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Country Music ?

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jstephens9:
Here is a new topic I think. At least I don't see any discussions out there about it. If there is just move me in the right direction  ;) At one point in time, at least as far as I know, putting the word gay and country music together would be quite rare. Putting gay people in a bar where people were doing the country line dance and the Texas two step would even be rarer. I mean I know that there have always been some stars of country music, such as Dolly Parton, who became icons to many people in the gay world. But basically the two ideas just didn't seem to be on the same path. In fact, the Country Music Association has not always been what you would call "gay friendly." In fact, to my knowledge, they are still not. I also know that there are many gay people out there who still not be caught dead listening to country music or dancing to country music. But, even before Brokeback, country music and dances were becoming very popular with a segment of the gay population.

I still find it hard to believe that one of my biggest exposures to country music, line dancing, etc. happened on my first trip to San Francisco, California. That still sometimes throws me for a loop. The fact that I was born and raised in the hillbilly section of North Carolina makes it even stranger. I now find myself listening to music that my grandparents listened too, that old timey country music. This is the same music I used to make fun of and even before anything really gay came into my life my friends and I would make fun of it. Listening to country music was just not cool, at all. In reality I did like some of it, but I sure never admitted it to anyone. I also remember that back in the 90s I started listening to a lot of country music, but that phase went away. Then back in very late 2000 I found my best friend in Texas who got me listening to some country music, particularly the Dixie Chicks and Faith Hill. I thought at the time that the Dixie Chicks were the country equivalent of the Spice Girls  :laugh: I'm not sure where I ever got that idea.

Anyway, I was out there in San Francisco in a nightclub one night and at a hotel dance the next watching gay people in cowboy gear dance to country music. At times it was truly almost like culture shock to me. I liked it though. I liked it very much. It was just very hard to mentally put this into my head and realize how this happened. So I get back to North Carolina and I start complaining that the country music they play on the radio here is not as up to date as what they were playing in California. California is almost a month ahead with their country songs  :) It's true ;)

So I am just curious of other people's ideas about how country music gained such a strong hold on a large segment of the gay population? And how it fits into the lifestyle? And thoughts about it general?

Jack

Shakesthecoffecan:
Well, Porter Waggoner died this morning. He put Dolly Parton on the map, like you could miss her.......

Scott6373:
It's actually quite simple.  C&W music expresses everday human emotions and events through simple, uncomplicated music.  At it's very core, (real as opposed to the pop crap) C&W music makes use of the real "roots of American music", not that there is such a thing, but it is the closest we can get.  I enjoy it a great deal, because I can not only understand what they are saying, the music is approachable, and not off-putting, or elitist in any way.  It's very welcoming music.

jstephens9:
Yeah, I heard about ole Porter dying. That is sad. Yeah, he did give Dolly her first role, but you are right it would be very hard to miss her. You know she wrote that song I Will Always Love You about him. It was when she was going to leave the show. I remember my family watching that show they had. I was just a little kid and the thing I remembered most was the sequence (I think that is what is was) that he wore. I used to think for many years how backward he was and how backward all of them were. And so this morning they played a song by him and I liked it. Am I going crazy? I know at one time I would have said, yes definitely!!!

jstephens9:

--- Quote from: Scott on October 29, 2007, 03:42:55 pm ---It's actually quite simple.  C&W music expresses everday human emotions and events through simple, uncomplicated music.  At it's very core, (real as opposed to the pop crap) C&W music makes use of the real "roots of American music", not that there is such a thing, but it is the closest we can get.  I enjoy it a great deal, because I can not only understand what they are saying, the music is approachable, and not off-putting, or elitist in any way.  It's very welcoming music.

--- End quote ---

I completely agree with you Scott. These are the exact reasons why I like it so much now. "The everyday human emotions and events through simple, uncomplicated music."

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