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American Music Series
Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions
After a century of racist whitewashing, country music is finally reckoning with its relationship to Black people. In this timely work—the first book on Black country music by a Black writer—Francesca Royster uncovers the Black performers and fans, including herself, who are exploring the pleasures and possibilities of the genre.
Informed by queer theory and Black feminist scholarship, Royster’s book elucidates the roots of the current moment found in records like Tina Turner’s first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On! She reckons with Black “bros” Charley Pride and Darius Rucker, then chases ghosts into the future with Valerie June. Indeed, it is the imagination of Royster and her artists that make this music so exciting for a genre that has long been obsessed with the past. The futures conjured by June and others can be melancholy, and are not free of racism, but by centering Black folk Royster begins to understand what her daughter hears in the banjo music of Our Native Daughters and the trap beat of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” A Black person claiming country music may still feel a bit like a queer person coming out, but, collectively, Black artists and fans are changing what country music looks and sounds like—and who gets to love it.
Informed by queer theory and Black feminist scholarship, Royster’s book elucidates the roots of the current moment found in records like Tina Turner’s first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On! She reckons with Black “bros” Charley Pride and Darius Rucker, then chases ghosts into the future with Valerie June. Indeed, it is the imagination of Royster and her artists that make this music so exciting for a genre that has long been obsessed with the past. The futures conjured by June and others can be melancholy, and are not free of racism, but by centering Black folk Royster begins to understand what her daughter hears in the banjo music of Our Native Daughters and the trap beat of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” A Black person claiming country music may still feel a bit like a queer person coming out, but, collectively, Black artists and fans are changing what country music looks and sounds like—and who gets to love it.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2022
20 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 20, 2023
Genuinely loved this book for so many reasons. I’ve been on a mission to find out more about the history of Black music in general and this was such a wonderful start on the country music track.
While it’s not a history book it definitely sets you on the path to understanding the history of Black people in country music and gives you a starting point if you want more information.
While it’s not a history book it definitely sets you on the path to understanding the history of Black people in country music and gives you a starting point if you want more information.
February 15, 2024
This was fascinating. Truly. It's like an academic history of country music (and the deep and seemingly ignored connection/root in Blackness) blended with a vulnerable and personal memoir from Francesca herself.
As a noob in country music and culture, this was entirely eye-opening to me. From learning about the origination of instrumentation to storytelling theory to community adoption to white appropriation and dominance and commercialization, there are so many facets of Black country music that I knew nothing about.
As a noob in country music and culture, this was entirely eye-opening to me. From learning about the origination of instrumentation to storytelling theory to community adoption to white appropriation and dominance and commercialization, there are so many facets of Black country music that I knew nothing about.
January 17, 2023
Francesca T. Royster profiles a number of Black musicians who seek their racial identity in country music, challenging assumptions the country is an inherently white art form. She stakes her claim that no one race owns country music and proves it successfully most of the time. I could quibble with some of her judgments. For example, she hears Darius Rucker as a Black voice struggling to find a home in a hostile environment, while I hear bland consumerism. But she makes convincing cases for Tina Turner and Beyonce, two artists commonly thought of as R&B. And she offers convincing testimonies for Valerie June and Our Native Daughters. She touches on the racist history of country, how the country music establishment deliberately edited out Black influences in the music's history, how the whiteness of country was a choice made by the establishment to marginalize Black voices. But the book is most successful because of Royster's ability to float between memoir and analysis. She draws heavily on her own experiences in rich detail, which brings readers into her world. And once we're there, we're open to her passionate advocacy.
(Rating is probably closer to 4.5 stars, but what the hell? I rounded up.)
(Rating is probably closer to 4.5 stars, but what the hell? I rounded up.)
April 9, 2025
Royster provided great insight on the lives and struggles of Black Country musicians. A great insightful and personal read.
August 26, 2024
It has been a very good thing to see more critical and comprehensive works come out in the past several years to let people know about the origins of country music and spoiler alert, white dudes in Stetson hats were not the first ones to establish or start the genre. If you watched the documentary version of "The 1619 Project" and viewed the episode on the history of how enslaved people of African descent sang spirituals which served multiple purposes, some of which were to transmit codes and alert others of plans without it getting on the enslaver or overseer's radars, you will have seen the episode going into more depth about Gospel music as well as country and other popular American musical genres that most people (read: white people) ascribe to white artists like Elvis, meanwhile hardly anyone thinks about Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Memphis Minnie, Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino, Jelly Roll Morton, Little Richard, and countless other Black artists who had a direct hand in influencing not just rock & roll but so many other genres.
Francesca Royster's book exposes links to country music's origins that go back to a direction I'm ot sure I was expecting, to blackface minstrel shows where mostly whites (and in some cases, Black performers like Bert Williams) would "black up" with burnt cork or shoe polish, red lipstick, "kinky" wigs, shabby clothing (or sometimes suits), to pretend they were a Black person for the amusement of white audiences. Never forget that blackface minstrely was at one time the most popular form of entertainment in the United States, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Royster provides a comprehensive deep dive into the linkages and how country music emerged, and talks about DeFord Bailey and several other artists I had never heard of. Bailey was one of the Grand Ole Opry's most popular early performers and is widely regarded as the first Black country music star. What he did with the harmonica is nothing short of spectacular. However, he had to deal with constant racism and the realities of the Jim Crow era, often being paid less than his white peers and being told he wasn't allowed to dine at specific restaurants or stay at specific hotels. He was fired from the Opry for no discernable reason, although some -- including his grandson, Carlos -- suggest it could have been due to a contract dispute. It took until 2022 for the Grand Ole Opry to formally apologize to Bailey's family. Carlos is now passing on his musical talent to his own grandson, which is amazing.
Similarly, although people know about Ray Charles for his more popular compositions and albums, he recorded an album of country music covers and worked hard to support the genre, which I had no idea about.
Although this isn't explored at length in the book, the history of the Fisk Jubilee Singers is also hugely important and influential to the discussions of country music, including those who continue their songs today. There are a ton of other groups I'd never heard of with deep roots and history with country, including the Fairfield Four, and the history of Gospel music also ties in here.
Overall, I would recommend this book strongly to readers who want to learn more about the Black roots of country music from a multi-focused lens that will provide a great introduction to those who aren't really sure where to begin. For those who THINK they know their country music history, I think this book will help dispel many of the myths they have absorbed over the years as well, provided they are open-minded and willing to listen to something that challenges that narratives they've likely grown up steeped in.
Francesca Royster's book exposes links to country music's origins that go back to a direction I'm ot sure I was expecting, to blackface minstrel shows where mostly whites (and in some cases, Black performers like Bert Williams) would "black up" with burnt cork or shoe polish, red lipstick, "kinky" wigs, shabby clothing (or sometimes suits), to pretend they were a Black person for the amusement of white audiences. Never forget that blackface minstrely was at one time the most popular form of entertainment in the United States, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Royster provides a comprehensive deep dive into the linkages and how country music emerged, and talks about DeFord Bailey and several other artists I had never heard of. Bailey was one of the Grand Ole Opry's most popular early performers and is widely regarded as the first Black country music star. What he did with the harmonica is nothing short of spectacular. However, he had to deal with constant racism and the realities of the Jim Crow era, often being paid less than his white peers and being told he wasn't allowed to dine at specific restaurants or stay at specific hotels. He was fired from the Opry for no discernable reason, although some -- including his grandson, Carlos -- suggest it could have been due to a contract dispute. It took until 2022 for the Grand Ole Opry to formally apologize to Bailey's family. Carlos is now passing on his musical talent to his own grandson, which is amazing.
Similarly, although people know about Ray Charles for his more popular compositions and albums, he recorded an album of country music covers and worked hard to support the genre, which I had no idea about.
Although this isn't explored at length in the book, the history of the Fisk Jubilee Singers is also hugely important and influential to the discussions of country music, including those who continue their songs today. There are a ton of other groups I'd never heard of with deep roots and history with country, including the Fairfield Four, and the history of Gospel music also ties in here.
Overall, I would recommend this book strongly to readers who want to learn more about the Black roots of country music from a multi-focused lens that will provide a great introduction to those who aren't really sure where to begin. For those who THINK they know their country music history, I think this book will help dispel many of the myths they have absorbed over the years as well, provided they are open-minded and willing to listen to something that challenges that narratives they've likely grown up steeped in.
April 8, 2024
This was excellent. It’s by no means comprehensive of the massive breadth of Black country history, but it does a great job of walking you through some of its past and present, while even pointing to where it might go in the future. It also offers some adjacent anecdotes of history that provide some important context for these rich musical traditions, and I really enjoyed the author’s personal stories and perspectives, too. If you’re anything like me, this is a perfect book to accompany your obsession with Cowboy Carter!
February 15, 2024
Wow. Necessary read. Insightful and thought provoking.
April 20, 2024
Beyoncé and Cowboy Carter inspired me to pick up this book, and wow, I’m so happy I did! I loved learning more about the roots of Black culture in country music and this encouraged a deep dive into so many talented artists and their music!
March 15, 2023
Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions is an exploration of black, queer identity and country music. Francesca T. Royster explores these intersections through a series of six essays - each one examining a different musical artist and their country roots as well as the author's own journey as a black, queer, woman who loves country music. Country music, sadly, is often thought of as a white Man's (emphasis on the man) genre. But, the history and the new history being made - the revolution being made Royster would argue, proves that this isn't the case.
Royster discusses Tina Turner, Beyonce, Lil Nas X, Darius Rucker, Valerie June, and the supergroup Our Native Daughters. These essays and the diverse artists they examine, prove that country music - and black country music at that - is a wide spectrum. These artist encompass everything from mainstream country (Darius Rucker), to the organic moonshine roots music of Valerie June (who sadly will probably never be on mainstream country radio), to the folk music of Our Native Daughters (which explores the roots of the banjo and what it means to be a black woman in America), to the country trap of Lil Nas X.
I found Royster's writing to be insightful, often moving. And I learned a lot.
My favorite essays were the ones about Valerie June and Our Native Daughters.
Highly recommended.
Royster discusses Tina Turner, Beyonce, Lil Nas X, Darius Rucker, Valerie June, and the supergroup Our Native Daughters. These essays and the diverse artists they examine, prove that country music - and black country music at that - is a wide spectrum. These artist encompass everything from mainstream country (Darius Rucker), to the organic moonshine roots music of Valerie June (who sadly will probably never be on mainstream country radio), to the folk music of Our Native Daughters (which explores the roots of the banjo and what it means to be a black woman in America), to the country trap of Lil Nas X.
I found Royster's writing to be insightful, often moving. And I learned a lot.
My favorite essays were the ones about Valerie June and Our Native Daughters.
Highly recommended.
May 29, 2024
I wasn't sure how much I would gain from this book since I've read and listened to a lot about Black country music and many of the specific artists covered in the book. Rather than the book I was expecting which focused on each of the artists and their experiences in the country music world, this book was much more expansive and personal. There was some of the latter, but Royster really personalizes what each of the artists have mean to her as a queer Black woman who loves country music even when the country music industry does not always like people like her. I really enjoyed how she wove everything together.
October 7, 2025
Unsurprising but still disappointing that this is the first book on Black country music by a Black author and it only came out 3 years ago! I loved following along and listening to all the music she talks about through the boom.
Coming from a background of queer theory and Black Feminist studies Royster dives into a better understanding her own fraught relationship with country music as a Black woman and the way that mirrors/ stems from the power dynamics that exist within country music and the country at large from which this music springs from.
Minstrel shows were the first popular music in the US and gained popularity right as music was first getting written down and recorded and has profoundly shaped all other pop music that has followed.
This minstrel history is tied to the origin of songs telling people (usually white) how to dance (usually a dance that originated with Black community) from the Locomotion to the Git Up.
Royster theorizes bro culture as a culture of masculine intimacy that builds itself on while constructions of black intimacy and soulfulness, ease and confidence and hipness. Comes from the way brother was used in Black power movement.
Outlaw country and the appropriation of Blackness (Johnny Cash's man in black, themes around fugitivity, incarceration, margins, etc.)
How much of country music has to do with nostalgia and what does that nostalgia mean for white people given our country's racist past?
Folk music and how the first cartoons were animated minstrel productions.
The banjo is a derivative of an African instrument originally brought to the US by enslaved people and later co-opted by white people through minstrel shows in which white people learned Black folk music and mannerisms studying from them directly and then turned them into a racist monetized mockery.
Even Black performers in order to get booked had to do Black face often pretending to be white underneath.
Bluegrass came from a fusion of Black folk traditions and Irish immigrant traditions fused between enslaved and indentured people and their descendants who remained trapped in poverty and ghettos.
Music held (holds) a huge roll in resistance and slave revolts so much so that drums got banned in many parts of the south (perhaps part of why some folk traditions like bluegrass now go without drummers).
Shouting circles sharing stories, comiseration, and important info over drum or other diy percussion ➡️ children's jump rope songs.
Country music is a sight of cultural struggle about what our country is and stands for and just like within most realms in the US Black peoples labor, creativity, and resistance have been central but exploited, co-opted, pushed out of sight with white men given all the prestige and credit.
Coming from a background of queer theory and Black Feminist studies Royster dives into a better understanding her own fraught relationship with country music as a Black woman and the way that mirrors/ stems from the power dynamics that exist within country music and the country at large from which this music springs from.
Minstrel shows were the first popular music in the US and gained popularity right as music was first getting written down and recorded and has profoundly shaped all other pop music that has followed.
This minstrel history is tied to the origin of songs telling people (usually white) how to dance (usually a dance that originated with Black community) from the Locomotion to the Git Up.
Royster theorizes bro culture as a culture of masculine intimacy that builds itself on while constructions of black intimacy and soulfulness, ease and confidence and hipness. Comes from the way brother was used in Black power movement.
Outlaw country and the appropriation of Blackness (Johnny Cash's man in black, themes around fugitivity, incarceration, margins, etc.)
How much of country music has to do with nostalgia and what does that nostalgia mean for white people given our country's racist past?
Folk music and how the first cartoons were animated minstrel productions.
The banjo is a derivative of an African instrument originally brought to the US by enslaved people and later co-opted by white people through minstrel shows in which white people learned Black folk music and mannerisms studying from them directly and then turned them into a racist monetized mockery.
Even Black performers in order to get booked had to do Black face often pretending to be white underneath.
Bluegrass came from a fusion of Black folk traditions and Irish immigrant traditions fused between enslaved and indentured people and their descendants who remained trapped in poverty and ghettos.
Music held (holds) a huge roll in resistance and slave revolts so much so that drums got banned in many parts of the south (perhaps part of why some folk traditions like bluegrass now go without drummers).
Shouting circles sharing stories, comiseration, and important info over drum or other diy percussion ➡️ children's jump rope songs.
Country music is a sight of cultural struggle about what our country is and stands for and just like within most realms in the US Black peoples labor, creativity, and resistance have been central but exploited, co-opted, pushed out of sight with white men given all the prestige and credit.
April 2, 2024
Living for 20 years in the town that gave the world Libby Cotten, and so close to the area that gave the world Rhiannon Giddens and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, I'm always so surprised when people think the Country genre didn't include Black artists. As I finish reading this, Beyonce is again setting the narrative on fire by releasing a country album, which inevitable elicits a number of racist gatekeeping responses about where she does or does not belong. But thankfully, less people are giving a care about those angry voices, and more people are just enjoying the music for what it is: a necessary moment of enjoyment in a world where often enjoyment is hard to find.
It was so great reading about artists I had not heard of before, and albums I hadn't heard yet. The best part about books in this series is learning new music... it keeps my life fresh.
It was so great reading about artists I had not heard of before, and albums I hadn't heard yet. The best part about books in this series is learning new music... it keeps my life fresh.
May 16, 2023
Braiding country music history, textual close reading, and memoir, Royster's work is greater than the sum of its parts. Too often academic texts give readings that border on the absurd or wander into historical minutiae that induce intellectual coma. Too often academics claim they want to relate themselves to their work only to provide some tepid starting anecdote and no more. Not here: Royster had a keen sense of how to build each chapter. It's very fine work, and great for a general audience. I found the chapters on Darius Rucker and Lil Nas X to be the standouts, but every chapter is worthwhile. I have some questions about the boundaries of genre, but Royster's sense of history and theoretical anchorage feel true. A good reminder to reread Love and Theft. 4 stars.
February 8, 2024
Overall I really loved this book and the perspective and analysis on Blackness in country music. My favorite essays are probably the ones about Daddy Lessons, Valerie June, and Our Native Daughters. The conclusion and its connections to Afrofuturism was also really interesting.
I thought that the personal narratives and anecdotes, though, were a bit out of place and distracting. Not that they weren’t interesting, just that they pulled me out of the other content. Our Native Daughters was a clear exception, and I think the stories about her daughter in the museum and observations of the people at the concert added a ton to that essay.
I thought that the personal narratives and anecdotes, though, were a bit out of place and distracting. Not that they weren’t interesting, just that they pulled me out of the other content. Our Native Daughters was a clear exception, and I think the stories about her daughter in the museum and observations of the people at the concert added a ton to that essay.
February 1, 2025
Maybe this just wasn’t the book I wanted it to be. A lot about the author’s personal life that wasn’t really relevant and honestly not that much about how much Black musicians and culture influenced country music! There were some highlights- the chapter on Darius Rucker and bro culture was especially insightful and I found the Tina Turner chapter to be very moving if overstuffed with personal reflection. But a lot of it feels like it’s spouting trendy buzzwords and more about the Black experience in general. The Beyonce chapter, for example, touches on Daddy’s Lesson but spends most of its time on Lemonade as a whole, which is great and interesting but very not country.
January 27, 2024
I went in expecting more of a historical text, but this was still great.
I’ll admit that I found some of the writing a little too “academic” in a way that I don’t particularly find appealing in much music literature, but the strengths of this won out for me.
I felt like the mix of analysis and memoir didn’t always work, and the first 3 chapters could be a little slow. From chapter 4 on, though, it was hard to put this down.
Check it out!
I’ll admit that I found some of the writing a little too “academic” in a way that I don’t particularly find appealing in much music literature, but the strengths of this won out for me.
I felt like the mix of analysis and memoir didn’t always work, and the first 3 chapters could be a little slow. From chapter 4 on, though, it was hard to put this down.
Check it out!
February 11, 2023
It was well written but not what I expected which is a good thing. What I was hoping for was more on the history of black country music and how it was intregrated into country music from blues and r&b and gospel- was glad that the book explored more of the modern country music but was surprised to see Regina Carter and some others not included.
February 15, 2023
It was alright. I liked the analysis for the artists and I learned about some new musicians I was not familiar with but I didn't like the memoir-y parts. I personally did not agree with her take that the summer songs of 2019 (she mentioned Seniorita by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes and Talk by Khalid) were filled with melancholy.
April 3, 2023
I did not love this book and I can’t exactly put my finger on why. I guess I thought it would dive deeper into the history of black musicians and country music. But mostly I just didn’t think it was interesting. Sorry. 🤷🏻♂️
February 25, 2023
Interesting, but ultimately uneven. The critique and the memoir parts didn't really gel well together. The chapter about Bros & Darius Rucker was aces.
March 1, 2024
Getting ready for act ii🤠
June 29, 2024
Okay, took me forever to finish but I really liked it! I loved the author’s personal anecdotes that she included and it was so interesting and educational
May 1, 2024
A very accessible scholarly / fanzine / historical / contemporary approach to a topic that has been ignored by most writers about country music for way too long. I've read enough about country music to know that African Americans were very influential in creating the genre long ago (and the book does an excellent job of establishing that foundational influence and how white musicians co-opted what black musicians were doing and the ways in which country music became anathema to African Americans), but I knew very little about who is worth checking out now. Going through the book I was embarrassed that I knew so little of the music being described. While that was a bit humbling and I have to admit I felt a little defensive at first ("if this person is all that I would have known about them and Apple Music and/or Spotify would surely have recommended them... blah blah blah"), I appreciate Francesca Royster for opening the door to new-to-me musical artists. For some reason Apple Music didn't recommend I (a fat old white guy with vaguely southern roots) listen to the amazing music being put out by young African American women, many of whom are in the LGTBQ community. Apple and Spotify need to work on their algorithms. And everyone should check out Amethyst Kiah, Rissi Palmer, Valerie June, Mickey Guyton, Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell, etc. etc.
October 15, 2025
Do I care about country music? Not a bit. Was I sat fascinated by this book? Absolutely.
A beautiful love letter from Royster to Black country music, she looks at the natural and historical connections between country music and Black musicians, beginning with Tina Turner and her first solo album which was actually a country album. She talks about Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish. She talks about Beyonce and the acceptability - or not - of rage in country spaces depending on your race. She dives into the Black origins of banjo music. She talks about the expansive definition of queerness and how that is seen in places like Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road." Incredibly insightful and instructive without ever feeling condescending or lecturey.
It is almost part memoir as she intersperses personal anecdotes about her experiences and interactions with country music as a Black woman. That layering added beautiful depth to the storytelling. I also am really grateful for her references to other texts because I now have a further reading list.
A beautiful love letter from Royster to Black country music, she looks at the natural and historical connections between country music and Black musicians, beginning with Tina Turner and her first solo album which was actually a country album. She talks about Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish. She talks about Beyonce and the acceptability - or not - of rage in country spaces depending on your race. She dives into the Black origins of banjo music. She talks about the expansive definition of queerness and how that is seen in places like Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road." Incredibly insightful and instructive without ever feeling condescending or lecturey.
It is almost part memoir as she intersperses personal anecdotes about her experiences and interactions with country music as a Black woman. That layering added beautiful depth to the storytelling. I also am really grateful for her references to other texts because I now have a further reading list.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews