American folk music, also known as Americana, is a broad category of music including Native American music, Bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Tejano and Cajun. The music is considered "American" because it is either native to the United States or there varied enough from its origins that it struck musicologists as something distinctly new; it is considered "roots music" because it served as the basis of music later developed in the United States, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and jazz. The United States is home to a wide array of regional styles and scenes. ... The music history of the United States includes many styles of folk, popular and classical music. ... Categories: Timelines of music | Periods of American music ... The upper-class during the colonial era promoted ensembles who played serenades, feldparthien and divertimenti, such as those composed by Mozart and Haydn. ... From independence to the start of the Civil War, American music underwent many changes. ... The music history of the United States during the Civil War was an important period in the development of American music. ... The latter part of the 19th century saw the increased popularization of African American music and the growth and maturity of folk styles like the blues. ... // Native Americans Main article: Native American music Modern Native American pow-wows arose around the turn of the 20th century. ... Many musical styles flourished and combined in the 1940s and 1950s, most likely because of the influence of radio had in creating a mass market for music. ... The 1960s was a tumultuous period for the United States, with the Cold War, Vietnam War and Civil Rights causing massive public unrest. ... The 1980s saw New Wave entering the year as the single biggest mainstream market, with heavy metal, punk rock and hardcore punk, and hip hop achieving increased crossover success. ... American classical music refers to music written in the United States but in the European classical music tradition. ... American roots music is a broad category of music including country music, bluegrass, gospel, ragtime, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Tejano and Cajun and Native American music. ... The first major American popular songwriter, Stephen Foster Even before the birth of recorded music, American popular music had a profound effect on music across the world. ... Subway graffiti The United States was the nation of origin of hip hop, a cultural movement that began in the 1970s in New York City, among primarily African American and Hispanic audiences. ... American Pop is a 1981 American animated film directed by Ralph Bakshi. ... // 1950s Covers: Early 50s Through the late 1940s and early 1950s, rhythm and blues music had been gaining a stronger beat and a wilder style, with artists such as Fats Domino and Johnny Otis speeding up the tempos and increasing the backbeat to great popularity on the juke-joint circuit. ... Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards), presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music... The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... A music festival is a festival that presents a number of musical performances usually tied together through a theme or genre. ... The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana. ... Lollapalooza is an American touring music festival featuring alternative rock, rap, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. ... Ozzfest is an annual tour of the United States and Europe featuring performances by many heavy metal groups. ... The Monterey Jazz Festival is a yearly festival of jazz music that takes place at the Monterey Fairgrounds in Monterey, California the third full weekend in September. ... Spin is a music magazine that reports on all the music that rocks. Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. ... Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music, politics and popular culture. ... Janet Jackson on the cover of Vibe in 1998. ... Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to jazz. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... MTV (Music Television) is a cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... VH1 (spelled VH-1 (Video Hits One) until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment (at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV, which originally came up with the idea of the channel). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Nicholson took the copy Key had given him to a printer, who published it as a broadside on 17 September, 1814 under the title “Defence of Fort McHenry,” with a note explaining the circumstances of its writing. ... Each state in the United States (except New Jersey) has a state song, selected by the state legislature as a symbol of the state. ... There are hundreds of tribes of Native Americans (called the First Nations in Canada), each with diverse musical practices, spread across the United States and Canada (excluding Hawaiian music). ... The Thirteen Colonies of the original United States were all former English possessions, and Anglo culture became a major foundation for American folk and popular music. ... West Virginia fiddler Edwin Edden Hammons, with unidentified banjo player Old-time music is a form of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, most notably: England, Scotland, Ireland, and the African continent. ... Poster from the Western Music, directly related to the old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads, was originally composed by and about the people settling and working in the American West and western Canada. ... African American music (also called black music, formerly known as race music) is an umbrella term given to a range of musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. ... Irish and Scottish music have long been a major part of American music, at least as far back as the 19th century. ... Latin music has long influenced American popular music, jazz, rhythm and blues,rock and even country music. ... Tejano[1] (Spanish for Texan) or Tex-Mex[2] music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-descended Tejanos of Central and South Texas. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. ... The vast majority of the inhabitants of the United States are immigrants or descendents of immigrants. ... Alaska is a state of the United States. ... Alabama has played a central role in the development of both blues and country music. ... Arkansas is a Southern state of the United States. ... The Samoas are a Polynesian island chain, currently divided between the independent state of Samoa (formerly Western Samoa) and an American territory called American Samoa. ... Arizonas musical history has been heavily influenced by Mexican immigrants. ... In the United States, California is commonly associated with the film, music, and arts industries; there are numerous world-famous Californian musicians. ... Colorado is a state of the United States. ... Connecticut is a state of the United States in the New England region. ... The music of Washington D.C. is known for two primary scenes, hardcore and associated derivatives and a hip hop-dance music hybrid called go go. ... Delaware is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. ... Floridas ethnic diversity has led to a myriad of musical styles from punk rock to salsa and heavy metal being popular in various parts of the state. ... The Sacred Harp, first published in 1844, was compiled and produced by Georgians Benjamin Franklin White and Elisha J. King. ... Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States. ... The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. ... Music of Iowa Notable musicians from Iowa include Bix Beiderbecke and Greg Brown. ... Idaho has produced a number of musicians, including pop star Paul Revere and Doug Martsch of Built to Spill. ... Illinois, which includes Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, has a wide musical heritage. ... The music of Indiana was strongly influenced by a large number of German and Irish immigrants who arrived in the 1830s. ... For many decades, Kansas has had a vibrant country and bluegrass scene. ... The Music of Kentucky is heavily centered on Appalachian folk music and its descendants, especially in eastern Kentucky. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... New England Conservatory of Music in Boston Massachusetts is a U.S. state in New England. ... Famous musicians from Maryland include Francis Scott Key, who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner and pop punksters Good Charlotte, from Waldorf. ... Maine is a state of the United States, located in New England. ... In Michigan, the city of Detroit has remained the capital of musical innovation for many years. ... The music of Minnesota has played a role in the historical and cultural development of Minnesota. ... St. ... The Northern Mariana Islands are an island chain dependency of the United States. ... Mississippi is best-known as the home of the blues, which developed among the freed African Americans in the latter half of the 19th century. ... Montana is a state of the United States. ... Most influentially, North Carolina country musicians like the North Carolina Ramblers helped solidify the sound of country in the late 1920s. ... The Music of North Dakota has followed general American trends over much of its history, beginning with ragtime and folk music, moving into big band and jazz. ... Among the most famous Nebraskan artists are Little Joe & the Ramrods, a rock band, and Dickey Lee, a Nashville songwriter. ... New Hampshire is a state of the United States, located in the New England region. ... New Mexico is a state of the Southwest United States. ... For most outsiders, Nevadan music is probably most closely associated with lounge singers like Wayne Newton playing in Las Vegas. ... The biggest superstar from New Jersey is probably Bruce Springsteen, who became a 1980s icon with complex lyrical stories about teens growing up in Freehold and other economically depressed areas of New Jersey. ... In the United States, New York City has long been a musical hub and, in some ways, the musical capital of the country. ... The most famous musicians from Ohio are probably Marilyn Manson, Dean Martin and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders; the 19th century composer Daniel Emmett, born in Ohio to a Virginian family, wrote many of the most popular songs in his era, including some that remain well-known. ... While the music of Oklahoma is relatively young, Oklahoma having been a state for less than a hundred years, it has a rich history and many fine musicians. ... Oregons music scene is most active in Portland and the college town of Eugene. ... The most famous musical innovaters to come out of Pennsylvania are perhaps the Philly sound in 1970s soul music, Gamble & Huff, The OJays, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin and The Delphonics, as well as jazz legends like Nina Simone and John Coltrane. ... The music of Puerto Rico has been influenced by African and European (especially Spanish) forms, and has become popular across the Caribbean and in some communities worldwide. ... Rhode Island is a state of the United States, located in the New England region. ... South Carolina is one of the Southern United States, and has produced a number of renowned performers of country, bluegrass and other styles. ... The United States state of South Dakota has an official state song, Hail! South Dakota, written by DeeCort Hammitt. ... The story of Tennessees contribution to American music is essentially the story of two cities: Nashville and Memphis. ... Texas has long been a center for musical innovation. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Virginias musical contribution to American culture has been diverse, and includes Piedmont blues musicians and later rock and roll bands, many centered around college towns like Blacksburg, Charlottesville (home of Dave Matthews Band) and Richmond. ... The Virgin Islands are partially controlled by the United Kingdom and the United States, and have had long-standing cultural ties to the island nations to the south as well as to various European colonialists. ... Vermont is a state in the United States. ... The U.S. state of Washington includes several major hotbeds of musical innovation. ... Perhaps the most influential musical output of Wisconsin came from Port Washington, Ozaukee County during the 1920s, when Paramount Records released a series of blues and jazz recordings. ... West Virginias folk heritage is a part of the Appalachian folk music tradition, and includes styles of fiddling and other techniques reminiscent of Scotch-Irish music. ... The first music of Wyoming was played by various Native Americans tribes in the present-day U.S. state of Wyoming. ... There are hundreds of tribes of Native Americans (called the First Nations in Canada), each with diverse musical practices, spread across the United States and Canada (excluding Hawaiian music). ... Bluegrass music is considered a form of American roots music with its own roots in English, Irish and Scottish traditional music. ... country music, see Country music (disambiguation) Country music, also known as country and western music or country-western, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States. ... Gospel music may refer either to the religious music that first came out of African-American churches in the 1930s or, more loosely, to both black gospel music and to the religious music composed and sung by white southern Christian artists. ... Old-time music, a traditional style of American music, has roots in Irish, Scottish and African folk music. ... A jug band is a band employing a jug player and a mix of traditional and home-made instruments. ... Appalachian folk music is a distinctive genre of folk music originating in the Appalachia region of the United States of America. ... Blues music redirects here. ... Tejano is also the name given to Texans of Mexican or Spanish origin. ... Cajun music, an emblematic music of Louisiana, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Catholics of Canada. ... A musicologist is someone who studies musicology. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Rhythm and blues (aka R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences — first performed by African American artists. ... Jazz is an original American musical art form that originated around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans, rooted in African American musical styles blended with Western music technique and theory. ...

Roots musical forms reached their most expressive and varied forms in the first two to three decades of the 20th century. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl were extremely important in disseminating these musical styles to the rest of the country, as Delta blues masters, itinerant honky tonk singers and Latino and Cajun musicians spread to cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. The growth of the recording industry in the same approximate period was also important; increased possible profits from music placed pressure on artists, songwriters and label executives to replicate previous hit songs. This meant that fads like Hawaiian slack-key guitar never died out completely as rhythms or instruments or vocal stylings were incorporated into disparate genres. By the 1950s, all the forms of roots music had led to pop-oriented forms. Folk musicians like the Kingston Trio, pop-Tejano and Cuban-American fusions like boogaloo, chachacha and mambo, blues-derived rock and roll and rockabilly, pop-gospel, doo wop and R&B (later secularized further as soul music) and the Nashville sound in country music all modernized and expanded the musical palette of the country. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... The Great Depression was an economic downturn which started in 1929 (although its effects were not but felt until late 1930) and lasted through most of the 1930s. ... Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas, in 1935. ... Delta blues are named for the Mississippi Delta. ... Honky tonk was originally the name of a type of bar common throughout the southern United States, also Honkatonk or Honkey-tonk. ... Nickname: The Windy City, The Second City, Chi Town Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in Chicagoland and Illinois Coordinates: Country United States State Illinois County Cook Incorporated March 4, 1837 Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area    - City 606. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area    - City 1,290. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... In the early years of the phonograph in the late 19th century, the music industry was dominated by the publishers of sheet music. ... -1... Slack key guitar is a style of guitar fingerpicking that originated in Hawaii. ... The 1950s was the decade spanning the years 1950 to 1959. ... The Kingston Trio is an American folk group, perhaps the single most prominent one. ... Much confusion exists regarding the identity of those who are called Tejanos. A Tejano today is classified as a Mexican Texan or a Texan of Mexican heritage. While this classification would correctly identify the new Tejanos; those people from Texas whose ancestors came from Mexico beginning in the period of... Boogaloo (shing-a-ling, popcorn music) is a genre of Latin music and dance that was very popular in the United States in the late 1960s. ... For the dance, see Cha-cha-cha (dance). ... For other uses, see Mambo (disambiguation). ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... 1950s Rockabilly book by Harlan Ellison Rockabilly is one of the earliest forms of rock and roll as a distinct style of music. ... Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music popular in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s in America. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... The Nashville sound in country music arose during the 1950s in the United States. ...

Notable roots musicians include Old Crow Medicine Show, Ralph Stanley, Woody Guthrie, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly, Hazel Dickens, Mahalia Jackson, Washington Phillips, Fiddlin' John Carson (1868 - 1949) Jean Ritchie, and Ani DiFranco (b 1970). More recent musicians who occasionally or consistently play roots music include Keb' Mo', Ralph Stanley, Pete Seeger, Iron & Wine, and Ricky Skaggs. Additionally, the soundtrack to the 2000 comedy film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is exclusively roots music, performed by Alison Krauss, The Fairfield Four, Emmylou Harris, Norman Blake and others. The 2003 film A Mighty Wind is a tribute to (and parody of) the folk-pop musicians of the early 1960s. , self-titled album Old Crow Medicine Show is a folk/country group from Nashville, Tennessee. ... Ralph Stanley Ralph Stanley (born in 25 February 1927) is an American bluegrass musician. ... Woody Guthrie with Guitar Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912–October 3, 1967), known as Woody Guthrie was an influential and prolific American folk musician noted for his identification with the common man, the poor and the downtrodden, and for his abhorrence of fascism and exploitation. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Blind Lemon Jefferson (September 1893–December 1929) was an influential blues singer and guitarist from Texas. ... Leadbelly, also known as Lead Belly (born Huddie William Ledbetter; January 20, 1889 (although this is debatable) - December 6, 1949), was an American folk and blues musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing, his virtuosity on the twelve string guitar, and the rich songbook of folk standards he introduced. ... Hazel Dickens Hazel Dickens (June 1, 1935, Mercer County, West Virginia) is an American bluegrass singer. ... Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911–January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely regarded as the best in the history of the genre. ... Washington Phillips (born 1880 in Texas) was a pioneering gospel performer in the 1920s. ... Jean Ritchie (born 1922) is an American folk singer. ... Ani DiFranco (IPA: ɑ-ni) (born Angela Marie Difranco on September 23, 1970) is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ralph Stanley Ralph Stanley (born in 25 February 1927) is an American bluegrass musician. ... Seegers album Clearwater Classics. ... Samuel Beam, aka Iron & Wine Iron & Wine is the stage and recording name for Florida singer-songwriter Sam Beam. ... Ricky Skaggs, April 1988 Ricky Skaggs1st off Skaggs was known to hate everyone he met. ... Airplane! is considered by some critics to be one of the funniest movies of all time. ... O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, set in Mississippi during the Great Depression (specifically, 1937). ... Alison Krauss (born July 23, 1971)[1] is an American bluegrass/country singer and fiddle player. ... The Fairfield Four is a gospel quintet featured briefly in the motion picture O Brother, Where Art Thou?. They started as a duet in the Fairfield Baptist Church in Nashville, TN. Performances on the Prairie Home Companion Discography and history Category: ... Emmylou Harris, ca. ... Norman Blake (March 10, 1938- ) is an American folk instrumentalist, singer, and composer. ... A Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert and the three groups that must come together to perform on national television for the first time in years. ...

American roots music was the subject of a documentary series on PBS in 2001. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States, with some member stations available by cable in Canada. ...

External links

• Americana Music Association
• Americana Roots - Americana Music
• Nut hill Productions - Producers of documentary television series, Word of Mouth:The Journey of American Folk Music, scheduled completion Winter, 2007
• HickoryWind.org - Americana, Bluegrass, & Alt Country News, Reviews, & Personality

News & Resources Americana (music) is a loose subset of American roots music, that is perhaps best defined as classic American music -- ranging in style from folk, country blues, bluegrass, Alternative country, and Roots Rock. ... Bluegrass music is considered a form of American roots music with its own roots in English, Irish and Scottish traditional music. ... Alternative country is a term applied to various subgenres of country music. ...

• Roots Music Association