The History of Country Western Music

by Jason Reeher

Overview

Along with jazz and the blues, country western music is inherently American. Country western originated in the South and arose out of a social context that helped to detail the lives of ordinary people.
Origins

All Music Guide says country western music originated in the early 1900s as guitar and fiddle tunes that were a combination of blues and Appalachian folk music.

Geography

Country music eventually spread from the Appalachian South to "honky-tonk" bars, big cities such as Nashville, Tennessee, and westward toward California.
Early Stars

In Bristol, Tennessee, the early country music stars Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family recorded their first albums in 1927.
Popularity

In addition to Rodgers and the Carters, legends such as Hank Williams and Bill Monroe helped popularize country as radio spread in the 1940s. Johnny Cash simulated the sound of trains in his music to tap into the American ideal of moving westward.
Types

Country has branched into different forms. Western swing incorporated a big band sound, bluegrass emphasized fiddles, and "Outlaw Country" by artists such as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings incorporated rock and roll instrumentation and attitudes.
Legacy

Country western artists combined with blues artists helped create rock and roll. Country enjoyed a sales boom in the 1990s, with artists such as Garth Brooks and Faith Hill paving the way for renewed popularity today.

Overview