Jimmie Rodgers

“The Father of Country Music,” Jimmie Rodgers got his big break in 1927 when he and his band were discovered at the famous Bristol Sessions held by the Victor Talking Machine Company and won the opportunity to record an album with the company.

 Famously, he had an argument with the band and showed up to the recording session with no backing band. It didn’t matter though, as his iconic yodeling style made him one of country music’s first big stars.

With hits like “In the Jailhouse Now” and “Blue Yodel No. 1,” Rodgers influenced all country musicians that came after him. His career was cut short when he died from tuberculosis-related complications in 1933 after his final recording session.

Hank Williams

 

You can’t talk about country music without mentioning Hank Williams. With over fifty top 10 country hits, including “Move It On Over” and “Jambalaya,” he is considered by many to be the greatest country singer of all time.

After getting his start on the radio, MGM Records signed Williams in 1947. Soon after, he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and would go on to put out a prolific catalog of music. Sadly, at just 29 years of age, he passed away as his hard-drinking lifestyle finally caught up with him. His son and grandson, Hank Jr. and Hank the Third, carry on his musical legacy.

Patsy Cline

The Virginia-born Patsy Cline is one of the greatest country singers of all time. After making her way up through local radio and television programs, she made it big on the national stage in 1957 with a televised performance of “Walkin’ After Midnight.”

A near-fatal car accident in 1961 almost derailed her promising career, but she returned with vigor to the Grand Ole Opry stage six weeks later. With hits like “I Fall to Pieces” and “Crazy,” Cline became one of the first country stars to crossover to the pop music charts. In 1963, she began to tell close friends she had a sense she didn’t have long left to live and, tragically, she was correct, passing away in a plane crash on March 5 of that year.

Roy Acuff

Dubbed “The King of Country Music,” Roy Acuff was instrumental in moving the country genre from its traditional “hoedown” format into the singer-driven sound we are accustomed to today. Hank Williams reportedly said that Acuff had more drawing power in the South than God.

Acuff got his start in the 1930s with the Smoky Mountain Boys and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1938. He remained a central figure here, and in the 1940s, he co-founded Acuff-Rose Records, one of the most important labels in country music, with clients including Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, and Roy Orbison.

Kitty Wells

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, in a house full of musicians, Kitty Wells broke down barriers for women in country music when she released “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” in 1952. The song was a huge success on the country and pop charts, propelling her straight to superstardom.

For the next 14 years, Wells’ name was on top of the charts and a consistent award winner. She was only the 3rd country singer to ever win the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, following Hank Williams and Roy Acuff. Her career rightfully earned her the title of the “Queen of Country Music.”

George Jones

The “White Lighting” singer George Jones is considered by many to be the greatest country singer to ever stand before a microphone. Listening to him was an immersive experience that would draw the listener into the emotion of the song.

With 160 singles reaching the country charts, Jones earned his nickname as “The Rolls Royce of Country Music.” While the 70s found him struggling with alcoholism, he returned with vigor when he released “He Stopped Loving Her” in 1980, a tune that would turn out to be his greatest hit.

Marty Robbins

Robbins’ music was a hit with both pop and country audiences, and his work inspired big names like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Not only that, but he also had a fairly successful career as a NASCAR driver, including several top-ten finishes. Few country singers have been as prolific as “Big Iron” singer Marty Robbins. 

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton was always bound for fame and glory. Born fourth of twelve children in a one-bedroom cabin, she got her start playing music on local radio and even appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at age 13.

While it would take a bit more time for her career to take off, Parton has had 25 number-one country singles and is a beloved, cultural icon. She is perhaps the most successful country-pop crossover act, with a successful acting career, and has led countless philanthropic efforts through The Dollywood Foundation.

Brenda Lee

“Little Miss Dynamite” Brenda Lee was the country star of the 1960s. Nobody had more top-ten hits over the decade besides her other than Elvis, The Beatles, and Ray Charles. While she was always the shortest person in the room, she had the biggest voice on the radio.

Perhaps her most iconic track to this day is her tune “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” though it was her 1960 song “I’m Sorry” that she is best known for. For all her accomplishments, Lee received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Johnny Cash

With that crystal-clear baritone, Johnny Cash is the most infamous outlaw country singer to ever grace the stage. With a guitar that chugged along like a freight train and somber and sorrowful tunes to match, “The Man In Black” singer rose to fame with tunes like “Folsom Prison Blues” and “I Walk The Line.”

Whether playing for inmates or hosting his own television program, Cash was always a voice for the disenfranchised. Famously married to June Carter Cash, he remained prolific musically all the way until his death.