Willie Nelson

Outlaw country was a significant trend in country music during the late 1960s and the 1970s (and even into the 1980s in some cases), commonly referred to as The Outlaw Movement (both by fans and by people in the music industry) or simply Outlaw music ^[1]. The focus of the movement has been on self-declared "outlaws," such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe, Willie Nelson and Billy Joe Shaver. The reason for the movement has been attributed to a reaction to the Nashville sound, developed by record producers like Chet Atkins who softened the raw honky tonk sound that was predominant in the music of performers like Jimmie Rodgers, and his successors such as Hank Williams, George Jones and Lefty Frizzell. According to Aaron Fox (2004, p.51) "the fundamental opposition between law-and-order authoritarianism and the image of 'outlaw' authenticity...has structured country's discourse of masculinity since the days of Jimmie Rodgers." Willie Nelson From: [1] Public domain according to: [2] This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Willie Nelson From: [1] Public domain according to: [2] This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Johnny Cash family be merged into this article or section. ... Waylon Jennings in the 1960s. ... David Allan Coe (born David Alan Coe on September 6, 1939 in Akron, Ohio) is an American country music singer who achieved his greatest popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Billy Joe Shaver (He was born August 16, 1939 in Corsicana, Texas) is an American country music singer and songwriter. ... The Nashville sound in country music arose during the 1950s in the United States. ... Chet Atkins Chester Burton Chet Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001) was an influential guitarist and record producer. ... Honky tonk was originally the name of a type of bar common throughout the southern United States, also Honkatonk or Honkey-tonk. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... It has been suggested that Audrey Williams be merged into this article or section. ... George Glenn Jones (born September 12, 1931), is an American country music artist known for his distinctive voice and phrasing that frequently evoke the raw emotions caused by grief, unhappy love, and emotional hardship. ... William Orville Lefty Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s; a leading exponent of the Honky Tonk style of country music. ... Aaron Fox is a musicologist, professional country guitarist, and Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Center for Ethnomusicology at Columbia University. ...

Seeds of change

The roots of the outlaw movement can be traced to the 1950s. A major influence on the outlaw movement was Elvis Presley's bluesy covers of country standards. However, an even bigger influence was the stripped-down music and straightforward lyrics of Johnny Cash. This does not cite any references or sources. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... It has been suggested that Johnny Cash family be merged into this article or section. ...

The 1960s was a decade of enormous change and the change was reflected in the revolution in the music of the time. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones cast off the traditional role of the recording artist. They wrote their own material, they had creative input to their albums, they refused to conform to what society required of its youth. At the same time, country music was declining into a formulaic genre that appeared to offer the establishment what it wanted with artists such as Porter Wagoner making the kind of music that was anathema to the growing counter culture. While Nashville continued to be the heart of country music, some would say its soul was to be found in Lubbock, Tulsa and Austin. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, musician, and poet who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. ... This article is about the rock band. ... The Porter Wagoner Show, RCA, 1963 Porter Wagoner (born August 12, 1927, in Howell County, Missouri, in the Ozark Mountains) is an American country music singer. ... For other cities named Nashville, see Nashville (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Hub City Location within the state of Texas Coordinates: County Lubbock County Government  - Mayor David Miller Area  - City 297. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Oklahoma Coordinates: , Country United States State Oklahoma Counties Tulsa, Osage, Wagoner, Rogers Government  - Mayor Kathy Taylor (D) Area  - City  186. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country United States State Texas Counties Travis County Government  - Mayor Will Wynn Area  - City  296. ...

The rise of the outlaws

The term "outlaw country" is derived from the song "Ladies Love Outlaws" written by Lee Clayton and sung by Waylon Jennings on the 1972 album of the same name. It became associated with singers who grew their hair long, wore denim and leather and looked like hippies in contrast to the clean cut country singers in Nudie suits that were pushing the Nashville sound. The success of these singers did much to restore the rawness and life force to country music. The songs were about drinking, drugs, hard working men and honky tonk heroes. The music was more like rock and roll and there were no strings in the background. Lee Clayton on the cover of The Essential Lee Clayton (2001) Lee Clayton (born October 29, 1942 in Russellville, Alabama, USA) is a country musician and composer. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ladies Love Outlaws is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Records in 1972. ... Gram Parsons wearing a Nudie Suit Nudie Suit is a brand name of rhinestone- and spangle-decorated cowboy attire worn by many popular country music artists from the 1940s until Nudie Cohens death in 1984. ... The Nashville sound in country music arose during the 1950s in the United States. ... Honky tonk was originally the name of a type of bar common throughout the southern United States, also Honkatonk or Honkey-tonk. ... 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. ...

Waylon, Willie and friends

Although Jennings and Nelson are regarded as the stereotypical outlaws, there were several other writers and performers who provided the material that infused the movement with the outlaw spirit. Some people have noted that Jennings and Nelson were Nashville veterans whose careers were revived by the movement and that they drew on the energy that was being generated in their home state of Texas to spearhead the attack on the Nashville producers. Jennings, in particular, forced his record company to let him produce his own albums. In 1973 he produced Lonesome, On'ry and Mean. The theme song was written by Steve Young, a songwriter and performer who never made it in the mainstream, but whose songs helped to create the outlaw style. The follow up album for Jennings was Honky Tonk Heroes and the songwriting hero was Texan Billy Joe Shaver. Like Steve Young, Shaver never made it big, but his 1973 album Old Five and Dimers Like Me is considered a country classic in the outlaw genre. Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Lonesome, Onry and Mean is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1973. ... Steve Young is a country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. ... Honky Tonk Heroes is an album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1973 on RCA Victor. ... Billy Joe Shaver (He was born August 16, 1939 in Corsicana, Texas) is an American country music singer and songwriter. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ...

Willie Nelson's career as a songwriter in Nashville peaked in the late 1960s. His "Crazy" was a massive hit for Patsy Cline, but as a singer, he was getting nowhere. He left Nashville in 1971 to return to Texas. The musicians he met in Austin had been developing the folk and rock influenced country music that grew into the outlaw genre. Performing and associating with the likes of Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Martin Murphey and Billy Joe Shaver helped shape his future career. At the same time as Nelson was reinventing himself, other significant influencers were writing and playing in Austin and Lubbock. Butch Hancock, Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore formed The Flatlanders, a group that never sold huge numbers of albums, but continues to perform. The three founders have each made a significant contribution to the development of the outlaw genre. This article is about the song written by Willie Nelson and famously performed by Patsy Cline. ... Patsy Cline (b. ... Jerry Jeff Walker, 2002 Jerry Jeff Walker (born March 16, 1942) is a country music singer. ... Michael Martin Murphey Michael Martin Murphey (born March 13, 1945 in Dallas, Texas) is a successful American country singer/songwriter whose biggest hit was Wildfire in 1975, produced by Bob Johnston. ... Butch Hancock is a country music recording artist and song writer. ... Joe Ely (born February 9, 1947) is an Austin, Texas honky-tonk/country musician. ... Jimmie Dale Gilmore(r) and Colin Gilmore at Deep Eddy Pool in Austin, Texas, June 2004. ... The Flatlanders are a country band from Lubbock, Texas founded by Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, and Butch Hancock. ...

Other Texans, like Townes van Zandt, Guy Clark and later, Steve Earle, have developed the outlaw ethos through their songs and their lifestyles. Townes Van Zandt Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was a folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet. ... Guy Clark on the cover of Keepers (1997) Guy Clark (born 6 November 1941) is a songwriter and performer who often performs in the country style. ... Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, well known for his rock and country music, as well as for his political views. ... Ethos (ἦθος) (plurals: ethe, ethea) is a Greek word originally meaning the place of living that can be translated into English in different ways. ...

Kenny Rogers had developed a style similar, in many ways, to "outlaw country", mixing traditional country with rock, pop and even disco. However, he was considered too commercial by some in the industry. Despite becoming the biggest Country star in the world, he was snubbed every year by the Country Music Association for the prized "Entertainer Of the Year" Award (despite winning in other categories). Rogers himself later commented that hurt him. However, he did win that award from the CMA rival, the Academy of Country Music. Kenneth Donald Kenny Rogers (born August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas) is a prolific American country music singer, photographer, producer, songwriter, actor and businessman. ... The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. ... The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California. ...

Women Outlaws

Although Outlaw Country was mainly ruled by the domain of men, there were some women that pursued musical careers in Country Music that considered themselves "Outlaws" as well. There are really only two women that became major outlaw stars in Country Music, which were Jessi Colter and Sammi Smith. This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Jessi Colter was born Mirriam Johnson on May 25, 1943. ... Jewel Sammi Smith (1944 — February 21, 2005) was a country music singer, best known for her ballad, Help Me Make It Through The Night, which reached #1 on the US charts in 1971. ...

Jessi Colter's 1975 album I'm Jessi Colter. It featured her big hit that year "I'm Not Lisa," as well as her follow-up "Whatever Happened to Blue Eyes." The album went Gold in the United States.

Jessi Colter, was the wife of the Outlaw pioneer Waylon Jennings. She married Jennings in 1968. In the mid-70s, she pursued a solo career, and immediately achieved Outlaw status after she scored a #1 country hit, that also reached #4 on the pop charts, entitled "I'm Not Lisa," which was penned by Colter herself. Her 1975 album I'm Jessi Colter showed more of Colter's Outlaw side showing Colter in a saloon-like setting, resting her arm on a piano. Colter officially gained full-on Outlaw status when she was featured on the compilation album, along with her husband, called Wanted! The Outlaws. The album was a huge commercial and critical success and won many awards. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Im Jessi Colter is the name of a Country album by Jessi Colter in 1974. ... Im Not Lisa is a popular 1975 Country and Pop song by Country Music artist Jessi Colter. ... Jessi Colter was born Mirriam Johnson on May 25, 1943. ... Waylon Jennings in the 1960s. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 20s - 30s - 40s - 50s - 60s - 70s - 80s - 90s - 100s - 110s - 120s 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 Note: Sometimes the 70s is used as shorthand for the 1970s, the 1870s, or other such decades in other centuries... Im Not Lisa is a popular 1975 Country and Pop song by Country Music artist Jessi Colter. ... Im Jessi Colter is the name of a Country album by Jessi Colter in 1974. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Wanted! The Outlaws is an album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, released in RCA Victor in 1976 and consisting of previously released material. ...

Besides Jessi Colter, there was one other woman who achieved the Outlaw success her male counterparts did: Sammi Smith, a singer from California. Smith was unafraid to sing songs that were considered too "risky" or spoke of the realities of the modern life. Her voice was husky from singing in smoky bars before she achieved fame. Smith made it big in 1971, when she recorded the sexy come-on song by Kris Kristofferson entitled "Help Me Make It Through the Night." The song brought Smith to the #1 spot on the country charts, and even made her a crossover star, at #8 on the pop charts. The song won her a Grammy award in 1972 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She officially became an Outlaw when she moved down to Texas and became fast friends with Willie Nelson. She regularly attended his Fourth of July picnics every year. Jewel Sammi Smith (1944 — February 21, 2005) was a country music singer, best known for her ballad, Help Me Make It Through The Night, which reached #1 on the US charts in 1971. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Husky is a general term for several breeds of dogs used as sled dogs. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kristoffer Kris Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is an influential American country music songwriter, singer and actor. ... Help Me Make It Through the Night was a country music ballad composed by Kris Kristofferson and recorded in 1971 by country singer Sammi Smith. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance was first awarded in 1965. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Texas Country: A New Outlaw Movement?

Matt Hillyer of Eleven Hundred Springs.

Coe's 2004 collection of hits, The Essential David Allan Coe.

Newer artists, such as Robert Earl Keen Jr., Roger Creager, Kevin Fowler, Shooter Jennings, Wade Bowen and groups such as Randy Rogers Band, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland & the Stragglers and Eli Young Band, who grew up during the original outlaw movement, have recently been re-energizing the Outlaw Movement and keeping with the "outlaw spirit". Also, older artists such as Ray Wylie Hubbard, Billy Joe Shaver and David Allan Coe have also been contributing to the resurgence of the outlaw sound. Many fans (most of which feel they're also being oppressed, but can't "fight the system" and "survive,"^{[citation needed]}) have embraced this "New Outlaw Movement". Because many of these artists are native Texans or call Texas their home, it is often referred to as Texas Country. Robert Earl Keen and Pat Green are most notably credited with bringing Texas Country out of the honky tonks and onto college campuses. Keen, a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he and fellow songwritter Lyle Lovett were roommates, has been performing on college campuses since the late 80's. Along with Green's shows in the late 90's, these artists began to increase with incredible popularity on college campuses in Texas like Texas A&M University, Texas Tech (Green's alma mater) and the University of Texas. Their notoriety gave more exposure to other Texas Country artists like Cory Morrow, Roger Creager, and Kevin Fowler and groups like Cooder Graw. Image File history File links Ehswiki. ... Image File history File links Ehswiki. ... Image File history File links David_Allen_Coe_Essential. ... Image File history File links David_Allen_Coe_Essential. ... Robert Earl Keen, Junior (born January 11, 1956 in Houston, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter. ... Roger Creager (1971- ) is an award-winning Texas country music singer and songwriter. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Waylon Albright (Shooter) Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American country music singer, and the only child of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Jason Boland & the Stragglers as a American band. ... Ray Wylie Hubbard (born 13 November 1946 in Soper, Oklahoma) is an American country music singer and songwriter. ... Billy Joe Shaver (He was born August 16, 1939 in Corsicana, Texas) is an American country music singer and songwriter. ... David Allan Coe (born David Alan Coe on September 6, 1939 in Akron, Ohio) is an American country music singer who achieved his greatest popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. ... // A Texas Country Guitar. ... Robert Earl Keen, Junior (born January 11, 1956 in Houston, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Texas A&M University at College Station Texas A&M University, often Texas A&M, A&M or TAMU for short, is one of the flagship universities of Texas, and is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. ... Texas Tech University is a public, coeducational, doctoral/research university located in Lubbock, Texas (USA). ... The University of Texas System comprises fifteen educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are general academic universities, and six are health institutions. ...

In 1998, maverick record executive Rick Smith, of Fort Worth, Texas, launched the "Live at Billy_Bob's Texas" series of recordings, which have featured legends such as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe and popular Texas Country artists like Pat Green, Jack Ingram, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland & the Stragglers, Cooder Graw, the Randy Rogers Band and Kevin Fowler. These recordings, along with a fertile musical climate in Texas, have sparked a resurgence in the rough and tumble anti-Nashville sentiment of country music and solidified Billy Bob's Texas, "The World's Largest Honky Tonk", as the home for this movement^{[citation needed]}. Look up maverick in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Billy Bobs Texas is a popular country & western nightclub on the outskirts of the Fort Worth Stockyards. ... Asleep at the Wheel is the name of an Austin, Texas based Western swing band, winner of nine Grammy Awards. ... Merle Ronald Haggard (born April 6, 1937) is an American country music singer, guitarist and songwriter. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Jack Ingram at the Maverick Saloon & Grill in Santa Maria, California, July 23rd, 2006 Jack Owen Ingram (born November 15, 1970) is a Texas-based country music singer who is associated with the Red Dirt country music scene. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Jason Boland & the Stragglers as a American band. ... Cooder Graw (left to right): Paul Baker, Jon Fish Hunt, Matt Martindale, Nick Worley, Kelly Turner Cooder Graw is a self-described loud country (country music / alternative country) band from Amarillo, Texas. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Other Texas based artists, such as Steve Earle, Eleven Hundred Springs, Wayne "The Train" Hancock, Dale Watson, Stoney LaRue and Hayes Carll continue the tradition of their Outlaw Country forebearers in Texas and have helped usher in the movement in honkytonks across the U.S. Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, well known for his rock and country music, as well as for his political views. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the topic of this article may be unencyclopedic. ... Dale Watson (b. ... Stoney LaRue Stoney LaRue, a singer, songwriter and part of the Red Dirt music movement, is releasing his first solo album in August of 2005, appropriately titled the Red Dirt Album. ... Joshua Hayes Carll, known as Hayes Carll, is a singer/songwriter from The Woodlands, Texas. ...

Other artists, such as Hank Williams III, Kid Rock, Scott H. Biram, Bobby Bare Jr., Lucinda Williams, Miss Derringer, Justin Otto and Rodeo Kill continue the Outlaw Country way, by staying out of mainstream country music and continue to break the rules of traditional country music by combining country elements with punk rock, hip-hop, and rockabilly into a style sometimes referred to as alt-country. Shelton Hank Williams (born December 12, 1972, in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American musician. ... Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), best known as Kid Rock, is an American rapper, singer and rock musician most notable for his albums Devil Without a Cause and Cocky and his hit singles Bawitdaba and Picture. ... Bobby Bare, Jr. ... Lucinda Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American rock, folk, and country music singer and songwriter. ... Los Angeles outlaws Miss Derringer are a band known for the stunning vocals and beauty of singer Elizabeth McGrath and their vintage, dark, David Lynch influenced sound. ... 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. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Hip hop (disambiguation). ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music to emerge during the 1950s. ... Alternative country can refer to several ideas. ...

See also

• Southern rock

Southern rock is a sub genre of rock music. ...

Further reading

• Country Music. The Rough Guide,
  Kurt Wolff, Rough Guides, 2000, ISBN 1-85828-534-8
• The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock,
  Jan Reid, University of Texas Press; New edition, 2004, ISBN 0-292-70197-7

Source

• Bad Music: The Music We Love to Hate,
  Washburne, Christopher J. and Derno, Maiken (eds.), 2004, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-94366-3.
  • Fox, Aaron A. "White Trash Alchemies of the Abject Sublime: Country as 'Bad' Music"

1. ^ http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109660/outlaw-music

External links

• Spirit Of The Outlaws - The Outlaw Music Magazine
• Outlaw country history
• AMG essays on country music themes
• Americana Music News, Reviews, Interviews and Podcast Shows

Listen to

• KHYI 95.3 The Range "The 50,000 Watt Blowtorch of Twang" Classic Country and Americana Music
• Roy Harter's Outlaw Hour 10 pm - 11 pm UK time Every Sunday night.
• 96.3 KSCS Classic Country Saturday Night 7pm-12 Midnight Central Time Country classics with "the Trooper." Dallas, Texas
• Len Brown's Country Roots, Friday mornings on KOOP-FM, Austin
• RAM Radio Traditional country music from the 1920s to the present.
• Heartland Public Radio's Classic Heartland Radio station with classic country legends from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, live from Branson, Missouri.