Roots

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Roots music encompasses a variety of different styles that, over the decades, have evolved into the many different genres prevalent today. Roots music can be any traditional music, in this case, American music. Some styles that will be discussed are Folk Music, Blues, Country Music, Gospel, and Rockabilly. American roots music is responsible for virtually all American music of the last half-century. In addition to Roots Music being a musical force, it has also proven multiple times, that it is a viable political force. Roots music was prevalent during the civil rights movement, womens liberation, Vietnam, New Orleans and everywhere in between.


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Ok. It doesn't really fit into my project at all...but I feel that I need to take this opportunity to honor the late and great Bo Diddley. He wasn't necessarily a roots musician, but he does embody everything the roots of Rock and Roll stand for. He was a black man playing a revolutionary form of music and I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't pay tribute to this musical pioneer. He represents everything I love about Rock and Roll and now he's gone. He joins the ranks of Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Joe Strummer, Joey Ramone, John Lennon, Woody Guthrie...and countless others. I do no know what I will do without them. At least I have their music.

I request a moment of silence for Bo Diddley


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   Folk

Folk music is generally considered to be more or less everything roots music is. However, more specifically, I classify Folk music as being music of the people. This can include standards sung between family and family through many generations. To put it simply, Folk music is the music of the common man. It is not targeted toward any particular race, class, or religion, though most Folk music is about, and is for, the working class. From there, it can be divided into as many sub genres as one may wish. For this presentation, Folk music will be presented as any music that was in existence before Rock and Roll, and that is explicitly American, largely acoustic, and lyrically driven.

                                                Woody Guthrie 

Born in 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma, Woody Guthrie lead an adventurous yet ultimately tragic life. His musical legacy is far reaching, influencing such folk superstars as Bob Dylan, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Joan Baez, as well as virtually every other folk act that followed. Though most of Guthrie's work was written during the thirties and forties, his legacy is far too great not to discuss. Many of his songs relate to his experiences in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Guthrie had many socialist ideals and frequently wrote about them. He was frequently associated with the communist movement in America, but was never actually a member of the party. In 1956 Guthrie's health began to slip very quickly. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia, alcoholism, and a number of other disorders until it was discovered that he had Huntington's disease. He spent the last years of his life in several mental hospitals, and died at the age of 55 at the Creedmoor Psychiatric center. Hearing of Guthrie's failing health and devastated at his idol's predicament, Bob Dylan wrote a song for Guthrie and visited him in the hospital six weeks before his death. Guthrie was married three times and was survived by eight children, most notably, Arlo Guthrie.

Woody Guthrie's best known song is probably "This Land is Your Land" written in 1940, though it wasn't professionally recorded until 1956. It was written in response to "God Bless America," a song Guthrie believed to be unrealistic and without substance. The origins of the tune itself are somewhat debatable. Many say it was lifted from a Baptist him recorded by the Carter Family in the early thirties. Some also say it was copied from the Carter Family original "Little Darlin' Pal of Mine." Regardless of the origins of the melody, the song is arguably America's most well known folk songs, sung in schools all over the country.

Most of Guthrie's work was inspired by his vast travels throughout the country. At the age of 19, Guthrie began traveling with native Oklahomans or "okies" migrating to California for work during the Dust Bowl era of the Depression. This is where he was inspired to write his first songs such as "The Great Dust Storm," "Pretty Boy Floyd," and "Dust Can't Kill Me," which were about his travels with the band of working class migrants. In the late 30's he relocated to California where he found limited success as a radio broadcaster of folk music, earning enough to send back to his wife and three children in Texas. It was in New York City that Guthrie gained notoriety as a leftist folk singer and where he wrote "This Land is Your Land," as a very political song. He would then go on to travel to the Pacific Northwest and would write songs about the Grand Coulee Dam such as "Roll On Columbia Roll On," which would eventually become the state song of Washington State. After he Northwest, Guthrie moved to Greenwich village and formed The Almanac singers with Pete Seeger. He then began work on his legendary autobiography, Bound For Glory, which would go on to inspire Bob Dylan and a film released in 1976. He continued to write music until 1956.


                                                      Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger is one of America's most celebrated artists in the folk revival movement and is also one of the most important leftist political activists of the 20th century. Born in 1919 in Greenwich Village, New York, Seeger was born into a talented family, his father an esteemed musicologist, his mother a classical violinist, his stepmother a well-known classical music composer, and his siblings also had careers in music, most notably his half-brother, Mike Seeger, who played with The New Lost City Ramblers, another influential folk group.

Seeger has an accomplished list of songs, including the hit cover of the Leadbelly Song, "Good Night Irene," "If I had a Hammer," "Where Have all the Flowers Gone," and "Turn, Turn, Turn," the latter two of which would go on to become smash pop hits in the 1960's. Pete Seeger and The Weavers had a successful music career until they were blacklisted in the midst of the second Red Scare. Seeger was indicted for contempt of congress in 1957 when he refused to testify to HUAC about his involvement with the communist party, stating that it violated his first amendment rights. Despite the Blacklisting, Seeger's carreer eventually recovered and he would go on to be an innovative protest singer. He is also credited with writing the Civil Rights Movement anthem, "We Shall Overcome." Pete Seeger was also an early supporter and friend to Bob Dylan, though he was quite upset when Dylan performed at the Newport Folk Festival with an electric band in the summer of 1965. Seeger continues to be a political activist and songwriter at the age of 89.

                                               The New Lost City Ramblers

The New Lost City Ramblers (NLCR) are a legendary folk, and general roots band formed in 1958 in New York City as part of the oncoming Folk Revival. The band consists of Mike Seeger, John Cohen, and Tom Paley. NLCR gained notoriety by playing in a style of music prevalent in the 1920's and 30's south. Something new NLCR brought to the scene were gritty southern country and blues folk songs that were out of print by the time they began performing. They are also credited with being one of the longest running popular music groups along with The Kingston Trio. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were also great admirers of the group.


   'Rockabilly'

Rockabilly is a difficult music to discuss. In the 1950's there were many artists and groups that can be classified as either Rockabilly or Rock and Roll, and the line is quite fine. Gene Vincent and The Bluecaps, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry, Elvis (sigh), Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins can all be considered Rockabilly, but the majority are usually classified Rock and Roll, aside from Perkins and Cash. Since I don't want to infringe on other projects about Rock and Roll, I have decided to cut short my discussion of Rockabilly.

However, I very strongly consider Rockabilly to be a legitimate form of Roots music. If nothing else, Rockabilly is the root of Rock and Roll, and I believe that a distinction should be made between the two. An obvious example of the difference would be Rockabilly's use of the stand-up bass, something that would quickly fade when Rock and Roll came into full swing. Rockabilly is a unique blend of musical styles that are noticeably blurred in the more generalized Rock and Roll.


                                                       Carl Perkins

Carl Perkins was born in Tiptonville, Tennessee in 1932 to impoverished sharecroppers and would go on to be one of the greatest innovators of the Rockabilly sound, and still continues to have a prominent influence on Rock and Roll. At age six, Carl and his brother Jay would work twelve to fourteen hour days picking cotton for fifty cents a day. It was at this time that Perkin's interest in music began as he absorbed gospel hymns from the black workers he labored with in the cotton fields of Tennessee. After listening to the Grand Ole Opry, Carl asked his father for a guitar. The family was too poor to afford a guitar, so his father fashioned one for him out of a cigar box and a broomstick. Eventually, Carl's father would buy him an old, dented guitar from a neighbour going through tough times for about three dollars.

It was at this point that Carl began learning more about the guitar from black field worker named John Westbrook, or "Uncle John," as Carl called him. They became close friends. "Uncle John" was a man in his sixties who played blues and gospel tunes on an old, beat up acoustic. Now a famous anecdote, Uncle John told Carl to "Get down close to it. You can feel it travel down the strings, come through your head and down to your soul where you live. You can feel it. Let it vibrate."

Carl then formed his first band with his brothers Jay and Clayton. they quickly built up a reputation and frequently played at local Honky-Tonks. In 1954, Perkins signed to Sun Records and wrote the songs "Movie Magg," and "Turn Around," the latter would become a strong regional hit. Perkins soon would go on to play shows throughout the South with Elvis Presley. Elvis soon left Sun Records for RCA to pursue a more pop sound, and Perkins was now the star of Sun Reecords, soon to be followed by Johnny Cash.

In early 1956, Carl Perkins scored his one and only number one hit with "Blue Suede Shoes." (No! It's not Elvis!) It was number one on the Billboard Country charts, number two on the pop charts, and the only Country act to hit number three on the R&B charts, and was also a top ten hit in Europe. Soon after, Perkins would be involved in a near fatal car accident and was out of commission for weeks. It was at this point that Elvis Presley performed "Blue Suede Shoes" on the Milton Berle Show. Presley's version ultimately is much more famous, but it never charted as high as Perkin's.

After his recovery, Perkins recorded "Put Your Cat Clothes On,"You Can't Make Love To Somebody," and "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby." Perkins then went on tour with Chuck Berry and Frankie Lyon and the Teenagers, where he saw a fan bleeding from the chin after being shoved up against the stage. Carl was shocked, and stated, "It was dangerous. Lot of kids got hurt. There was a lot of rioting going on, just crazy, man! The music drove 'em insane." Perkins then immediately withdrew from the tour. IN 1956, Perkins recorded the Rockabilly classic "Matchbox" along with, "Dixie Fried/I'm Sorry, I'm Not Sorry," which would, decades later, become a hit for George Thorogood and The Destroyers.

IN 1958, Perkins moved to Columbia Records and recorded new songs such as "Jive at Five, "Anyway the Wind Blows," and "Sister Twister." Perkins would go on to be a popular performer throughout the sixties, and heavily influencing British Bands like The Beatles, and Eric Burdon and The Animals. The Beatles would go on to record "Matchbox," "Honey Don't," and "Everybody Wants To Be My Baby," after The Beatles asked his permission at a party in his honor in England.

Carl Perkins had, for years, struggled with alcohol abuse, and eventually went into recovery along with his friend and recording Partner Johnny Cash, who helped each other through their substance abuse battles. Perkins would go on to record hits with Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. In the 1980's during the Rockabilly revival, Perkins would perform and record with the Stray Cats.

Carl Perkins died at the age of 65 from throat cancer after suffering several strokes. Among those in attendance at the funeral at Lambuth University in 1998 were George Harrison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wynonna Judd, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. He was buried at Ridgecrest Cemetery in Jackson, Tennessee.


   Country/Hillbilly Music

Country music is a derivative of Appalachian folk music with other minor influences such as Celtic folk, and gospel. It's exact origins arre hard to determine since many of the genre's standard songs were passed down from generation to generation. But it did originate in Appalachia and was known as "Hillbilly" music until the 1940's when " music.Hillbilly" was deemed to degrading, and it was changed to Country. As Westward expansion continued, cowboys wrote their own tunes in the same style and their influence was added to the genre.

                                                    Johnny Cash

Everyone has seen "Walk The Line," so I don't believe it necessary to talk too much about Cash's life or his well known songs. Instead, I would like to focus on the influence he brought to popular American music. Cash is one of those rare artists who transcends genres in a way that so called "cross over" artists will never be able to achieve. Cash is grouped into several genres including Country, Rock and Roll, Folk, and Gospel. Like Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley, he grew up as an impoverished white man in the South. But unlike Perkins and Presley, Johnny Cash's songs addressed issues such as addiction,sorrow, redemption, justice, and rebelliousness. The songs were often dark and gloomy, in contrast with the lighthearted tone of many other Country and Rockabilly acts.

He earned the nickname "Man in Black," because of his favor towards black clothing, as well because of his subject matter, and of course, his famous song "Man in Black," a blatant social critique. He grew up poor, singing old gospel and slave songs with his family. This upbringing gave him the influence he would transform into almost five decades of music that only seemed to improve with age. His brand of Country Music would eventually become known as "Outlaw Country," which spawned troubadours like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings.

Johnny Cash himself was a Roots Music artist in the truest sense of the term. His musical influence is so vast that some even consider him to be his own genre. Musically, his early work helped define the Rockabilly sound as well as early Rock and Roll to later Rock. Beyond that, Cash has been a major influence on more than a few recently invented sub genres. These include (of course) the Rockabilly revival of the 1980's, Punk Rock, Psychobilly, Dark Wave, and Gothic/Industrial.

The early hardcore Punk band Social Distortion has always cited Cash as an influence and as the years went on their sound evolved into a Rockabilly Punk fusion that would become known as "cowpunk" or "greaser punk." The band even recorded a Punk Rock cover of the Cash/Carter classic "Ring of Fire." Psychobilly is a genre that blends country and Rockabilly with a loud, fast-paced Punk Rock beat while still using traditional Country and Rockabilly instruments like the stand-up bass and steel guitar. Dark Wave acts like Bahaus and Sisters of Mercy have always looked up to Cash's rebelliousness and ingenuity, though their sound does not echo Cash. Shortly before his death in 2003, Johnny Cash befriended Trent Reznor of the Industrial band Nine Inch Nails, and recorded a haunting version of NIN's "Hurt." "Hurt" would become Cash's final legacy, spawning a new generation of appreciation for his contribution to musical history.


                                                  Hank Williams

Born in 1923 in Mount Olive, Alabama, Hank Williams would become one of the greatest voices in early recored music history and influence hundreds of Country, Rock, and Folk artists in years to come. At fourteen years old Williams knew he wanted to be a musician. After school, he would stand outside the WSFA studios in Montgomery, Alabama, and play the guitar. He was invited to play on the air and the station instantly received hundreds of requests for the "singing kid."

He was offered his own radio show which quickly became a success. He then formed his own band called The Drifting Cowboys. The band's success was cut short as most of the members were drafted to fight in World War Two. Meanwhile, Hank Williams developed an overzealous taste for alcohol which would eventually get him fired from WSFA.

After William's dismissal from WSFA, he would go on to record eleven number one hits in what is normally considered an extrememly short career. In 1949 Hank Williams would become the only artist to receive six encores at The Grand Ole' Opry. From this point on, Hank Williams was a star, with Country, Blues, and soon to be Rock and Roll fans. He recorded dozens of more hits and eventually would be considered one of the greatest performers in history.

At the height of his fame, Williams was under almost complete control of drugs and alcohol. On January 1, 1953, on his way to a show in Canton, Ohio, Hank Williams, in the back of a limousine, injected himself with B12 and Morphine. Popular legend states that he also brought a bottle of whiskey, but this was actually false. Hank Williams was determined to prove to the record industry that he could be both responsible and sober. William's chauffeur discovered that Hank Williams was dead. Hank William's final song was called "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive."

                                                   Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline is considered to be one of the greatest female vocalists on the 20th century. Her career was brief, but during that short time, Cline would go on to become one of the world's most respected and revered female vocalists. Cline was born in 1932 in Winchester, Virginia, in a home of poor, working class parents. Her father deserted the family when Patsy was thirteen. It was at this point that Patsy developed a love for music, and found her singing voice. When Patsy Cline married in her early twenties, she realized that she was not cut out for domestic life. She married contractor Gerald Cline, who was uncomfortable with her desire for stardom, but there was also a considerable age difference. Patsy was not interested in the domestic life Gerald had planned for her.

Patsy Cline would go on to be a music superstar, attracting fans of County, Folk, Blues, and Rock and Roll. In March of 1963, Patsy Cline gave her final performance. Cline had long said that she felt a sense of impending doom and did not expect to live much longer. She was right. After her final performance, Patsy Cline boarded a flight to Nashville to be reunited with her family; the plane crashed and Patsy Cline was killed at the age of 30.

     Blues

The Blues is a style of music that predates every genre of American music except for traditional folk and classical. The Blues are responsible for Jazz, Rock and Roll, Hip Hop, as well as many other genres. The Blues, along with Jazz, are considered the only true forms of American music. After that, The Blues would go on to be a worldwide craze, initiating genres such as Jazz, and Rock and Roll to explode all across the world.

The Blues is a sound that was created by black slaves in America. it is derived from old slave, and gospel tunes, which continue to be a major influence on the genre today. The lyrics tend to have a somber, depressing tone, and along with the chord progression, gave it the name "Blues." Like Country music, Blues is a traditional style that can be traced back as early as the 1920's, though realistically, Blues were created decades before that. Blues was black music, as Country was white music; and the fusion of the two would become paramount to musical development of modern genres such as Rock and Roll, Hip Hop, and much of modern folk.

                                                       Muddy Waters

Muddy Water, born McKinley Morganfield in 1913 Mississippi, Muddy Waters would become one of the most important figures in twentieth century music. Waters's unique playing style is considered by many to be the basis of the British Invasion of the 1960's. Waters would become exceedingly popular during the 1950's with an unprecedented string of hits unheard of by a black artist at that time. He would only be rivaled by blues musician "Howlin' Wolf," whom he competed with for years.

Waters would soon become known as an international superstar, with his working class/slave songs, he was a performer who ignited an unprecidented amount of excitement and passion, as he blazed his way through trails previously thought to be unconquerable. During the early 1960's Muddy Waters found himself a new, enthusiastic audience in England. His popularity was now quickly spreading. However, Muddy waters grew distressed when he realized that many of his black fans were abandoning the genre as thousands of white fans took their place, adopting The Blues as a favorite.

Eventually, Rock and Roll took hold of the mainstream consciousness, and Muddy Waters faded. His song 1956's "I'm Ready" was his last hit. In 1967 Muddy Waters teamed up with Bo Diddley, Little Walter, and Howlin' Wolf to record to albums of Blues standards. He would go on to do other collaborations with other popular musicians, but Muddy Waters could never regain the sucess he had with his own songs years before. Blues were over. It was time for Rock and Roll.

Over the years, Muddy Waters staged several comeback specials, most notably with The Band in 1976. Despite the critical acclaim, he would never be able to replicate his early success as a straight Blues musician. Muddy Waters died at the age of 70 in 1983.


                                                       John Lee Hooker

Born in 1917, near Clarksdale, Mississippi into a sharecropper family, John Lee Hooker was raised on the music of his father, a Baptist preacher, who would allow him only to listen to religious hymns. In 1921, Hooker's parents divorced, and his mother remarried Blues musician William Moore, who owuld introduce John to the guitar and Blues music in general. In 1925, when JOhn's biological father died, he ran away from home and never returned. He reportadly never saw his mother and stepfather again.

Hooker's career began in 1948 when he recorded his first hit single, "Boogie Chillen," on Modern Records. However, during this time, Black musicians were payed very little for songs by record companies. To make a living, Joh Lee Hooker went to every record label he could find, and recorded songs under different names including "John Lee Booker," "Johnny Hooker," or "John Cooker." Even more remarkable than his songwriting ability, was the fact that Hooker wrote everything he knew while being completely illiterate.

Hooker himself never had much more success. Instead,it was his influence that brought him fame,rather than his songs. His unique playing style was very different than that of the popular "Chicago Blues" style. John Hooker reflected a rural Blues, or Country Blues style that would eventually make him much more influential than many of his contemporaries. John Lee Hooker died on June 21st 2001 at the age of 83.