Country music genre

Even though I specified my main music genre for my magazine a while back, I thought I'd explain it in some more detail:

It began in the rural regions of the Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from southeastern American folk music, Western cowboy. Blues mode has been used extensively throughout its recorded history. Country music often consists of ballads and dance tunes with generally simple forms and harmonies accompanied by mostly string instruments such as banjos, electric and acoustic guitars, fiddles, and harmonicas.

The first main country artist was Jimmie Rodgers, who rose to fame in the 1920s. He was a spark which eventually set off a big popularity in country music. The "Golden Age" of Country music was considered to be the 60's, 70's and 80's. With artists like Lynn Anderson and Dolly Parton. "Country Pop" was also established during this time as a new sub-genre of country music, this is the most popular country sub-genre today with classic and modern artists like The Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and Hunter Hayes.

Nashville, Tennessee, is considered to be the "birthplace" and "capital" of the country music genre as many of the big country artists were discovered there and it is the home of most country music record labels. The city also holds the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Pictures:
Top middle: Stereotype of country music
Top right: Nashville skyline
Middle right: Country music hall of fame

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_music