Country music owes a lot of its sound to Black artists, who helped shape the genre. These are four of the most influential Black country artists of all time.
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Charley Pride
Charley Pride overcame so much to be part of country music. His first album, Country Charley Pride, came out in 1966. At the time, Pride endured plenty of hostility. It didn’t stop him from releasing the kind of music he loved, but racial tensions did keep him from relocating from his native Texas to Tennessee.
“Nashville, it was the music capital of the world, but it still was southern,” Pride tells NPR. “Our kids would have ran into a whole bunch of what we had to grow up with — segregation and that sort of thing.”
DeFord Bailey
Country music owes so much to DeFord Bailey, even if a lot of today’s fans don’t evenkjnow his name. A virtuoso harmonica player, Bailey is one of the first performers ever on the Grand Ole Opry, initially known as the Grand Ole Opera. Bailey is reportedly the first artist to play after the name change.
Bailey is also the first Black artist to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker made a bold career move in 2008, one that came with many risks. After being known as the lead singer of the successful rock band Hootie & The Blowfish, Rucker fulfilled a lifelong dream by switching to country music.
In 2008, Rucker’s debut country record, Learn To Live, was released. In the years since then, Rucker has released numerous more albums and had several No.1 singles, including hit singles like “Wagon Wheel” and “Alright”, among others.
Brad Paisley invited Rucker to become a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012. It remains one of the most pivotal moments of his career today.
“That day, when Brad Paisley asked me if I wanted to be a member [of the Grand Ole Opry], is just still one of the great days of my career,” Rucker says.
Ray Charles
Count Ray Charles as one of the few artists who is a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A musical pioneer who spent more than 40 years making all kinds of music, Pride remains one of the most revered artists of all time.
Pride seamlessly blended country and rock music, refusing to stick to one genre. His 1962 album, Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, remains one of the most iconic records ever released, even after all these years.
Charles had several country hits, including his “Seven Spanish Angels” duet with Willie Nelson, a No. 1 hit for Charles in 1985.
Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for CMA
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