Celebrating Bailey's Milestone
DeFord Bailey, Linda Martell, O.B. Clinton, Stoney Edwards, Tina Turner, The Pointer Sisters, Charley Pride, The War and Treaty, Yola, Brittney Spencer
I hope Christmas was all you wanted it to be. We had a lovely time here, which involved me cooking three different kinds of lasagnas to satisfy different diets for Christmas Eve. There’s none left, which I’ll take as a good sign. And Mercy had a great time, and very much enjoyed her gifts!
Anyway, you didn’t come here for lasagna recipes or dog toy mayhem.
Today is December 26, and on this day in 1924, DeFord Bailey may have become the first Black person to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. I say may have because I am not really seeing uniform sources about the specifics, but it is definitely true that Bailey was a country music pioneer -- never mind a Black country music pioneer. He was a popular performer on the Opry from 1927 to 1941, AND THEN THEY FIRED HIM because of some conflict between ASCAP and BMI, effectively ending his career. When you think of a country music performer, I’ll bet dollars to donuts (what the hell does that mean?) that you picture a white man or woman. Some of you likely even see a confederate flag, but if that’s true, you are missing out! That said, I’m not going to pretend to argue that the sector is diverse. But there are great Black country performers I really like or find interesting, and here are Ten For Today.
We’ll of course start with Bailey (b. 1899, Tennessee), known primarily as a harmonica player.
Linda Martell (b. 1941, South Carolina) was the first Black woman to play the Opry (in 1969), and the first commercially successful Black female country artist. This was her biggest hit, though it wasn’t that big a hit, and it came out in 1969. It’s a beauty. I can’t help but think there should have been a 60’s TV show for which this was the theme song.
O.B. McClinton (b. 1940, Mississippi) TRIED to be an R & B singer, and he wrote some great songs for James Carr, but all of that wasn’t to be. Once he gave in, he was known to refer to himself as the “Chocolate Cowboy.” (Note: HE said that. Not me!) This was a top 30 country hit in 1972.
Stoney Edwards (b. 1929, Oklahoma) was a bit of a late starter, not beginning his music career until he was in his 40’s. This was a minor hit in 1972, and it was later recorded by both George Jones and Brenda Lee. He is often mentioned in the same breath as Charley Pride, on the very short list of Black country artists of whom people have heard.
Tina Turner’s (b. 1939, Tennessee) 1974 solo debut album was a country soul album, an attempt by Ike to find a wider audience. The album contains a bunch of country standards, and this one scorcher written specifically for Tina.
They weren’t country performers, but they had a great country hit. This is the Pointer Sisters in 1974, and it was written by Anita and Bonnie.
You can’t make this list without Charley Pride (b. 1934, Mississippi). This is from 1976, and it wasn’t as big as his big hits, but it’s a great one.
I really love this band. Married couple Michael Trotter, Jr and Tonya Trotter released their debut record in 2018. Michael Trotter is an Iraq War combat veteran has spoken openly about the PTSD from which he suffers. I have to see them live, but when they come here they’re always opening for someone I couldn’t care less about and the tickets are expensive (who the hell is Zach Bryan and who pays $300 to see him). It’s ok though. They’ll be headliners soon enough.
Yola (b. 1983, England) is an amazing British singer-songwriter who is a favorite of mine. She doesn’t really seem to consider herself a country artist, rather describing herself as “genre-fluid.” (And I am STILL kicking myself for not buying THAT t-shirt at her concert because the line was too long!) However, her debut album in 2019 was phenomenal, harkening back to some great countrypolitan/country soul records I love. This is from 2019.
There are a number of young up-and-coming Black country singers – notably mostly women – who are making inroads in the past few years. For the most part, I am not a huge fan of their studio recordings, which just sound too polished for my taste. But the talent is undeniable. Here’s, Brittney Spencer (b. 1988, Baltimore), one such future star doing a song about mass shootings. This is from 2020.
That’s it for today. I hope you don’t have to work this week if you don’t want to! Be kind to each other.
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Post script: I did my Year in Books round up over on my other Substack, if that interests you.
(I have two substacks. This one focuses on music, and has a paid and a free version. The paid version includes all emails, and gives access to the three-year archive. The free version includes emails, but gives access to a few days of the archive. I also have another substack, which is NOT music focused. It’s free, and I hope to write more often there, but no promises!)