religion in country music

For most people their idea of country music consists of a mental picture man with a classic acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, a cowboy hat on his head and a cowboy boot tapping on the old wooden stage of the Grand Ole Opry, while he spews lyrics about his seemingly never ending trail of beer and heartbreak. This imaginary picture has a striking resemblance to the very real picture of Brad Paisley, captured by Chris Hollo, at his 2014 Grand Ole Opry Performance. While the recurring theme of love and booze is alive and well in country music, one equally as popular inspiration seems to get left out of stereotypes: religion. Religion, and more specifically Christianity is commonly overlooked for it crucial role in country songs as well as in the birth of the entire country music genre.  

Country music has long since been influenced by Christianity, even originating from Southern gospel music. Traditional gospel music was written primarily by African American musicians by the 1960's and 70's this style of music began to create a shared experience between black and white individuals. In fact, many early country musicians, including Jimmie Rodgers (leftmost image), the father of country music, developed his style after listening to African American railroad workers sing while on the job. He was followed up by Hank Williams (center image), who was taught to play guitar by a black street musician, and the infamous Elvis Presley (rightmost image), who grew up in a biracial, lower class area where music was shared by all.