the porch, drinking beer at a tailgate or driving a pick up down the backroads, country music has made its way into the hearts and minds of many Americans. It is one of the only truly home grown American art forms. Its relatability and wide appeal has made country music one of the most commercially successful and popular genres in the United States. Using the work of scholars Tichi, Pecknold, and Ellison, I will show how country music grew from its rural southern roots into an integral part of American culture.
Widely considered country music’s first superstar, Hiram/Hank Williams was born September 17, 1923, in mount olive, Alabama. Williams, the third child of Lon and Lillie Williams, grew up in a household that never had much money. His father worked as a logger before entering the Veterans’ Administration hospital when young hank was just six. Father and son rarely saw each other over the next decade, with William’s mother, who ran rooming houses, moving the family to Greenville, and later, Montgomery, Alabama. (Hank Williams) Everyone knew Hank was a good guy, but like any man had his ups and his downs throughout the short life he lived. Hank grew up rough and he knew it; however nothing was going to stop this young man from doing what he set out to pursue. What he did was astonishing changing art or “so called” music. Hank redefined country music with his personal opinion on what music really was.
Today, Hank Williams, Jr. currently lives in a number of places, including Paris, Tennessee. He is still traveling and performing strong at the age of 67! Although some think Hank is reckless, he will go down in history as one of the greatest country artists of all time. It is difficult to make your own legacy when you have a legendary musician as a family member. However, Hank, Jr managed to forge a career just as successful as his father’s.t day, as McCormick was
Woody Guthrie Woody Guthrie, born Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, was born in Okemah, Oklahoma in 1912. When he was 16 he began to travel around the United States (Feather 428). He had a great love for music and soon began writing his own songs about the Great Depression and the treatment of the migrant workers, who were forced to move west because of the Dust Bowl. His music greatly influenced many people across the country.
Tom Petty was born in 1950 in Gainesville Florida to Kitty and Earl Petty. Petty began to find refuge in music because of his rough relationship he had with his physically and verbally abusive father. He idolized playing the guitar and singers such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. In high school, Petty began playing in his first band, the Epics, in which he played the bass (Biography.com Editors, 2017). In 1970, Petty began to see that the Epics were not serious enough about the music they were playing and he wanted to expand further than the rest of the band did (Rotondo, 2014). At age 17, he then began playing in a band named Mudcrutch, which was influenced by British Invasion, a band that came from the United Kingdom that followed The
He truly didn't live long enough to show how much more potential he still had. He had a love for music, and a love for alcohol. It was a very sad thing. Hank's life wasn't always the greatest. According to (https://www.biography.com/people/hank-williams-9532414) His childhood was also shaped by his spinal condition, spina bifida, which set him apart from other kids his age and fostered a sense of separateness from the world around him. It was a disorder in the spinal column. Some thought maybe his alcohol was due to the fact that he had this condition. According to http://nodepression.com/article/long-lonesome-highway-hank-williams. Some biographers agree, the resulting pain caused him to move toward music as a career since he was physically unable to labor in the Alabama lumber industry, where jobs were plentiful for young men during the '30s. Having this back disorder made him to turn to alcohol and pain killers to ease his pain. Hank started drinking at the age of 11. He took his last drink at the age of 29. His drinking caused his performance in shows to not be the best. He ended up just having to perform in bars. What could have been a great success was becoming a slow failure. He became very lonesome. This terrible addiction took a 29 year old away. His alcoholism and pill popping destroyed his life. It was a very tragic event and took a great country star way too
Hank Aaron was a famous baseball player who was respectful to his teammates and his fans. His nickname was “Hammerin’ Hank”. At one time he led the league in the most home runs. He was born in a poor family and then grew up to be a great professional baseball player. He became one of the most admired baseball players in Major League history.
George Harvey Strait, is a an American singer, actor, songwriter, and music producer, known as the “King of Country”, of the twentieth century to present. Strait was a vocalist blessed with good looks and a vibrant personality. He is one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. George was a 50s baby. He is also known for his neotraditionalist country style, cowboy look , and being one of the first and main country artists to bring country music back to its roots and away from the pop country era in the 1980s. George Strait has been a country music icon since the 1980s.
Scott Joplin was know as the kings of ragtime. I will explain also explain how he grew up and what type of music he played. I will also write about why I believe he deserves the title that he has been bestowed upon him.
He had exposure to several different genres growing up in his St. Louis, MO hometown. He heard country from the whites, rhythm & blues (R&B) from mostly blacks, even Latin music. His family environment set him up well for future success while growing up in a middle class home in the middle of the Great Depression of the 1930s. His parents sun...