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The Oxford English Dictionary states that the origin of the word honky tonk is unknown.
The first music to be commonly known as honky tonk music was a style of piano playing related to ragtime, but emphasizing rhythm more than melody or harmony, since the style evolved in response to an environment where the pianos were often poorly cared for, tending to be out of tune and having some nonfunctioning keys.
Such honky tonk music was an important influence on the formation of the boogie woogie piano style, as indicated by Jelly Roll Morton's 1938 record "Honky Tonk Music" (recalling the music of his youth, see quotation below), and Meade "Lux" Lewis's big hit "Honky Tonk Train Blues" which Lewis recorded many times from 1927 into the 1950s and was covered by many other musicians from the 1930s on, including Keith EmersonKeith Emerson ( November 2, 1944 ) born in Todmorden, England is a British keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of The Nice, he went on to start Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP), one of the first supergroups, in 1970. As a child, Emerson learnt we and Oscar PetersonOscar Emmanuel Peterson is a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was born on August 15, 1925 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada,. He began learning trumpet and piano from his father at the age of five, but by the age of seven, after a bout of tuberculosis, he.
The instrumentalAn instrumental is a song without lyrics or any other sort of vocal music; all of the music is produced by musical instruments. Specifically, this term is used when referring to popular music; some musical genres make little use of the human voice, such a "Honky Tonk" by the Bill DoggettBill Doggett ( February 16, 1916 November 13, 1996) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist. William Ballard Doggett was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, a church pianist, introduced him to music when he was 9 years o Combo with a sinuous saxophoneoctave lower than an Alto Sax. The saxophone or sax is a musical instrument of the woodwind family, usually made of brass and with a distinctive loop bringing the bell upwards. It was invented by Adolphe Sax in the mid- 1840s. The saxophone is most common line and driving, slow beat, was an early rock and rollRock and roll also called rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony backing), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. As a cultural phenomenon, hit. New Orleans native Antoine "Fats" DominoFats Domino born Antoine Dominique (born February 26 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana), is a classic R&B singer. He was the best-selling African-American singer of the 1950s and early 1960s. Domino is also a fine pianist with an individualistic bluesy style was another legendary honky tonk piano man, whose "Blueberry Hill" and "Walkin' to New Orleans" became hits on the popular music charts.
In the last third of the 20th century19th century 20th century 21st century more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901- 2000 in the sense of the Gre the term Honky Tonk started to sometimes be used to refer to what had previously been known as Hillbilly Music. More recently it has come to refer primarily to the primary sound in country music, which developed among rural populations relocated to urban environments in the southern US in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Originally, it featured the guitar, fiddle, string bass and steel guitar (an importation from Hawaiian folk music ). The vocals were originally rough and nasal, like Hank Williams, but later developed a clear and sharp sound with singers like George Jones. Lyrics tended to focus on rural life, with frequently tragic themes of lost love, adultery, loneliness and alcoholism.
During World War 2, honky tonk country was popularized by Ernest Tubb. In the 1950s, though, honky tonk entered its golden age with the massive popularity of Hank Locklin , Lefty Frizell , George Jones and Hank Williams. In the mid to late 1950s, rockabilly, which melded honky tonk country to rock and roll, and the slick country music of the Nashville sound ended honky tonk's initial period of dominance.
In the 1970s, outlaw country music was the most popular genre, and its brand of rough honky tonk gradually turned into the rock-influenced alternative country in the 1990s. During the 1980s, a revival of slicker honky tonk took over the charts. Beginning with Dwight Yoakam and George Strait in the middle of the decade, a more pop-oriented version of honky tonk became massively popular. It crossed over into the mainstream in the early 1990s with singers like Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson and Clint Black. Later in the 90s, the sound of honky tonk became even farther removed from its rough roots with the mainstream success of slicky produced female singers like Shania Twain and Faith Hill.