Urban vs. Rural Dichotomy
Part 1: Early & Classic
Country Music
 In this section we’ll be looking at:
Going back to the dichotomy between rural vs. urban culture
with a focus on the rural aspect
Looking at how country music became the spirit of
“individualism”
Major artists coming out of country who would influence
much of pop music
Urban vs. Rural
American Identity (1939-1945)
The Wild West!
 Americans, both urban
and rural “romanticize”
the simpler times of the
wild west
 “Hillbilly” music of the
1930s comes to be known
as country and western
music
Urban vs. Rural
American Identity (1939-1945)
 “Rugged
Individualism”
 The success of “countrywestern” music became an
important part of U.S.
identity
 19th century westward
expansion was part of
“ethno centric” Anglo
American culture
 Americans learned to put
much value on the idea of
the “rugged individual”
Turning Country Music into Success
Gene Autry: The singing
Cowboy
“It ain’t in the country
no’ more!”
 Stars like Gene Autry, Will
Rogers, Roy Rogers made it big
portraying a sparkling version
of the 19th century image on
radio and TV
 "Back in the Saddle Again"
Turning Country Music into Success
Gene Autry: The singing
Cowboy
“It ain’t in the country
no’ more!”
 Gene Autry made country
popular by appealing to the
public with sincere songs of
the struggles of the man in the
west
 He was on TV, film, and radio
 Only entertainer to have a
“Hollywood star” for music,
radio, TV and film in history
Other Famous Country Stars…
Roy Acuff
 "Freight Train Blues"
Hank Williams
 "Your Cheatin Heart"
And In Comes the Man in Black…
Johnny Cash
 Earlier stars of country
were very “polished”
artists with “clean cut”
looks and sound
 Music that Mom and Dad
and little sister can listen
to…Cash was the
opposite…
 "Cry Cry Cry"
Changing the Look, Sound, &
Attitude of Country
 The “Bad Boy” of Country
 Cash brought a new texture
and attitude to country music
 Singing about the “real”
struggle and blues of the
working man
 Lyrics depicted the tough life
he led with pain, sorrow,
regret, & loss
 This had mass appeal to a wide
audience of listeners and
musicians
 "Ring of Fire"
The Bad Boy of Country
 From an affair with fellow
singer June Carter while
being married w/ kids
 Arrest for smuggling drugs
from Mexico
 Public drunkednness
 Signing a new record
contract giving him ALL
royalties for his songs
 To dressing in ALL BLACK
 A big F You to the world!
 "Folsom Prison Blues"
Influence on modern music
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 “American” Recordings
"Hurt"
"One“
"Personal Jesus“
A total of SIX albums
Produced by Rick Rubin,
founder of Def Jam Records
 American V & VI released
after death
 American VI- Last album
Urban vs. Rural Dichotomy
Part 2: Blues Music
What we’ll be looking at with The
Blues…
 Comparing and contrasting the
urban vs rural issue with Blues
vs. Country
 Rural migration from the South
to urban centers like Chicago
influenced the new sound
 Rise of the Black middle class
 Rise of the Black Blues music
scene
 Country Blues vs. Urban Blues
African American Musicians During
World War II
Keeping the party going…
Not let into the party
anymore…
 Black bandleaders and singers
contd to record and perform
successfully
 Two types of records developed
 Pop Music recorded by white
performers…And…
 “Race Music”- music recorded
by Black artists usually for Black
audience
 With the rise of Frank Sinatra,
Glen Miller, & Gene Autry…
 “Race Music” was not given
that much attention anymore
 Younger Black jazz and blues
performers were left out of the
successes
Post War Segregation
 The U.S. for millions of African
Americans was very different
than the economic and cultural
boom that Whites were
enjoying
 Nationwide laws supporting
segregationist communities
and city planning produce a
divided economy
 Enriching white suburban
families and impoverishing
black urban and rural families
The move from Mississippi to
Chicago…
 Returning black soldiers
find it hard to adjust to
new world post war.
 Many families in the
South decide to move to
urban centers like
Chicago to work in
factories as farms were
going out of business
The New Black Economy…
 Neighborhoods in cities like Chicago
now have loads of new rural
immigrants from the South
 Some African American families find
success and become the new Black
Middle Class, filled with workers,
merchants, etc
 These new consumers need
entertainment…they have the
money & time to consume
 But, at the same time the Ghettos
are filled with struggling Black
families…some have talented young
black musicians, anxious to find a
way out of poverty…
Birthplace of the Blues
-The Mississippi Delta
Structure and Sound of the Blues
 Basic Guitar Chords
 12 Bar Blues
Some of the early Blues artists from
the South…
Robert Johnson
 "Crossroad"
Muddy Waters
 "Country Blues"
Rise of Record Row
 Chicago became the HQ of
black, young talented
musicians, itching to record
 African Americans needed
entertainment that spoke to
them culturally, not the
white artists
 White music business folk
saw a great opportunity
Chess Records
 People like Leonard Chess
opened up a recording
studio to cater to black
musicians for black
audiences
 “Race Music” now had its
sound & audience
 All it needed was talent…
Chess Records Talent
Writer & Composer:
Willie Dixon
Owner
Leonard Chess
Chess Records Talent
Muddy Waters
 "Hoochie Coochie Man"
Little Walter
 "My Babe"
Grandfather of Rock N Roll…
Chuck Berry
 "Johnny B Goode"
The Influence..
 With these new set of young
Black talent, Chess Records,
along with many more record
companies, established one of
the most important musical eras
in the U.S.
 This era produced some of the
most influential artists on
American music, as well as the
rest of the world
Chess Records Talent
Howlin Wolf
 "Moanin' at Midnight"
Etta James
 "All I Could Was Cry"
Influences on Amer Pop Music
Examples of the Influence of Blues:
Eric Clapton
Stevie Ray Vaughn
John Mayer
Black Keys
White Stripes
Gary Clark Jr.
Alabama Shakes