In honor of Black History Month, let’s tip our cowboy hats to the trailblazers who shaped country music.
This is a genre rooted in the creativity of enslaved Black folk during the early 1900s. These pioneers laid the foundation for today’s blues, twang, and folk sounds.
History reminds us that many enslaved individuals found solace and camaraderie in folk music, often accompanied by the comforting notes of a banjo. This instrument traces its roots back to the continent of Africa. The beats and melodies of traditional string music were gifts from Black culture, later appropriated and popularized by white performers through minstrel shows.
Despite their profound influence, many Black musicians who shaped the country genre were left unrecognized, overshadowed by their white counterparts. Fortunately, some Black artists are making significant impacts in this genre.
Here are five phenomenal Black Country artists that need to be on rotation in your playlist.
Charley Pride
In the 1960s, Charley Pride became country music’s first Black superstar. Pride was the first Black member of the Grand Ole Opry since DeFord Bailey decades earlier; the first Black artist to have a number one country record; and the first artist of any race to win the Country Music Association’s male vocalist award two years in a row.
Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker is the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning band Hootie and the Blowfish, selling more than 25 million records worldwide. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012. In 2014, he won his third career Grammy Award for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) version of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs ever.
Mickey Guyton
Guyton is the Arlington, Texas-born vocal powerhouse nominated for her first Academy of Country Music Award for new female artists. She was the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category for her song “Black Like Me.” Although Guyton has fought to carve out a successful career in country music for herself, she said she wants to use this platform to be a “voice for the voiceless,” especially other Black artists.
Jimmie Allen
Jimmie Allen, a multi-platinum recording artist and songwriter, has been blazing trails since the beginning of his breakout career. Allen was nominated for Best New Artist at the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards, his first-ever GRAMMY nomination. He was also nominated for Male Artist of the Year at the 57th ACM Awards. Allen won both the ACM New Male Artist of the Year and the CMA New Artist of the Year awards in April and November 2021, respectively.
Brittney Spencer
Spencer received notable attention following a viral Twitter video showing Spencer singing a cover of a song by the Highwomen. The video drew praise from fellow country artists and prompted the release of her first extended play (EP), Compassion (2020). She has also released several singles, including 2021’s “Sober & Skinny.” Spencer has since performed at the Country Music Association Awards and has embarked on a world tour.