Howdy folks! Another new series I am starting here at the Rugged Revival. I will be shining the spotlight on certain years of Country Music history...beginning with the year 1963 A.D. I chose this year to begin this series because it has always proven to be a pivotal mark in not just country music, but popular music and society as a whole.
To understand this era of the world, one has to imagine the landscape of humanity. The Civil Rights Movement in America was truly building to a crescendo, and rightfully so. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, DC in the year 1963. Later on in the year, November 22 to be exact, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX. This is just the tip of the iceberg in World News of 1963, but I will try to keep it to just music. It was during this time of uncertainty, that popular music began to speak up and fight back. The music began reflecting sociopolitical issues, with likes of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary leading protests lead by musical performances. It was quite transformative in a way that music had never been used in this forum. On the West Coat, the Beach Boys first stormed onto the charts with "Surfin' USA", thus putting the genre of "Surf Rock" at the forefront of West Coast hipsters.
Also in 1963, a little-known English 4-piece band called The Beatles landed on the East Coast of the United States, only to begin the biggest selling band in the history of recorded music. "The British Invasion" began in 1963, with many copycat artists rushing to record their own brand of rock and roll music (including the Rolling Stones, who recorded their first single in June 1963). Meanwhile, in Detroit, Michigan, Motown Records was cranking out smash-after-smash and were dominating the R&B and popular music landscape. Hitsville, U.S.A. became a powerhouse helping to launch the careers of Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and countless others.
Phil Spector and the Wrecking Crew were out in L.A. with the "Wall of Sound" and 1963 could be seen as the zenith of his skills, creating orchestral studio layering of tracks. See the Ronnettes "Be My Baby" for an example.
But what about country music, you say? Nashville, TN was still the epicenter of Country Music, with WSM Radio and the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday from the Ryman Auditorium. However, one cannot think of the year 1963 in country music, and not immediately recall the tragedy that shook the city. On March 8, Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and Randy Hughes all perished in an early morning plane crash 20 miles outside Nashville. At the time, Patsy was THE female persona in Country music. Cowboy Copas was a longtime Opry entertainer, and Hawkshaw Hawkins was on his way to his first, and only, #1 hit with "Lonesome 7-7203". As tragic as it was, it did not stop the rise of "Nashville Sound" that permeated the city throughout the 1960s.
Chet Atkins was provided the keys to RCA's Nashville division in 1963, and he was able to set the standard using the "A-Team" of musicians, recording at the RCA Studio B room, using background singers like the Anita Kerr Quartet and the Jordannaires. Elsewhere, though, certain areas were striking back at the "pop" sound of current country music. In the burgeoning city of Bakersfield, CA, hardcore honky tonk had been the main flavor of music for West Coast bluecollar folks, for decades. But in 1963, Buck Owens and his Buckaroos hit it big with "Act Naturally" and "Love's Gonna Live Here", thus embarking on one of the most successful careers in all of Country Music.
There was room for both of these genres to co-exist. TV executives wanted in on the boom, and put Jimmy Dean on the airwaves, in primetime. This was structured in a way to eliminate the "hillbilly" focus of country music. On the other end of the spectrum, happening at the same time, the TV Series "The Beverly Hillbillies" fought to expose the same "hillbilly" way-of-life that the Jimmy Dean Show and others tried to eliminate. The theme song, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" spent a whopping (3) weeks at the #1 spot on the Billboard Country singles chart, the first and only Bluegrass song to have that feat. To this day, it can still be argued that is the most popular Bluegrass song of all time. Relatedly, swinging the pendulum back to the "Nashville Sound", Skeeter Davis' massive hit "The End of the World", held Top 10 status on (4) (!!!) separate charts. That song was #1 on Adult Contemporary, #2 Country, #2 Pop and #4 R&B. This is a feat that has never been duplicated since. Country music, in all forms, was here to stay.
Biggest Country Hits of 1963: "Still" by Bill Anderson; "Detroit City" by Bobby Bare; "End of the World" by Skeeter Davis; "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash; "Act Naturally" by Buck Owens; "Thanks A Lot" by Ernest Tubb; "We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds" by George Jones & Melba Montgomery; "Abilene" by George Hamilton IV; "Six Days on the Road" by Dave Dudley.
Checking In on the "Legends" in 1963:
Merle Haggard: Playing shows opening for Wynn Stewart and recording for various small labels. His breakthrough came in late 1964.
George Jones : Nearing the end of his United Artists label tenure, George was riding on the wave of "She Thinks I Still Care" in 1962, and recording heavily with Melba Montgomery. His alcohol intake was beginning to create problems
Johnny Cash: Quite literally, on top of the world with "Ring of Fire" and was firmly Columbia Records biggest selling artist.
Waylon Jennings: Residing in Phoenix, Waylon was done recording Folk songs and turned his sights on Country Music. His debut album would follow in 1964.
Willie Nelson: After moving to Nashville in 1960, Willie was the hot, new songwriter in town. His debut album came out in 1962, and he was still determining how to make it big as a touring act.
Loretta Lynn: Joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1962, and was recording singles. Her debut LP came out in December 1963.
Be sure to check out my "Good Ol' Days:1963" playlist in the link!!