Country music is not a genre which is usually associated with the Black community in the United States of America. To think that there are no African American country singers who have enjoyed success would be mistaken, though. Over the years, there have been a few shining examples of Black artists making a success of this type of music; this article will take a look at three of them.
The name of Charley Pride continues to resonate through country music to this day, with the singer's peak period in the 1970s seeing him become RCA's best selling artist since the great Elvis Presley. Pride, a former professional baseball player, was only the second African American artist to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He is still highly regarded by music fans across the world, too.
Pride did not necessarily set out to be a musician, with sport, namely baseball, being his early passion in life. His career as a professional player was stalled, at least in part, by injury, though, so he began his musical career in the early 1960s, instead. His first recordings would be made at Sun Studios in Nashville, while the peak of his career, after signing for RCA, would come in the late 60s and early 1970s, when he would enjoy a massive run of hits.
Pride has now sold around 70 million records, and he continues to make public appearances, maintaining his strong connection with baseball, in particular the Texas Rangers team. Other sporting occasions he has graced include the Super Bowl of 2010, when he sang the Star Spangled Banner. Pride was not the first African American to be invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, however.
DeFord Bailey is probably not a name many country music fans are that familiar with these days, but he is an important figure in the genre. The grandson of slaves, Bailey was born in 1899, in a very poor part of Smith County, Tennessee. His professional career as a harmonica player would last from the early 1920s until 1941, when he would embark on a more mundane career as the owner of shoe shine shop.
Regarded as something of a 'lost legend' of the genre, Bailey had to battle against racial prejudice to get his music heard. Although not necessarily that well known these days, his contribution to the genre cannot be overstated. Thankfully, before his death in 1982, he had been remembered and his career celebrated and commemorated.
A more contemporary artist who has enjoyed huge commercial success in this genre is Darius Rucker. The former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish has moved on from the alternative rock of his earlier career, to become a star in country music. As well as his number one singles, Rucker enjoys a close friendship with golf professional Tiger Woods.
African American country singers have therefore contributed to the development of the genre in significant ways. While not that well-known generally, the there artists here have all enjoyed considerable success at times in their careers. Their music will continue to resonate through the ages.
The name of Charley Pride continues to resonate through country music to this day, with the singer's peak period in the 1970s seeing him become RCA's best selling artist since the great Elvis Presley. Pride, a former professional baseball player, was only the second African American artist to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He is still highly regarded by music fans across the world, too.
Pride did not necessarily set out to be a musician, with sport, namely baseball, being his early passion in life. His career as a professional player was stalled, at least in part, by injury, though, so he began his musical career in the early 1960s, instead. His first recordings would be made at Sun Studios in Nashville, while the peak of his career, after signing for RCA, would come in the late 60s and early 1970s, when he would enjoy a massive run of hits.
Pride has now sold around 70 million records, and he continues to make public appearances, maintaining his strong connection with baseball, in particular the Texas Rangers team. Other sporting occasions he has graced include the Super Bowl of 2010, when he sang the Star Spangled Banner. Pride was not the first African American to be invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, however.
DeFord Bailey is probably not a name many country music fans are that familiar with these days, but he is an important figure in the genre. The grandson of slaves, Bailey was born in 1899, in a very poor part of Smith County, Tennessee. His professional career as a harmonica player would last from the early 1920s until 1941, when he would embark on a more mundane career as the owner of shoe shine shop.
Regarded as something of a 'lost legend' of the genre, Bailey had to battle against racial prejudice to get his music heard. Although not necessarily that well known these days, his contribution to the genre cannot be overstated. Thankfully, before his death in 1982, he had been remembered and his career celebrated and commemorated.
A more contemporary artist who has enjoyed huge commercial success in this genre is Darius Rucker. The former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish has moved on from the alternative rock of his earlier career, to become a star in country music. As well as his number one singles, Rucker enjoys a close friendship with golf professional Tiger Woods.
African American country singers have therefore contributed to the development of the genre in significant ways. While not that well-known generally, the there artists here have all enjoyed considerable success at times in their careers. Their music will continue to resonate through the ages.
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