Country music Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Country music
Willie Nelson
Stylistic origins	Blues American folk music (Appalachian & Western) old-time music Celtic music
Cultural origins	1920s, Southern U.S.
Typical instruments	Guitar bass drums fiddle mandolin banjo piano steel guitar
Derivative forms	Western (Red Dirt, New Mexico, Texas country, Tejano)
Subgenres
Subgenres Bakersfield sound bluegrass bro-country close harmony heartland rock jug band progressive country Nashville sound neotraditional country Western swing
Fusion genres
Fusion genres Alternative country dansband country rock cowpunk country rap country pop gothabilly honky-tonk outlaw country regional Mexican sertanejo Southern soul
Other topics
Country musicians List of years in country music
2025 in country music

Country music is a popular type of music that people across the United States have loved for many years. It is sometimes called Country & Western. Many famous singers are known for country music. These include Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Garth Brooks.

Country music is especially popular in small towns and rural areas. But many big cities also have a large audience for it. People in Canada and England also enjoy country music. Its popularity can change over time. Sometimes a new movie or a hit song can make it more popular again.

Discovering Country Music's Roots
- How Country Music Grew After World War II
- Nashville: The Heart of Country Music
Country Comedy: Making People Laugh
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Country Music's Roots

Country music began in the Southern United States in the 1920s. It grew from different types of folk music. These included old cowboy and pioneer songs. These songs were popular in the early 1900s. Country musicians also started using new instruments. One example is the Hawaiian steel guitar.

How Country Music Grew After World War II

Modern country music really took off after World War II. Groups like the Sons of the Pioneers and The Carter Family performed old and new songs. Their style reminded people of old-fashioned singalongs. Hank Williams is often called the first country songwriter. His songs were simple and easy to remember. They spoke about feelings many people shared. His music is still played today. Some early rock and roll artists, like Elvis Presley, started out in country music.

Nashville: The Heart of Country Music

Nashville, Tennessee became the main center for country music. It was like how New Orleans became the center for Jazz. The Grand Ole Opry is a famous show that broadcast performances. It helped country music become very well known. A TV show called Hee-Haw also showed many country performers. Musicians Buck Owens and Roy Clark hosted it for a long time.

When cable television became popular, channels like The Nashville Network (TNN) and Country Music Television (CMT) brought country music videos to homes everywhere. This helped even more people discover country music.

Country Comedy: Making People Laugh

Country-style comedy is also very popular. Comedians like Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy are well known. Many comedians have performed with country music acts. These include Andy Griffith and Ray Stevens. Some comedians were even part of the Hee-Haw TV show. These included Grandpa Jones and Minnie Pearl. There were also musical duos, like Homer and Jethro, who made funny versions of country songs.

The TV show The Beverly Hillbillies also featured country music. The band Flatt and Scruggs played music for the show. The actors from the show would sometimes appear at country concerts. They would entertain audiences in character.

Images for kids

Vernon Dalhart was the first country star to have a major hit record
The Carter Family, are a dynasty of country music and began with (left to right) A.P. Carter, wife Sara Carter and Maybelle Carter
Roy Acuff
Publicity photo of Roy Rogers and Gail Davis, 1948
Bill and Charlie Monroe (1936). Bill Monroe (1911–1996) and the Blue Grass Boys created the bluegrass by the end of World War II.
Hank Williams
Johnny Cash
Willie Nelson (2009)
John Denver (1975)
Dolly Parton
A reunited Eagles in 2008
George Strait, a pioneer of the neotraditionalist movement and dubbed the "King of Country," Strait is one of the best selling musicians of all-time.
Garth Brooks
Shania Twain performing during her Up! Tour in 2004
Steve Earle performing in Ireland in 2007
Carrie Underwood at the 2019 American Music Awards
Miranda Lambert in 2019
Taylor Swift at the 2019 American Music Awards
Florida Georgia Line whose hit song "Cruise" drew attention to the bro-country genre
Emmylou Harris in 2008
Kacey Musgraves became one of the most controversial figures in contemporary country music.
Olivia Newton-John singing in Sydney in 2008
Shania Twain in 2011
Lorenzo Antonio
Engelbert Humperdinck had hits with country songs
Vanha Isäntä, a Finnish country rock band, performing at the Helsinki Festival's open-air concert in Kaivopuisto in 1974. Seppo Sillanpää (violin) on the left and Olli Haavisto (guitar) on the right.
Example of cowboy hat and cowboy boots, two prominent components of country music fashion
Painting of a cowboy singing by Thomas Eakins (1890)
Freddy Fender performing Tejano music after The Johnny Cash Show in Nashville, Tennessee (1977)
Bob Childers performing Red dirt in Okemah, Oklahoma (2001)
Al Hurricane and Al Hurricane Jr. performing New Mexico music at a fiesta in Old Town Albuquerque (2014)