Women in Music - Memphis, TN

The bona fide roots of country music—formulated from many early forms of mountain folk music, Western music, and Cajun music—began to appear around the middle of the nineteenth century in the very rural parts of the southern states of America. “Hillbilly” music was the catch-all term for most white folk music being performed in the South. This name helped to describe the essence of its performers and their methods of creating a unique sound. As country music eventually gained prominence and made a name for itself, so did the women who played a big part in making country music what it is today. Within the very makeup of country music one can observe the place conservatism holds and the effects it had on the roles of many women in this genre.

Beginning in the 1970s, female stars of country music began to use their newly found fame in the music world along with their conservative beliefs to counter the women’s movement of the 1970s. Female singer-songwriters Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton not only had the conservative style country music fans loved, they featured a female perspective and female creativity not seen before in this music.

Loretta Lynn came to Nashville when she was 25 and released her first record in 1960. She was the type of woman in which many middleclass housewives could relate. She was married at the age of 13 and had 4 children by the age of 18. She won the country music world with her charisma and charm. In her songs she stood up for America’s housewives. “I sang it like the women lived it,” she explained. By the late 1960s she was gaining much publicity for her “country-feminist” lyrics.

Famous for her very conservative attitude best expressed in her song, “Stand by Your Man,” Tammy Wynette cultivated a refined image both in her dress and her music. She was classy and conservative despite the hoards of media that wished to have her hike up her skirt and be a sex symbol. She arrived in Nashville in 1965—divorced with 3 children—to launch her career. Wynette believed that conversing honestly with the media about her life was the best way to deal with publicity, and that being true to oneself and being honest was the best way to live your life. These qualities were rare in the music business of the 1960s (still are), which is why she is a groundbreaking country singer.

Dolly Parton is a native of East Tennessee. Born in 1946, she began singing at a local TV station in Knoxville at age 10. By the time she was 13, she had a guest appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. She struggled for a few years in Nashville before Porter Wagoner hired her to appear on his show. After she decided to accompany Wagoner on the stage, she became very famous for her ability to write songs, her performances, and her ultra-feminine public persona. Much of Parton’s appeal comes from her down-to-earth manner, in which she freely shares details of her life through her music and her writings.

Undoubtedly every person in the USA has benefitted from the careers of these 3 women. They broke the boundaries and stereotypes for women by being wildly successful and, at the same time, staying true to their individuality as women. Their honesty, genuineness, and adherence to traditional values made them popular and beloved among country music fans worldwide. Thanks to their success, and those of other female country music stars, women doubled their share of the country marketplace during the 1970s (from 10 to 20 percent), and recorded eighty No. 1 records. Almost 30 years later—in the summer of 1999—nearly half of the top-forty songs in country music were sung by women. Obviously, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton opened a door that is ever-widening. The impact of their careers has forever changed the country music industry.

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Why Nashville and Not Memphis?
"Wrong Side of Memphis" (from the album Hearts in Armor) was released in 1992 by Trisha Yearwood (who is actually from Georgia). Her lyric tells the story of a woman from Memphis who decides to move to Nashville to be a country music star. The message of the song is clear: while Memphis is fine for Blues artists or devotees to the memory of Elvis, it is no place to make a career as a country singer!

No turning back, I've come too far;
I'm headed down 40 with my old guitar.
This ain't Graceland that's a fact,
And I ain't driving a pink Cadillac

I've been living on the wrong side of Memphis;
Gonna bronze these blue suede shoes.
These cowboy boots are gettin' kinda restless,
And I ain't gotta single thing to lose

I've had this dream from a tender age,
Calling my name from the Opry stage;
I can hear it sing loud and clear
200 miles and I'll be there.

After World War II and the United States entered the1950’s consumerism, and many cities in the south had the potential of becoming the heart of country music. Memphis and Nashville are separated by roughly two hundred miles, so why did country music gravitate to Nashville instead of Memphis? The Grand Ole Opry was a major contributor to this as its radio station, WSM, basically covered the nation with its fifty thousand clear-channel giant. The Prince Albert Show, which was the longest and most widely viewed barn dance show, also spotlighted The Opry as it held a weekly slot on NBC. Nashville’s location was also vital to its becoming the Mecca of country music as it is centered very nicely in the south, with easy access from many different areas of the country.

With the Opry’s aggressive show promoters like J.L Frank, Hubert Long, and Jim Denny bringing in country music stars from everywhere, recording executives began to flock to Nashville to record Opry artists. Needing a place to record these new up-and-coming country music stars, record executives turned to local recording labels that included Castle Studios (1946-1954), the Bradley studios (later bought by Columbia in 1962), and RCA’s studios (1957-1977). This influx of recording executives laid the brickwork needed for Nashville to become the country music capital of the world. With so much recording going on lots of session musicians were needed, and musicians flocked to Nashville so they could get their piece of the pie. The Nashville musicians union facilitated the growth of musicians and country music artists as well because there was no requirement to read music to be a union member; it also allowed artists to record song demos at a reduced rate. While this was going on in the recording studio, assertive local music publishers began to write songs for specific artists outside of the studios. The first of these publishers was Acuff-Rose in 1942.

It was no surprise that every single major record label had established an office and was recording country music in Nashville by 1963. After World War II, Memphis—already the home of the Blues, with renowned artists like B.B. King, Furry Lewis, and Memphis Minnie—soon began to rise again as the center of a very different style of popular music. In the 1950s Elvis Presley burst on to the scene with his new style of music that just made him (and everyone else) move his hips. With a different focus, a different audience, and an appreciation for its unique sound, Memphis and “Rockabilly” ensured that hometown musicians who aspired to a career in country music would always leave for Nashville. Or would they?

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Minnie McCoy Nancy Apple
Even though Memphis has gravitated toward popular genres like blues, Rockabilly, soul, and rap as expressions of its collective creative energy, there is one female country artist who stands out in sharp contrast to the city’s musical bias. Nancy Apple has been dubbed the “Queen of Country in Memphis” by the Memphis Magazine City Guide and the “Princess of Twang” by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Nancy claims musical influence from artists including Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard, to name a few. These influences contribute to her sound that the Commercial Appeal describes as “Genuine yalterna-honk that makes you want to shake your groove thang or chase your beer with whiskey shots.” In addition to singing she plays drums, guitar, harmonica and accordion. Even though Nancy Apple lives in a city that has very little country music presence, she is a shining star that continues to glimmer brightly as one of very few recognizable country music artists from Memphis. To find out more about Nancy Apple or to see her show schedule please visit her website.

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			The bona fide roots of country music—formulated from many early forms of mountain folk music, Western music, and Cajun music—began to appear around the middle of the nineteenth century in the very rural parts of the southern states of America. “Hillbilly” music was the catch-all term for most white folk music being performed in the South. This name helped to describe the essence of its performers and their methods of creating a unique sound. As country music eventually gained prominence and made a name for itself, so did the women who played a big part in making country music what it is today. Within the very makeup of country music one can observe the place conservatism holds and the effects it had on the roles of many women in this genre. Beginning in the 1970s, female stars of country music began to use their newly found fame in the music world along with their conservative beliefs to counter the women’s movement of the 1970s. Female singer-songwriters Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton not only had the conservative style country music fans loved, they featured a female perspective and female creativity not seen before in this music. Loretta Lynn came to Nashville when she was 25 and released her first record in 1960. She was the type of woman in which many middleclass housewives could relate. She was married at the age of 13 and had 4 children by the age of 18. She won the country music world with her charisma and charm. In her songs she stood up for America’s housewives. “I sang it like the women lived it,” she explained. By the late 1960s she was gaining much publicity for her “country-feminist” lyrics. Famous for her very conservative attitude best expressed in her song, “Stand by Your Man,” Tammy Wynette cultivated a refined image both in her dress and her music. She was classy and conservative despite the hoards of media that wished to have her hike up her skirt and be a sex symbol. She arrived in Nashville in 1965—divorced with 3 children—to launch her career. Wynette believed that conversing honestly with the media about her life was the best way to deal with publicity, and that being true to oneself and being honest was the best way to live your life. These qualities were rare in the music business of the 1960s (still are), which is why she is a groundbreaking country singer. Dolly Parton is a native of East Tennessee. Born in 1946, she began singing at a local TV station in Knoxville at age 10. By the time she was 13, she had a guest appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. She struggled for a few years in Nashville before Porter Wagoner hired her to appear on his show. After she decided to accompany Wagoner on the stage, she became very famous for her ability to write songs, her performances, and her ultra-feminine public persona. Much of Parton’s appeal comes from her down-to-earth manner, in which she freely shares details of her life through her music and her writings. Undoubtedly every person in the USA has benefitted from the careers of these 3 women. They broke the boundaries and stereotypes for women by being wildly successful and, at the same time, staying true to their individuality as women. Their honesty, genuineness, and adherence to traditional values made them popular and beloved among country music fans worldwide. Thanks to their success, and those of other female country music stars, women doubled their share of the country marketplace during the 1970s (from 10 to 20 percent), and recorded eighty No. 1 records. Almost 30 years later—in the summer of 1999—nearly half of the top-forty songs in country music were sung by women. Obviously, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton opened a door that is ever-widening. The impact of their careers has forever changed the country music industry. back to top Why Nashville and Not Memphis? "Wrong Side of Memphis" (from the album Hearts in Armor) was released in 1992 by Trisha Yearwood (who is actually from Georgia). Her lyric tells the story of a woman from Memphis who decides to move to Nashville to be a country music star. The message of the song is clear: while Memphis is fine for Blues artists or devotees to the memory of Elvis, it is no place to make a career as a country singer! No turning back, I've come too far; I'm headed down 40 with my old guitar. This ain't Graceland that's a fact, And I ain't driving a pink Cadillac I've been living on the wrong side of Memphis; Gonna bronze these blue suede shoes. These cowboy boots are gettin' kinda restless, And I ain't gotta single thing to lose I've had this dream from a tender age, Calling my name from the Opry stage; I can hear it sing loud and clear 200 miles and I'll be there. After World War II and the United States entered the1950’s consumerism, and many cities in the south had the potential of becoming the heart of country music. Memphis and Nashville are separated by roughly two hundred miles, so why did country music gravitate to Nashville instead of Memphis? The Grand Ole Opry was a major contributor to this as its radio station, WSM, basically covered the nation with its fifty thousand clear-channel giant. The Prince Albert Show, which was the longest and most widely viewed barn dance show, also spotlighted The Opry as it held a weekly slot on NBC. Nashville’s location was also vital to its becoming the Mecca of country music as it is centered very nicely in the south, with easy access from many different areas of the country. With the Opry’s aggressive show promoters like J.L Frank, Hubert Long, and Jim Denny bringing in country music stars from everywhere, recording executives began to flock to Nashville to record Opry artists. Needing a place to record these new up-and-coming country music stars, record executives turned to local recording labels that included Castle Studios (1946-1954), the Bradley studios (later bought by Columbia in 1962), and RCA’s studios (1957-1977). This influx of recording executives laid the brickwork needed for Nashville to become the country music capital of the world. With so much recording going on lots of session musicians were needed, and musicians flocked to Nashville so they could get their piece of the pie. The Nashville musicians union facilitated the growth of musicians and country music artists as well because there was no requirement to read music to be a union member; it also allowed artists to record song demos at a reduced rate. While this was going on in the recording studio, assertive local music publishers began to write songs for specific artists outside of the studios. The first of these publishers was Acuff-Rose in 1942. It was no surprise that every single major record label had established an office and was recording country music in Nashville by 1963. After World War II, Memphis—already the home of the Blues, with renowned artists like B.B. King, Furry Lewis, and Memphis Minnie—soon began to rise again as the center of a very different style of popular music. In the 1950s Elvis Presley burst on to the scene with his new style of music that just made him (and everyone else) move his hips. With a different focus, a different audience, and an appreciation for its unique sound, Memphis and “Rockabilly” ensured that hometown musicians who aspired to a career in country music would always leave for Nashville. Or would they? back to top Nancy Apple Even though Memphis has gravitated toward popular genres like blues, Rockabilly, soul, and rap as expressions of its collective creative energy, there is one female country artist who stands out in sharp contrast to the city’s musical bias. Nancy Apple has been dubbed the “Queen of Country in Memphis” by the Memphis Magazine City Guide and the “Princess of Twang” by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Nancy claims musical influence from artists including Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard, to name a few. These influences contribute to her sound that the Commercial Appeal describes as “Genuine yalterna-honk that makes you want to shake your groove thang or chase your beer with whiskey shots.” In addition to singing she plays drums, guitar, harmonica and accordion. Even though Nancy Apple lives in a city that has very little country music presence, she is a shining star that continues to glimmer brightly as one of very few recognizable country music artists from Memphis. To find out more about Nancy Apple or to see her show schedule please visit her website. back to top


	• Why Nashville? • Nancey Apple