From the first performer ever on the Grand Ole Opry DeFord Bailey to celebrated singers Charley Pride and Ray Charles, Black artists have long performed country music. While Black performers have not always been celebrated or widely embraced in country music, current African American artists are working to honor the legacies of those who came before them and stake their claims and contributions to the genre.
DMV audiences will get a glimpse into the world of African American country artists through the Black Opry Revue, featured at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, on Friday, March 29.
Singer Sug Daniels is one of the artists part of the Back Opry Revue. She described her music style as a Folk/Americana/Roots mix, which can be heard in her latest single, “Take Your Time.” In performance with Daniels on the Black Opry Tour will be Roberta Lea, Tylar Bryant, Rachel Maxann and Grace Givertz.
There has been a resurgence recently with chart-topping country singers like Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Jimmie Allen, Brittney Spencer, Willie Jones, and The War and Treaty.
Further, Black country artists have also gotten a boost since Beyoncé announced that “Act 2: Cowboy Carter,” her follow-up to the “Renaissance” album, will be released on March 29.
When Beyoncé Knowles Carter promoted putting her toe into country music during a Super Bowl commercial, there was a lot of chatter. Some country radio program directors were not receptive, but many station owners took a different perspective: revenue. They welcomed Beyoncé and her Beyhive with open arms.
Daniels shared her thoughts about Knowles Carter’s upcoming country album in an exclusive interview with The Washington Informer.
“Everybody loves Beyoncé. She is one of our best musicians and singers in our time,” Daniels said. “If she wants to express herself through the roots of how she grew up, I think there should not be any drama about it. We should be so excited to hear what she has to say and how she will express it.”
Source: Washington Informer
