Mainstream Country

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Country music and gospel have always been close partners, since many gospel acts come from the American South, and Nashville, the home of country music, lies in the heart of the Bible Belt. Numerous influences abound within the Church, stretching from traditional shape-note singing that goes back several hundred years, to today’s contemporary and Christian music. Primitive and Southern Baptists, and Evangelical Methodists all have a long and fine heritage ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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Major changes occurred in country music during the 1970s and 1980s, and country icons came and went as the music escaped from the stereotypical image of the 1960s, when it had been gingham dresses for the ladies and rhinestone suits for the men. Now country music had a new face: Dolly Parton’s extravagant dress sense and the shaggy-haired Outlaw acts, coupled with Loretta Lynn, whose songs spoke of everyday life, ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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Alabama, who appropriately came from Fort Payne, in Alabama, emerged into the spotlight in 1980, when ‘Tennessee River’ topped the Billboard country charts. Three group members – Randy Owen (guitar, lead vocals, b. 1949), Teddy Gentry (bass, vocals, b. 1952) and Jeff Cook (keyboards, fiddle, vocals, b. 1949) – were cousins. Country music was going through one of its regular transitional periods, trying to escape from the ‘Urban Cowboy’ era, ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, b. 1945) Arguably one of Canada’s finest vocal exports, over 25 of Murray’s 50-plus country hits between 1970 and 1991 crossed over to the pop chart. Ten country No. 1s in that period curiously did not include her two million-selling pop chart-toppers – ‘Snowbird’ (1970) and ‘You Needed Me’ (1978). Apart from these, Murray delivered 1980’s ‘Could I Have This Dance’ (from the film Urban Cowboy) and covers of hits ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, bass, steel guitar, banjo, saxophone, b. 1948) Born in Texas and raised in California, Mandrell is an all-round instrumentalist. Starting in The Mandrell Family Band, she was playing steel guitar in Las Vegas nightspots by the time she was 16 – by which time she had also appeared regularly on the Johnny Cash and Red Foley television shows. Moving to Nashville in 1971, she signed to ABC/Dot, making the US ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, fiddle, b. 1939) During the 1960s’ folk movement in the UK, Brian Golbey and banjo player Pete Stanley became leading international exponents of traditional music. Visiting the USA in 1970, Golbey was invited to appear on Nashville’s Midnight Jamboree by host Ernest Tubb (who strongly encouraged young, aspiring talents) as well as on WWVA’s famed Wheeling Jamboree in West Virginia. Back in England, he toured with Americans Patsy Montana and ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, piano, 1932–95) Arkansas-born Rich won his greatest success as a country crossover act in the first half of the 1970s, topping both US country and pop charts with 1973’s million-selling ‘The Most Beautiful Girl’. This was actually his second million-seller that year – ‘Behind Closed Doors’ had reached the US pop Top 20, and was CMA Single Of The Year. Both singles were also UK Top 20 hits. Rich, who ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, 1933–93) Born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, Twitty took his stage name from Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas. His first success was as a rock‘n’roller, topping the pop chart in 1958 with ‘It’s Only Make Believe’, and scoring a second gold single with ‘Lonely Blue Boy’ in 1960. His powerful vocals and sometimes risqué songs made him one of country music’s greatest hitmakers – with 40 chart-toppers, including five 1970s duets with ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, b. 1951) Loretta Lynn’s younger sister was born Brenda Gail Webb, and her professional career began as part of her older sister’s show. After minor success on Decca, she signed with United Artists in 1974, which resulted in an almost-immediate change of fortunes. The lilting Top 10 hit, ‘Wrong Road Again’ (1975), opened the floodgates, and big, soulful ballads brought her 18 country No. 1s throughout the 1970s and 1980s. ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on 19 January 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee. Immediately after graduation in the summer of 1964, she travelled from the Blue Ridge Mountains to Nashville, taking with her dreams of country stardom and little else. Ever since, she has thrilled audiences worldwide. An entertainer extraordinaire, Dolly has also become an icon of country-style glamour and is adored by the public. Early Success Dolly was one of 12 ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, guitar, b. 1939) Texas-born Williams worked in 1964 with folk trio The Pozo-Seco Singers. Encouraged by producer Cowboy Jack Clement, his solo career began in 1971, and resulted in gentle hits like ‘Amanda’ (1973), ‘You’re My Best Friend’ (1976) and ‘Tulsa Time’ (1978). He enjoyed immense popularity in the UK, where he had success with ‘I Recall A Gypsy Woman’ (1976) and a number of gold albums. In 1983, he ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, songwriter, b. 1949) Born Yvonne Vaughan in North Carolina, Fargo was a schoolteacher and weekend vocalist. When she and her producer husband, Stan Silver, visited Nashville around 1970, she signed with Dot Records, making a dream start when two of her own songs, ‘The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A.’ and ‘Funny Face’, became million-selling US country chart-toppers. Both crossed into the US pop Top 20 in 1972. After three ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1962) Brooks was pivotal in bringing country music into the mainstream. His warm honky-tonk style and trademark cowboy hat ensured his early material found an audience. The aptly titled No Fences (1990) and Ropin’ The Wind (1991) crossed into the pop charts on the strength of the material and Brooks’ canny employment of theatrical rock devices on his arena tours. By the bizarre concept album In The Life Of ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, piano, guitar, 1945–2003) Kentucky-born Stewart first recorded in 1964, and was a member of rock band The Amps. He co-wrote Stonewall Jackson’s 1965 country hit, ‘Poor Red Georgia Dirt’, and several for Billy Walker and others before signing to RCA in 1973. His first country hit was a cover of The Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Ramblin’ Man’ (1973), and he enjoyed chart success until 1989. His rough-edged vocals perfectly fit his ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
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(Vocals, guitar, b. 1936) Glen Campbell’s route to fame took him first to America’s West Coast, where he grew to be much in demand as a session musician, earning $50,000 to $70,000 a year. Signing to Capitol in 1962, he became a temporary member of The Beach Boys three years later, and ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ (1967) started his solo career in earnest. Between 1969 and 1977, he ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen
162 Words Read More
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