Overview

“American roots music is at the center of this country’s soul.”  Bonnie Raitt 

Georgia, from the Sea Islands to the Appalachian Mountains, from the western piedmont to the southern wiregrass, is rich  in music traditions. Music is all around us- at gospel singings and camp meetings; in African American churches, whose hymns served as the foundation for many civil rights songs; in bluegrass music barns; and at the numerous community festivals and fairs that showcase our local musicians.

     "Roots music" refers to the music rooted in our culture. These traditions reflect the past and present residents of our state- Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, and our growing immigrant communities. People use music- both vocal and instrumental sounds- to sustain themselves spiritually and emotionally in worship, at work, for dances, to protest and express grievances, to remember, or simply for entertainment. Our traditions have blended to create an array of musical types that meet our changing lifestyles and cultural needs.

Georgia has produced many musicians known nationally and even internationally. Several of the most famous blues musicians, including Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, and Blind Willie McTell, hail from the state. Historians credit Thomas Dorsey as being the "Father of Gospel Music" and Fiddlin' John Carson with producing the first popular commercial country music recording. The National Endowment for the Arts recognized Bremen resident Hugh McGraw as a National Heritage Fellow for helping to preserve the Sacred Harp shape-note singing tradition and Bessie Jones for her work with the Sea Island Singers. The city of Macon nurtured artists who gave rise to a distinctive style of southern rock, which drew upon regional roots for inspiration. Many popular country musicians trace their musical roots to their experiences in our state.

Ann McCleary, University of West Georgia