Ruby Rose Blevins: Patsy Montana

“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.

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.

Amy Winehouse is a legend and the music she created was incredible. She sung in the styles of Jazz, Soul, Blues and reggae which made her popular to many audiences and instantly she was different from the rest. In this essay I intend to give you a brief overview on Amy’s background and then I will explore Amy Winehouse’s Vocal and musical influences such as Sarah Vaughan who was an American Jazz singer and many more. Once I’ve covered that topic I will go on to discuss her appeal to a contemporary audience. The resources I will be using are Websites based on Amy Winehouse’s musical influences, Her documentary and books such as ‘’Amy Amy Amy the Amy Winehouse story by Nick Johnstone’’

Billie Holiday lived a tumultuous life as she went through many ups and downs during her childhood and into her adulthood. Billie Holiday was only eighteen years old when she was discovered singing in nightclubs and soon found great success as a jazz singer. In spite of her lack of musical training, Holiday’s distinct singing caught the attention of her audience and she became one of the greatest jazz singers of the twentieth century. However, despite the remarkable success Billie achieved, she continuously battled with substance abuse until the end of her life. Holiday may have had a tragic life, but her emotional, melancholic voice made her an imperative presence in the period of jazz.

Billie Holiday is one of the most influential jazz singers of her time. Her attitude, determination and most of all her music inspired artists throughout time and inspired major social change. Throughout her lifetime she explored the world of jazz, her identity, and how far the limits of her talent would take her. She exchanged her poor life, full of drugs and scandal for a life of performing the arts and showcasing her talents and abilities. Her incredible determination led her to do what she loved regardless of what anyone thought , which led to her inciting major social exchange; moving black suffering into white consciousness.

Often referred to as "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was one of the most popular female jazz singers in the United States. Throughout her career, Ella was awarded thirteen Grammys and sold over 40 million albums. With a voice that not only encompassed a large range, but a dynamic and powerful sound, Ella could sing almost anything from scatting to the popular tunes of her day. She performed in the top venues all around the world to packed houses, with audiences as diverse as the music she created. Ella came from a small town and impoverished family, but through her talent and determination, skyrocketed to fame creating a legacy that has withstood the sands of time.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, the song that put on her on the charts, Aretha Franklin, one of the most influential female artists of all time is the artist that interest me the most. With her vocals a mixture of jazz and rhythm & blues, Aretha gained fame. Her vocals were so good, that it made her to have hit records over five years, which later on in her career, cause her to be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. Also giving her the title “The Queen of Soul”. Like most artists today, Franklin got her career started by singing gospel, and from gospel to pop and R&B. Aretha Franklin had many accomplishments in her time, like having 13 million songs sold. Also, “Aretha Franklin did not only symbolized female empowerment in the sound of her records

He made just enough changes to make the song appeal to a different audience more, but his cover really did not add much musically to it. The Pat Boone version of the song sounded more pop with country & western influence, in contrast to the original R&B version by Fats Domino. However, the rhythm, harmony, form, most of the lyrics, and much of the instrumentation was kept the same, so without Pat Boone’s vocals, the cover feels nearly the same as the original, but with a slightly different texture. To an untrained ear and on the first listen to both songs, the cover sounds nearly the same as the original version. This also makes the Pat Boone cover seem less sincere than the Fats Domino version because he did not make much of an attempt to make his cover notably different or “his own.” His intent seemed to be mostly to deliver the song to a different audience rather than to use the song to tell a story that he related to. Additionally, he altered the meaning of the song somewhat, but he did not add much of a new perspective given that the song was still coming from the point-of-view of a man who had gotten his heartbroken by his lover. In contrasts, Fats Domino’s original version seemed like it was intended to cover the mixed emotions that one may feel at the end of a relationship, and

In today`s culture, there are stereotypes in every setting, especially music. Stereotypes are ideas or images of something of what it is supposed to be depending the current culture. Music is everywhere and some people believe that the music we listen to, define who we are. This could be true but it is also unfair to assume we know somebody based on the music they are associated with. You can stereotype music based on a song or a whole genre. Stereotypes in every context are bad, but in music you can generalize listeners based on the type of music they listen to which is unfair to the artist and the audience.

When I first listened to this song, I felt that it was a song of majestic significance. The sound of “Aint no mountain high enough” made me feel happy as a listener, its uptempo beat and pleasing rhythm allowed me to feel a sense of hope. After researching this song in depth, and diving into its historical context, I have not changed my reaction to the song. Seen as one of the most powerful and beautiful musical compositions of our generation, the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duet encompasses numerous western originating genres, such as soul, pop and rhythm and blues (R&B). This songs instrumentation includes bells, the tambourine, the snare and the bass guitar. The snare and the tambourine are the principal features that promote a controlled and consistent rhythm

“If I should stay, I would only be in your way…” Anyone today could probably finish the rest of this song after hearing these lyrics. “I Will Always Love You” is one of the most iconic songs of the 21

Lena Horne was a star who broke racial barriers. In a suppressive 1900s America, an African American woman was determined to step into the limelight to defy the racial standards of her time. She faced an uphill battle trying to create a career from her childhood, with little support from her own family, let alone a white dominated industry. When she finally proved to be an astonishing performer and struck a deal with a major Hollywood studio, she was still held back by racial segregation laws still in effect in the south. Horne recognized her influence and used her talents to go from actress to activist. Through movie roles and songs the starlette used her voice to make movements for African American civil rights.

According to the country music hall of fame, Cline was the most popular female country star in recording history. Clines life began in Winchester, Virginia on September 8th, 1932. Like Jimmie Rodgers, Cline also had a rough childhood, due to the abuse of her father. On the brighter side, Cline showed her musical talent from a young age, and seemed to have gained insightful knowledge from her father who was an ameratur singer during Clines adolescence. Considered as an outsider from her peers, she dropped out of school at the age of fifteen to pursue a career as a singer. Cline started off her career singing at small juke joints around the Winchester area. At the age of 20, she connected with a local Country music band leader, Bill Peer, which launched her career and cowgirl personna. This sent her on a quest through the Washington D.C. music scene, premiering in Town & Country regional TV broadcasts. Through this, Cline landed her first contract with a california based recording studio, Four Star Records. This guided Cline into numerous hit singles including “Walkin’ After Midnight”, “I Fall to Pieces”, and “Crazy”. Patsy Cline was a vital contributor to the evolution of country music because she was the first women to be popularized by her work as a country musician. With most of her singles soaring in the charts, she showed that it wasn’t just men who could be successful in this industry. She

Loretta and Willie recently performed "Lay Me Down" together. It is a new song that will be featured on Loretta 's new album, which is entitled "Full Circle." It was a performance that country music fans will not soon forget. The music video has been uploaded to YouTube. It has been viewed over 737,000. Many people online have been wowed by the music video.

The genre of blues exploded into the blues craze during the 1920’s. During this time, white record producers saw the untapped goldmine that was blues music performed by people of color. Ma Rainey was one of them, and to some, one of the first, giving her the title, ‘The Mother of Blues’. The 1920’s was not only an era of continuing homophobia from the past (although that would change, briefly, into a mild form of acceptance until the more conservative 1930’s), but also of harsh racism. And yet, one singer, Ma Rainey’s, broke these restrictions. Her audience and shows flourished with both whites and blacks, peacefully mingling together to behold Ma’s performances. In this era taut with fear over race, both whites and black adored her.