Some of the greatest country singers of the 20th century have been, unfortunately, forgotten to time and remain totally unknown among many modern-day country music fans. Let’s change that, shall we? Let’s take a look at a few influential country singers who once dominated Nashville and even touch on some essential works.
Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell was enormously influential on country singers who walked in his footsteps, such as the likes of George Jones and Merle Haggard. However, his unique name is usually new to modern-day country fans. I’ll chalk that up to time. Frizzell’s heyday was way back in the 1950s, when he had numerous No. 1 and Top 10 hits on the US country chart. If you want a taste of what Frizzell was all about, I recommend giving Listen To Lefty from 1952 a spin. You might just love his work if you’re already a fan of Texas or Arkansas-flavored country tunes.
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Webb Pierce
Country singer Webb Pierce absolutely dominated the country charts in the 1950s. In fact, he had No. 1 hits at the top of the board for longer than most. Casual fans of the genre today might not recognize him, and that’s a real shame. This Louisiana-born honky-tonk icon, complete with his flashy Nudie suits, helped establish the sound and even the aesthetics of country music that would follow in the 1960s and 1970s. I recommend giving songs like “Wondering” from 1951 and “That Heart Belongs To Me” a spin, as well as the 1955 track “In The Jailhouse Now”.
Kitty Wells
Without Kitty Wells, I imagine that a lot of talented women wouldn’t have tried to enter the Nashville space. This entry on our list of somewhat forgotten country singers is remembered fondly by oldheads, but today’s young country fans might have never heard of her. Wells was a famous honky tonk musician who staked her claim as the “queen of country” with the song “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” in 1952. That song was a response to a misogynistic track released by Hank Thompson, “The Wild Side Of Life”. Wells’ response song was a smash No. 1 hit on the country charts, the first to come from a solo female artist. Wells enjoyed a long and fruitful career until her retirement in 2000.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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