14 Karat Country

Kurt L Moore

Are you a discerning person who will settle for nothing short of the pure country sound? Come to the Wildwood Flower at the corner of Green Mountain Drive and Highway 165 and you will get a real dose of nothing but genuine old-fashioned, straight from the microphone of WSM, the front porch of every hill home and the Grand Ole Opry, country. Country at it’s finest, undiluted and pure, like sweet well water drawn on a hot summer’s day. A sound that is becoming more rare each and every day as new groups and some older groups are crossing over into every genre imaginable. Recently I reviewed a popular country singer and for the life of me, I could not tell what genre of music she had evolved into when she crossed over. I asked several knowledgeable persons in the music field and none of them could tell me the answer. Finally, a seasoned reporter said, “If you cannot identify the genre, then it is fusion.” I believe much of country music today has migrated into fusion. Something that is definitely not country. I am not sure what it is, other than fusion. Webster’s Dictionary defines fusion as: 1. a fusing or melting together. 2. a style of popular music blending elements of jazz, rock, etc.

I noticed as I was gleaning the definition of fusion from the dictionary, that right below fusion is the word fuss. Fuss is: 1. nervous, excited activity. So it stands to reason that fusion should be fuss-ion. To me, the more exaggerated the crossover, the more nervous the activity. Not to mention confusion. Speaking of confusion. Two syllables and one of them is fusion. Get the picture?

14 Karat Country is one of the few groups, playing today, that is trying to keep the original country sound intact for future generations. My hat is off to them for their efforts. Dedicated places of country and bluegrass music from the Renfro Valley in Kentucky to the Rocking Horse Dance Barn in Renton, Washington, are seeing a rapid decrease in the old, original, genuine American country sound.

That is the sound that originated from the southern Appalachians and the levees of the Mississippi; to the wide expanse of golden prairie, gradually finding it’s way into saloons, ranches, dance halls and the newest thing at the time, radio. Country music tells the story of America in song. It tells of the trials, tribulations, hopes, dreams and tragedies of the common person. It has been, and is, a chronicle of life in this great land of ours. It is original, it is purely American, it is ours and belongs to each and every one of us.

14 Karat Country, in every performance, gives us our musical birthright. They are the keepers of our heritage. They are the bearers of the cross of country. They carry it well.

Country music, from its grassroots’ beginnings to now, has undergone many changes. Some changes have benefited the sound; some have detracted from it. With each change there has been a success and a failure attached to it. The original music, played and sang as it should be, has always been successful. Let’s take a look back at the origins of what we love and call country music.

Original country music from the grassroots of America started in the 20's with the rearranging of folk music. Then it was taken a step further with the addition of the Hillbilly sound and tempo, mostly at the time, resetting the framework for the original folk music. Then folks like Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams and others took to the rabble-rousing sound of Honky-Tonk music. Williams became our first Hillbilly-Honky-Tonk star and started a movement known as country.

In the 50's, the movement morphed again with the advent of the singing cowboy. Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and others in the Hollywood ranch set, took the already established sounds playing across the country and made a popular sound that appealed to the masses. This popular sound was dubbed western-country and was associated with the matinee idol of the day.

Also in the 50's, the Rock-a-Billy sound was prevalent. It was a mixture of southern hills music and blues. Such notables as Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley embraced the sound and made it popular.

In the 80's a freakish movement was taking place. The industry tried to crossover into easy listening and pop. It lasted about ten years and then gave way to the new traditionalists. Up and coming stars such as Vince Gill, Randy Travis, George Strait, Ricky Skaggs and the Judds, brought country out of the Urban Cowboy phase and let new generations of music fans realize the value of the original sound.

Then in the 90's, the sound was again changed with crossovers into every conceivable avenue of music. It made country unrecognizable and put a mask on the face of the industry. The 90's was a decade that let us know nothing was sacred. Everything was up for grabs and country music was no exception.

The new millennium dawned and so did 14 Karat Country. They are a revitalization of the new traditionalist movement. They are claiming our rights to hear, enjoy and savor the genuine country sound that has survived, in spite of the industry, over 80 years. We are proud of our heritage, we claim it and are glad that groups like 14 Karat Country are carrying the torch of musical enlightenment for this and future generations to come.

Grab your western hat, boots, jeans and bandana. You will be the ever-popular Drug-store Cowboy when you call the Wildwood Flower at (417) 334-7714 to reserve your tickets to view a wonderful musical window to the past.