Country music originated in the American South and has evolved through time into various subgenres ranging from honky-tonk’s combination of fiddle-steel guitar and harmonica to bluegrass with its use of acoustic string instruments and vocal harmony; its diversity is truly breathtaking.
George Strait is one of the kings of country music, having amassed over 60 chart-topping singles to his credit and holding numerous CMA and ACM awards.
Bart Crow Band
Bart Crow and his band recently visited Charlotte for an exciting Saturday night show, drawing crowds to their feet with songs from his current album Finally, The Parade as well as his many established favorites.
The new release showcases Crow’s rockin’ title track Heartworn Tragedy, pulsing with energy as his vocals sound better than ever. Additionally, Broken and Run With The Devil can also be found here.
Mark Schaberg, operating partner for Brewster Street Ice House in Corpus Christi was intrigued when Crow told him of her plans to record her CD live at her venue and was thrilled by what transpired; witnessing Crow’s band perform these tunes is truly testament to their talent and professionalism.
Brett Eldredge
In the 1930s and 40s, country music spread via Hollywood films that romanticized Wild West lifestyle and cowboy culture. Over time, subgenres emerged within this genre.
Bluegrass — Originating with Bill Monroe and his band the Blue Grass Boys, this energetic style emphasizes syncopated rhythms and instrumental virtuosity. Fiddles and acoustic guitars are commonly featured alongside high harmonies and fast-plucked banjos to form this genre of music.
Dolly — With her Greek origins and signature country songs like “9 to 5” and “Jolene”, Dolly Parton has become one of the greatest singers ever. Additionally, Miley Cyrus has become a respected performer.
Billy Currington
Billy Currington has built his career around feel-good summertime anthems and emotive ballads. His breakthrough single was “Walk A Little Straighter,” detailing his difficult relationship with his hard-drinking stepfather.
This song’s distinctive mix of staggered rhythm guitars and effortless vocal delivery set it apart from similar themes on country radio, and solidified Currington as an outstanding songwriter.
Doin’ Somethin’ Right was another success for Currington, yielding top 10 hits such as “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” and “Good Directions,” while Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones’ co-penned single, “People Are Crazy”, became his third No. 1.
Cody Johnson
Cody Johnson is an East Texas native who hails from a small town called Sebastopol, where his siblings hunted and fished while home schooled him. Cody uses music to connect with his fans. His fans know him for his powerful, emotive performances that speak directly to their feelings about life in Texas and life on stage.
Western songs became immensely popular after Hollywood film stars romanticized cowboys such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers romanticized them on screen. Later, horn-driven big band music from New Orleans combined with country to form Texas Swing music subgenre.
Dolly Parton is an iconic country artist best known for her hits “9 to 5” and “Jolene”. In addition, she is an award-winning actress, philanthropist and mother to Miley Cyrus – other well-known country musicians include Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley and Maddie & Tae.
Creager
Creager hails from Corpus Christi, Texas and strongly believes in setting goals for himself – dedicating much passion, hard work and enthusiasm into his music career. Additionally, he monitors these goals regularly in order to adjust them if necessary.
Creager has become known for his hit song, “Having Fun All Wrong,” with its country rock sound. This song tells the tale of someone living their life recklessly before realizing they must make some changes.
Kreger is another variation of Kregor that often refers to those of German descent. Scribes and church officials during the Middle Ages used pronunciaton rather than spelling when recording names, leading them down an unpredictable path that resulted in variations such as these emerging over time and changing meaning over time. These examples demonstrate how one name can morph over time to reveal its own hidden message.
Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker is one of the most accomplished musicians to ever break into country music. A native of South Carolina, he released his debut album Cracked Rear View in 1994 and it quickly become one of the top selling albums ever. Grammy and CMA award wins followed quickly thereafter and with his warm vocals and catchy hooks transcending genre, breaking barriers that weren’t open to African American artists at that time.
Rucker is known for creating music that captures both anguish and happiness in its lyricism, whether singing about motherhood or heartache from past love affairs. An alumnus of University of South Carolina and dedicated humanitarian, Rucker works tirelessly to improve conditions for families in need. On his critically-acclaimed 2008 debut LP Learn to Live (cowritten with several collaborators), Learn to Live was met with wide critical acclaim; since then he’s gone on to release three more albums.
Lyle Lovett
Country music has an extensive legacy of talented artists. Some renowned figures in this field include:
Lyle Lovett first rose to fame with the release of “Pontiac”, and has gone on to broadening the definition of country music with his career, blending elements from jazz, swing, folk, gospel and blues alongside his distinctive Texas flair.
The Dixie Chicks have made themselves into household names thanks to award-winning songs like “Wide Open Spaces”. Carrie Underwood rose to stardom thanks to her success on American Idol and subsequent hit singles; Kelly Clarkson is best known as a pop artist, yet her country influences are evident with hits like “Achy Breaky Heart” by Carrie Underwood; while Jack Ingram became well-known thanks to his hit “Barefoot and Crazy”. Ingram also possesses excellent guitar playing skills!
Merle Haggard
Haggard reigned over Bakersfield Sound and Outlaw Country music with 38 number one hits during his career, breaking rules both inside and out of the studio to find solace in country music. Although imprisoned several times, his talents allowed him to write songs that told his life story; 1968 hit “Guilt” depicts feelings of guilt about inflicting pain upon his mother while featuring Roy Nichols on electric guitar – it embraces California honky-tonk style as part of Haggard’s Bakersfield Sound influence!
Haggard was the son of an adventurous fiddler and religious woman, leading a varied and eventful life from Oildale oilfields to San Quentin prison. Haggard served as a voice for working men everywhere while inspiring many artists during his lifetime and beyond.
Owen
Chris and other contestants greet Owen enthusiastically upon his arrival to Camp Wawanakwa. Owen, known for his clumsiness and excess eating habits, sometimes struggles with challenges like Dodgebrawl. Additionally, his fatigue becomes problematic during morning runs leading up to Awake-A-Thon day and falls asleep oftentimes during Awake-A-Thon day.
Owen is loyally following Chris’ orders during Crouching Courtney, Hidden Owen and Rock n’ Rule as part of Chris’ producers triad. In one challenge he is supposed to sabotage either Duncan and Beth or Courtney and Harold but instead helps both teams. Owen revealed to Geoff that he holds no grudges against Courtney for eliminating him; later helping Heather, Leshawna and DJ during Dairy Queen jingle challenge.
Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire stands as an icon among vocalists of any genre, thanks to her chart-topping music and long-running television sitcom Reba. Few vocalists can match Reba in terms of name recognition alone.
McEntire showcased her incredible rise from poverty to celebrity on this catchy Western swing track, leading her way toward being named Entertainer of the Year by CMA in 1986. Following this feat she released an album which showcased a smoother sound while maintaining traditional country genres.
McEntire and Kenny Chesney join forces on this emotionally-charged duet that showcases her gentler side, showing them off to great effect as an emotionally expressive singer known for connecting with her audiences on an individual basis. It tells an emotionally raw tale of cheating and divorce which many can identify with. This hit was McEntire’s 25th no.1 hit as a female country artist tying Dolly Parton for most No.1s ever by female artists.