Rock N Roll

Country music has an unfair stigma attached to it. Many people think it is UN cool, UN hip and well, boring. However, even though most rock fans would hate the thought of listening to country music, they should be aware that they probably already are listening to it.

It is hard to deny the influence that country music has had on rock music today. Sounds of country twangs, guitars and voices can still be heard in a large variety of rock artists now. The Eagles, Neil Young and the Doobie brothers are all rock artists that credit country music with their sound and style.

It is thought that the first person to make country rock songs was Gram Parsons who died living the typical rock and roll lifestyle. However, country music ion rock music goes all the way back to the beginning of rock music in the 40’s and the 50’s.

Neil Young has a huge country sound to his music and is probably the most well known country rock artist in the world. Bob Dylan was another artists that successfully fused the country sound and the rock beat into his music – and very successfully too.

Whatever your opinion on country music, there is no denying the fusion between country and rock works perfectly.

The 50’s was when rock and roll was really discovered by the masses. Rock and roll in the 50’s is usually divided into two camps – Primal, party music (Big Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris) and Rockabilly music (Elvis Presley).

Rockabilly combined the sounds of blues music found in the south and country music. Elvis Presley made rockabilly popular with his good looks, swaggering style and guitar riffs combined with a lush voice. Rockabilly songs focused on fats cars, gorgeous girls, and love found and lost again.

Rockabilly seemed to wane towards the end of the 1950’s as new music emerged in the 60’s. Rock changed forever in the 60’s with the British invasion of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Artists new they had to evolve the sound of rockabilly music to keep the kids and the adults entertained.

Rockabilly did enjoy a comeback in style during the 70’s and the 80’s. Many artists use rockabilly music as the basis of their sound and adapt it to the age they are in. Rockabilly was the rock and roll music that changed a generation – kids love it and parents couldn’t stand it. Rockabilly gave kids a sense of freedom, rebellion and a new found wave of sexuality.

Rockabilly is the foundation of the rock and roll music we love today, and is also the backbone of everything you hear in the charts now.

Rock and roll has provided us not only with fantastic music and brilliant stars, but also given us some of the best and most intriguing conspiracy theories!

The most famous case would be that of Elvis Presley. Many people actually believe he didn’t die and is walking around living a normal life now. The circumstances of his death have been widely documented, but many people question what actually happened. Some believe that he was over worked, stressed and wanted peace and quiet again. So, he faked his own death to escape the media and the life he had.

The rumours are rife around the world that he is still alive and they still continue today. There are books about his death and whether or not it was real, there are websites dedicated to finding out if he is alive or not and there are millions around the world who think they see him on a regular basis.

Elvis could not have known how huge he would have become around the world; he wanted to be able to walk around like a normal guy out with his family, something which he couldn’t do anymore. The big question is how much he wanted to be ‘normal’.

Many stars and other singers have questioned whether or not his death was real or not – stars such as Ronnie McDowell and Merle Haggard have all wondered whether or not he is actually dead or alive.

Do you think he is still alive?

Rock and roll is a term that is specifically used to describe a musical sound and style that is ever changing throughout the years. Rock and roll has changed many patterns in life including, musical sounds, fashion, dancing trends and social aspects.

It was Bill Haley and the Comets that are credited for creating the first ever rock and roll song. However, the young, handsome Elvis Presley was only a heartbeat behind him. This is what most people think of as rock and roll and the beginning. However, it is thought that the origins of rock and roll go much further back than the 50’s.

Rock and roll goes much further back because Elvis and Bill Haley used other forms of music as their foundation for their sound. Church music and gospel music is a huge part of rock and roll and features heavily in Elvis’s musical tastes. Jazz also creates a basis for rock and roll, even today it can still be heard in many forms of music. Urban and rural jazz is also a factor, as well as Hillbilly music, country music and popular music.

So, even though the term rock and roll was new, the actual style and sound of the music was not. Rock and roll will continue to evolve as new bands come to the forefront of the sound and old bands reappear. Just because rock and roll is penned as other sounds now, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.