Country Music 1980 - 2000

North America Roots

Country music is a blend of several popular musical forms with its roots in traditional folk music, of Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music. Country music originated with immigrants to the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North America who brought with them the music and instruments of the Old World.

The Irish fiddle, the German derived dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the African banjo were the most common musical instruments. The interactions among musicians from these different ethnic groups produced music unique to this region of North America and the roots of what we call country music.

Appalachian string bands of the early twentieth century consisted primarily of the fiddle, guitar, and banjo. This early country music is often referred to as Old-time music and is the root of Bluegrass.

Texas

Throughout the nineteenth century, several immigrant groups from Europe, most notably from Ireland, The United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Italy moved to Texas. These groups interacted with the Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and U.S. communities that were already established in Texas.

As a result of this, Texas has developed unique cultural traits that are rooted in the culture of all of its founding communities. The settlers from the areas now known as Germany and the Czech Republic established large dance halls in Texas where farmers and townspeople from neighboring communities could gather, dance, and spend a night enjoying each other’s company.

The music at these halls, brought from Europe, included the waltz and the polka, often played on an accordion which was loud enough to fill the entire dance hall.

Country and Western

During the 1930s and 1940s Cowboy songs, or "Western music", which had been recorded since the 1920s, were popularized by films made in Hollywood. Some of the popular singing cowboys from the era were Gene Autry, the Sons of the Pioneers, and Roy Rogers.

The term Country and Western has declined in use since that time, except in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it is still commonly used to describe country music in the United States. A different mix of ethnic groups in Southwestern United States created the music that gave it the Western tag.

History of Country Music 1920s