Country gospel
Encyclopedia
Christian country music (sometimes marketed as Country Gospel or Inspirational Country) is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian
life, as well as (in terms of the varying music styles) to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music. Christian country music is a form of Christian music
and a subgenre of both Gospel music
and Country music
.
Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of Christian country music varies according to culture and social context. It is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace. However, a common theme as with most Christian music is praise, worship or thanks to God
and/or Christ
.
. It was out of this blend of music that Southern Gospel
music was birthed and was found primarily in the southern states. Today, Christian country music has blended with a new brand of music called Positive Christian Country music. The music tends to deal with life's problems and God's answers to those problems, and it doesn't sound like the religious music of years past. It has attracted extraordinary talent and quality in production, thereby making it palatable to the ears of the un-churched who like the sounds of today's country music. It's becoming a tool for evangelism all over the world and through it many churches have sprung up around the country with country gospel as their main musical format.
which was founded in 1957. These organizations were founded to further artists careers much in the same manner as the GMA
, NARAS
or CMA
. Many of these organizations have yearly conventions which hosts music showcases and awards shows. One should note that the CCMA was sued by the CMA
for award name right infringement. The CCMA renamed their awards show after a federal judge ruled that they could no longer use the name. The new name is the ICM Music Awards' which stands for "Inspirational Country Music".
Christian country has several syndicated programs. The Country Gospel Countdown has broadcasted since 1984 and syndicated since 1988, The Country Parson radio program, broadcast since 1995 and has been syndicated since 1998. Ken's Country Radio Show, The Radio Hour, Country Messenger, The Ranch radio show on KKUS, and Canadian produced Riverside Country
. The Country Gospel Music Guild also airs a weekly radio program while Circuit Rider Radio airs on conventional and satellite radio worldwide.
Other syndicated weekend shows that feature Inspirational and Positive Country music are Power Source Top 20, and finally, the American Christian Music Review for United Stations Radio Networks. These programs are aired nationwide weekly on both Country and Southern Gospel radio stations.
and Red Foley
's Ozark Jubilee
.
Other shows like Hee Haw
, the Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters Show, and the Statler Brothers implemented the same programming style. For instance, Hee Haw featured a gospel song at the end of each of its shows; series stars Roy Clark, Buck Owens, Grandpa Jones and Kenny Price would sing either a traditional hymn or a newer one well-known by mainstream country and Christian country audiences, and the segment itself served as a balance to the show's loony, corn-style humor.
The Grand Ole Opry
, the longest running radio show and one of the most popular country music shows, has always included gospel music as a part of its program.
In the past, most Christian country music was recorded by groups with southern gospel flair like the Oak Ridge Boys, The Cook Family Singers
, Red Sovine
, The Louvin Brothers and The Carter Family. Eventually, more mainstream country artists -- ranging from Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton to Alabama and Alan Jackson -- recorded gospel albums while continuing to record secular music. Johnny Cash, a devout Christian despite living a troubled life, recorded several best-selling gospel albums and always incldued a Christian song in his concerts. Ray Stevens, a musician known primarily for his comedy and novelty recordings, also recorded an album of Christian music and mixed Christian themes in his serious ("Everything is Beautiful," stressing unity) and novelty (for instance, "Mississippi Squirrel Revival," which had a theme of repentance) mainstream releases. Although The Oak Ridge Boys began releasing secular country songs in the late 1970s, but always maintained their gospel roots by recording religious material and performing gospel songs in their concerts.
At times, gospel and Christian-themed songs earned mass mainstream appeal. Among the most popular of these songs included "Why Me" by Kris Kristofferson, "The Seeker" by Dolly Parton (a spiritual from 1975), "One Day at a Time" by Cristy Lane (1980), "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis (2003, where a prostitute gives birth to a man who eventually becomes a preacher), "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood (2005, where a woman turns to Christ) and "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley (2006, about the afterlife).
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
life, as well as (in terms of the varying music styles) to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music. Christian country music is a form of Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
and a subgenre of both Gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
.
Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of Christian country music varies according to culture and social context. It is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace. However, a common theme as with most Christian music is praise, worship or thanks to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and/or Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
.
Origins
Christian country music has been around for generations. It originated as a blend of early mountain music, cowboy music and the music from the plantations of the Deep SouthDeep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
. It was out of this blend of music that Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
music was birthed and was found primarily in the southern states. Today, Christian country music has blended with a new brand of music called Positive Christian Country music. The music tends to deal with life's problems and God's answers to those problems, and it doesn't sound like the religious music of years past. It has attracted extraordinary talent and quality in production, thereby making it palatable to the ears of the un-churched who like the sounds of today's country music. It's becoming a tool for evangelism all over the world and through it many churches have sprung up around the country with country gospel as their main musical format.
Organizations
Many Christian country organizations have been around for a great number of years. The oldest of all of these organizations is the International Country Gospel Music AssociationInternational Country Gospel Music Association
The International Country Gospel Music Association is the oldest of all Christian country music organizations. Known primarily by its acronym , It began in 1957 as the brainchild of Dr. W. Lindsey Thompson and Billy Holcomb. Their goal was to unite and work together with artist not just from a...
which was founded in 1957. These organizations were founded to further artists careers much in the same manner as the GMA
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
, NARAS
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
or CMA
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
. Many of these organizations have yearly conventions which hosts music showcases and awards shows. One should note that the CCMA was sued by the CMA
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
for award name right infringement. The CCMA renamed their awards show after a federal judge ruled that they could no longer use the name. The new name is the ICM Music Awards' which stands for "Inspirational Country Music".
Radio
Radio personality Bob Wilson was one of the first radio personalities to see the potential of the genre. His weekly show Gospel Country Round-up aired for many years playing southern and Christian country music. Many Christian country stations today are going the way of Internet stations. That is a positive move for this genre, however, because there are few terrestrial radio stations that play a strictly Christian country format. Many mainstream country stations only have a weekly Sunday Country Gospel show.Christian country has several syndicated programs. The Country Gospel Countdown has broadcasted since 1984 and syndicated since 1988, The Country Parson radio program, broadcast since 1995 and has been syndicated since 1998. Ken's Country Radio Show, The Radio Hour, Country Messenger, The Ranch radio show on KKUS, and Canadian produced Riverside Country
Riverside Country
Riverside Country was a syndicated radio program featuring Christian country music. The show was produced and hosted by Jason Farris from Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick, Canada and first aired in 2006...
. The Country Gospel Music Guild also airs a weekly radio program while Circuit Rider Radio airs on conventional and satellite radio worldwide.
Other syndicated weekend shows that feature Inspirational and Positive Country music are Power Source Top 20, and finally, the American Christian Music Review for United Stations Radio Networks. These programs are aired nationwide weekly on both Country and Southern Gospel radio stations.
Artists
Many secular country music artists have recorded country gospel songs or have performed them on their radio and television programs. From 1956-1960, two network shows usually concluded with a gospel number, which was popular with viewers: The Tennessee Ernie Ford ShowTennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
and Red Foley
Red Foley
Clyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
's Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
.
Other shows like Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
, the Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters Show, and the Statler Brothers implemented the same programming style. For instance, Hee Haw featured a gospel song at the end of each of its shows; series stars Roy Clark, Buck Owens, Grandpa Jones and Kenny Price would sing either a traditional hymn or a newer one well-known by mainstream country and Christian country audiences, and the segment itself served as a balance to the show's loony, corn-style humor.
The Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
, the longest running radio show and one of the most popular country music shows, has always included gospel music as a part of its program.
In the past, most Christian country music was recorded by groups with southern gospel flair like the Oak Ridge Boys, The Cook Family Singers
The Cook Family Singers
The Cook Family Singers were originally formed in 1885, by David J Cook and his wife, Martha. The family hailed from Lucedale, Mississippi. Cook and his wife had six children and on Sunday afternoons after church, they would pass the time by perfecting their singing of harmonies and old gospel blends...
, Red Sovine
Red Sovine
Woodrow Wilson Sovine , better known as Red Sovine, was an American country music singer associated with truck driving songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music...
, The Louvin Brothers and The Carter Family. Eventually, more mainstream country artists -- ranging from Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton to Alabama and Alan Jackson -- recorded gospel albums while continuing to record secular music. Johnny Cash, a devout Christian despite living a troubled life, recorded several best-selling gospel albums and always incldued a Christian song in his concerts. Ray Stevens, a musician known primarily for his comedy and novelty recordings, also recorded an album of Christian music and mixed Christian themes in his serious ("Everything is Beautiful," stressing unity) and novelty (for instance, "Mississippi Squirrel Revival," which had a theme of repentance) mainstream releases. Although The Oak Ridge Boys began releasing secular country songs in the late 1970s, but always maintained their gospel roots by recording religious material and performing gospel songs in their concerts.
At times, gospel and Christian-themed songs earned mass mainstream appeal. Among the most popular of these songs included "Why Me" by Kris Kristofferson, "The Seeker" by Dolly Parton (a spiritual from 1975), "One Day at a Time" by Cristy Lane (1980), "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis (2003, where a prostitute gives birth to a man who eventually becomes a preacher), "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood (2005, where a woman turns to Christ) and "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley (2006, about the afterlife).
Popular Christian country artists (past and present)
- Allen Frizzell
- Tommy Brandt
- Jim Carruthers
- David L Cook
- Lisa Daggs-Charette
- Jimmy Davis
- Gayla EarleneGayla EarleneGayla Earlene, born January 31, 1954 in Inola, Oklahoma, is a multi award winning Christian country music recording artist and musician.-Biography:...
- George Hamilton IV
- Mike ManuelMike ManuelMike Manuel is a Christian country music artist based out of Nashville, Tennessee.Mike traveled with his brothers as the Manuel Family Band where they received a warm reception from the Gospel market with three single radio releases that climbed to the Singing News top forty. They were also charted...
- James Marvell
- Jody MillerJody MillerJody Brooks is an American country music singer. Born as Myrna Joy Miller, she was born in Phoenix, Arizona and raised in Oklahoma.-Career:...
- Lulu RomanLulu RomanLulu Roman is a former telephone operator and go-go dancer turned comedian and singer. She is probably best known as a regular on the comedy-music television series Hee Haw....
- Branded
- Mary James
- Walt Mills
- Susie LuchsingerSusie LuchsingerSusie McEntire-Eaton is an American CCM singer. She is the younger sister of Reba McEntire, Alice Foran and Pake McEntire .- Early years :...
Christian country magazines
- Christian Music Weekly
- Power Source Magazine
- Circuit Rider Magazine
- Christian Country Gospel News
- Super Christian Country