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)
PREVIOUS POST
thanks for posting this and schooling folks. at the very least akon SHOULD know about ray charles!
Comment by camille — March 29, 2008 #
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
Comment by tncdel — July 27, 2008 #
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.
Comment by Joe Arnold — August 18, 2008 #
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
Comment by Joe Arnold — August 30, 2008 #
Rissi Palmer, I love you and your country music
Comment by Lori — September 12, 2008 #
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
Comment by Joe Arnold, Roughshod Records — October 10, 2008 #
Fun fact that I think is relevant here:
The banjo was developed by enslaved Africans.
Comment by Thomas — January 5, 2009 #