The History of Country Music
The History of Country Music
Dr. Charles Hughes
Four Tuesdays: Sept. 7, 14, 28, Oct. 5 - Note: class does not meet Sept. 21
7:00 - 9:00 P.M. CT via Zoom
(Please note that this is two-hour course)
Tuition: $100
Register
Country music is one of the most important strains of American popular music, with a rich history that traces the broader story of the South and the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries. In this course, we’ll explore that history from Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to contemporary performers like Taylor Swift and Chris Stapleton. We’ll look at key artists and recordings, discuss important stylistic shifts, and think about some of the debates and controversies that have defined country from the beginning. Using a variety of materials, including plenty of music, we’ll think about this crucial music and its larger consequences.
Required text: Jocelyn Neal, Country Music: A Cultural and Stylistic History: Second Edition (Oxford University Press, 2018)
Charles Hughes, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin; Director, Lynne and Henry Turley Memphis Center