The Stranger, Seattle WA Nov. 16, 2006
Kurt B. Reighley

"I am so tired of seeing bands who don't know what they are," says Brent Amaker. That's hardly an accusation one can level at Amaker and his band, the Rodeo. They have a distinct, straightforward sound and a consistent look. Until recently, the quartet.who play Cafe Venus... [+] Read More

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Mark Coker has been playing bass in local bands for several years. His first solo project, Folk Christian, released in 2006, is all original material with only one cover song written by Andy Park. Influenced by the "Jesus Movement" of the 70's, Mark worked with 70's and 80's CCM artist in an effort to capture the retro stlye. Jeff and Joy Earle... [+] Read More

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As a solo singer/songwriter, Aaron Persinger has taken a number of influences that date all the way back to the turn of the 20th century. By looking up to the bluegrass performers of the '30s and '40s, the rockabilly artists of the 1950s, folk singers from the 1960s, and alternative rock and country acts from the 1990s, Persinger is a musical... [+] Read More

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Buck Owens, along with Merle Haggard, was the leader of the Bakersfield sound, a twangy, electricified, rock-influenced interpretation of hardcore honky tonk that emerged in the '60s. Owens was the first bona fide country star to emerge from Bakersfield, scoring a total of 15 consecutive number one hits in the mid-'60s. In the process, he... [+] Read More

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Known as Mr. Country, Carl Smith was one of the most popular honky tonkers of the '50s, racking up over 30 Top Ten hits over the course of the decade. Smith was also able to sustain that popularity into the late '70s, during which time he had a charting single for every year except one. Smith had a talent for singing smooth ballads which... [+] Read More

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Without Chet Atkins, country music may never have crossed over into the pop charts in the '50s and '60s. Although he recorded hundreds of solo records, Atkins' largest influence came as a session musician and a record producer. During the '50s and '60s, he helped create the Nashville sound, a style of country music that owed nearly as much to... [+] Read More

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Originally a '50s rock & roll singer, Conway Twitty became the reigning country superstar of the '70s and '80s, racking up a record 40 number one hits over the course of two decades. With his deep, resonant down-home voice, Twitty was one of the smoothest balladeers to work in Nashville during the country-pop era, but he was also one of the most... [+] Read More

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Originally known as "the Hillbilly Heartthrob" and "the Singing Sheriff," Faron Young had one of the longest-running and most popular careers in country music history. Emerging in the early '50s, Young was one of the most popular honky tonkers to appear in the wake of Hank Williams' death, partially because he was able to smooth out some of the... [+] Read More

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The first time that many people ever heard of Johnny Paycheck was in 1977, when his "Take This Job and Shove It" inspired one-man wildcat strikes all over America. The next time was in 1985, when he was arrested for shooting a man at a bar in Hillsboro, OH. That Paycheck is remembered for a fairly amusical novelty song and a violent crime (for... [+] Read More

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After a lengthy period of struggle, Kris Kristofferson achieved remarkable success as a country songwriter at the start of the 1970s. His songs "Me and Bobby McGee," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," and "For the Good Times," all chart-topping hits, helped redefine country songwriting, making it more personal and... [+] Read More

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Lyle Lovett was one of the most distinctive and original singer/songwriters to emerge during the '80s. Though he was initially labeled as a country singer, the tag never quite fit him. Lovett had more in common with '70s singer/songwriters like Guy Clark, Jesse Winchester, Randy Newman, and Townes Van Zandt, combining a talent for incisive,... [+] Read More

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Along with fellow songwriters such as Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Tom T. Hall, Mickey Newbury helped revolutionize country music in the 1960s and '70s by bringing new, broader musical influences as well as a frank, emotional depth to the music -- while at the same time never losing respect for tradition. Newbury infused his country... [+] Read More

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"I love music. I love playing it, I love singing it and I have the Lord above and my family to guide me along the way . Every song I write is straight from the heart." . These words are like a mantra for Ray Riddle, who has written more songs than he can even count. A childhood spent on a rural Ohio dairy farm is the inspiration for many of the... [+] Read More

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In many ways, Tammy Wynette deserves the title of "the First Lady of Country Music." During the late '60s and early '70s, she dominated the country charts, scoring 17 number one hits. Along with Loretta Lynn, she defined the role of female country vocalists in the '70s.

After her father, who was a musician, died when she was just... [+] Read More

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