Early Pioneers of Country Music’s Roots

 

This section highlights some of the foundational artists who helped shape what was first known as Old-Time, Hillbilly, Mountain, or Southern Folk Music.

While not every artist listed below fits neatly into these early labels, each played a significant role during the formative years of country music—before the genre was formally named. Their recordings, performances, and cultural impact laid the groundwork for what would eventually be called Country & Western, and later simply Country Music.

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As radio stations spread across the country in the 1920s and ’30s, programs like the Grand Ole Opry and National Barn Dance brought rural music into American homes. These broadcasts elevated local artists to national fame and helped unify a patchwork of regional sounds into a shared musical identity—one that would soon be recognized as a distinct American genre.