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1. Three Prominent African American Country Singers

2. Country music is not a genre which is usually associated
with the Black community in the United States of
America. To think that there are no African American
country singers who have enjoyed success would be
mistaken, though. Over the years, there have been a few
shining examples of Black artists making a success of this
type of music; this article will take a look at three of
them.

3. Perhaps the best known Black singer in this particular
genre is Charley Pride, a man who became the RCA
label's top selling artist since Elvis Presley, when he was
at his performing peak in the early to mid-1970s. Pride
was only the second Black artist to be inducted in the
Grand Ole Opry. This is a mark of the respect in which he
was held by the wider musical community.

4. Pride did not necessarily set out to be a musician, with
sport, namely baseball, being his early passion in life. His
career as a professional player was stalled, at least in
part, by injury, though, so he began his musical career in
the early 1960s, instead. His first recordings would be
made at Sun Studios in Nashville, while the peak of his
career, after signing for RCA, would come in the late 60s
and early 1970s, when he would enjoy a massive run of
hits.

5. This star has sold an eye-watering 70 million records, an
amazing total. As well as his musical career, Pride also
retains strong links with baseball, and is particularly
associated with the Texas Rangers. He also sang the
National Anthem of the United States, the Star Spangled
Banner, at the Super Bowl of 2010, and although he
would become a member of the Grand Ole Opry in
Nashville, he was not the first African American to do so.

6. DeFord Bailey is probably not a name many country
music fans are that familiar with these days, but he is an
important figure in the genre. The grandson of slaves,
Bailey was born in 1899, in a very poor part of Smith
County, Tennessee. His professional career as a
harmonica player would last from the early 1920s until
1941, when he would embark on a more mundane
career as the owner of shoe shine shop.

7. Regarded as something of a 'lost legend' of the genre,
Bailey had to battle against racial prejudice to get his
music heard. Although not necessarily that well known
these days, his contribution to the genre cannot be
overstated. Thankfully, before his death in 1982, he had
been remembered and his career celebrated and
commemorated.

8. A third African American who has made an impact in the
world of country music is Darius Rucker, the former lead
singer of 90s act Hootie and the Blowfish. While they
were known as alternative rockers, Rucker is now very
much a country artist, with several big hits to his name.
Rucker is also known for being a personal friend of star
golfer Tiger Woods.

9. It can therefore be seen that African American country
singers are more common than many people realize.
They have also exerted a positive, creative effect on the
music. Hopefully their legacy will live for many years to
come.

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