In a statement on Beyoncé's social media earlier this month regarding "Cowboy Carter," she said her new album was "born out of an experience I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed ... and it was very clear that I wasn't.
Despite the contributions of Black artists to the roots of the genre, research shows that Black artists have largely been shut out of the industry. This engraving, captioned"In ole Virginny," accompanied the article"Virginia in the Revolution" by John Esten Cooke, in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, June 1876.The songs sung by enslaved people - their hymns and spirituals - also influenced the music of the South.
Riddle traveled with the Carter family, teaching them his techniques and helping shape their sound and songs, according to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. "All the music training I ever had was from him," Williams Sr. said in a 1951 interview, according to the Los Angeles Times. "You begin to appreciate how central Black influence has always been on country music and as much as commerce and convenience segregates it, you cannot because the musicians don't," said Burns.Despite Black artists playing a collaborative role in what country music sounds like today, musicians have long faced barriers to succeeding in the industry.
Linda Martell became the first Black woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry stage in the late 1960s and early 1970s, cutting an album and several country chart hits, enduring racism that she said led to the downfall of her career.Several Black artists have continued to cross genres into country music - including Ray Charles, Tina Turner and Darrius Rucker - some of whom found great success in tackling the genre.