3 1970s Country Artists Who Have Been (Wrongfully) Swept Under The Rug

1970s country artists such as Blaze Foley, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker have gained relative fame, despite being once obscure. Are they still obscure? In the broader scope of country music, yes. However, they are now some of the most beloved figures in the Americana country scene, so, in their respective lane, they are titans of the industry. However, that is not the case for a couple of other 70s country musicians.

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The 1970s were arguably the Golden Age of country music. It had pop-country, country-rock, folk-country, outlaw-country, bluegrass, gospel, and really just every sub-genre residing in the country categorization. There was something for everyone, but that surplus led to a vast number of musicians from the decade to fall into deep obscurity.

Here are three who we believe have been (wrongfully) swept under the rug.

Lee Clayton

In terms of notoriety and financial success, Lee Clayton’s biggest achievement was writing Waylon Jennings’ hit song, “Ladies Love Outlaws“. In addition to penning that tune for Jennings, Clayton also penned singles for Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie Nelson, and The Highwaymen.

Needless to say, Clayton was one of the silent voices behind the outlaw country movement of the 1970s. While his career did not take off commercially, he helped keep the movement in motion by releasing tracks “I Ride Alone”, “Silver Stallion”, and “A Little C—ne”.

Steve Young

During his career, Steve Young was fiercely independent and never sacrificed his ideals and artistic vision for the sake of commercial success. That only made his career better and his story greater, as Young lived a life worth literary praise.

Being a major influence on West Coast country-rock, Young collaborated with Stephen Stills, Gram Parsons, Van Dyke Parks, and Gene Clark. The several tracks that help paint a picture of Young’s talent and legacy include “Alabama Highway”, “7 Bridges Road”, and “Long Way To Hollywood”.

Larry Jon Wilson

Swampy, southern, country soul music is the defining sound of the great Larry Jon Wilson, who is the last artist closing out our list of slept-on 1970s country artists. Wilson released four albums between 1975 and 1979. However, none of them generated loads of success, and consequently, Wilson walked away from the music business in 1980.

Frankly, if Wilson were a smash success, the themes of southern life and the grittiness in his tracks might have been diminished by higher commercial forces. Luckily, for us, at least, that is not the case, as Wilson’s songs capture an honest past time in raw detail. Some of his songs that achieve just that include “Ohoopee River Bottomland”, “Lay Me Down Again”, and “The Truth Ain’t In You”.

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