Julia MHmlaidK/DN
Country music not all twang I
By Rebecca S. Kruse
Staff Reporter
The words “country music” con
jure up images of the lone, cattle
nerding cowboy sleeping under
the stars with his saddle for a pil
low. He sings "Get Along Little
Dogies” or laments his woes of
hard days and long, lonely nights.
Country artists today offer styles
for nearly every musical taste. Garth
Brooks, one of the hottest country
musicians, offers country with a
touch of rock.
Reba McEntire sings sad and
slow love ballads. And Bonnie Raitt,
who originated in the country music
field, has crossed over to the popu
lar music charts with her latest hits.
Country music got its start in the
rural South, Southwest and the
southeastern states. It is a mixture
of music traditions that were influ
enced by the blues and by black
rural dance music.
Since then, country music has
evolved into a variety of styles, and
many country artists have drawn in
much wider audiences.
• It’s been said that a cowboy at
titude is not in your clothes, it’s in
your state of mind. And listeners
don’t have to feel out of place if
they don’t feel comfortable in
cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats.
Although country music has re- j
mainea a constant on the music
scene, it doesn’t belong solely to
the cowboy anymore.
It has branched out to several
categories, including country rock.
Randy Travis and Ricky Skaggs
belong to yet another group of
musicians, known as traditional
ists, who turn back to the slow,
subtle style of Williams. And Wil
liams own son, Hank Williams, Jr.,
has drawn from contemporary rock
and blues sounds to create his
wild, boot-kickin’ tunes.
Since country music has become
more popular with more people, it
might seem that it has changed in
order to keep up with other popu
lar music styles.
But the music has stayed rela
tively the same over the years.
Because, behind the strong beat of
rap and the high-pitched squeals of
heavy metal, if I listen closely, I can
hear the twang of country
music’s steel guitar and the
heartbeat of a cowboy.
BE A RED CROSS VOLUNTEER
+ American
Red Cross
r—-■--——
Dance
Friday, March 20,84lldnl«ht
(Dance Lesson 74pm)
Learn the country two-step from
Roberta Doeden
Dance In a * smoke-alcohol free
environment*
Admission: $5.00
($$.00 for lesson $ dance)
ROCA MUSIC HOUSE
Roc, W«<4»T-9«1T or 4»»-21«a |
Tuesday Thursday
Noon -1pm S-IOpm
Three, that's Three |
Delicious
Cookies for $1 I
I_i
Ride ’em, cowboy
Kelly Melvin of Golden, Colo., rides Double
Trouble in the Great Plains Bull Riding and Bar
rel Racing bull rodeo Friday night at the State
Fairgrounds. Participants in the bull-riding event
competed for a $4,500 estimated purse. Contest
ants from across the United States as well as
spectators were invited to a dance afterwards.
—————^
Sartor Hamann Jewelers
*