Luke Bryan has worked over the years to become the successful country artist he is today. He grew up working on his father’s peanut farm, but in his early teens, he decided that he wanted to have a career in music (Luke Bryan Biography 1). Luke began writing songs with the help from others, which benefited him in the long run since many of his songs and albums have made it on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 charts (Luke Bryan Biography 1; Demings Award Section). Although Luke Bryan came from humble beginnings, growing up working on a farm in Georgia, his hard work and dedication through the years have propelled him to a very successful country career.
What is the message that an artist is trying to send when they write or sing a country song? Though some country songs seem to be filled with lyrics about girls, alcohol, and trucks, many deliver words that suggest a more free and truthful way of life. Although songs of all genres can be pointless and dumb, many artists portray their transcendentalist thoughts through their music. Ideas such as self-reliance, importance of nature, and nonconformity have unceasingly continued to appear in the lyrics of many Country songs and can be identified in hits including “Wide Open Spaces” by Dixie Chicks, “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack, and “Real Live Woman” by Trisha Yearwood.
The reading “Popular music and the civil war” explained the heavy influence that music had leading up to and during the civil war. Music was used to express the way Americans, those in the north or south, were feeling during this time. Through their lyrics, writers and singers were able to convey their feelings on topics such as being separated from loved ones, losing someone, patriotism for the confederates or the union, and anything else that related to war time. Many of these songs appealed to the Americans because they could easily relate to what the lyrics were saying. Therefore, songs were being greatly produced during this time because people were purchasing the music, whether that was by going to see the performance of it, or buying
Imagine yourself standing above thousands of people singing the lyrics of your song back to you. How does it feel? Growing up in the backwoods of Oklahoma, Garth Brooks only had a dream for his reality. Through his hard work and dedication to his music, Garth Brooks, one of the top-selling solo artists and ranked among the biggest stars of his generation, will leave a legacy people only dream to achieve.
The usual age of artists nowadays can be surmised as very young compared to what was popularized in the mid-80s to the early-90s. We all have been amazed by the impressive talents of musicians as young as 14 until the mid-adult age of 25. It is quite an elating feeling to know that those who are dubbed as The Millenials have this awe-inspiring trait of being confident, despite their seeming inexperience.
We all know what one-hit wonders are. They are those singers who have tried to make it big but fell short of fuel and later faced oblivion after that one humongous track. Sadly, the music industry is just about identifying which singer would have the staying power, and much as how passion and determination wants to keep up with the game, fame is just not for everyone. While there are a lot of singers who have been classified as a one-hit wonder, there are some who are experiencing otherwise. With the right infusion of looks, talent and undying urgency to be on top, there are singers who managed to somehow establish their name, despite the not-so-huge following. They are the ones who
"I’ve always been a writer. My songs are the door to every dream I’ve ever had and every success I’ve ever achieved,” says Dolly Parton. Over the years, Dolly Parton has created an amazing image of being a renowned superstar. She has contributed to countless milestones in entertainment world of country music. Spanning from her classical songs such a “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and her mega-hit “I Will Always Love You” (Dolly). Parton seamlessly defined country music with pop music, while maintaining her image as a country star. Parton exclaimed, “I’m not leaving country,” she said at the time, “I’m just taking it with me”
A Brief History of The Blues . (2005, August 16). Retrieved from All About Jazz: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-brief-history-of-the-blues-by-ed-kopp.php
According to The Bedford Book of Genres “A genre is a composition’s kind, category, or sort. Genres give us a way to categorize or describe types of compositions”. (Braziller and Kleinfeld) One genre of music is country. There are two things we need to know about genres; “First, genres change according to the ways people use them” and “Second, genres are flexible”. (Braziller and Kleinfeld). Exactly what country music is today can be hard to define as the genre changes with each new artist that comes into it, but a look at the career of George Strait shows why, depsite all the changes in what represnts country mucic, he is known as the king of country music and is the ultimate example of what comes to mind when one speaks of the genre as
All over the world, people express their culture and their way of life in the form of music. In the early nineteen-hundreds America was beginning to form their own genre of music, which would come to be known as country music. When we think of country music, we often think of hillbillies, cowboys, a pair of boots and blue jeans, but it's much more than that. Country music is more than just songs; it's become a way of life in America.
Now, people didn’t have to wait for the daily paper to look at ads, they wouldn’t have to go any farther than switching the television on and sitting in their living room. There was new music hitting the streets and, although, not everyone appreciated the music it sure made a bang in the 1950’s. A new music era was becoming more and more popular, it was called Rock and Roll. By 1955, Little Richard, was an up and coming Rock and Roller from the south. The progress of music from earlier years to the mid 1950’s was great. Not long after, Little Richard, in 1956, Elvis Presley, made his debut and in 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis. Music attached to those particular names gave people a way to express themselves, the music gave people an idol that “understood” them. Rock and Roll also gave people back in the 1950’s freedom to be who they wanted to
Do you know a lot about your favorite country singers? The lives they live vary in many different ways. Even how their career in music ever began. However, the way they are made up contrast between each singer. Appearance is another aspect of who they are as a human being. Both Scotty McCreery and Thomas Rhett have similarities, but have comparisons in life, career in music, and appearance.l
“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. George won many awards, was inducted in the Hall of Fame, and kept old country alive when the “urban country” era started, making him one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.
In excerpt V the song “Honey Hush” by Joe Turner, the aspects that are similar to rockabilly is the dominate impression of the back beat that is heard in this excerpt. With the common back beat that it includes from the instrumentation that was used from the voice, piano, drums, stand-up bass, saxophone, and even the handclaps. The elements that were later found in rock & roll was that rhythmic section that was offered from rhythm and blues. The lyrics even gave a sense rock drive with the catchy melody that it had offered. All the elements that I have observed had led me to believe that “Honey Hush” should be considered one of the first rock & roll songs because of the prominent back beat that is heard along with the catchy melody that is
Alphonse de Lamartine, French writer and politician, once said, “Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends” (“Quotes About Power Of Music”). What is one of your favorite songs? Does this song have any special meaning for you? Music can be motivational, relaxing, exciting, or even frightening. Sometimes choosing a specific song as your favorite can be challenging, but there is usually one that you really like because the lyrics are relatable to you, maybe it describes your mood, or it may just be really catchy. Music also evolves and changes as time elapses; consequently, different generations identify with songs from various genres that are prominent during their lifetime.