Arnold Shultz (1886–1931) was an African-American fiddler and guitarist who is noted as a major influence in the development of the "thumb-style," or "Travis picking" method of playing guitar. Shultz, the son of a former slave, was born into a family of touring musicians in Ohio County, Kentucky, in 1886. In 1900, Shultz began studying guitar under his uncle, developing a … [Read more...] about Wednesday Open Thread: The Blackness of Country Music
Music
Tuesday Afternoon Thread: R&B Men Of The 2000s Week
Separated - Avant … [Read more...] about Tuesday Afternoon Thread: R&B Men Of The 2000s Week
Tuesday Open Thread: The Blackness of Country Music
Lesley "Esley" Riddle (June 13, 1905 - July 13, 1980) was an African-American musician whose influence on the Carter Family helped to shape country music. Riddle was born in Burnsville, North Carolina. He grew up with his paternal grandparents near Kingsport, Tennessee, not far from the Virginia border. … [Read more...] about Tuesday Open Thread: The Blackness of Country Music
Monday Afternoon Thread: R&B Men of the 2000s Week
Monday Open Thread: The Blackness of Country Music
This week the open threads will highlight six elements that illustrate country music's roots in African-American history. There is a total lack of black artists in country music today, except for Darius Rucker, Cowboy Troy, and Charley Pride. The truth is that the roots of American country run black, and the key artists that built country music couldn’t have done so … [Read more...] about Monday Open Thread: The Blackness of Country Music