Tradition and Artist Overview 

Country music was categorized in the southern United States in the 1920s. It has roots in blues and the folk music of southern Appalachia. The advent of commercial radio in the 1920s meant that the music people played, sang, and wrote for their own entertainment could be broadcast to a larger population. Radio broadcasts, such as the Grand Ole Opry, which began in 1925 and is still being broadcast today, has been a large contributor to country music’s popularity. Bristol, Tennessee is considered to be the “Birthplace of Country Music,” based on the Bristol recording sessions in 1927 that made artists like Jimmy Rodgers and The Carter Family famous across the nation.

The tradition continues to evolve as it is influenced by current events, and the individual artists themselves. Some music historians have broken down country music into generations as it evolves with influences from those musicians who came before, popular culture, and the individual artists themselves. Country music continues to be influenced by other traditions including pop, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, and hip hop.

Anders is a singer/guitarist/songwriter who lives in Savannah, Georgia. He has been performing on and off for more than 20 years, in his words, “narrowly escaping success” several times. After growing up in Lansing, Michigan, he lived in New York City and Nashville, Tennessee before settling in the Savannah area. He has released several albums and played in countless honky-tonks and nightclubs.