Music of Tennessee
Encyclopedia
The story of Tennessee
's contribution to American music is essentially the story of three cities: Nashville
, Memphis
, and Bristol
. While Nashville is most famous for its status as the long-time capital of country music
, Bristol is recognized as the "Birthplace of Country Music". Memphis musicians had huge influence on blues, early rock and roll
, and soul music
.
, showcasing Jimmie Rodgers
and the Carter Family
, and later a favorite venue of mountain musician Uncle Charlie Osborne
. Bristol is also the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford
.
In 1927, Ralph Peer
of Victor Records began recording local musicians in Bristol to capture the local sound of traditional 'folk' music of the region. One of these local sounds was created by the Carter Family
. The Carter Family got their start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed from Maces Spring, Virginia
, to Bristol, Tennessee
, to audition for record producer Ralph Peer
who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded.
The U.S. Congress recognized Bristol as the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998 for its contributions to early country music recordings and ongoing influence.
in the state, is home to the Grand Ole Opry
and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and bears the nickname "Music City, U.S.A.". By the 1950s, the city's record label
s dominated the genre with slick pop-country (Nashville sound
). Performers reacting against the Nashville sound formed their own scenes in Lubbock, Texas
and Bakersfield, California
, the latter of which (Bakersfield sound
) became the most popular type of country by the late 1960s, led by Merle Haggard
. Nashville's predominance in county music was regained by the early 1980s, when Dwight Yoakam
and other neo-traditionalists entered the charts. Today, there is still a thriving country music scene, however there are other genres developing, such as indie, rock, and metalcore.
". Famed African-American composer
W.C. Handy is said to have written the first commercially successful blues song "St. Louis Blues" in a bar on Beale Street
in 1912, and Memphis was a center of blues music for much of the 20th century (see Memphis blues
). Later during the 1940s, Memphis was the home of blues guitar legend B.B. King.
In 1952, Sam Phillips
started Sun Records
, a seminal early rock and roll and electric blues label. Among the artists who made their first recordings on Sun were Elvis Presley
, Johnny Cash
, Roy Orbison
, Jerry Lee Lewis
, Muddy Waters
, Howlin' Wolf
, Ike Turner
, Carl Perkins
, and Charlie Rich
.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the city was home to Stax Records
, a soul music
record label
. Stax put out funky, distinctly Southern records by artists like Otis Redding
, Sam & Dave
, and Wilson Pickett
that stood in sharp contrast to the smoother, more pop
records coming out of Detroit
's Motown
(see Memphis soul
).
In late 2008, a doo-wop
band simply called the Doo Wops were formed in Brentwood, TN. The band members include musicians from the early 1990s, including SMc, P Lock, and Benny Boy. They have had a few local hits including "BD", which was an instant heartthrob with many. They continue to create music and perform at many local events.
has had an active scenes in Tennessee, such as the scenes in Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis's River City Hardcore scene in the 1980s and 1990s. A few hardcore punk
bands gained a following, including His Hero Is Gone
(Memphis
), Committee for Public Safety (Nashville
), From Ashes Rise
(Nashville), and bands like Johnny Fives, The Malignmen and STD (Knoxville
).
Knoxville's punk scene began in the late 1970s with Terry Hill's Balboa, and took off around 1981-83 with the more notable early bands including the Five Twins, The Real Hostages Band, Candy Creme and the Wet Dream, and the hardcore band UXB. During that era the scene was based in a series of short-lived nightclubs such as The Place, Hobos, Uncle Sams and Bundulees. Later in the 1980s several Knoxville bands such as the Judybats
and Smokin' Dave and the Premo Dopes emerged to wider acclaim not limited to the local Knoxville scene. The scene again reached a peak during the mid-1990s, at that time tied closely to The Mercury Theatre, a popular all-ages venue where many Knoxville bands, such as Superdrag
, got their start. After the close of the Mercury, another venue The Neptune opened for a short time under the same management. In 2006, punk began to resurface across the state. Bands Stuck Lucky and The Pigs are actively playing shows. The pop punk band Paramore
is from Franklin
.
Most bands associated with punk rock in Tennessee drew upon the state's musical heritage as an additional influence to some extent.
The early 1970s power pop band Big Star, cited as a primary influence by many grunge and alternative rock groups since, was from Memphis.
was formed in Memphis
. Other notable Memphis rappers include Project Pat
, Playa Fly, the duo of Eightball & MJG, and Yo Gotti
. Young Buck
and All Star Cashville Prince
are from Nashville. Mr. Mack
, are based out of Knoxville. Holy Hip Hop group GRITS
is from Nashville.
genre, and with the Volunteer Jam
, an annual rock festival first held in Nashville in 1974.
Other notable musicians include Knoxville's Jerry Riggs
, Nashville's Barefoot Jerry
, and the Nashville band Area Code 615.
has led to an active southern Gospel
music scene with such groups as The LeFevres
, as well as being the origin of some notable Christian rock
bands such as Memphis's DeGarmo and Key
. The country group the Oak Ridge Boys started in 1945 as the Oak Ridge Quartet, a Southern Gospel group based in Knoxville who performed for workers at the nearby Oak Ridge facilities during World War II
. An African American
a cappella
ensemble, the Fisk Jubilee Singers
, consisting of students at Fisk University
in Nashville have been performing since 1871.
Each summer, the University of the South campus in Sewanee
hosts the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, including classes for some 200 advanced music students and a series of concerts by well-known guest artists. While classical music predominates, bluegrass and other musical styles also are featured.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's contribution to American music is essentially the story of three cities: Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, and Bristol
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
. While Nashville is most famous for its status as the long-time capital of 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...
, Bristol is recognized as the "Birthplace of Country Music". Memphis musicians had huge influence on blues, early rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
.
Bristol: "Birthplace of Country Music"
Bristol is best known for being the site of the first commercial recordings of country musicCountry 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...
, showcasing Jimmie Rodgers
Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)
James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...
and the Carter Family
Carter Family
The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
, and later a favorite venue of mountain musician Uncle Charlie Osborne
Uncle Charlie Osborne
Charles Nelson Osborne, , affectionately known as "Uncle Charlie," was a musician in the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia. He was born in what is now known as Cowan Osborne Hollow, named for his father, in Copper Creek, Virginia...
. Bristol is also the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee 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...
.
In 1927, Ralph Peer
Ralph Peer
Ralph Sylvester Peer was an American talent scout, recording engineer and record producer in the field of music in the 1920s and 1930s...
of Victor Records began recording local musicians in Bristol to capture the local sound of traditional 'folk' music of the region. One of these local sounds was created by the Carter Family
Carter Family
The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
. The Carter Family got their start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed from Maces Spring, Virginia
Maces Spring, Virginia
Maces Spring is a small unincorporated community in Scott County, Virginia, United States, along State Route 614. The settlement consists of a small number of houses. There are now no stores in Maces Spring and its main claim to fame is its association with the country music group, the Carter...
, to Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
, to audition for record producer Ralph Peer
Ralph Peer
Ralph Sylvester Peer was an American talent scout, recording engineer and record producer in the field of music in the 1920s and 1930s...
who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded.
The U.S. Congress recognized Bristol as the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998 for its contributions to early country music recordings and ongoing influence.
Nashville: "Music City, U.S.A."
Nashville, the most populous metropolitan areaMetropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
in the state, is home to 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...
and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and bears the nickname "Music City, U.S.A.". By the 1950s, the city's record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s dominated the genre with slick pop-country (Nashville sound
Nashville sound
The Nashville sound originated during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of honky tonk music which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s...
). Performers reacting against the Nashville sound formed their own scenes in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
and Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, the latter of which (Bakersfield sound
Bakersfield sound
The Bakersfield sound was a genre of country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. The many hit singles were largely produced by Capitol Records country music head, Ken Nelson. Bakersfield country was a reaction against the slickly produced, string...
) became the most popular type of country by the late 1960s, led by Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
. Nashville's predominance in county music was regained by the early 1980s, when Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
and other neo-traditionalists entered the charts. Today, there is still a thriving country music scene, however there are other genres developing, such as indie, rock, and metalcore.
Memphis: "Birthplace of the Blues"
Memphis' most significant musical claims to fame are as the apparent "Birthplace of the Blues" and "Birthplace of Rock and RollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
". Famed African-American composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
W.C. Handy is said to have written the first commercially successful blues song "St. Louis Blues" in a bar on Beale Street
Beale Street
Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the blues. Today, the blues clubs and restaurants that line Beale Street are...
in 1912, and Memphis was a center of blues music for much of the 20th century (see Memphis blues
Memphis blues
The Memphis blues is a style of blues music that was created in the 1920s and 1930s by Memphis-area musicians like Frank Stokes, Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis and Memphis Minnie...
). Later during the 1940s, Memphis was the home of blues guitar legend B.B. King.
In 1952, Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
started Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
, a seminal early rock and roll and electric blues label. Among the artists who made their first recordings on Sun were Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
, Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
, Ike Turner
Ike Turner
Isaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...
, Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
, and Charlie Rich
Charlie Rich
Charles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the city was home to Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
, a soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Stax put out funky, distinctly Southern records by artists like Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Sam & Dave
Sam & Dave
Sam & Dave were an American soul and rhythm and blues duo who performed together from 1961 through 1981. The tenor voice was Samuel David Moore , and the baritone/tenor voice was Dave Prater .Sam & Dave are members of...
, and Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
that stood in sharp contrast to the smoother, more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
records coming out of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
's Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
(see Memphis soul
Memphis soul
Memphis soul, also known as Memphis Sound, is stylish, funky, uptown soul music that is not as hard-edged as Southern soul. It is a shimmering, sultry style produced in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax and Hi Records in Memphis, Tennessee, featuring melodic unison horn lines, organ, bass, and a driving...
).
In late 2008, a doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
band simply called the Doo Wops were formed in Brentwood, TN. The band members include musicians from the early 1990s, including SMc, P Lock, and Benny Boy. They have had a few local hits including "BD", which was an instant heartthrob with many. They continue to create music and perform at many local events.
Punk rock
Punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
has had an active scenes in Tennessee, such as the scenes in Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis's River City Hardcore scene in the 1980s and 1990s. A few hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
bands gained a following, including His Hero Is Gone
His Hero is Gone
His Hero Is Gone was an influential crust punk and sludge metal band from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1995 from members of Copout, Man With Gun Lives Here, and FaceDown, they disbanded in 1999, playing their last show in Memphis. They toured the U.S. extensively several times, as well as Europe...
(Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
), Committee for Public Safety (Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
), From Ashes Rise
From Ashes Rise
From Ashes Rise is an American hardcore punk band, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in the mid-'90s. They helped define the gloom-heavy thrash sound attributed to groups like His Hero is Gone and Tragedy...
(Nashville), and bands like Johnny Fives, The Malignmen and STD (Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
).
Knoxville's punk scene began in the late 1970s with Terry Hill's Balboa, and took off around 1981-83 with the more notable early bands including the Five Twins, The Real Hostages Band, Candy Creme and the Wet Dream, and the hardcore band UXB. During that era the scene was based in a series of short-lived nightclubs such as The Place, Hobos, Uncle Sams and Bundulees. Later in the 1980s several Knoxville bands such as the Judybats
Judybats
Judybats were an alternative rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee, active primarily in the late 1980s and early 1990s. First formed in 1988 by vocalist Jeff Heiskell and guitarists Johnny Sughrue and Ed Winters when the three were students at the University of Tennessee, the band subsequently added...
and Smokin' Dave and the Premo Dopes emerged to wider acclaim not limited to the local Knoxville scene. The scene again reached a peak during the mid-1990s, at that time tied closely to The Mercury Theatre, a popular all-ages venue where many Knoxville bands, such as Superdrag
Superdrag
Superdrag is an alternative rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The band had a hit with its 1996 single "Sucked Out" off their album Regretfully Yours, for which a video clip was broadcast regularly on MTV...
, got their start. After the close of the Mercury, another venue The Neptune opened for a short time under the same management. In 2006, punk began to resurface across the state. Bands Stuck Lucky and The Pigs are actively playing shows. The pop punk band Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
is from Franklin
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
.
Most bands associated with punk rock in Tennessee drew upon the state's musical heritage as an additional influence to some extent.
The early 1970s power pop band Big Star, cited as a primary influence by many grunge and alternative rock groups since, was from Memphis.
Hip-hop
Much like punk rock, the hip-hop scene in Tennessee has been very active across the state, with some notable artists. Academy Award-winning rap group Three 6 MafiaThree 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
was formed in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Other notable Memphis rappers include Project Pat
Project Pat
Patrick Houston, better known as Project Pat is an American rapper originating from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the older brother of Juicy J, co-founder of the Three 6 Mafia....
, Playa Fly, the duo of Eightball & MJG, and Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti
Mario Mims better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is a southern rapper from the northern side of Memphis, Tennessee who was previously known as Lil Yo.-Independent Albums:Yo Gotti released a string of independent albums...
. Young Buck
Young Buck
David Darnell Brown , also known as Young Buck, is an American Southern rapper. Buck is a former member of the New York City Hip-Hop group G-Unit, also a former artist of G-Unit Records as of Nov 26, 2011...
and All Star Cashville Prince
All Star Cashville Prince
Jermaine Eric Shute , better known by his stage name Starlito is an American rapper best known for the 2005 song, "Grey Goose" which featured artists Young Jeezy and Yo Gotti. Also he was in the song "Crazy" with Lil Wayne. He is also known for working with rapper Young Buck and the Cashville...
are from Nashville. Mr. Mack
Mr. Mack
Mack Williams Jr. is a rap artist who performs under the name Mr. Mack. He was born in Alcoa, Tennessee, and graduated from Alcoa High School.He had released several independent mixtapes prior to signing with Universal Republic Records...
, are based out of Knoxville. Holy Hip Hop group GRITS
GRITS
GRITS, also known as G.R.I.T.S., is a Christian Hip Hop group from Nashville, Tennessee. Their name is an acronym, which stands for "Grammatical Revolution In The Spirit." GRITS is made up of Stacey "Coffee" Jones and Teron "Bonafide" Carter, both of whom were DC Talk dancers.Their song "Ooh Aah"...
is from Nashville.
Southern rock
The Charlie Daniels Band is closely associated with Tennessee's contributions to the southern rockSouthern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
genre, and with the Volunteer Jam
Volunteer Jam
The Volunteer Jam was the annual Charlie Daniels Band concert first held on October 4, 1974 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee This was the beginning of a tradition....
, an annual rock festival first held in Nashville in 1974.
Other notable musicians include Knoxville's Jerry Riggs
Jerry Riggs
Jerry Riggs is an American rock guitarist and vocalist, born on August 25, 1956, in Knoxville, Tennessee.-Biography:Jerry Riggs began his musical career as lead guitarist for the Knoxville, Tennessee group, Lynx, a popular staple on the local bar circuit in the mid-70s. The band, featuring Michael...
, Nashville's Barefoot Jerry
Barefoot Jerry
Barefoot Jerry is an American Southern rock and country rock band, based in Nashville, Tennessee, most active from 1971 to 1977. It was composed of area studio musicians under the tutelage of Wayne Moss, lead guitarist of Area Code 615, and other 615 alumni. This name is also used to refer to Moss...
, and the Nashville band Area Code 615.
Gospel and Christian music
Tennessee's location in the Bible BeltBible Belt
Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the southeastern and south-central United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's average.The...
has led to an active 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 scene with such groups as The LeFevres
The LeFevres
The LeFevres, or The Singing LeFevres, were an American Southern gospel singing group, active for nearly 50 years in the middle of the twentieth century....
, as well as being the origin of some notable Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
bands such as Memphis's DeGarmo and Key
DeGarmo and Key
DeGarmo & Key was a Christian Rock group that started professionally in 1978. The primary members were Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key. Eddie played keyboards and sang background vocals , while Dana played lead guitar and did the majority of the lead vocals. Other members included Tommy Cathey on bass...
. The country group the Oak Ridge Boys started in 1945 as the Oak Ridge Quartet, a Southern Gospel group based in Knoxville who performed for workers at the nearby Oak Ridge facilities during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. An African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
ensemble, the Fisk Jubilee Singers
Fisk Jubilee Singers
The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American a cappella ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for their college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditional spirituals, but included some Stephen Foster songs...
, consisting of students at Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
in Nashville have been performing since 1871.
Classical music
Tennessee cities are home to several symphony orchestras:- Bryan Symphony Orchestra, Cookeville, TennesseeCookeville, TennesseeCookeville is a city in Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 23,923 at the 2000 census. of Cookeville's population was 30,435, and the combined total of those living in Cookeville's in 2010 was 65,014. It is the county seat of Putnam County and home to Tennessee...
- Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra
- Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Jackson, Tennessee
- Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, Johnson City, Tennessee
- Knoxville Symphony OrchestraKnoxville Symphony OrchestraThe Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra in Knoxville, Tennessee.The orchestra was established in 1935 and is the oldest continuing orchestra in the southeastern United States. The founding conductor was Bertha Walburn Clark, who led the group until 1946...
- Memphis Symphony OrchestraMemphis Symphony Orchestra-History:The Memphis Symphony Orchestra was established in its present form in 1960 as an outgrowth of the Memphis Sinfonietta, a chamber group formed eight years earlier under the direction of cellist Vincent DeFrank, with support from the Memphis Orchestral Society and the Memphis Arts...
- Nashville Symphony OrchestraNashville Symphony OrchestraThe Nashville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The orchestra performs 140 concerts annually.-History:...
- Oak Ridge Symphony OrchestraOak Ridge Symphony OrchestraThe Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra is a community-based orchestra in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.The founder and first conductor was Waldo Cohn, a Manhattan Project biochemist and an accomplished cellist who started hosting chamber music sessions in his home upon arriving in Oak Ridge in 1943...
, Oak Ridge, Tennessee - Symphony of the Mountains, Kingsport, Tennessee
Each summer, the University of the South campus in Sewanee
Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee is an unincorporated locality in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States, treated by the U.S. Census as a census-designated place . The population was 2,361 at the 2000 census...
hosts the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, including classes for some 200 advanced music students and a series of concerts by well-known guest artists. While classical music predominates, bluegrass and other musical styles also are featured.