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Learn to play the Guitar TODAY!
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Tuesday 31 May 2011

Country Legends: Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn (born Loretta Webb; April 14, 1932) became known as "The First Lady of Country Music" and one of the most successful country vocalists of all time.
Loretta Lynn

She became a part of the country music scene in Nashville in the 1960s, and by 1967 charted her first of 16 number 1 hits, including "Don't Come Home A' Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)", "You Ain't Woman Enough", "Fist City", and "Coal Miner's Daughter".

By the end of 1962, it was clear that Loretta Lynn was on her way to becoming a major country star. Although Kitty Wells had become the first major female country vocalist during the 1950s, by the time Lynn recorded her first record, only three other women - Patsy Cline, Skeeter Davis, and Jean Shepard - had become top stars. Lynn credits Patsy Cline as her mentor and best friend during those early years, and would follow her as the most popular country vocalist of the early 1960s and 1970s.

Beginning with 1966's Number 2 hit, "You Ain't Woman Enough", Lynn began writing songs with a feminist viewpoint, which was unheard of in country music at the time. Her album, “Don't Come Home A-Drinkin” went to number one and became one of the first albums by a female country artist to reach sales of 500,000 copies.

As a songwriter, Loretta Lynn addressed issues in the lives of many women which made her stand out among female country vocalists - she believed no topic was off limits as long as it spoke to other women. Loretta Lynn was enormously successful on country radio in the 60’s and 70’s, but when a more pop-flavoured type of country music began in the early 80’s her popularity declined.

Married at the tender age of 13 to Oliver Lynn (Doolittle “Doo” Lynn), they went on to have 4 children before she was 19, and a set of twins (Peggy and Patsy) in the early 60’s. To honour her friend she named Patsy after Patsy Cline, and in 1998 the twins went on to start their own country duo (The Lynns).  

Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999, Loretta Lynn was also the recipient of Kennedy Centre Honours in 2003. She is also ranked 65th on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


To listen to Loretta Lynn country music or any other of your favourite country stars, just search in the search box on the right or go to my website at www.countrysongscountrysingers.com  - what are you waiting for!

Monday 23 May 2011

Country Legends: The Carter Family

The Carter Family are often called the most influential group in country music history, and with good reason.
The Carter Family

Formed in the 1920’s and made up of AP Carter, his wife Sara and sister-in-law Maybelle, the Carter Family began recording folk/country music in 1927 and quickly became the first ‘country music stars’.

The style of music they used was to have a profound impact on bluegrass, country, gospel, pop and rock musicians, as well as the folk revival that took place in the1960’s.

In addition to the many songs they wrote, and just as important to the future influence they achieved, was Maybelle’s guitar playing. It was to become known as ‘Carter Picking’ or ‘Carter Scratch’ and she developed the method that has been used by most guitar players ever since.  

Although the original Carter Family group disbanded in 1936 after AP and Sara’s marriage dissolved, the name lived on through Maybelle. With her daughters Anita, June and Helen, and billed as "Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters”, they continued recording right into the 1970s.

The Carter Family’s recordings of such songs as "Wabash Cannonball", "Will the Circle Be Unbroken", "Wildwood Flower" and "Keep on the Sunny Side" made them country standards. Many of their songs were later covered by other artists with great success.

For example, on her early Vanguard albums, folk performer Joan Baez sang "Wildwood Flower", "Little Moses", "Engine 143", "Little Darling, Pal of Mine", and "Gospel Ship", and a young Bob Dylan took their ‘Wayworn Traveller’ song, wrote his own words to their melody, changed the time signature to ¾ and created ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’.

 Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970, The Carters were given the nickname "The First Family of Country Music". In 1988, they were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and received its Award for the song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken".

To search for The Carter Family music, or any of your favourite country stars, just enter their name in the search box to the right or go to my website at www.countrysongscountrysingers.com 

Saturday 14 May 2011

Country Legends: Jimmie Rodgers

Known as ‘The Father of Country Music’, Jimmie Rodgers was to become a legend as country moved from the early mountain/folk music to a more recognisable country sound.
Jimmie Rodgers

James Charles Rodgers (1897-1933), known to all as Jimmie’ Rodgers was among the first country music ‘superstars’ and was known mostly for his rhythmic yodelling. It was because of his particular style of singing, and the fact that he began his working life on the railroad, that Jimmie was also known as ‘The Blue Yodeller’ and ‘The Singing Brakeman’.
In 1924 Rodger’s career on the railroad stopped when he contracted TB, but he carried on touring and singing. He returned to the railroad for a while but had to quit in 1927 as his illness got worse.

The same year saw the ‘Jimmie Rodgers Entertainers’ form and they secured a weekly slot on WWNC, a radio station in Asheville, N Carolina. Following a row with his fellow band members over a recording contract in July 1927, Jimmie went on to record songs on his own, culminating in the release of ‘Blue Yodel’ or ‘T for Texas’, which catapulted him to stardom.


Following extensive touring Jimmie Rodgers also found time to do a short movie for Columbia Pictures called ‘The Singing Brakeman’ as well as numerous recordings for the Victor label. On July 16, 1930, he recorded "Blue Yodel No. 9" with jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, whose wife, Lillian, played piano on the recording.

Jimmie Rodgers’ last recording session was in New York in May, 1933. Suffering badly with TB he had to rest on a cot between each song. Two days after finishing the session he died of lung complications while staying at the Taft Hotel.

During his short 6 year career, Jimmie Rodgers recorded over 100 songs and cemented himself into country music history.

When the Country Music Hall of Fame was founded in 1961, Rodgers was one of the first three (the others were Fred Rose and Hank Williams) to be inducted.

Jimmie Rodgers was also elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and, as an early influence, he was also elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. His recording of "Blue Yodel No. 9" was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's ‘500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

The early ‘blues’ sound that Jimmie Rodgers used has been cited as a major influence on many later artists such as Muddy Waters, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Tommy Duncan. Early material recorded by Gene Autry was heavily influenced by Rodgers’ blues records.

The 1982 film Honkytonk Man, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood was very loosely based on Rodgers' life.

To search for music by Jimmie Rodgers or any of your favourite country stars, just enter their name in the search box on the right hand side or visit www.countrysongscountrysingers.com to find out more.

Monday 9 May 2011

Country Legends: Tammy Wynette

Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette (May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998), was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of country music's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists.
Tammy Wynette

Many of Tammy Wynette's hits dealt with classic themes of loneliness, divorce and the difficulties of male-female relationships. Her best-known song, "Stand by Your Man", was one of the biggest selling hit singles by a woman in the history of the country music genre. She is quoted as saying that the song took 15 minutes to write and the rest of her life to defend!

During the late 60’s and early 70’s, she dominated the country charts, scoring 17 number one hits, and along with Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, she defined the role of female country vocalists in the 1970s.

The name ‘Tammy’ came about because her record producer Bill Sherrill suggested she had a ‘stage’ name and thought she reminded him of Debbie Reynolds in the film ‘Tammy and the Bachelor’.

In 1968 she had three number one hits -
"Take Me to Your World,"
"D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and
"Stand by Your Man"

In 1969 she followed those up with another two number ones –
"Singing My Song" and
"The Ways to Love a Man"  

Her marriage to country singer George Jones in 1969 (ending in divorce in 1975) created a country music "couple" and together they recorded a series of duet albums and singles, which charted throughout the 1970s.

Tammy Wynette died while sleeping on her couch on April 6, 1998, at age 55. Despite her persistent illnesses, Tammy continued to perform until shortly before her death. Her funeral was held on April 9, 1998, and although controversy still surrounds the timing and nature of her death, the fact remains the music industry lost one of its finest performers that day.

Following Tammy Wynette's demise, she was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, one of the highest honours of her career.

A special CD collection titled ‘Tammy Wynette: Collector's Edition’ was released in 1998, including her signature song "Stand by Your Man", charting outside the Top 40 on the Country charts that same year.

Along with Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Dottie West, and Lynn Anderson, Tammy helped redefine the role and place of female country singers.


To grab your own copies of Tammy Wynette’s music just enter her name in the search box on the right or go to www.countrysongscountrysingers.com and search there.

Sunday 1 May 2011

Country Legends: Hank Williams

Perhaps the most talked about and sang about country singer of all time, Hiram King (Hank) Williams was the bench mark for country music singers and songwriters for generations to come.
Hank Williams

Regarded by many as one of the most important country music artists of all time, Hank Williams’ recording career lasted only 5 years, but in that short period from 1947 until his death, at 29 in 1953, he recorded 35 singles (five of which were released after his death) that would place him in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including eleven that ranked number one.

After recording "Never Again" and "Honky Tonkin" with Sterling Records, he signed for MGM in 1948 and released "Move it on Over" which became a hit that same year. In 1949, he recorded "Lovesick Blues”, one of the few songs Hank didn’t write himself, which not only carried him into the mainstream of music, but ultimately became his signature tune.

Although suffering from Spina Bifida since birth and not able to read or write music to any significant degree, Hank Williams wrote and sang songs that are considered classics and still sung today. He had 11 number one songs between 1948 and 1953, including "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey Good Lookin',"  "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and “Cold Cold Heart”.

With the constant touring and concerts taking a toll on his poor health, Hank took to drink and drugs to help him get through, and it was believed to be a cocktail of these that eventually caused him to die so young. He was being driven by the teenage son of a friend of his to a concert date on New Years Day 1953 when he died in his sleep on the back seat of his Cadillac.

 He may have only had a short musical career, but his impact on country music is legendary. It is believed that over 700 songs have now been written about Hank Williams since his death, and if that isn’t making your mark on the world then I’d like to know what is!

To find Hank Williams music for yourself just enter his name in the search box to the right or go to www.countrysongscountrysingers.com and search there.