Created By,

Joe Wilson

African Americans in Country Music

DeFord Bailey

Charlie Pride

Darius Rucker

Cowboy Troy

Rissi Palmer

Few African Americans Have Succeeded as Country Stars

• Crippled with Polio at the age of three

• Music ran in his jeans. His family played “Black Hillbilly Music”

• DeFord was very much a part of the forming of the Grand Ole Opry and even inspiration for the change in name.

DeFord Bailey

• Became a regular on the Radio program WDAD.

• Dr. Humphrey Bate who had his own band liked DeFord so much he invited him to play with him on the new "Barn Dance" program.

• The announcer, Judge Hay, liked DeFord so much he asked him to perform regularly on the show.• Judge Hay nicknamed DeFord, “The Harmonica Wizard.”

• After DeFord played his locomotive piece , “Pan American Blues”, in closing the show one night Judge Hay stated "For the past hour, we have been listening to music largely from Grand Opera, but from now on, we will present "The Grand Ole Opry."

DeFord’s Purpose On the Show

DeFord was important to the show because it was made to bring in sales for life insurance and DeFord brought in not only white but colored fans also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nelyTqp_Do

History important in clip until 1:17

On His Own Throughout the Great Depression DeFord had to find new ways to

support his family. After a couple business ventures DeFord needed more money. DeFord decided to go on tour. There was one problem. Other than possibly the black community not many knew he was a

“colored man.”

Huge HitSurprisingly audiences all

over the South loved DeFord on tour.

Including white viewers. Socializing with white

fans and associates was restricted due to the (segregation) laws of the time.

But, they did not keep DeFord from musical equality with white artists.

Return to the Grand Ole Opry…

Throughout the 30’s there was a shift in the style of music coming into the show.

In the beginning of the 40’s the company was buckling down and increased professionalism.

Controversies with copyright laws led to a boycott.

Preceding the boycott musicians were expected to come up with new songs.

DeFord did not. He had songs he was loved for and had been asked to play for years. He did not want to abandon them.

In 1941 he was released from the show.

The End of an Inspiring SoulDeFord vowed to never work under anyone anymore and

opened up a successful shoe shining shop, popular with his white and colored fans.

DeFord Bailey was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005

Charley PrideA Brief History

• Charley pride was born in Sledge, Mississippi.

• One of eleven kids in a family of poor sharecroppers Charley Pride was destined for something different.

• Baseball! Pride started his career as a baseball player in the Negro American League, but would play guitar and sing on the bus in-between games.

With a voice like Charley Pride’s there is only one place to go in the country world. Nashville Tennessee. It is here Pride broke into the music industry after demoing with producer Jack Clement. Hot shot producer Chet Atkins of RCA liked what he heard and Pride landed his first single, “The Snakes Crawl at Night.” listening to the song you cannot tell an African American is singing.

During a time when African Americans were fighting for their equal rights how did Charley Pride, an African American become so famous?

Even with his first single out how did Charley become famous in the eyes of whites?

No one knew what he looked like! Fans did not know he was an African American until his first big live

shows. At one of Pride’s first major shows he great applause until the audience

realized he was black. Charley’s talented voice has prevailed and been applauded for many

years.

Charley Pride

• Top 20 selling Country singer of all time• 36 #1 hit singles,• 70+ million albums sold • 31 gold…4 platinum albums • 1 quadruple platinum. • Through RCA Charley is outdone in

sales only to Elvis Presley

Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker started his professional singing career in the band, he formed with a couple friends, “Hootie & The Blowfish.”

The band had much success including 16 million units sold, a diamond album in the US and Uk, and two Grammy awards.

Darius then began working on his solo career which took off in 2002.

“Don’t Think I Don’t Think About IT”

Rucker’s first great hit, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About IT,” hit #1 on October 4th,2008.

Rucker was the first African American to have a #1 hit since Charley Pride’s in 1983.

Like Pride, Darius was alone in the Country music industry.

Dig Deep for Those Roots and You’ll Find a Star

Many outside genre artists had tried making a transition to country music but none had done so like Darius Rucker had. Country revolves around the roots.

Darius came from a poverty stricken Southern musically inclined family, similar to many early country stars.

At many points in his early life Rucker’s family consisting of his 2 aunts, maternal grandma, and 13 other kids lived in a 3 bedroom apartment.

Strong Transition

• Darius Rucker opened the door to country music defying the norm in country music and succeeded where others similar to him have failed.

• Some may have doubted his ability to perform in this genre, but there is no doubt that he has proven them wrong.

Still Rising

These next two country stars have not reached the sort of fame Charley Pride or Darius Rucker have but maybe with their talent they may still yet bring in more African American artist and/or fan support.

Cowboy Troy did not grow up with straight country in his cup. Troy has been influenced by a little bit more. RapCountryRock ‘N Roll

“Cowboy Troy” Lee Coleman III

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUPK9z59yUc

Hick Hop

Cowboy Troy’s song, “I Play Chicken With the Train,” is symbolic for the change he is bringing to country. Troy is not afraid to go against the norm to spread his country spirit. To bring African Americans into the country music industry more artists need to grasp this concept. Troy is also bringing a style of music new generations of country lovers are wanting.

Rissi Palmer may be the least known African American Country artist in this group but again she is a country artist who is fighting the norm. Rissi’s situation is a little bit different than the others considering she is not only African American, but also a woman.

Rissi Palmer

“No Air”

Another symbolic song that could be emphasizing struggle trying to make it as an African American, female country artist.

The rise of African American Country musicians has been there from the beginning, starting from the influence of African/African American slave singing.

At one point there was a break in genres to the blues for African Americans and country for whites.

Country is predominantly white performed, but that possibly is changing.

Where is the African American support for country music?

It seems that more and more young African Americans today enjoy rap, hip hop, and pop music.

Reasons causing this?the lifestyles they are raised inIncreasing demand in sexual driven imageDemand in dancing musicAfrican American musicians dominate those

other genres giving young African Americans role models they look up to.

African American Fans

Upon further research I found the leader in hit singles is George Strait with 57 hit singles. Charley Pride was just over 20 off.

Readily available music is a lot easier to come by today then it was back in Pride’s time.

For his time Pride accomplished what most people could not even dream of and those few African American country artists today would find life as a country artist much harder if it was not for him.

Impact

Yes the country music industry is dominated by white Americans but, that does not mean the African American country artists are not as talented or popular. There are not enough African American country artists to spread out styles. Cowboy Troy has the right idea in forming his own style that appeals to rising fans. If an artist wants to survive in the music industry he/she must play what the fans want to hear. African American artists are welcome in the country genre, in todays society. Skin color is not holding them back like it has in the past. What is holding them back is the amount of African Americans flowing in as artists and fans.

In conclusion

Can You Find Them

CMT “Charlie Pride Biography” 21 July,2011.Web http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/pride_charley/bio.jhtm Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “Charley Pride”. Web.21 July,2011 http://coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/history/players/pridec . Charley Pride. “About” Web.21 July,2011 http://www.charleypride.com/about/ DeFord Bailey: A Legend Lost.“Growing up in Smith County”.Web. July 21,2011 http://www.pbs.org/deford/biography/early.html Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.”DeFord Bailey”.Web. July 21,2011 http://countrymusichalloffame.org/full-list-of-inductees/view/deford-bailey AGLA.“History of American General Life and Accident Insurance Company”.Web. July 21,2011 http://www.americangeneral.com/lifeinternet2000/careerweb.nsf/contents/aboutus_his

tory Bio:True Story.“Darius Rucker Biography”.Web. July 21,2011 http://www.biography.com/articles/Darius-Rucker-224910   About:Country Music. “Darius Rucker - Biography”Web. July 21,2011 http://countrymusic.about.com/od/maleartistsmz/a/DariusRuckerBiography2.htm CMT:Get Country.” Cowboy Troy - Artist Main”Web. July 21,2011 http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/cowboy_troy/artist.jhtml Rissi Palmer. “Bio”Web. July 21,2011 http://www.rissipalmer.com/  

Bibliography