Country music has changed over the decades due to vast transformations within the music business. New artist come and go, but two artists in particular have left imprints on the hearts of country music fans forever. Talent Tim McGraw and the “King of Country,” George Strait, made their way to become the legends of country everyone knows and love today. The perseverance in enduring their dreams created a pathway to a road of achievements for the both of artists for numbers of year. Though the both of them are very well off in the country music career, Tim and George seem to be alike in their career, while being different than many people realize. The two artists made sure they are being true to themselves throughout the years of recording and …show more content…
Strait was a humble man with a remarkable talent. His music life and his private life were left separate, and George never fell in to the glitz and glamour of the celebrity world. George was content with the life he had back home in Texas and worked on his ranch with his family (Johnson 190). George had a background with music growing up on his family ranch. During the 1960, George was drawn to the genre of rock music and never really thought about country. When he graduated from high school he went to attempt college but ended up enlisting into the army because it wasn’t for him. While in the military, George became a lead singer to a band that sang in events for the army. This cover band continue after Strait left the military (Johnson 190). With ups and downs in his career, George became the “King of country” with numerous awards and ranked 44 songs on the number one list (Waddell 5,7). There is no one quite like George Strait. A true American cowboy with a successful music …show more content…
For many music stars, like Tim McGraw, performing is their job. Unlike them, George Strait found music more like a recreation or pastime rather than his job. His main job was tending to his ranch and spending time with his family as much as he could. This is why during the late nineties fans saw George’s tour being cut back to only preforming during the weekends and completing his tour before summer so that main priority was being home on the ranch (Johnson 191). Back when the two of them were starting up, Tim had an easier time making a record deal than George Strait. George, unfortunately, had several attempts to gain a record deal but never happened like he wanted. He ended up going back to college to learn about agriculture and graduated with the degree. His high school sweetheart, his wife, finally pushed him to try and attempted to get a record deal one last time. With hopes in a deal, he got his first single out and made number four on the music chart (Johnson 189-190). Unlike George, Tim McGraw did get a record deal fairly quicker than Strait, but it took him a while to get a hit song (Shelton 129). With Tim he also had his ups and downs especially when Kenney Chesney and him got into a confrontation at George Strait’s music festival in 2000. Tim McGraw was charged with second degree assault along
“You know, traditional country music is something that’s going to be around forever.” George Strait (Jackson, “Country Music Quotes”). While Hunter Hayes’ style isn’t exactly traditional country, he has similar qualities to Roy Acuff- the most popular hillbilly singer of the swing era (Starr & Waterman, American Popular Music pg. 140). Hunter Hayes song “Wanted” is similar to the country music in the Swing Era in chapter six of American Popular Music. Hayes and Acuff are alike by how they both were crossover artists, neither were afraid to try something new with their music, and they both could play a wide variety of instruments.
Neither fan base accepted the change, and the project even hurt him in his country music discourse. Jensen writes that “To "go pop" is to abandon and betray country music” and “to "crossover" into pop music was to perform, record, and promote country music in a way that would appeal to a larger audience and, thereby, increase radio air play and record sales.” However, great success generally leads fans to believe that an artist has “abandoned” country music (Jensen). Therefore, Garth Brooks was described as “crassly commercial” (MacLachlan). And unfortunately for Garth, rock fans also valued authenticity in their artists, meaning that they did not accept Chris Gaines either because they saw him as Garth Brooks attempting to go outside
He is also the first country music artist since Clint Black to occupy the year-end
Johnson is one of country music’s biggest triple threats. With amazing vocal skills, completely imaginative and inventive song writing abilities, and a totally humble and personable demeanor it comes as no shock that this Canadian beauty got her big break in early 2000 with the release of her debut album, Room with a View. Earning her a few hit singles and multiple awards, it seemed country music loved the country cutie. Johnson continued to release three more creative and consistent studio albums, but failed to have the same success as her debut. The early 2000’s saw a shift in what was played on the radio and artists such as Austin and Johnson suffered.
“McGraw is the most played country artist since his debut in 1922, with two singles spending over 10 weeks at #1 “Live Like You Were Dying” (Tim McGraw Bio). McGraw refused to hide his vocal twang or avoid traditional country-styled lyrics in several of his songs such as “Don’t Mention Memphis”, “Give It To Me Straight”, and “It Doesn’t Get Any Countrier Than This” (Accomplishments). Besides making award winning songs, McGraw has also been a great influence to people along the way. “Tim is a role model to many fans for many different reasons. Brantley Gilbert mentioned, ‘Tim’s an awesome dude, on and offstage, we share some lifestyle choices.
Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn are considered to by many to be two of the greatest country singers of all time. While these two have had amazing careers on their own, the two of them performing together is even more amazing. Loretta and Willie have been friends for several years. They recently performed together for the first time ever since 1985. Loretta and Willie recently performed "Lay Me Down" together.
The father of Keith Urban was placed on hospice earlier this week. The country music singer is beside himself with the news because his father, Robert Urban has been such an important part of life. Keith Urban announced the news while at his exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. According to a report from US Weekly, Keith Urban 's father was placed on hospice just days before the exhibit opened. It was both a happy and sad occasion for the country artist.
This style contrasted with the smoother “Nashville sound” in country music. (Langer, A). Jennings performed a lot with many other groups. Jennings played in front of many rock crowds, performing with the Grateful Dead and Commander Cody among other (Waylon Jennings, 1983). Jennings style was similar to the type of music he played.
In his life Kenny Rogers has done a lot of good stuff with his songs. After the Minstrels, Mike Settle got a band together with Kenny and made a hit in 1967 to a song call “See What Condition my Condition was in”. After other hits in country music, Kenny Rogers started to make his solo career in 1975. In the 1990s, Kenny Rogers’s career started to slow down, releasing his new recordings in 1998 to show all his classical music. Kenny Rogers’s song “Lucille” was the song that put him on the pop charts, and then sang a duet with Dottie West (Carlin, 2006).
Those people are legends. I'm just a young buck out here trying to keep in that same circle with the rest of 'em” (George Strait). George Strait was different from other country music artists. Wherever he was, he stood out. He stayed true to the traditional and contemporary country sound while mixing in his own style of music.
He was definitely considered country, but more contemporary country. Some of his music even crossed over to the pop charts and did remarkably well there as well as on the country charts. This is why Garth Brooks has become as successful as he has. He appeals to not only country music fans, but to also popular music fans as well. For one of his albums, he did release a rock-alternative album under the name of his alter ego Chris Gaines.
She adopts a vibrant and funny tone in order to appeal to the emotions and experiences of her more mature adult audience with phrases such as the quote from Rene . Through the use of both academic and colloquial diction, Barreca convinces readers that country music is accessible
Hillbilly music was the main genre of music for rural white American’s during the 1920’s. During our class discussion of hillbilly music, I immediately related the genre as the birth of country music today. Hillbilly music was an artistic expression by the people of the rural south. This concept is very similar to the country music that is produced today by musicians from the south who write their music based on what it is like to live in the country. During the time period of the 1920’s, Hillbilly music was only produced and sang by white Americans.
He has always been faithful to this traditional country music sound, regarded as having led country music as a whole out of the heavily pop infused sound it had and back to the roots of the genre. George’s authenic sound is due in part to the fact he is not a singer pretending to be a cowboy, he is a real life, down to earth cowboy. He was born and raised in Texas, home of the real cowboy, and a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He is not singing about a life he has only read or heard about but one he has actually lived and continues to live.
George Strait Introduction “I want to reach the point where people hear my name and immediately think of real country music (“George Strait Quotes,” 2018).” George Strait made this happen too, with hard work and persistence. Being turned down by multiple record companies was very hard on Strait. He kept working though, and it paid off.