By DIANE XAVIER
The Dallas Examiner
When it comes to music, African Americans have contributed a significant amount to each genre throughout history – especially blues and country music.
Blues music was created after the Civil War in the Southern part of the United States during the 1890’s and early 1900’s. It originated among Southern African American agricultural workers who toiled the fields.
The tone of blues has often been characterized as having a lonesome feeling, about the struggles of Black people and their feeling of abandonment and despair. However, it also has a tone of optimism, looking forward to the freedoms of the future by surviving the gruesome conditions during the Civil War.
Blues developed its roots from church music, minstrel-show music, work songs and field hollers, along with some folk music and music that was conducted by Whites as well.
W.C. Handy was known as The Father of Blues and transformed Black folk music into pop music and created the first blues hit called Memphis Blues in 1912. Two years later he became popular for his song, St. Luis Blues. In 1917, he wrote and composed the well-known Beale Street Blues performed by Louis Armstrong, and later by Nat King Cole, Eartha Kitt and Alberta Hunter.
As each region of the South developed its own blues style, Blind Lemon Jefferson was the most influential music artist on Texas-style blues – clearly pronounced vocals usually accompanied by the single-string picking of a guitar. Referred to as the Father of Texas Blues, he was the most famous blues singer of his time. In his early years, he lived in many cities throughout Texas, but later settled down in Dallas’ Deep Ellum area where he played with locally known artists, such as Huddie William “Lead Belly” Leadbetter and Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone Walker.”
Jefferson’s first record was a recording of gospel songs using the name Deacon L.J. Bates, in January 1926. In March, he recorded a second album, this time of blues songs using his own name. He recorded over 100 songs over the next three years.
Another blues artist that he worked with was Gertrude “Ma Rainey,” also known as the Mother of Blues. She was remembered for her powerful voice and lyrics, while combining moaning with singing. Her performances, a compilation of vaudeville and southern blues, were described as energetic and regal. She recorded songs with Louis Armstrong, Thomas Dorsey and Tampa Red.
She signed with Paramount in 1920 and recorded over 100 records in the next five years. Many of her songs referred to love affairs with men, however, there were some about lesbian and bisexual affairs as well.
In the 1950’s, B.B. “Blues Boy” King broadened the soul music audience. He and his guitar, Lucille, wrote and performed music that became popular throughout the country. He was most popular for Every Day I Have the Blues and The Thrill Is Gone. On Feb. 21, 2012, he and President Barack Obama sang Sweet Home Chicago during a White House performance. Becoming one of the most notable blues artists in history, his career concluded with a live performance in 2014.
King was also influential in the blues career of Robert Calvin Brooks, known later as Bobby Blue Bland. Bland began singing with a gospel group in 1947, but soon met the Beale Streeters, a blues group consisting of King, Johnny Ace, Junior Parker and Rosco Gordon. By 1951, he was discovered by Ike Turner and signed to Modern Records and recorded his first song. He later signed with MCA and then Malaco, releasing chart-topping hits like Cry Cry Cry, I Pity the Fool, Turn On Your Love Light and That’s the Way Love Is. Many of his songs have been featured used on movies and sampled by modern artists, such as Kanye West. He continued to tour and record music until 1995. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
In the 1920s, blues music was considered the most popular form of music in the Black community and remained popular until the 1960s when soul music took over.
Country music
Country music is another genre of music that African Americans helped develop. It originated in the South and along the mountainous regions but was heavily influenced by Blues music and West African musical traditions.
For example, the instrument of Banjo, which is a key component of country music. The banjo was invented in the early 17th century by Africans who brought it to the United States through the West Indies during slavery.
Country music was passed down from generation to generation from the men and women who were the children of slaves and sharecroppers and to their Black descendants.
In fact, Jimmie Rodgers, a White man known as the Father of Country Music, learned how to play the banjo and guitar from Black people who worked on the railroad with him.
DeFord Bailey, a Black country music and blues artist, was a trailblazer in the industry. As a child, when he had polio and was confined to his bed, he learned how to play the harmonica. Later, after he recovered, he continued to play, mastering his craft and composing music that mimicked the sounds of nature.
As an adult, he helped to push the spread of country music further into more states when he introduced the harmonica as an instrument in country music. In 1927, he became the first music artist to introduced into the Grand Ole Opry radio show and first to have his music recorded onto photographs in Nashville.
Bailey signed with RCA Victor in 1928. He was a regular performer on the Grand Ole Opry stage. He also performed on tours across the country, though he had difficulty finding a place to eat and sleep due to the Jim Crow laws that allowed White businesses to refuse service to Black citizens.
As more than 1 million Black men served during World War II during the 1940s and 1950s, country music expanded to other countries in Europe with great influence.
In the 1950s, the popularity of country music in the African American community began to fade with the emergence of soul and rock and roll. By the 1960s, its audience was primarily White and mostly southern.
In 1962, Black singer Ray Charles helped revive the genre for Black audiences with the release of his album, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.
However, it never regained its popularity in the community.
In the meantime, legend Charley Pride, a Black musician and country singer – who had developed a passion for country music as a youth – was determined to make his mark in the industry.
Pride learned how to play the guitar when he was 14 years old but had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. He began playing professionally in 1953. In 1960, the team manager noticed his talent for singing and began paying him to sing before each game.
His performances on the field transformed into a music career. He battled racism and critics who didn’t want to accept African Americans as country music artists, but he wouldn’t let it stop him. He signed with RCA Victor and recorded this first song, The Snakes Crawl at Night, in 1966. However, Just Between You and Me was his first hit song. Moreover, it was his 1971 hit, Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’, that made him famous. The song sold over 1 million records as a crossover record. That year, he won Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist by the Country Music Association.
Pride was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1993 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. His final performance was Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’ at the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 11, 2020, where he received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
His career spanned six decades, and he had nine No. 1 country hit albums along with four Grammy awards.
Since the 1980’s, Black country music artists have collaborated with other Black performing artists in other genres such as rap and pop music to blend their music.
Today, one of the most famous country and rap songs is ‘Old Town Road’ by Georgia native Lil Nas X. It reached top of the Billboard Charts recently and is a popular song played in many radio stations.
Another notable country artist is Darius Rucker, who got his start with Hootie and the Blowfish. Since starting his solo career in 2008, he has had four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country Music chart and 11 gold and platinum or multi-platinum hits. He has also been inducted as a Grand Ole Opry.
Local music artist making their mark in the country music world include Mickey Guyton from Arlington, Marcus Leary of Dallas and Imaj Thomas, who lives in the DFW area.
African Americans continue to dominate the music scene and performing in all genres, including blues and country.
Sources:
Encyclopedia.com, TheBoot.com, Texas Handbook Online, DariousRucker.com, Britanica.com, Roll Hall of Fame, Opry.com.