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Virginia's musical contribution to American culture has been diverse, and includes Piedmont blues musicians and later rock and roll bands, many centered at such college towns as Blacksburg, Charlottesville (home of Dave Matthews Band) and Richmond. Image File history File links Wiki_letter_w. ... The United States is home to a wide array of regional styles and scenes. ... 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, and has a notable reputation for music. ... 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. ... Georgias musical output includes Southern rap groups like Outkast and Goodie Mob, as well as a wide variety of rock, pop and country artists. ... 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. ... The state of Nebraska has spawned few big-name musicians, but has its own musical heritage. ... 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. ... One of the most renowned musicians 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. ... Utah music has long been dominated culturally by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons), although other groups have also played an important role. ... 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. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... The Piedmont blues is a type of blues music characterized by a unique fingerpicking method on the guitar in which a regular, alternating-thumb bass pattern supports a melody using treble strings. ... 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. ... Blacksburg is located in Montgomery County, Virginia. ... Nickname: C-Ville Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Albemarle County Founded 1762  - Mayor David E. Brown Area    - City 26. ... Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initialism DMB) is a United States rock band, originally formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991 by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Matthews; saxophonist LeRoi Moore; bassist Stefan Lessard; electric violinist Boyd Tinsley; and drummer Carter Beauford. ... Nickname: The River City Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) Area    - City 62. ...

One of Virginia's most famous musical contributions is the country singer Patsy Cline. Several towns claim her as their own, including Gore and Winchester. Winchester is home to several Patsy Cline attractions, including a driving tour published by the local Chamber of Commerce, and the Kurtz Cultural Center/Old Town Visitor's Center, which shows various Cline memorabilia ^[1]. Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was a Country music/Pop music singer, who enjoyed Pop music cross-over success during the era of the Nashville Sound in the early 1960s. ... Gore is an unincorporated community in western Frederick County, Virginia located along the Northwestern Turnpike (US 50) west of Winchester. ... Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City Founded 1802 Mayor Elizabeth Minor Area    - City 24. ... Chambers of commerce are business advocacy groups which are usually not associated with government. ...

Famous music artists from Virginia:

• Ella Fitzgerald - jazz singer, Newport News
• Roy Clark- country music artist, Meaherrin
• Pearl Bailey - Broadway singer, Newport News
• Chris Brown - R&B singer, Tappahannock
• Bruce Hornsby - singer, pianist and songwriter, Williamsburg
• Missy Elliott - Hip hop and R&B singer, Portsmouth
• Gary "U.S." Bonds – singer and songwriter, Norfolk
• Stewart Copeland – drummer for rock band The Police and jazz ensemble Animal Logic, Chesapeake
• Steve Earle – country-rock musician and songwriter, Hampton
• Robert Cray – blues guitarist, Newport News
• Austin Roberts – singer and songwriter, Newport News
• Clarence Clemons – saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Norfolk
• Wayne Newton – a.k.a. "Mr. Las Vegas"; singer and songwriter, Norfolk
• Tommy Newsom – musician in Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show Band, Portsmouth
• Race The Sun-Alternative/Rock, Richmond
• Jason Mraz - Acoustic Pop/Rock, Mechanicsville
• Steve Robison - Bass player for hardcore band anadyne, Chesapeake
• Joe Gosman - Singer/songwriter, chesapeake

Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella (the First Lady of Song), was considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. ... Roy Clark - March 2002 Roy Linwood Clark (born April 15, 1933 in Meherrin, Virginia) is one of the most versatile and well-known country music musicians and performers. ... Pearl Bailey in “St. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954 in Williamsburg, Virginia) is an American singer, virtuoso pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. ... Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, MC, songwriter, and record producer born in Portsmouth, Virginia. ... 1960 portrait Biography Gary U.S. Bonds (born Gary Anderson, June 6, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues singer. ... Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is an American musician. ... The Police are a three-piece rock band, strongly influenced by reggae and ska music. ... Earle performing at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, CA, October 2, 2005. ... Robert Cray (foreground) Robert Cray (born 1 August 1953, in Columbus, Georgia) is a blues musician, guitarist and singer. ... J Austin Roberts (1883 - 1948) was a South African zoologist. ... Clarence Clemons, 2002 Clarence Clemons (born January 11, 1942 in Norfolk, Virginia) is an American musician, best known as the saxophone player in Bruce Springsteens E Street Band. ... Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942 in Roanoke, Virginia) is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Race the Sun is a 1996 dramedic movie, mainly starring Halle Berry and James Belushi. ... Jason Thomas Mraz (born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter, born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia, a suburb of Richmond. ...

Music venues and institutions

Virginia's prominent music venues include The Birchmere in Alexandria, a local country and bluegrass club where Mary Chapin Carpenter performed early in her career. Cattle Annie's is a popular venue in Lynchburg, Virginia with a reputation for attracting prominent performers in a more intimate atmosphere. Vienna, Virginia is home to the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the only National Park for the arts in the United States. Wolf Trap features a large outdoor amphitheatre, the 7,000 seat Filene Center, as well as a smaller indoor venue called The Barns. The Old Dominion Opry is another major venue, located near Colonial Williamsburg, a popular tourist attraction ^[2]. The Birchmere is a well-known, intimate concert hall in Alexandria, Virginia, known for showcasing quality performers in the jazz, country, and folk genres. ... Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia Founded 1718 Mayor William D. Euille Area    - City 39. ... Mary Chapin Carpenter (born February 21, 1958 in Princeton, New Jersey) is a five-time Grammy Award-winning country/folk singer-songwriter and guitarist, with a diverse musical style that is sometimes said to be unclassifiable. ... The Allied Arts Building in downtown Lynchburg, completed in 1931. ... Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. ... Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... View of Duke of Gloucester Street Colonial Williamsburg is the historic district of the independent city of Williamsburg, Virginia. ...

Hudgins, Virginia is home to Donk's Theater, which hosts the biweekly Virginia's Lil Ole Opry, a popular country attraction. Hiltons, Virginia is known for the Carter Family Fold, a performance space and museum dedicated to country legends The Carter Family ^[3]. The Carter Family Fold is a site dedicated to the preservation and performance of old time country and folk music. ... Maybelle, A.P. and Sara The Carter Family was a rural country music group that performed between 1927 and 1943. ...

Music festivals

The Wolf Trap is home to several renowned music festivals, including the Louisiana Swamp Romp, the Washington Irish Folk Festival and Ricky Skagg's Pickin' Party, a bluegrass festival. Winchester is home to the Celebrating Patsy festival for Virginia's country legend Patsy Cline; Winchester is also home to the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, which includes a major bluegrass concert ^[4]. Ricky Skaggs, April 1988 Ricky Skaggs (born July 18, 1954 in Lawrence County, Kentucky) is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. ... The Shenandoah Apple Blossom festival is known for its many guest celebrities. ...

The area around the Virginia and Kentucky border, especially the town of Norton, rural folk, country and bluegrass remains a vital regional tradition. Norton is home to the Virginia Kentucky Opry and a historic music venue called the Country Cabin, while local festivals include the Doc Boggs Festival (in Wise), the Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival (in the Grayson Highlands State Park) and the Ralph Stanley Bluegrass Festival ^[5]. Norton is an independent city within the confines of Wise County in the state of Virginia. ... Wise is a town located in Wise County, Virginia. ... Grayson Highlands State Park is located in Virginia adjacent to Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. ...

In 2005, 2006, and 2007 Richmond Virginia is hosting the National Folk Festival that features Virginia-area regional folk music as well as folk musicians from around the world. Many previous NFF sites have continued to conduct a regional folk festival when the NFF moves to the next site. Downtown Richmond as seen from the James River Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Such is the way to the Stars) Nickname: River City Location in Virginia Founded  -Incorporated 1607   County Independent city Mayor Douglas Wilder Area  - Total  - Water 162. ... The National Folk Festival in the United States (known also as the National) was first presented in St. ...

Blue Ridge mountain music

The southwestern portion of Virginia is, along with western North Carolina, part of the Blue Ridge area, home to a distinctive style of old-time music sometimes called mountain music, which is a vibrant tradition most famously celebrated through an annual series of festivals. Galax is a small town that is home to the Old Fiddlers' Convention, held since 1935; it is the largest and oldest festival of old-time Appalachian music in the country. The Convention has given Galax the nickname the "Capital of Old-Time Mountain Music" ^[6]. The Convention attracts upwards of 20,000 visitors to witness many of the most renowned American folk, country and bluegrass performers, as well as regional stars. Galax and the surrounding area has long been a rich part of American, and Virginian music, and is known for an intricate fiddling style and instrumental and vocal traditions; music collectors like Peter Seeger and Alan Lomax visited Galax and recorded the region's music ^[7]. Blue Ridge may refer to any of the following: Blue Ridge, Georgia Blue Ridge, Virginia The Blue Ridge Mountains The US Navy Command ship USS Blue Ridge The passenger train Blue Ridge Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that... 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. ... Galax is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... Pete Seeger, 1944 Peter Seeger (born May 3, 1919), almost always known as Pete Seeger, is a folk singer, political activist and major contributor to folk and protest music in 1950s and 1960s. ... Lomax playing guitar, sometime between 1938 and 1950 Alan Lomax (January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an important American folklorist and musicologist. ...

Though the Galax Old Fiddlers' Convention is a major focal point for the Blue Ridge's vibrant folk music scene, the region is home to a major music festival season, which is inauguarated by the late March Fairview Ruritan Club Fiddlers' Convention, which hosts a major regional competition in several categories. Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia, is home to the annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, which has been held every October since 1973. The White Top Mountain-Mount Rogers area is home to a number of major regional festivals as well, with music a major part of the White Top Mountain Molasses Festival, the White Top Mountain Maple Festival and the White Top Mountain Ramp Festival, the latter focusing on the ramp variety of wild onion that is commonly eaten in the area. The Carter Family Music Center, in the Carter Family hometown of Hiltons, hosts an annual folk music festival as well as weekly concerts. Local mountain music festivals in Virginia abound in small towns like Fries, Wytheville, Troutdale, Vesta, Stuart, Bassett, Baywood and Elk Creek, as well as at the Grayson Highlands State Park near Mouth of Wilson^[8]. A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as; musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. ... The current version of the article or section reads like an advertisement. ... Ferrum is a census-designated place (CDP) in Franklin County, Virginia, United States. ... Mount Rogers is the highest point in the state of Virginia, USA, with a summit elevation of 5729 feet (1746 meters) above mean sea level. ... The word ramp can mean one of several things: Inclined plane A ramp is the area around an airport terminal where aircraft are loaded and unloaded. ... Binomial name Allium cepa L. Onion in the general sense can be used for any plant in the genus Allium but used without qualifiers usually means Allium cepa, also called the garden onion. ... Maybelle, A.P. and Sara The Carter Family was a country music group that performed and recorded between 1927 and 1943. ... Fries (pronounced freeze) is a town in Grayson County, Virginia, United States. ... Wytheville is a town located in Wythe County, Virginia. ... Troutdale is a town located in Grayson County, Virginia. ... Stuart is a town located in Patrick County, Virginia. ... Bassett is a census-designated place located in Henry County, Virginia. ... Elk Creek is a unincorporated community in Grayson County, Virginia, United States. ...

Country music

Virginia's contributions to country music include the legendary singer Patsy Cline, pioneering performers The Carter Family and Staunton's Statler Brothers, who were one of the most popular country acts in the country in the 1970s and 80s. West Beverley Street in downtown Staunton Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. ... The cover of the Statlers 1991 album All American Country The Statler Brothers are an American country music vocal group founded in 1955 in Virginia. ...

Hardcore punk

Further information: hardcore punk

The city of Richmond has long had one of the more active punk rock scenes on the East Coast. The city is perhaps best known for shock-punk-metal band GWAR, known for wild on-stage antics. GWAR grew out of Death Piggy, a hardcore punk band that followed in the footsteps of local scene leaders White Cross, Beex, and The Provaricators. However Richmond punk became big with Avail. The Richmond punk scene grew, including Ann Beretta, Sixer, River City High, Smoke or Fire (originally from Boston), Strike Anywhere, and many underground bands. Richmond punk is often mistakenly considered to be an offshoot of the D.C. scene, however Richmond punk bands have developed a unique sound, often influenced by country, folk, and southern rock (particularly prelevent in Avail, Sixer, and Ann Beretta, and to a lesser degree in Strike Anywhere). This is most likely due to the fact that Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy during most of the Civil War, is arguably the oldest and most lively punk scene in the South. Richmond punk has a close relationship with punk from Gainsville, Florida, another active punk scene in the South. Other hardcore bands from Richmond included Graven Image and Honor Role ^[9]. Richmond also has an active metal scene that includes, in addition to GWAR, Lamb of God, Alabama Thunderpussy, and Municipal Waste (arguably as much a part of the punk scene as the metal scene). The metal scene is closely related the city's punk rockers, and, like the punks, there is a Southern influence in the music of Lamb of God and paricularly in Alabama Thunderpussy (though in metal, a Southern influence is not nearly as unique as it is in punk. See Southern Sludgecore). Richmond still harbors an extremely strong hardcore scene, emerging from the shadow of now-defunct Count Me Out and recently including acts such as Down to Nothing, Bracewar, Cast Aside and Ten-33 which have all found widespread national underground success. Richmond also has a small post-hardcore scene with bands such as Wow, Owls and Ultra Dolphins Hardcore punk (usually referred to simply as hardcore) is a subgenre of punk rock which originated in the United States of America in the late 1970s. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Death Piggy is a punk band that later evolved into GWAR Categories: Wikipedia requested images | Pages needing attention | Articles to be expanded | Music stubs ... Hardcore punk (usually referred to simply as hardcore) is a subgenre of punk rock which originated in the United States of America in the late 1970s. ... White Cross were an early American Hardcore band from Virginia. ... Avail is a punk/rock/post-hardcore band hailing from Richmond, Virginia. ... Ann Beretta is a punk band from Richmond, Virginia. ... Smoke or Fire is punk band from Richmond, Virginia, USA. Clearly influenced by predecessors like Hot Water Music and Avail, these young upstarts also blend in some additional elements of Americana with their hints of The Replacements and Bruce Springsteen. ... Strike Anywhere is a Richmond, Virginia based punk rock band formed in 1999. ... Graven Image is an album by Jandek (1994). ... Lamb of God is a Grammy-nominated five-piece groove metal / metalcore band from Richmond, Virginia, formerly known as Burn the Priest. ... Alabama Thunderpussy is a metal band from Richmond, Virginia. ... Municipal Waste is a crossover thrash band from Richmond, Virginia. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Norfolk was known, during hardcore's heyday, for violent clashes between punks and local military personnel from the Navy base. Ray Barbieri (Agnostic Front, Warzone) and John Joseph McGeown (Cro-Mags) became punks while serving in Norfolk due to a judge's order. Roanoke's hardcore scene was limited, populated mainly by Virginia Tech students from Blacksburg, led by Mir ^[10]. Motto: Crescas (Latin for, Thou shalt grow. ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... Ray Barbieri (often nicknamed Raybeez) was the vocalist and only consistent member of skinhead hardcore punk band Warzone, as well as former drummer for Agnostic Front. ... Agnostic Front are a New York hardcore punk and crossover formed in New York City in 1982. ... Warzone was a hardcore punk band from New York City. ... John Joseph McGowan, better known only as John Joseph or as Bloodclot was the lead singer for the New York hardcore band Cro-Mags on most of their releases and also sang for the bands Fearless Vampire Killers and Bloodclot!. The son of former Welter Weight boxer John Shorty McGowan... The Cro-Mags were a hardcore band from New York City. ... The Colony of Roanoke was the first English colony in the New World, founded at Roanoke Island. ... This article or section should include material from Virginia Bioinformatics Institute. ... Mir (IPA pronunciation: mΙɺ) is a band based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ...

References

• Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Feral House. ISBN 0-92291-571-7. 
• Byron, Janet (1996). Country Music Lover's Guide to the U.S.A., 1st ed., New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-14300-1. 
• Fussell, Fred C. (2003). Blue Ridge Music Trails: Finding a Place in the Circle. North Carolina Folklife Institute. ISBN 0-807-85459-X. 

Notes