While many people may feel that country music is not a genre which is particularly enjoyed by the Black community in the United States, there have been some notable musicians have attained fame in this genre. African American country singers may not be very common, but there are some who have made an impact. This article will examine the careers of three Black musicians who have sold plenty of records making country music.
Charley Pride is probably the name that springs to the minds of many music fans when thy are asked to think of Black country stars. This rich-voiced singer became a major star in the 1970s, when the number of records he sold made him the RCA label's best selling singer since Elvis Presley. He was only the second Black artist to be inducted into the famous Grand Ole Opry, a true mark of being a star in this genre.
Pride had begun his working life as a baseball player, but an injury contributed to a decline in his abilities in this area, and he became a musician instead in the early 1960s. His first recordings were undertaken at the famous Sun Studios in Nashville, and he signed for the RCA label in 1965. The late 1960s and early 70s would see Pride attain national fame in the United States, with a run of big charting hits, including 'Just Between You and Me'.
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.
Many fans of this genre of music do perhaps know the name DeFord Bailey, but he was the first Black man to make into the Grand Ole Opry. Bailey was born in Tennessee in 1899, into a poor family, and was the grandson of slaves. Known primarily as a musician who specialized in the harmonic or blues harp, his career would last from the 1920s until 1941, when he swapped careers, and ran a shoe shine business.
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.
Darius Rucker has enjoyed a string of number one hits during his solo career, which followed on from his time as the vocalist in alternative rock outfit Hootie and the Blowfish. He moved away from the folk influenced style of Hootie, to an outright country sound recently, and has enjoyed huge success as a result.
These three African American country singers are musicians who have forged a path in a type of music which is not often associated with their community. All have played a part in making the music what it is today. It is to be hoped that their songs and stories will continue to be remembered.
Charley Pride is probably the name that springs to the minds of many music fans when thy are asked to think of Black country stars. This rich-voiced singer became a major star in the 1970s, when the number of records he sold made him the RCA label's best selling singer since Elvis Presley. He was only the second Black artist to be inducted into the famous Grand Ole Opry, a true mark of being a star in this genre.
Pride had begun his working life as a baseball player, but an injury contributed to a decline in his abilities in this area, and he became a musician instead in the early 1960s. His first recordings were undertaken at the famous Sun Studios in Nashville, and he signed for the RCA label in 1965. The late 1960s and early 70s would see Pride attain national fame in the United States, with a run of big charting hits, including 'Just Between You and Me'.
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.
Many fans of this genre of music do perhaps know the name DeFord Bailey, but he was the first Black man to make into the Grand Ole Opry. Bailey was born in Tennessee in 1899, into a poor family, and was the grandson of slaves. Known primarily as a musician who specialized in the harmonic or blues harp, his career would last from the 1920s until 1941, when he swapped careers, and ran a shoe shine business.
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.
Darius Rucker has enjoyed a string of number one hits during his solo career, which followed on from his time as the vocalist in alternative rock outfit Hootie and the Blowfish. He moved away from the folk influenced style of Hootie, to an outright country sound recently, and has enjoyed huge success as a result.
These three African American country singers are musicians who have forged a path in a type of music which is not often associated with their community. All have played a part in making the music what it is today. It is to be hoped that their songs and stories will continue to be remembered.
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