Progressive country
Encyclopedia
Progressive country is a subgenre of Texas country music started in the early 1970s in Austin
, Texas
. The term was coined by programmers at Austin's KOKE-FM in 1972 as a way to differentiate the style of country music in Austin from that being made in Nashville. Progressive country music, also known as "redneck rock," was strongly influenced by a variety of "hard" country music styles, including western swing, honky tonk, and the Bakersfield Sound.
Notable performers include songwriters Michael Murphey, Jerry Jeff Walker
, the Lost Gonzo Band
, B.W. Stevenson
, Jimmie Dale Gilmore
, and Steven Fromholz; western swing and honky tonk musicians Alvin Crow, Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel
), Marcia Ball (Freda & the Firedogs); and Nashville-based Outlaw country
musicians Willie Nelson
, Waylon Jennings
, David Allan Coe
, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser.
A Nashville
based parallel development was showcased at the EXIT/IN
. Key exemplars are BR549, Area Code 615
, Charlie Daniels
and Barefoot Jerry
.
Other stations, including KAFM in Dallas, KOKE in Austin
and KFDI-FM
in Wichita
, Kansas
, programmed a progressive country format with significant success. Additionally, live radio concerts were produced and simulcast with KRLD-AM to 13 states. Artists included Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Asleep at the Wheel, David Allen Coe, Jimmy Buffett
, Jerry Jeff Walker and others. Dave Thomas founding Music Director and later Program Director was the Executive Producer who brought live radio broadcasts back to major market radio.
Progressive country music had a significant impact on the emergence of the alternative country
(alt.country) movement in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The meaning of progressive in progressive country appears to have little to do with that of Progressive rock
.
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The term was coined by programmers at Austin's KOKE-FM in 1972 as a way to differentiate the style of country music in Austin from that being made in Nashville. Progressive country music, also known as "redneck rock," was strongly influenced by a variety of "hard" country music styles, including western swing, honky tonk, and the Bakersfield Sound.
Notable performers include songwriters Michael Murphey, Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
, the Lost Gonzo Band
Lost Gonzo Band
The Lost Gonzo Band was founded in 1973 and toured and recorded with many of Texas' most colorful musicians including Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Martin Murphey, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. The original members of the band were, Bob Livingston, Gary P. Nunn, John Inmon, Kelly Dunn, Tomas Ramirez and...
, B.W. Stevenson
B.W. Stevenson
B.W. Stevenson , born Louis Charles Stevenson, was an American country pop artist, working in a genre now called progressive country. "B.W." stood for "Buckwheat." Stevenson is most famous for his song "My Maria", co-written with Daniel Moore.He was born in Dallas, Texas and attended W.H...
, Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is a country singer, songwriter, actor, recording artist and producer, currently living in Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
, and Steven Fromholz; western swing and honky tonk musicians Alvin Crow, Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
), Marcia Ball (Freda & the Firedogs); and Nashville-based Outlaw country
Outlaw country
Outlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the late 1960s and the 1970s , sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music...
musicians Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe is an American outlaw country music singer who achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. He has written and performed over 280 original songs throughout his career...
, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser.
A 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...
based parallel development was showcased at the EXIT/IN
Exit/In
Exit/In is a music venue in Nashville, Tennessee. Exit/In is located on Elliston Place near Centennial Park and Vanderbilt University. It opened in 1971 under the management of Owsley Manier and Brugh Reynolds. As a small venue seating 200 or so, it developed its unique reputation in the 1970s...
. Key exemplars are BR549, Area Code 615
Area Code 615
Area Code 615 was the name of a Nashville country rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, taking their name from the telephone area code, which at the time covered all of Central and Eastern Tennessee. The band was made up of session musicians, recording only two albums before resuming...
, Charlie Daniels
Charlie Daniels
Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
and 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...
.
Other stations, including KAFM in Dallas, KOKE in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
and KFDI-FM
KFDI-FM
KFDI-FM is a 100 kW radio station operating in Wichita, Kansas. Identifying as "Today's KFDI-FM 101.3, Wichita's Country Favorites," the station runs a contemporary country music format. KFDI has a strong emphasis on news, weather, and traffic with the largest newsradio team in Kansas and the only...
in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, programmed a progressive country format with significant success. Additionally, live radio concerts were produced and simulcast with KRLD-AM to 13 states. Artists included Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Asleep at the Wheel, David Allen Coe, Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
, Jerry Jeff Walker and others. Dave Thomas founding Music Director and later Program Director was the Executive Producer who brought live radio broadcasts back to major market radio.
Progressive country music had a significant impact on the emergence of the alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
(alt.country) movement in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The meaning of progressive in progressive country appears to have little to do with that of Progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
.
Source
- [ AllMusicGuide: Progressive country]
- Reid, Jan. The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock. New edition. Austin: The University of Texas Press, 2002.