That's why it's called "Country and Western" Music. The curious thing about Country Music is that it seems to emcompass a variety of music styles from Hawaiian guitar to Cajun dialect, from Western cowboys songs and Mexicali twang.

"The Father of Country Music," Jimmie Rodgers had his first major hit with a 12 bar blues song adapted from traditional lyrics entitled, "T For Texas." Hank Williams big hit was Lovesick Blues, a Tin-Pan Alley song.

So before Fiddlin' John Carson in 1923 other recordings made. Certainly Billy Golden could qualify as the first country Music recording artist. Golden recorded "Turkey in the Straw" in 1896 and then the bluegrass standard "Roll on de Ground" in 1899. In 1901 Columbia cylinder catalog listed "Arkansas Traveler" and Silas Leachman recorded Turkey in the Straw. Then in 1915 Alma Gluck's "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" recorded for Victor sold over one million copies. Frank C. Brown of Duke University recorded Bascom Lamar Lunsford on some cylinders in 1922 and Eck Robertson recorded twelve sides for Victor on June 30, 1922.

Where did country music start?

Richie