Librarian in Training
Molly Eadie
Resources
- Black OpryBlack Opry is home for Black artists, fans and industry professionals working in country, Americana, blues, and folk music. Find playlists and information on up-and-coming artists here.
- Color Me Country PodcastOn her radio show Color Me Country, singer-songwriter Rissi Palmer brings to the forefront the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx histories of country music that for too long have lived outside the spotlight and off mainstream airwaves. This is a great resource for finding more artists beyond those listed on this guide.
Introduction
Country music is often regarded as a "white" music genre. This view ignores its roots in the blues and contributions over the genre's entire history from Black artists. In recent years, artists like Lil Nas X, Mickey Guyton, and now Beyonce, with the release of her country-inspired album "Cowboy Carter," has reignited conversations around race in country music. Not only have Black country musicians existed since the genre's inception, but Black artists well-known for their work in other genres have often made contributes to country music. This guide compiles works that explore race in country music, while highlighting just a few Black country music artists from the first days of the Grand Ole Opry to up-and-coming stars.
To find information on more Black country musicians, please see the "Resources" box to the left.
Origins: The Blues
- Overview: The BluesAn overview of the genre of "the blues," from its African American folk roots through its evolution throughout the 20th century. The blues is "widely regarded as the foundation for nearly all later American popular forms." Sections 4 and 5 specifically discuss the connections between the blues and the genre later known as country music.
General Works
The following resources offer general overviews on race in country music.
Hidden in the Mix by ISBN: 9780822394976Publication Date: 2013-07-10A collection of essays considering how country music became "white," how that fictive racialization has been maintained, and how African American artists and fans have used country music to elaborate their own identities.
The Honky Tonk on the Left by ISBN: 1625343388Publication Date: 2018-05-25Relevant chapters include:
"Leave Country Music to white folk"?: Narratives from contemporary African-American country artists on race and music.
"I'm the Other One": O.B. McClinton and the Racial Politics of Country Music in the 1970s.
Black Country Music by Call Number: ML3524 .R697 2022ISBN: 9781477326503Publication Date: 2022""What happens when we look at US country music through a black feminist and queer eye?" Francesca Royster suggests it reveals a group of mostly invisible fans and performers in a "white" musical genre, some of whom are intervening in that space in ways that are creative, risky and inherently "soulful." While loving country music can be an exercise in shaming and rejection for these fans, the music is also a space of creativity, resistance, and power. Royster contends that the pleasures country music offers some Black listeners can be connected to Eve Sedgwick's idea of queerness as "the open mesh of possibilities" within any group that "doesn't signify monolithically." That makes for a useful lens for exploring the ways that country music changes people as they listen, perform and consume, both as individuals and in community.
Artists
Born: 1899 Died: 1982 | Years active: 1920-1941
- DeFord BaileyA brief, succinct biography of DeFord Bailey from Oxford Music Online/Grove Music Online.
- DeFord Bailey in Country Music's Multiracial CanonThis in-depth article discusses the life and career of harmonica player DeFord Bailey, but focuses on his legacy in country music and the ways his story has been obscured and used to support various and sometimes conflicting narratives of American country music. After the WSM Barn Dance radio program was renamed the Grand Ole Opry, Bailey was the first to perform under the new moniker. After his death, discussions over whether or not Bailey should be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame ensued. These conversations reveal the complicated history of race in country music and how the careers of Black country musicians have been used to defend country music institutions from accusations of racism.
Born: 1930 Died: 2004 | Years active: 1947-2004
- Ray Charles reflects on his country music rootsThis is a transcript of a 1998 episode of NPR's Fresh Air hosted by Terry Gross, who interviews Ray Charles about his groundbreaking 1962 album "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music." Charles talks about his love for country music as a child, his time spent playing in a country band, and his selection of songs covered on the album.
Born: 1929 Died: 1997 | Years active: 1970- 1992
- "Mississippi You're on My Mind": Stoney Edwards and the Complex Interplay of Race and Region in 1970s Country MusicAfter Black Grand Ole Opry pioneer DeFord Bailey was fired from the show in 1941, it was Charley Pride's groundbreaking achievements that, starting in the late 1960s, brought the idea of a Black country artist into public consciousness. It was only with the arrival of Stoney Edwards and O.B. McClinton--in 1970 and 1971, respectively, four to five years after Pride's first chart hit--that other Black artists were able to establish long-term careers. Whereas McClinton opted for a comparatively playful but self-reflective approach, this essay will show that Edwards's work had a decidedly traditional bent.
Won Grammy Award in 1975 for Bet Country Vocal Performance.
- Fairytale: The Pointer Sisters, the Great Migration, and the soul of countryThis article discusses The Pointer Sisters, known for hits like "I'm So Excited" and "Automatic," and their ability to travel through genres like funk, jazz, rock and disco. The sisters also won a Grammy for "Fairytale," a country song written by Anita and Bonnie Pointer, which they performed at the Grand Ole Opry. The article explores their early life and upbringing and their relationship to country music.
Born: 1941 | Years active: 1962-2011; 2024
- Linda Martell, country's lost pioneerDavid Browne profiles Linda Martell, the first Black female solo artist the play the Grand Ole Opry. After her 1969 record "Color Me Country," Martell's career was short-lived as she faced racism in the industry and from audiences. Browne interviews Martell, 79, as she looks back on her trail-blazing career.
- Linda Martell on Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter': What she is doing is beautifulThis article discusses Linda Martell's involvement on Beyonce's 2024 album 'Cowboy Carter.'
Born: 1934 Died: 2020 | Years active: 1952-2020
- Voices of the Country: Interviews with classic country performers.An interview with Charley Pride about his career and experiences in country music.
- Rediscovering Charley PrideThis article discusses the life and legendary career of Charley Pride, who became a country music superstar in the 1960s. Nadira interviews Pride, the first Black artist to perform at the Grand Ole Opry following the departure of DeFord Bailey in 1941. Pride was known for his legendary voice and traditionalist style.
Born: 1939 Died: 2023 | Years active:1956-2009
- Uneasy Listening: Tina Turner's Queer FrequenciesIn this chapter of "Black Country Music," the author reflects on Tina Turner's first solo album, "Tina Turns the country on," including her own personal experiences with the album.
Born: 1970 | Years active: 1999-present
- Playing chicken with the train: Cowboy Troy's Hick-Hop and the transracial country westGussow analyzes the lyrics of the song and responses from country, rap and hip-hop artists. Further, the article examines the relationship between contemporary country music and hip-hop.
Born: 1981 | Years active: 2007-present
- Epiloge of "Whose Country Music?"Rissi Palmer, who charted three singles on country charts in 2007, discusses disparities in the country music industry and proposes ideas for how to bridge and fill the gaps.
- Color Me Country Radio with Rissi PalmberPalmer's radio show featuring BIPOC country music artists.
Born: 1966 | Years active:1986
- LOVE YOU, MY BROTHER: Darius Rucker's Bro-IntimacyRoyster interprets Rucker's career through the lens of "bro" culture in this chapter of her book, Black Country Music. Royster observes that Rucker uses the "codes" of bro culture to travel through white spaces of country music. She also discusses the impact of Charley Pride of Rucker and his career.
Born: 1977 | Years active: 2005-present
- Rhiannon Giddens' 21st-century sound has a long historyThis Smithsonian article profiles Rhiannon Giddens, a Pulitzer prize-winning musician. Giddens, a banjo player, has promoted education around the banjo's origin as an African instrument. Her work explores all types of folk music, including African American folk music.
Born: 1983 | Years active: 2011-present
- Conclusion: Black Country Music Afrofuturisms: Mickey Guyton, Rissi Palmer and DeLila BlackIn the conclusion to her book "Black Country Music," Royster looks to the future. Guyton is only one of several contemporary artist included in this chapter. Royster discusses Guyton's song "Black Like Me," which she released amid racial tension and protests after the death of George Floyd.
Born:1981 | Years active: 1990-present
- Pitchfork Review: Beyonce's Cowboy CarterPitchfork's review of "Cowboy Carter."
- On "Cowboy Carter," Beyonce isn't going country. She's reinventing American music in her own image.Rolling Stone article about "Cowboy Carter," with context about Beyonce's background and relationship to country music.