Classic country & bluegrass music thread

Llarry wrote

The Browns (brother Jim Ed and sisters Maxine and Bonnie) covered many Louvin Brothers songs, not including this one - I Heard the Blue Birds Sing

I’m not particularly religious but I like their “Three Bells”. Also Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me, Lord”. Just good songs/melodies/harmonies.

2000cs wrote

I’m not particularly religious but I like their “Three Bells”. Also Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me, Lord”. Just good songs/melodies/harmonies.

I find this true of much of old country music -- I'm not religious at all but enjoy some of the gospel music (which I have avoided in this thread.) There is an awful lot of religious music in the older music.

Jim and Jesse McReynolds stayed true to bluegrass throughout their career; here's one of their later numbers:

Then I'll Stop Going for You

Don Gibson was a country songwriter who wrote big hits for Patsy Cline and many others. My favorite version of his song Sweet Dreams is by Faron Young from 1956.

Here's my contribution to this thread, Llarry. A little Grateful Dead bluegrass.

Cumberland Blues

Here's one of the Louvin's gospel numbers -- I love the vocal harmonies on this one.

Born Again

Vintage country is on my playlist constantly. I'm glad to see so many of these bluegrass transitional artist posted, it really gives me some flashbacks.

George Jones is my hometown hero, so I'm on GJ radio all the time. You'll find a lot of 60s and 70s underplayed artist there.

2000cs DAC is a legend but be careful doing a deep dive on his catalog. He had some OG Gangster country back before that was a thing.

Louvin brothers (again!) - I Wish You Knew

The Brown's hit song The Three Bells crossed over to pop and was their most famous record.

Patsy Cline - I Fall to Pieces (1961)

Johnny Cash was considered more of a rockabilly artist when he started in 1955. Here are a couple of his early numbers:

Hey Porter

Balland of a Teenage Queen

Another cover of a Louvin Brothers song by the Browns

I Take the Chance (1956)

Llarry wrote

The Louvin brothers wrote a large number of songs that were later covered by many country and bluegrass groups.

Ther Louvins' influence is still felt today, as many of their songs have become country standards.

Alison Krauss & Union Station - I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby (1995)

Another Johhny & Jack tune with their distinctive Latin beat.

S.O.S. (1955)

Marty Robbins defied the country stereotype and had several pop hits, including the hit El Paso. Here's a 1961 number featuring guitar fuzztone.

Don't Worry

Frankie Miller had a giant regional hit in Texas with Blackland Farmer, which I judge to be too "hillbilly" for this thread, but he made some great other music as well.

Young Widow Brown (1960)

To rewind quite a bit, the Carter Family was country music's first stars. They were paid $50 in 1927 for the first recording session, which was quite a sum for poor rural Appalachian country folk. Plus they got royalties on every original record sold. They went back several times to Bristol, Virginia, to record again. In 1928, they recorded Wildwood Flower, which was a hit.

In Wildwood Flower, as in many of their songs, A.P. did not sing; the song featured Sarah (on the right in this photo) on the autoharp and Maybelle (left) on the guitar with an unusual technique that combined lead and rhythm on the same guitar.

A.P. Carter did sing on this number from 1927:

Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow

George Jones - When the Grass Grows Over Me

George Jones (see last post) was a giant of country music who battled alcohol for many years. When he died in 2013 at age 82, he was memorialized at the Grand Old Opry. The high point was perhaps Vince Gill's rendition of "Go Rest High on that Mountain" accompanied by Patty Loveless. Vince did not make it all the way through the vocal, breaking down in grief in the middle part. That version is on Youtube but won't load here. Here's a 2024 version.