{"id":958,"date":"2014-09-24T15:00:32","date_gmt":"2014-09-24T20:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/?page_id=958"},"modified":"2015-02-19T11:48:09","modified_gmt":"2015-02-19T17:48:09","slug":"country-rock","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/the-history\/country-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"Country Rock"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Dena Lipper, Carilu Martinez & Tamar Oren<\/em><\/p>\n

Although it may seem pretty straightforward, the definition of country rock is something that has been widely debated over the years. Some say that it is rock music that over time developed a country style, while some other historians say that it comes from more of a folk background. John Einarson addresses this confusion in his book Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock<\/i>. The first chapter, titled \u201cSing Me Back Home,\u201d expands on the idea that country rock was simply formed through experimentation by emphasizing that it cannot really be defined since \u201cwhat comprises country rock is largely in the ear of the beholder.\u201d (Einarson 2)<\/p>\n

Because people didn\u2019t really know what it was, for many years country rock was just an outlier on the music scene. It was not until the early seventies that the genre really began to take flight with groups such as The Byrds and The Eagles. Chris Hillman from the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers credits the start of country rock to Elvis Presley in his original recordings at Sun Records before he went off to the army. Other artists, like Rick Roberts, claim that rockabilly<\/a> and country rock are basically one in the same, so to really understand one, we need to understand the other. The distinction between genres was even less clear in states like Texas where the popular music was country music, but was just called music because that\u2019s all they knew (Einarson 4).<\/p>\n

\"Sweetheart<\/p>\n

Key artists in the origins of country rock, such as Gram Parsons and Bob Dylan, set the stage outlining what most people think of and expect when they see a reference to the particular sub-genre. Dylan was one of the first rock artists to move toward a more country sound, starting in 1967 with the release of John Wesley Harding<\/em> and subsequent Nashville Skyline<\/em>, with Gram Parsons following close behind in \u201969 with his work with the Byrds<\/em> on the release of\u00a0Sweetheart of the Rodeo<\/em>. Parsons, although his fame was short-lived because of his early death in 1975, is regarded as one of the most pivotal figures in early country rock (Flippo 291). Following in his footsteps, other artists, such as Emmylou Harris, took what he had done and use it in collaboration with other influences to further develop the genre.<\/p>\n

Linda Ronstadt formed the Eagles<\/em> around the time that Parsons was rising to fame, really becoming popular for her ability to connect to audiences in a way that Parsons was never able to do. After Ronstadt\u2019s initial climb in the country rock sector, she quickly drifted away from the country sound and continued with more of a pop music style (Ruhlmann 1). Although it took a few generations for country music and rock and roll to come together, this fusion, of two genres that are both very widely loved, has become a huge influence for modern artists that are looking to add an older touch to their newer country rock music.<\/p>\n

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Key Figures<\/strong><\/p>\n