Black country singers

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Grant, May 7, 2003.

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  1. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Usually, when you ask a Black person under 50 about Black country singers, they will tell you that they don't exist, or that there are so few that no one knows about them.

    Ask most fans of traditional country about them and the only name they can come up with is Charley Pride. Sadly, because of a few reasons, some of the following artists, and others, are ignored or not included in country compilations or history books. None of the ones listed are not even classified as country, but that's what they are.

    What about Black country singers, or southern soul singers from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, like:

    Brook Benton
    Esther Phillips
    Dinah Washington
    George McCurn
    O.C. Smith
    Joe Tex
    Freddie North
    Clyde McPhatter
    Dobie Gray
    Joe Jeffery Group
    Bobby Hebb

    What are some others? Hell, i'll even throw in Lionel Ritche!

    I intend to create a CD-R comp of this largely neglected/forgotton/unknown group of fine singers and some of their hits. I think it would also be great if some reissue label would put out a compilation with these artists.
     
  2. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Ray Charles, country-soul.
     
  3. mudbone

    mudbone Gort Annaologist

    Location:
    Canada, O!
    Hi Grant, I found this:

    MARCH 2, 1998: During the past 12 months, African Americans have enjoyed heightened visibility in the country-music world. Warner Bros. Records and the Country Music Foundation recently released From Where I Stand The Black Experience in Country Music, a three-CD retrospective that chronicles the contributions that African Americans have been making to the idiom ever since Deford Bailey joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1926. February also saw the publication of Nashville author Pamela Foster's My Country The African Diaspora's Country Music Heritage, an encyclopedic look at the legacy of blacks in country music. Finally, two African American acts--male vocalist Trini Triggs and the Alabama band Wheels--signed record deals with Curb and Asylum, respectively, in 1997. Curb will be releasing Triggs' first single, "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi," a duet with black country pioneer Charley Pride, in late spring or early summer.

    http://weeklywire.com/ww/03-02-98/nash_music-local_view.html

    mud-
     
  4. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Very good! Can't forget brother Ray!
     
  5. Jamie Tate

    Jamie Tate New Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    There's a new artist on RCA that Bob Rock (Metallica) is producing. His name is Tebay Ottoah. I'm not sure when his record is coming out but they've been working on it for a year or so.
     
  6. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Oh man! Thanks Mud! I had NO idea! It's also funny that Bobby Hebb is credited as being the first Black person to perform in the Grand 'Ol Opry. Not exactly true now.

    I have been listening to a few of the aformentioned artists, and wondered why they are not classified as country. My parents listened to them, especially my dad because he is from the deep south. I have heard him singing old country tunes at times. Like my dad, I have a wide range of musical tastes that may seem surprising to some. Just a few years ago, I was totally ignorant of anything country, anf was prejudiced about it most of my life, particularly having grown up in the west listening to top 40 and soul music. All my life I listened to these artists and more and never had a clue. My favorite, Wilson Pickett? I had no clue.

    Anyway, I will seek out that collection! And, yes, my ears are opening up to the wonderful world of country!

    A co-worker has asked me to transfer his Reader's Digest country collection to CD-R. I actually have half the tunes on it already, but I love it! The LPs are clean, too!
     
  7. indy mike

    indy mike Forum Pest

    Big Al Downing of Georgia Slop and Down on the Farm fame (and he played piano for awhile in Wanda Jackson's RAB band, too)...
     
  8. lsupro

    lsupro King of Ignorers

    Location:
    Rocklin, CA
    Did we forget Charlie Pride?
     
  9. AKA

    AKA Senior Member

    Aaron Neville
     
  10. Cousin It

    Cousin It Senior Member

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Funny you should mention it but back in '98,I had a fascination with black country singers and found the Pamela Foster book and bought it.It is a self-published effort,it had stories on people trying to break into the biz like country and bluegrass singers,also DJ''s and promo people and people who were just fans like the 90 yr old woman whose favorite gospel singer was Johnny Cash.

    Here's a link for the track list of the box set,it's broken into 3 sections,pre-war blues/stringband stuff,50-70's R&B/soul covers and actual country performances.

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_3/103-9805051-8253403?v=glance&s=music
     
  11. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    There was Cleve Francis, who was signed with Liberty (Capitol Nashville) in the early 1990s. He became somewhat comfortable as a cardiologist, but decided to give it up, at least temporarily, to pursue a country music career.

    There also was Stoney Edwards, who had 15 country chart hits from 1971-80, the biggest of which was "She's My Rock."

    Otis Williams (of ".... and the Charms" fame) recorded some country music in the early 1970s. His group was called "Otis Williams and the Midnight Cowboys."
     
  12. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    DeFord Bailey was the first black to play on the Opry.
     
  13. Kevin W

    Kevin W Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Cincinnati,Oh
    Don't forget O.B Mclinton, who had a small hit with a cover of "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You"

    Also, Nat King Cole had some country sucess, not only with "Ramblin Rose", but with some King Cole trio songs too.
     
  14. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Nat's #1 country hit was "Straighten Up and Fly Right."
     
  15. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!


    Don't forget The Ballad Of Cat Ballou!
     
  16. guy incognito

    guy incognito Senior Member

    Location:
    Mee-chigan
    This month's No Depression magazine features a cover story about a long-lost black country/blues singer who performed under the name of "Little Miss Cornshucks" in the '40s and '50s.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Ed Bishop

    Ed Bishop Incredibly, I'm still here

    William Bell
    Solomon Burke
    James Carr
    Arthur Alexander
    Clarence Carter

    ED:cool:
     
  18. lsupro

    lsupro King of Ignorers

    Location:
    Rocklin, CA
    That's a stretch..... while he has done a few "country" songs he is known as an Adult Comtemporary and Louisiana music artist.

    One I can't stand mind you.... "voice of an Angel?"

    how about vibrato of a sick sheep....


    MY opinion... others may love him and that is perfectly fine..
     
  19. Kevin W

    Kevin W Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Cincinnati,Oh
    Lionel Ritchie had two songs that made the country charts, "Stuck On You" and "Deep River Woman', a duet with Alabama.

    Also, The Pointer Siters had a Country Hit with "Fairytale" and one of the sisters had a hit duet with Earl Thomas Conley.
     
  20. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Nick Tosches' book "Country" to some degree covers the topic of African American influence in country music. He states Deford Bailey (1899-1982) was the first African American singer to play the Opry, in 1928. Apparently Linda Martell was the first female African American singer to play the Opry, in 1969.
     
  21. peterC

    peterC Aussie Addict

    Location:
    sydney
    Al Green
    Toots Hibbert

    Not country singers as such, but their fondness for the genre is obvious.



    As for Aaron, it's not his fault if the media wants to label him in a certain way. For me, he has paid his dues and deserves every bit of praise that comes his way. A great artist.
     
  22. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Anita was the Pointer Sister who had a hit duet with Earl Thomas Conley. The song being "Too Many Times."
     
  23. Larry Naramore

    Larry Naramore Bonafied Knucklehead

    Location:
    Sun Valley, Calif.
  24. Chris M

    Chris M Senior Member In Memoriam

    What Bill said.

    Chris
     
  25. Larry Naramore

    Larry Naramore Bonafied Knucklehead

    Location:
    Sun Valley, Calif.
    Then we have Herb Jeffries the Bronze Buckeroo.
     
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