Country Rock – Musicians

Country music can be described as a fusion of country and rock music.  This term was originally used to describe the music of the 1960’s and 70’s. This is when rock musicians such as The Byrds and Bob Dylan began experimenting by incorporating a bit of country music in their albums. The instruments typically used in this genre are the piano, acoustic, electric and pedal steel guitars, drums and the bass guitar.

Country rock reached its pinnacle of popularity in the 1970’s with artists like the Eagles and Emmylou Harris. In fact, Emmylou Harris was known as the Queen of Country Rock. Linda Rondstadt, was another musician who was associated with country rock. The Eagles were composed of members of Linda Rondstadt’s backing band. However, the popularity of country n rock began to wane around the end of the 1970s. Though there are some musicians like Neil Diamond, who continued to perform country rock even till the 90s.

Let’s take a look at the history of country n rock in greater detail. The first instances of country rock being adopted was in the 1960s  by bands such as Hearts and Flowers, Poco and New Riders of the Purple Sage. All these bands were part of the California music scene. Among the folk-rockers who began to experiment with country rock were the Byrds, Beau Brummels and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The Everly Brothers made a comeback with a country n rock album known as the Roots in 1968. John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival moved to country rock when he became a part of The Blue Ridge Rangers. Neil Young performed country n rock on and off throughout his career.

Country Rock Musicians

During the 1970s, Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers Band, is credited with introducing bits of country n rock to the band.

It was during this period that the Doobie Brothers mixed R&B elements with country n rock and Emmylou Harris became an iconic figure for this genre of music. Linda Rondstadt went on to successfully create a pop-oriented version of country rock.

Apart from the artists already mentioned, the most noteworthy country rock musicians/bands of the 1970s were Swampwater, Grateful Dead, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, Bob Dylan, Michael Nesmith, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Pure Prairie League, Gene Clark, The Outlaws, Joe Ely, The Charlie Daniels Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Gram Parsons and Ry Cooder.

Country Rock Continues To Be Popular

Country was also instrumental in the development of Southern rock. It also formed the foundation for the formation of the alternative country movement. Country n rock continues to be popular even now in the state of Texas, exactly where it is accorded cult status. In fact, The Flat landers, Joe Ely, Butch Han cock, Jimmy Dale Gilmore and California-based Richard Brooker, have recorded country rock albums in Texas.

There are some performers who have occasionally recorded country rock albums. Notable among these are Elvis Costello’s Almost Blue (1981) and the Robert Plant-Alison Krauss recording Raising Sand. Raising Sand was widely regarded as one of the most commercially successful albums that year.

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