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.
Louis Armstrong, “known to be the greatest influence in 1920’s and the first vital jazz soloist to attain worldwide influence as a trumpeter,” led a musical revolution. He was a strong force in spreading the influence of jazz throughout his life. He was highly respected and looked up to in his time. Louis was an idol for many African- Americans because he gave them the hope that they can be prominent people in their society and that segregation did not have to exist in music.
Just shows after the 40 years he can still go strong being him, even if times got hard.
One artist that was extremely influential in the time of crisis was Bob Dylan. He was born on May 24, 1941 as Robert Allen Zimmerman. When he began to perform in college, he adopted the stage name that he is known for today, Bob Dylan. He got his last name from the poet Dylan Thomas, who was one of his major motivations along with Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. He wrote songs about real occurrences like his song, “Hurricane” which was about the renowned African American boxer Rubin Carter, who was wrongly accused of murder even though he was all the way across town at the time the murder took place. Throughout his musical career, he was awarded an abundance of awards for his lyrics and song writing that inspired and moved many struggling people all across the troubled country.
Country music is the most distinctive cultural product of the American south “which has long been the area of America most supportive of political reaction” With roots in the farms and hills of the hard-working southerners, the music that came from there evolved over time from simply “hillbilly” style into its own unique sound. During the Second World War the music often reminded soldiers of a simpler time and place, and gave them a sense of patriotism as many artists such as Bob Wills wrote songs that glorified America. In the 1950’s country was not all that popular as many considered it “The music of the southern redneck and thus elicited images of pickups with shotguns stacked in the back of the cabs, shotguns waiting to be used to terrorize or kill civil rights marchers or those who sympathized with them.”
Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas the fourth child of five children he was born on February 26,1932. He took after his father because he was in World War One. Johnny Cash went in the army around the post World War Two. His family worked in a cotton mill around The Great Depression. A new way of cotton farming in Mississippi came around in nineteen thirty seven. A flood came around the same time so they had to move temporarily. He died on September 12,2003, he was a complex man he was unforgettable with his bass-baritone voice. Cash was a religious man. In nineteen fifty Johnny Cash graduated high school. After high school he went to work in a auto plant in Michigan. He bought his first
"Numerous singers, guitarists and pianists have achieved popularity since the first decade of rock'n roll, but only one has become immortal: Elvis Presley." (Bangs 1)
“Buddy was the first person to have faith in my music. He encouraged me in my music and my writing. He was my friend. If anything I’ve ever done is remembered, part of it is because of Buddy Holly.”
The transition from an ordered system in Jack’s life and mind get roughly torn apart by his jarring realization of his probable impending doom. This fear of death slowly becomes a defining factor in Jack’s persona, even being amplified by his hardest attempts to subdue his fear.
Books, music, film, entertainment, they all take us away from reality, that is if they do a well enough job. Al Jolson was a man in the entertainment business who well exceeded just a fine job, he is to jazz and blues as Elvis is to Rock N’ Roll. From street corners, to circuses, to center stage under the spot light, Al Jolson became a name everyone knew and remembered.
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...
Johnny cash, the man in black is a country legend, him and the Tennessee two, made a name for themselves in the mid 50's. There orignal songs where gospil, but when trying to get a record deal was turned down for the gospil ,but then played a song Johnny cash wrote. The first hit was "Cry,Cry,Cry", other hits were " i walk the line","folsom Prison blues" , and others such as " man in black"" Hey Porter", and " get rhythm". Johnny cash marride his early wife Vivian Liberto in 1954, and moved to Memphis, Tennessee.His band The Tennessee two consited of Luther Perkins and bass player Marshall Grant. They were known for there sound, people say they had a "boom-chik-a-Boom" sound like a train. Johnny wore dark clothing which got him the name "man in black", and hestarted his performanced with the simple entrance "Hello im Johnny Cash". {wikipedia}
Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” In the 1950’s the South was heavily racially segregated. Elvis Presley unintentionally put himself in the position to become a valuable instrument in the battle against segregation. “Without casting himself as a fighter for racial equality, Elvis became a subversive standard bearer for cultural desegregation at a time when the codified racism of the South was under increasing pressure.” How did an uneducated white hillbilly from the south influence both black and white teenagers against segregation? It was quite simple, for Elvis Presley had a unique talent of combining traditional black music; such as the blues and jazz, with the traditional white music; like country and white gospel. This unique style of blending different types of music, gave Elvis the edge on the musical racial barriers America was facing; and open the path for both sides to enjoy the music together and therefore desegregated.
“Hurt” a song originally recorded by Nine Inch Nails which portrays self-harm and heroin addiction has been covered by many great artists including Johnny cash. When Johnny cash covered this song I got a deferent message from the lyrics while he sings it, maybe it is because of his voice or how he lived his life, but when he is singing this song I get a sense that he is singing about a loved one that has passed on, growing older, and his legacy.