Jones, M. Jr. (1994, July 25). Tough times for honky-tonk. Newsweek, p. 54.

OVERVIEW

Country music is changing. Once "musically savvy hillbillies," like Hank Williams and Bill Monroe, country musicians are now new artists of "high culture," says Malcolm Jones, Jr. In an arena where it was allowed to "publicly poke fun at hillbillies," the country music scene has gained respectability. In terms of revenues, the change has been lucrative; in terms of art, some say it has been a disaster. "When country took the chip off its shoulder...it also forfeited a lot of its soul," says Jones, Jr. He feels there are no country performers today who are capable of matching the work of Hank Williams or Bill Monroe.

Colin Escott, a Hank Williams biographer, says that when guilty pleasures (cornball recitations, comedic wordplay, and sentimental situations) are welded to great themes, a unique American art emerges. Escott says, "Hank flirted with the banality of the obvious, but nearly always managed to sidestep it." Bill Monroe, who at 82 is still composing and performing, has showcased his talents in dozens of autobiographical songs. While these tunes rarely stray from the basics of hillbilly songwriting, they "deploy those clichés to serve a complex, often terrifying vision." The father of bluegrass, Monroe remains as icon to the old hillbilly defiance.

Before "new respectability" infiltrated country music and political correctness found a place in society, country musicians were common targets for jokes. The musicians’ comebacks were swift, packaged in musical retorts such as "Rednecks, White Socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer" or "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am." But the music is different today, and some feel that while the new country sound may sell better, it says less. "Country will not be done in by friends in low places but by new pals in high culture," says Jones, Jr.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Why has country music changed so much? Is it a simple change in musical tastes or an evolution based on potential commercial success?
2. What makes country music popular today?

IMPLICATIONS

Many who follow country music notice that the format has changed much since the old mountain ballads of The Carter Family. While some criticize country music for straying from its roots, it is obvious that the new style is appealing to a growing audience. Whether the changes have resulted from the industry’s drive toward commercialism or a simple desire to give the growing listenership what they want, it has become the fastest growing musical format in America.