Introduction
Country music is a genre often lost in the shuffle of influential American music, taking a backseat to more widely known standards such as rock and roll, hip hop, and jazz. However, a trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee is enough to enlighten even the most stubborn skeptic on the importance of the genre. Within the genre of modern country, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton are the two most influential figures due to their musical talents and innovative mindsets.
Country music is a hybrid form of music which is continually changing even today (Malone). It traces roots from Anglo Celtic and African American traditions combined with Southern culture. At its origins it fused a folksy, “hillbilly” sound with a more commercially viable, radio-ready sound. The main center of its birth and growth was Nashville, Tennessee. This southern city spurred the commercial growth of the genre through such institutions as the Country Music Awards and the Grand Ole’ Opry. Although Nashville provided a stable, nurturing environment for the young genre, both Nelson and Parton managed to find their success and grow their music by expanding beyond the city.
Musical Stylings
Both Nelson and Parton were able to differentiate themselves from the masses of ‘ordinary’ country musicians at the time by changing their music. Nelson’s biggest contribution to the sound of country music was in the way he set up his albums. The standard of the day dictated that albums have some hit songs interspersed between filler tracks, but Nelson used his albums to tell a story (Tucker). Similarly, Dolly Parton created her own signature type of country music through both crossing and combining a multitude of genres. Parton’s songs can be classified as an integration of bluegrass, Nashville Sound, gospel, and pop. The integration of these four specific genres, which differed in tonality, instruments, tempos, and melodies, created a nuanced, more diverse type of country music. Furthermore, instead of singing only one type of country music, Parton’s pieces each told a distinct story due to the fact that the topics of her songs varied from heartache to religion.
New Image
The other main similarity between Parton and Nelson was in their use of an unconventional image to distance themselves from the pack. In Willie’s case, he went completely against the business-style dress code of the day, sporting long hair (which he commonly braided), a casual shirt, jeans, and sneakers. In doing so, he separated himself from the Buddy-Holly lookalikes of country music and managed to connect with the youth of the hippie counterculture (Mellard). Parton decided to go a different route in creating her distinguished image. When Parton entered the country music realm in the 1960s, less than ten percent of top country singles were sung by women (Neal). Parton was a very business savvy woman quickly realizing that she needed to develop a unique way to gain attention from public audiences. She embodied excessive womanliness in that she was not afraid to show off her curves. Accentuation her big butt, large breasts, and overly stylized platinum wigs gave her an appeal which attracted more fans to country music (Wilson). She also wore sequined, body forming outfits distinguishing her from the typical country male star.
Dolly as a Businesswoman
These two artists did differ in some of the ways they made themselves famous. Although some think of Dolly as merely a dumb blonde, she is extremely successful due in large part to her intelligence as a businesswoman. After gaining some popularity, she realized that she was making very little money in the industry. Initially, she developed a unique image as a strategic business decision designed to increase her public appeal. She also integrated country and pop music to expand her career out of Nashville and gain greater fame and wealth (Oermmann and Bufwack). This commercialization of country changed the genre’s hillbilly stereotype.
Nelson as a Performer
The biggest thing that Nelson did individually to cement his place in the legend of country music was his dedication to performance. While Nashville at the time he arrived focused on selling records, Willie wanted to deliver his music to live audiences as much as possible. When he moved back to Texas, he started his own festivals: concerts lasting at least one day and consisting of multiple artists. Not only did these festivals bring mass exposure to himself, they also gave budding young musicians a chance to showcase their talents. Willie Nelson is best known in the realm of country music festivals for his 4th of July Picnics held annually, as well as the Farm Aid concert (Tucker). The changes outlined in the above passage only begin to scratch the surface of what Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson have meant to country music.
'On the Road Again'- Willie Nelson
by Alex Metz and Alyssa Reiff
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Tucker, Stephen R. "Progressive Country Music 1972-76: Its Impact and Creative Highlights." Southern Quarterly 22.3 (1984): 93-110. Print.
Wilson, Pamela. "Mountains of Contradictions: Gender, Class, Region and the Star Image of Dolly Parton." The South Atlantic Quarterly (1995): 110-131.
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