4 Country Artists From the 1970s Who Emerged Out of Nowhere

Country artists usually make themselves known over the course of many years. Lots of people knew about Willie Nelson through his songwriting efforts and recorded music before he really broke through commercially with the release of Red Headed Stranger, for example. However, some country artists through the years have seemingly emerged out of nowhere, nabbing the top spot on the country charts before anyone really knew who they were. Though, for some, they were quietly working for years before they actually broke through. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?

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John Denver

It seemed to many like John Denver just came out of nowhere in the early 1970s. Though, the “Take Me Home, Country Roads” hitmaker had been writing and performing music for some time before that song became his biggest hit in 1971. In fact, he more or less risked it all to pursue a solo career just two years earlier, though his most successful work at that time had become charting hits through other musicians, such as “Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul And Mary. His label at the time, RCA, didn’t really promote his work at that time, leaving Denver to tour for free on his own. Thankfully, the 1971 album Poems, Prayers & Promises catapulted him to almost sudden fame.

Olivia Newton-John

By the early 1970s, Olivia Newton-John was very well-known. She might seem like an odd entry on this list. However, her emergence in country music was quite sudden and unexpected. Known for her pop music, Newton-John exploded into the country scene with the country-pop hit “Let Me Be There” in 1973. She even won the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year award in 1974. Nobody was expecting it.

Tanya Tucker

If you were around in 1972, you might just agree with me that Tanya Tucker seemingly appeared out of nowhere with her massive hit, “Delta Dawn”. And that’s true, considering she was barely 13 years old when the song catapulted her into fame. She was just a kid with very strong vocals, and her success seemed to come out of nowhere at the time.

Mickey Gilley

Remember Mickey Gilley? This entry on our list of country artists who emerged out of nowhere became an overnight sensation after the song “Room Full Of Roses” became a huge hit in 1974. It was all about timing here; the “urban cowboy” craze was in full swing around the time this apt song was released. However, Gilley didn’t actually appear out of nowhere. He had been performing music for years before he finally broke through.

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