Emmylou Harris Believed This Singer Was Unfairly Judged (Especially Compared to This Rock Star)

As the old adage goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that certainly applies to the singer whom Emmylou Harris always felt was unfairly and harshly judged by the public—especially compared to a contemporary rock icon who, in Harris’ eyes, might not have been judged enough. Blame it on the times, the music industry, or both.

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Of course, Harris’ opinions are just that: opinions. However, her observations on the public’s reception of a woman pushing aesthetic and sonic boundaries compared to a man doing the same thing offer an interesting, firsthand account of the double standards prevalent in the musical world.

Emmylou Harris Felt This Singer Was Judged Too Harshly

Whether singing solo or providing air-tight, perfectly blendable harmonies to countless contemporary artists, Emmylou Harris is one of the most prolific country singers of all time. As such, she has a unique perspective on the music industry and all of the artists and audience members that exist within it. In a 1975 interview with Let It Rock, Harris reflected on her connection to country music and her greatest inspirations in the genre. She argued that one of her biggest idols was also one of the most underrated musicians of the times: Dolly Parton.

“She’s appreciated by the country market. But they don’t seem to appreciate her amazing writing abilities,” Harris argued. “She’s got the most original voice in country music, too. She is such an incredible talent. But her appearance just puts people off outside of country music, which is silly. They don’t get put off by David Bowie. I get put off by David Bowie, which I shouldn’t. But I don’t get put off by Dolly because I just listen to her voice. She can do anything she damn well likes and look anyway she wants.”

“I just love her music,” the “Red Dirt Girl” singer continued. “Her warmth and feeling just comes right through. There’s one song called “When She Signs That Line,” and we’ve all been through that. Wow. She tears me up. She puts it so beautifully.”

An Argument For Country and Against Pop Music

Emmylou Harris’s difficulty comprehending why the public would denounce Dolly Parton for her outlandish looks and distinct sound but not other artists, like David Bowie, had nothing to do with Bowie as a person. (After all, Harris was the first to admit she shouldn’t be so put off by the Ziggy Stardust creator.) Her argument had more to do with the paradoxical criticism of country music versus pop music.

“Country music has really been looked down upon until the last few years as real redneck music,” Harris said. “Music of illiterate and prejudiced people. Southern music was considered to be bigoted music, even though what it was actually about was basic things like love and death and adultery and lovin’ somebody who don’t love you back. Pop music was so full of metaphors and disguises. But the Southern people had their music and didn’t care if it was looked down upon.”

“The fact that it’s accepted now, I’m not sure whether it’s because of the watered down crossover stuff being labeled as country, or whether it’s because of young people getting into the real country music by coming in through the back door.” Real music, Harris might say, like Dolly herself. Twelve years after this interview, Harris, Parton, and Linda Ronstadt released their first collaborative album, Trio.

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