Five Black Country Singers Before Akon
In a recent interview, Akon revealed that he has secretely released a new country western song under an alias. His plan? To become “the first” black country music star before people realize that he’s, you know…black.
While a few other rap and R&B artists have been dabbling in country sounds lately (see: Nelly’s duet with Tim McGraw and Snoop Dogg’s Johnny Cash-esque “My Medicine”), none of them are exactly Jackie Robinson-ing the game. In truth, black artists have occasionally popped up in the lily-white country world for decades. Before he moves to Nashville, 'Kon might want to check out these 5 well-known black country singers, after the jump.
1. Charley Pride
This Mississippi native is the Godfather of Black Country, releasing 36 #1 hits on the Country charts from the '60s through the '80s.
Charley Pride “Just Between You And Me (Live)” (1967)
2. Ray Charles
Best known for his innovations in soul music, Ray also played a big role in making country mainstream with his classic 1962 genre-bending album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.
Ray Charles “You Don’t Know Me” (1963)
3. Stoney Edwards
This Oklahoma-bred Capitol Records singer had multiple big hits on the country charts throughout the '70s, most notably “She’s My Rock.”
Stoney Edwards “She’s My Rock” (1972)
4. Cowboy Troy
With his self-proclaimed “hick-hop” style, this affiliate of popular duo Big & Rich had some minor hits of his own and even co-hosted USA’s reality competition Nashville Star.
Cowboy Troy f/ Big & Rich “I Play Chicken With The Train” (2005)
5. Rissi Palmer
One of country’s few ladies of color, Rissi turned down a deal with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to follow her country girl dreams. Her self-titled debut started turning heads late last year.
Rissi Palmer “Country Girl” (2007)
camille March 29, 2008 at 6:21 am
thanks for posting this and schooling folks. at the very least akon SHOULD know about ray charles!
tncdel July 27, 2008 at 7:53 pm
How could you overlook BIG AL DOWNING, without doubt the top black country music singer and songwriter after Charlie Pride?!
Check this out:
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/bigal.html
Joe Arnold August 18, 2008 at 1:23 am
Akon is only kidding himself and all of you gullible non-country folks out there. Blacks have been singing, writing, and enjoying country music from the beginning. Unfortunately, our country’s racial attitudes commerically excluded most of them from the genre for decades.
Long before Charley Pride, there was DeFord Bailey and others like the Mississippi Sheiks and McDonald Craig, a first-rate Jimmie Rodgers yodeler. During the Pride era there was Stoney Edwards, Linda Martel, O.B. McClinton, Big Al Dwoning, Howdy Glenn, and many others, including Roughshod Records’ Mike Johnson, Country Music’s No.1 Black Yodeler, who incidentally has written more yodeling songs than anyone. 114 of them are part of the Recorded Sound Reference Center’s permanent music collection at the Library of Congress.
Joe Arnold August 30, 2008 at 12:08 am
For a look at some of those black country music performers, etc. before and after Charley Pride, type “Mike Johnson Black Yodel No.1″ into you Search Browser, or go to:
http://www.hometown.aol.com/blackyodelno1/myhomepage/index.html
Lori September 12, 2008 at 2:37 am
Rissi Palmer, I love you and your country music
Joe Arnold, Roughshod Records October 10, 2008 at 5:53 am
Shortly after my 30 August 2008 post regarding other Black Country Music artists, AOL announced that they were terminating their webpage services. As such, the posted AOL site disappeared. We have since created a new page and restored the information on Black Country Music singers and songwriters. We are in the process of transferring our Roughshod Records online store products as we will no longer be able to edit it thanks to AOLs sudden action. Our new site is at:
http://www.freewebs.com/blackyodelno1
Thomas January 5, 2009 at 1:22 am
Fun fact that I think is relevant here:
The banjo was developed by enslaved Africans.
Honey August 18, 2009 at 11:45 pm
For your info the banjo WAS NOT developed by enslaved Africans…please get your info right ok Thankx
Dena Leichnitz November 11, 2009 at 2:03 am
Actually Honey, it is you that needs to get your facts straight, while the instrument we know as the banjo was found throughout Africa, the Middle East and even Asia long ago, it didn’t become the banjo until slaves in the colonies developed it based on the instrument from their own homeland.
Here is a link that you can see for yourself.
http://bluegrassbanjo.org/banhist.html
Google this quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson and you will find more.
The instrument proper to them (i.e. the slaves) is the Banjar, which they brought hither from Africa.
Billy Tedreck January 10, 2009 at 12:30 am
Howdy Glenn was a great black country singer who worked for a fire department in Los Angeles. Can anyone tell me how to get in touch with him?
Thank you,
billy@skyviewmail.com
Pam February 19, 2009 at 6:03 am
Gennie Ruth Cheatham has been singing country music for decades. She is perhaps one of the best in the busines. However, she does country gospel/bluegrass gospel. Her music is excellent and she can be heard on HMGNashville – Volume 42 – #6 – Jesus is my Beacon. Gennie Ruth is fabulous. She sings and plays all over the world and has done more country gospel/bluegrass gospel concerts and perfomances than any Black female in the world.