A Uniquely American Phenomenon
Many of us became aware that country music began to change about 25 years ago, parting ways with the stars and style that brought it into the mainstream of public appreciation in the 1960s and 70s. Beginning with a yodeling Jimmy Rogers strumming his guitar back in the 1920s and continuing on to Tanya Tucker in the early 1990s, the Nashville sound held its own as a truly American art form for the better part of the 20th century. While borrowing from our Irish heritage, much of what makes country music great is that it is a uniquely American phenomenon. After all, what could be more American than Kitty Wells, Little Jimmy Dickens or Bluegrass music!
We Love the ‘New Country’, Too!
Don’t get me wrong. We love the country music of today and the many stars who make it so popular. Many of them are solid patriotic Americans who cherish our Judeo-Christian heritage, like one of our favorite newcomers, Justin Moore. While we firmly support their contribution to the world of entertainment, we still must recognize that the ‘new country’ is different than the music from the Golden Age of Country Music. It seems that without the soulful voice backed up by a fiddle and steel guitar, something is lost in the translation.
Living Stars from the Golden Age of Country Music
Thankfully, many of the great performers of the Golden Age of Country Music are still living today. In fact, you might be surprised to know some of the ones who are still with us. With the help of our readers, we are compiling a list of these stars to which we will add as more are brought to our attention. Please help us add to this list by submitting the names of living stars directly as a comment on this posting. We salute the following Living Stars from the Golden Age of Country Music (golden stars of country music indicated accordingly) and thank them for the years of great entertainment they have provided us. They are truly part of What Makes US Great!
Bill Anderson
Lynn Anderson (1947-2015)
Moe Bandy
Bobby Bare
Jim Ed Brown (1934-2015)
Glen Campbell
Roy Clark
John Conlee
Mac Davis
Little Jimmy Dickens (1920-2015)
Mickey Gilley
Jack Greene
Merle Haggard
Tom T. Hall
Emmylou Harris
Jan Howard
Alan Jackson
Wanda Jackson
Sonny James
George Jones (1931-2013)
Claude King (1923-2013)
Kris Kristofferson
Jerry Lee Lewis
Loretta Lynn
Barbara Mandrell
Ronnie Milsap
Melba Montgomery
Anne Murray
Willie Nelson
Marie Osmond
Dolly Parton
Ray Price (1926-2013)
Charley Pride
Jeanne Pruett
Johnny Rodriguez
Kenny Rogers
Earl Scruggs (1924-2012)
Jeannie Seely
Jean Shepard
Ricky Skaggs
Connie Smith
George Strait
Mel Tillis
Randy Travis
Tanya Tucker
Kitty Wells (1919-2012)
Slim Whitman (1924-2013)
Don Williams
Hank Williams, Jr.
Johnnie Wright (1914-2011)
On a personal note, I have had the good fortune to see a number of the great country music artists in concert, including Ernest Tubb, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Ronnie Milsap, The Judds, Roy Clark, and Buck Owens with Buckaroo greats Don Rich and Doyle Holly.