The Beginnings
By: Roughstock Staff
Although musicians had been recording fiddle tunes (known as Old Time Music at that time) in the southern Appalachians for several years, country music truly found its footing in the early 1920s. The first commercial recording of "country music" was "Sallie Gooden" by fiddlist A.C. (Eck) Robertson in 1922 for Victor Records. In 1923,Fiddlin' John Carson recorded "Little Log Cabin in the Lane" for Okeh Records. Columbia Records followed suit in 1924 with a series of releases, and Vernon Dalhart was the first country singer to have a nationwide hit in May of 1924 with "Wreck of the Old '97.” In 1925, The Skillet Lickers were formed, and "The Dying Cowboy" by Carl T.Sprague was the top country record.
The most significant date in the creation of country music was August 1, 1927, when, in Bristol, Tennessee, record executive Ralph Peer signed Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to Victor Records. These two recording acts, Rodgers with his unique singing style and the Carters with their extensive recordings of old-time music, built the foundation for the genre.
James Charles Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music," was born in Meridian, Mississippi on September 8, 1897. An amateur entertainer for many years, he became a serious performer in 1925 after retiring from the railroad due to poor health. In 1926, Rodgers and Carrie, his wife of six years, moved to Asheville, North Carolina, and organized the Jimmie Rodgers' Entertainers, a hillbilly band comprising Jack Pierce (guitar), Jack Grant (mandolin/banjo), Claude Grant (banjo), and Rodgers himself (banjo).
In late July 1927, Rodgers' band mates learned that Ralph Peer, a representative of the Victor Talking Machine Company, would be in Bristol auditioning local musicians. Rodgers and the group auditioned and Peer, impressed with their sound, agreed to record them the next day. That night, as the band discussed how they would be billed on the record, an argument ensued; the band broke up, and Rodgers arrived at the recording session alone.
Rodgers chose a sentimental ballad, "The Soldier's Sweetheart," (Listen Here) and a lullaby, "Sleep, Baby, Sleep," (Listen Here) as his songs for the session. The record met with instant acclaim, and Victor asked Rodgers to record more cuts throughout 1927, including "Waitin' For A Train" (watch here) and "Blue Yodel # 1" (better known as "T for Texas") (Listen Here), which sold over a million records and established Rodgers as the premier singer of early country music. Rodgers, who died in 1933 at age 35, never appeared on any major radio show or played the Grand Ole Opry during his lifetime, but his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 demonstrated his significant influence on the genre. His impact was not reduced to country, as he was also a major contributor to blues and folk music. Rodgers was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
The Carters received richly-deserved honors as well. They were also elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, in 1970, and the Grammy Hall of Fame, and earned the nickname "The First Family of Country Music," a tribute
to their innovative sound and a profound work ethic that propelled them to the top of popular music for the better part of two decades. The original group consisted of Alvin Pleasant "A.P." Carter, his wife Sara Carter, and his sister-in-law Maybelle Carter. All three were born and raised in southwestern Virginia, where they were immersed in the tight harmonies of mountain gospel music. A.P. collected hundreds of British/Appalachian folk songs and arranged them for recording; his tireless travels in search of these songs not only saved them for future generations, but the music became synonymous with the Carter name.
Their first recording session was also for Peer, and it occurred shortly after Rodgers' set in July 1927; the Carter family completed six songs for Peer, including "Single Girl, Married Girl." (Listen Here) Soon, they would be one of the most prominent musical acts in the United States with other hits like "Keep On The Sunny Side" (Listen Here) and "Wildwood Flower" (watch here). At the time, the guitar was rarely used as a lead or solo instrument among white muisicians, but Maybelle's distinctive, "scratch style" picking (she played melody on the bass lines with her thumb while rhythmically strumming with her fingers) became a popular technique for musicians of the time. By the end of 1930, they had sold 300,000 records, but the Great Depression greatly affected their income; the Carters were unable to play concerts in cities across the U.S. due to increased recording costs and general economic hardships.
In spite of their achievements, however, the Carters never experienced the financial success of Jimmie Rodgers or The Singing Cowboy Gene Autry (who debuted in 1929), both of whom entertained audiences of network radio, Hollywood films and big-time vaudeville. During the 1930s cowboy songs, or "Western music,“ were popularized by films made in Hollywood, sending Autry into stardom (he would claim the top country record of the year on four occasions in the 1930s).
This fame and fortune eluded the Carters, and their personal struggles only complicated matters. Sara and A.P. divorced in 1936, but c
ontinued working together in the group, which now included Anita, June, and Helen (Maybelle's three daughters with A.P.'s brother, Ezra) and Janette and Joe (Sara and A.P.'s children). From 1936-39, the family recorded for Decca, followed by stints at Columbia and Victor. In the winter of 1938-39, the Carter Family traveled to Texas, where they had a twice-daily program on the radio station in Villa Acuña, Mexico, across the border from Del Rio, Texas. In the 1939-40 season, June Carter (middle daughter of Ezra and Maybelle) joined the group, which was now in San Antonio, where their programs were prerecorded and distributed to multiple border radio stations. In late 1942, the Carters moved their program to Charlotte, North Carolina. The last recording session by the original Carter Family took place on October 14, 1941; Sara married A.P.'s cousin in 1943, moved to California, and the group disbanded. Maybelle continued to perform with her daughters, Anita, June, and Helen, as "Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters" into the 1970s.
Although artists experienced a sharp decline in record sales during the Great Depression, these increasingly popular mediums continued to flourish. Radio broadcasting also became a popular source of entertainment, and "barn dance" shows featuring country music were started all over the South. The most important of these shows was the Grand Ole Opry, first broadcast in 1925 on the newly-formed WSM Radio. Early stars included Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Acuff, and African American harmonica player DeFord Bailey.
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I meant Vermon's recording "wasn't" nationally distributed but....
Robin says:
Posted: Monday, March 8, 2010
William - you seem to be quit knowledgeable. I'm trying to find information on why Jimmie Rodgers is considered the Father of Country music instead of Vernon Dalhart? So, it seems Vernons recording was "nationally distributed", but it sold a million copies and he continued to make music. Rodgers died in 33 so I'm confused as to why Dalhart is considered the "Father of Country Music".
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My farther made a record back in the 20's by victor records and I would love to be able to find it. His name was Thomas Jackson nick names Sunny or cowboy Jackson. From Massachusetts, but he travled cross country doing trick ridding in rodeos. If any one has heard of him or knows anything please pass it on.
Kawanna says:
Posted: Monday, December 28, 2009
Just came across this site. My grandfather, Fred "Pappy" Rice started a family band in 1934 called the Echo Valley Boys. They had a radio show in the midwest from 1938 - 1942 and then when his sons returned from the war from 1946-1949. My father, Ray Rice, brought the Grand Ole Opry road show to our town in 1948. He also played with Curly Coliron and the Circle C Boys in the Chicago area. I inherited two complete radio programs on stainless steel tapes from 1941 and 1946 that have been recorded on cd, plus 78's. The music lives on. What a treat to hear your 47 yr old grandfather singing, or your 17 and 16 yr old father and uncle and 14 year old aunt singing together in that perfect "blood" harmony as Vince Gill calls it. The band continued performing until 1995 when my father couldn't book a year in advance any longer due to his health. The Carters and Rodgers may be the most famous but certainly not the only performers worthy of remembering.
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Posted: Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Greetings from Pembroke Georgia. I really enjoyed your story about Jimmie Rodgers and the Carters. It brought back fond memories of my Dad and Uncles playing their songs at cane grindings and peanut boilings around Garfield Georgia when I was a kid. My Dad could play a guitar just like Jimmie Rodgers. All we had back then was an old floor model radio that we gathered around to listen to the Grand Ole Opry.
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Posted: Wednesday, September 2, 2009
greetings from kelowna, b.c. canada does anybody know the five other songs(besides single girl, married girl)that the carter family recorded at the historic session in bristol, tenn on aug.1,1927. thank you robert cosar robertjcosar@hotmail.com (250)762-4054
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Posted: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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Posted: Tuesday, June 16, 2009
i am looking for the words to an old song my dad used to sing to us when we were little. i only remember part of it: i won't go hunting with you jake, but i'll go chasing women. is there anyone out there who's heard this or remembers this song, and the artist who sang it?
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Posted: Sunday, June 14, 2009
I was going through some old jewelry that belonged to my husbands great grandmother. I came across an old key chain. On one side it has "Bristol Virginia Tennessee". On the other side it reads "Commemorating the first Country & Western record cut for national distribution by The Carter Family & Jimmie Rodgers August 2, 1927". Does anyone have any information of this item? We would like to know how old this item is.
William says:
Posted: Wednesday, June 10, 2009
This article sure makes a lot of assumptions and focuses too much on Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family and Ralph Peer. It only makes a passing mention of Vernon Dalhart, the Skillet Lickers (with no mention of Gid Tanner or Riley Pucket) Dave Macon and a few others. There is no mention of Charlie Poole and many other artists who may have not contributed quite as much as Rodgers or the Carter Family, but who contributed a lot just the same. Give credit where credit is due; if not for all the other early country music artists it would never have had much popularity.
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