3 Country Icons That Started in Other Genres

In recent years, artists from several other genres have found success in the country music world. Post Malone and Jelly Roll transitioned from hip-hop to country and released smash hit records and singles. Beyoncé had one of the biggest albums of 2024 with Cowboy Carter. Before them, Darius Rucker went from being the frontman of the Grammy-winning rock band Hootie and the Blowfish to having a hugely successful country career. This is nothing new. Some of the biggest stars in country music started in other genres.

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The list below includes some highly influential country stars who started in different genres. They made such big names for themselves in the country world that many modern fans may be shocked to learn they haven’t always been country singers.

[RELATED: 4 Overlooked 1970s Country Albums from Legendary Artists]

Conway Twitty

Conway Twitty is one of the most celebrated singers in the history of country music. Between his solo releases and his duets with Loretta Lynn, he notched dozens of No. 1 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart. However, he was nearly a decade into his career before he made the switch.

Originally, Twitty was a rock and roll singer. Early songs like “It’s Only Make Believe,” “Danny Boy,” and ”Lonely Blue Boy” were Hot 100 hits in the 1950s. However, he always wanted to be a country singer. Around 1965, he finally made the transition. In 1966, he made his career shift official with the release of “Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart.”

Kenny Rogers

Few country artists can match Kenny Rogers’ success. Songs like “Lucille,” “Coward of the County,” and “Islands in the Stream” are timeless hit songs. The Gambler and Kenny topped the country albums chart for more than 20 weeks. However, he didn’t start his career as a country singer.

Before he was telling listeners to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, Rogers was rocking with a band called The First Edition. They played a psychedelic blend of rock and country with a pop edge that set them apart from other rockers of the time. They had their first hit in 1967 with “Just Dropped in (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” It peaked at No. 5, and later appeared in The Big Lebowski. A little under a decade later, Rogers released his debut country album, Love Lifted Me, in 1976.

3. Dolly Parton

Country icon Dolly Parton has dabbled in several other genres in recent years. She has done collaborations with EDM, hip-hop, pop, and rock artists. She even recorded an entire album of rock covers featuring the likes of Rob Halford (Judas Priest) and Paul McCartney. However, this wasn’t her first foray outside of country music.

Parton signed with Monument Records shortly after moving to Nashville. She was a beautiful young woman with a soprano voice. As a result, her label pushed her to record pop material. She released seven pop singles, and all of them failed to chart. She didn’t find success until the label allowed her to record country songs. This started with “Dumb Blonde,” the second single from her 1967 debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly.

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