The Best of 1950’s Country Music

The Best of 1950’s Country Music – Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and explore the best country music the 1950’s had to offer!

The Birth of Rockabilly

The Hillbilly Cat

In 1954, a year after his first recordings, Elvis Presley made his television debut on the regional live country music show, “Louisiana Hayride.” His appearances on the program helped him gain a wide following in the Shreveport, Louisiana area. When he was signed by Sam Phillips of Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, he brought his Hayride band—guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black—with him into the studio.

Dressed in his black leather motorcycle jacket and jeans, Presley looked every bit the part of the bad boy that he was billed as. His first single for Sun Records, “That’s All Right,” was a cover of an Arthur Crudup blues song. It was released in July 1954 and entered the Billboard country chart in September. By October it had reached number five.

The King

In the early 1950s, a new type of music was born. It combined the energy and excitement of rock and roll with the twang of country music, and it was called Rockabilly. The man who started it all was a young singer from Memphis, Tennessee, named Elvis Presley.

Elvis was born in 1935, and he grew up listening to country music on the radio. He loved the sounds of Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers, and he wanted to sing like them. In 1954, he went to work for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis. Sam was looking for a new sound, and he thought Elvis might be just what he was looking for.

Elvis recorded his first single, “That’s All Right,” in 1954. It was an instant hit, and rockabilly was born. Elvis went on to become the biggest star of his generation, and rockabilly continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1950s. Other artists who helped to shape the sound of rockabilly include Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly.

The Nashville Sound

The Nashville Sound is a subgenre of country music that emerged in the late 1950’s. The sound is a more polished and commercialized version of traditional country music. It was developed by music producers in Nashville, Tennessee who were looking to take country music in a new direction. The Nashville Sound helped to popularize country music and make it more mainstream.

Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline was one of the most influential country music singers of the 1950s. She was known for her powerful voice and her ability to cross over into pop music. Her hits included “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “Crazy.” She died tragically in a plane crash in 1963.

Hank Williams

Hank Williams was one of the most influential country music artists of the 1950s. His music dominated the charts and his influence can still be felt today. Williams was a master of the three-minute country song, and his songs are filled with heartbreak, humor, and humanity. Some of his biggest hits include “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” and “Hey, Good Lookin’.” Williams’ sad songs resonated with people all over the world, and his impact on country music is still being felt today.

The Outlaws

The 1950’s were a golden age for country music. It was a time when artists were experimenting with the genre, and the results were some of the best country music ever recorded. One of the most important groups of the 1950’s was The Outlaws. The Outlaws were a group of country musicians who broke away from the traditional sound of country music and developed a new, more aggressive style.

Waylon Jennings

Waylon Jennings was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his work as a country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s. Jennings began his musical career in the 1950s as a country music singer and songwriter. He gained popularity in the 1960s as a member of the country rock group The Byrds. He released his first solo album in 1966, and later had success as a solo artist with his albums Waylon (1970) and Lonesome, On’ry and Mean (1973).

Jennings was born on June 15, 1937, in Littlefield, Texas. He was raised in a musical family; his father, Clarence Vernon “C. V.” Jennings (1904–1975), was a professional musician who played guitar and fiddle. Waylon’s mother, Audrey Pearl (née Jordan; 1916–1993), was a schoolteacher who taught him how to sing harmony.

Jennings started playing guitar at age eight and began performing with local bands in the 1950s. He joined Buddy Holly’s band as a bass player in 1958 but left after Holly’s death later that year. In 1962, he formed the Country Music Quartet with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson; the group recorded an album of gospel music before breaking up in 1963.

Jennings then embarked on a solo career, releasing several successful albums includingWaylon (1970), Lonesome, On’ry and Mean (1973), Honky Tonk Heroes (1973), Ol’ Waylon (1977), and I’ve Always Been Crazy (1978). His recordings with The Highwaymen—a supergroup consisting of himself, Cash, Nelson, and Kristofferson—produced two hit albums: Highwayman (1985) and Highwayman 2 (1990).

In the 1990s and 2000s Jennings continued to Release successful albums such as Are You Ready for the Country(1996), Too Dumb for New York City Too Ugly for L.A. (1997), Right for Me(1998),and Chimney Rock(1999).

Jennings also appeared in several films and television shows throughout his career including The Cowboys(1972), Nashville Rebel(1966), Once Upon A Texas Train(1988)and The Dukes of Hazzard(1979-1985).

Jennings died on February 13th 2002 from complications due to diabetes.

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, author, poet, actor, and activist. He started his career as a songwriter in the 1960s and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. There he recorded his first album … And Then I Wrote. In the mid-1960s, he was a member of the country-pop group The Highwaymen with Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

The Women of Country

The women of country music in the 1950s sang about their lives and the lives of those around them. They were able to connect with their fans through their music and many of their songs became hits. Some of the most popular female country artists of the 1950s include Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn.

Tammy Wynette

Perhaps one of the most influential female vocalists of the 20th century, Tammy Wynette was a powerhouse in the world of country music. She rose to fame in the late 1960s with her hits “Stand by Your Man” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” and went on to have a long and successful career. Wynette was known for her emotional, heart-wrenching performances, and her songs often deal with the struggles of marriage and motherhood. She is an important figure in country music history, and her influence can still be felt today.

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is a country music legend who got her start in the 1950s. She is known for her honky-tonk style and for writing songs that deal with real-life issues like marriage, motherhood, and infidelity. Lynn has had numerous hits throughout her career, including “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “One’s on the Way.” She is one of the most influential country artists of all time and has won numerous awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honors.