International Country Music Day, on September 17, is a day of festivals, concerts, dances, and all kinds of other events that celebrate country music, to honor this distinctly American genre. Today is about the music. It’s popular to joke about country songs being all about losing your dog, your truck, your job, and your girlfriend, but in reality, the breadth and depth of the genre offer something for everyone, from Williams’ ‘Hey Good Lookin’,’ to New Country songs like Toby Keith’s ‘Red Solo Cup.’ On International Country Music Day, dip into the wellspring and take a sip.
History
Though International Country Music Day has only been a worldwide phenomenon since 2003, country music itself evolved during the 1920s in the U.S. The music form is the result of a mix of Delta blues, Appalachian folk, Cajun music, Creole Zydeco, and others. Today, people often think of the genre as “Old Country,” which has been wildly popular since the 1950s.
Artists during this golden period such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and of course Hank Williams, gave fans unforgettable stories and glimpses into the struggles of a hardscrabble life. Speaking of Hank Williams, the day chosen for this holiday, September 17, is Williams’ birthday. It’s easy to guess the country music icon left a wealth of quality country songs as his legacy, such as ‘Cold Cold Heart’ and ‘Lost Highway.’
As a matter of fact, all 35 of the singles Williams recorded made the top ten on the Billboard Country & Western Bestsellers chart, with 11 of them reaching the number one spot. Mention the phrase country music, and don’t be surprised if the name Hank Williams is in the first sentence of the response. We believe he’d be honored at the association of his birth date with International Country Music Day.
New country, on the other hand, is a subgenre represented by a similarly talented pool of singers and songwriters, including Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, and many more, with a younger generation of country musicians taking up the mantle more and more as time goes by. Country music shows no signs of slowing down or going away, so take International Country Music Day as a chance to discover why so many people around the world love country music.
Credit: National Today
