Music of Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Arkansas
is a Southern
state of the United States
. Arkansas's musical heritage includes country music
and various related styles like bluegrass
and rockabilly
. Traditional folk instruments include the fiddle
and banjo
as well as guitar
, mandolin
, dulcimer
and autoharp
. Among its most prominent modern musical manifestations is Riverfest
, a music festival
held along the Arkansas River in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock. Riverfest has been held annually since 1978.
Located in the Ozark Mountains, the town of Mountain View
bills itself as the "Folk Music Capital of the World". There is an Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, which includes musicians like Ronnie Dunn
, Melvin Endsley
, Al Green
and Jimmy Driftwood
.
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1966. When the orchestra was founded, a local bank held the organization responsible for the debts of previous attempts at organizing an orchestra. Ten individual members assumed responsibility for the debt, and so the orchestra was formed, led by experienced conductor
Vasilios Priakos.
The state's local music scene includes bands like American Princes
, Rwake
, Deadbird, Dreamfast, The Inner Party, Queen Beast, and Fire to Reason. Tommy Riggs (Tom Payton) is an Arkansan singer, piano and keyboard player who had several bands while performing around the state in the 1960s and 1970s. He also was working as a radio DJ (as Tom Jones) at the time, on KCLA
, during 1968 through 69 &As Tom Payton on KXLR
in North Little Rock in 1964, and in 1966 at KAAY
. During this period, he promoted himself as Tom Payton and the Kingpins, Tom Payton with The Playboys, and several other names. He recorded while he was Rock Robbins from KAAY on the Little Rock label "MY Records" in 1966. Two songs from the session were released on a 45 rpm record, "My Little Girl" and "Good Lovin'"... The other songs and all tape masters are in private hands. Promoting himself as Tommy Riggs, he performed around the country From St. Louis to Las Vegas before settling down in Nashville, Tennessee and frequently playing at the Stockyards Lounge.
Two Arkansas politicians have been noted for mixing music with their campaigns for the presidency
. Bill Clinton
, attorney general and 50th and 52nd governor of the state and later president, played the saxophone
, famously performing "Heartbreak Hotel
" on The Arsenio Hall Show
during the 1992 presidential election
. Mike Huckabee
, 54th governor, plays the bass guitar
, and his campaign in the 2008 presidential election
has prominently featured cover song performances by his band Capitol Offense
.
The reason for two of the official state songs is a copyright
dispute. "Arkansas" was published in 1916 by the Central Music Company
, written by Eva Ware Barnett and Will M. Ramsey (though state law only credits Mrs. Barnett). It became the official song on January 12, 1917. Until either 1945 or 1949, "Arkansas" was the only official song in Arkansas. At that time, there was a copyright dispute and the state adopted "The Arkansas Traveler" as the official song, a situation that remained unchanged until 1963. In that year, the copyright dispute was resolved and "Arkansas" became official again, until 1987, when it was changed to the official state anthem. In that year, "Arkansas (You Run Deep In Me)" and "Oh, Arkansas" were officially designated state songs as well, and "The Arkansas Traveler" was designated the official state historical song.
and related styles of music, there's a much younger style coming from the state. In the late 90's, and early 2000s, there were many rock music
groups, as well as pop rock
groups. One of the well-known bands from this time would be multi-platinum-selling alternative rock band Evanescence
, which has origins in Little Rock.
Pop and Rock groups today, are still around, as well as a few young bands, that play southern styled music, or Christian pop/Christian rock
like The Wedding
. However, as the trends change, post-hardcore
and metalcore
bands have popped up left and right. Many bands after the mid 2000's, and currently, have taken refuge in styles like that of Norma Jean
and Underoath
, while others continue slightly poppy and/or less chaotic acts, similar to Blessthefall
and Fear Before the March of Flames. Some have even taken on the Math rock
genre, like Burn Baby Burn, and others have added unusual time signatures to their music, and styles like Jazz
and Blues
to their songwriting. Notably, three of the few screamo
/emo
groups in Arkansas, Strike the Choir (Monticello, AR) and I Was The Red Wine of 1955 (Warren, AR) and The Fashion Show
(Russelville, AR). Most of the bands on the AR scene are made up of underage kids, from high-school to early college days, and is dependent upon these teens and young adults. Recent bands have started to play deathcore
, such as Kingdom Under Siege, and Virtues. There is also still a hardcore/punk scene in Arkansas, such as Lasting Era, Jungle Juice
, Dead Beat
, Weeknight Rodeo, and Hollywood Homicide
.
Though there are many groups that come from hardcore punk
backgrounds, there are still bands that have an indie rock
appeal, like the long gone Stained Glass Masquerades(Warren, AR), Parashos Parachutes (Monticello/Little Rock, AR), Maybe Next Weekend (Bryant, AR), and This is Jacob (Bryant, AR). Others are pop rock bands, like School Boy Humor(Little Rock, AR) and Alert All Arms (Little Rock, AR). Acoustic bands such as The Truth About Movie Stars (Kylan Savage of Bentonville Arkansas) and The Professor's Umbrella (Nikki Xaysanasy of Springdale Arkansas)originated from Arkansas.
Arkansas is also becoming known for the underground metal scene most prevalent in the Little Rock metropolitan area. Bands such as: Rwake
, Deadbird, Shitfire, Seahag, Vore, Kryostate, Circle of the Black Thorn, The Witch's Tit and Placid Eclipse, all have their roots in Arkansas. Venues such as Downtown Music host metal shows nearly every weekend.
one song that is popular in arkansas, is "arkansas."
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
is a Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
state of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Arkansas's musical heritage includes country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and various related styles like bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
and rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
. Traditional folk instruments include the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
as well as guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, dulcimer
Appalachian dulcimer
The Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
and autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
. Among its most prominent modern musical manifestations is Riverfest
Riverfest
Riverfest may refer to:*Beloit Riverfest*Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Riverfest* Portland, MI - Riverfest...
, a music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
held along the Arkansas River in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock. Riverfest has been held annually since 1978.
Located in the Ozark Mountains, the town of Mountain View
Mountain View, Arkansas
Mountain View is the largest city in and the county seat of Stone County in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 2,998. The town's name comes from its location in a valley surrounded by the eastern Ozark...
bills itself as the "Folk Music Capital of the World". There is an Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, which includes musicians like Ronnie Dunn
Ronnie Dunn
Ronnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...
, Melvin Endsley
Melvin Endsley
Melvin Endsley was a musician, singer, and songwriter best known for writing the song "Singing the Blues", along with over 400 songs recorded by hundreds of artists since 1956. Some of the artists that have recorded his songs include Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Andy Williams, Paul McCartney,...
, Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
and Jimmy Driftwood
Jimmy Driftwood
James Corbitt Morris , known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was a prolific American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud"...
.
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1966. When the orchestra was founded, a local bank held the organization responsible for the debts of previous attempts at organizing an orchestra. Ten individual members assumed responsibility for the debt, and so the orchestra was formed, led by experienced conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Vasilios Priakos.
The state's local music scene includes bands like American Princes
American Princes
American Princes is an indie rock band from Little Rock, AR. The band started in 2003 when David Slade, then-bassist John Beachboard and drummer Matthew Quin moved to Little Rock from New York City. Within their first year in Arkansas, they met guitarist Collins Kilgore and released their first...
, Rwake
Rwake
Rwake is a Southern sludge metal band from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, that began as a jamming four-piece in 1996. The band was originally called Wake. The first Wake show was March 15 1997 in Batesville, Arkansas at the Landers Theater....
, Deadbird, Dreamfast, The Inner Party, Queen Beast, and Fire to Reason. Tommy Riggs (Tom Payton) is an Arkansan singer, piano and keyboard player who had several bands while performing around the state in the 1960s and 1970s. He also was working as a radio DJ (as Tom Jones) at the time, on KCLA
KCLA
KCLA was an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA. The station was most recently owned by Community Broadcast Group Inc., and the broadcast license held by M.R.S. Ventures, Inc...
, during 1968 through 69 &As Tom Payton on KXLR
KXLR
KXLR is a commercial album-oriented rock music radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcasting on 95.9 FM.In May 2007, KXLR switched from standard classic rock to album-oriented rock under the branding "X-Rock". The "X-Rock" branding was also on sister station KXLW in Anchorage, which is now...
in North Little Rock in 1964, and in 1966 at KAAY
KAAY
KAAY is a 50,000-watt, class-A AM radio station in Little Rock, Arkansas, licensed on 1090 kHz.-History:KAAY was founded as KTHS in 1924 in Hot Springs; it moved to Little Rock in 1953. After the TV station KTHV was created from it in 1955, KTHS was sold to LIN Broadcasting, who turned it into...
. During this period, he promoted himself as Tom Payton and the Kingpins, Tom Payton with The Playboys, and several other names. He recorded while he was Rock Robbins from KAAY on the Little Rock label "MY Records" in 1966. Two songs from the session were released on a 45 rpm record, "My Little Girl" and "Good Lovin'"... The other songs and all tape masters are in private hands. Promoting himself as Tommy Riggs, he performed around the country From St. Louis to Las Vegas before settling down in Nashville, Tennessee and frequently playing at the Stockyards Lounge.
Two Arkansas politicians have been noted for mixing music with their campaigns for the presidency
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, attorney general and 50th and 52nd governor of the state and later president, played the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, famously performing "Heartbreak Hotel
Heartbreak Hotel
"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American rock and roll musician Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. His first number-one pop record, "Heartbreak Hotel" topped Billboards Top 100 chart, became his first...
" on The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
during the 1992 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
. Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
, 54th governor, plays the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and his campaign in the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
has prominently featured cover song performances by his band Capitol Offense
Capitol Offense (band)
Capitol Offense is an American rock band. It is most notable for its bassist, Mike Huckabee, who is the former Governor of Arkansas and former 2008 Republican candidate for President of the United States.-Early years :...
.
State songs
Arkansas has four official state songs:- State Anthem: "ArkansasArkansas (song)"Arkansas", written by Eva Ware Barnett in 1916, is one of the official state songs of Arkansas. It was first adopted as the state song in the early 20th century, but was removed in 1949 due to a copyright dispute...
" by Mrs. Eva Ware Barnett - State Historical Song: "The Arkansas TravelerThe Arkansas Traveler (song)"The Arkansas Traveler" was the state song of Arkansas from 1949 to 1963; it has been the state historical song since 1987. The music was composed in the 19th century by Colonel Sanford C...
" by Colonel Sanford C. Faulkner - State Song: "Oh, ArkansasOh, Arkansas"Oh, Arkansas" by Terry Rose and Gary Klaff is one of the official state songs of Arkansas. It was written in 1986 for the state's 150th anniversary celebration, and was named an official "state song" by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1987....
" by Terry Rose and Gary Klaff - State Song: "Arkansas (You Run Deep In Me)Arkansas (You Run Deep In Me)"Arkansas " by Wayland Holyfield is one of the official state songs of Arkansas. It was written by Holyfield in 1986 for the state's 150th anniversary celebration, and was named an official "state song" by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1987...
" by Wayland Holyfield
The reason for two of the official state songs is a copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
dispute. "Arkansas" was published in 1916 by the Central Music Company
Central Music Company
CME is the registered trademark of Central Music Company, a musical high-tech company founded in Beijing, China in 1993. Its main focus is consumer and professional digital music production equipment...
, written by Eva Ware Barnett and Will M. Ramsey (though state law only credits Mrs. Barnett). It became the official song on January 12, 1917. Until either 1945 or 1949, "Arkansas" was the only official song in Arkansas. At that time, there was a copyright dispute and the state adopted "The Arkansas Traveler" as the official song, a situation that remained unchanged until 1963. In that year, the copyright dispute was resolved and "Arkansas" became official again, until 1987, when it was changed to the official state anthem. In that year, "Arkansas (You Run Deep In Me)" and "Oh, Arkansas" were officially designated state songs as well, and "The Arkansas Traveler" was designated the official state historical song.
Famous Musicians from Arkansas
- Brandon Pennington (Springdale)
- PM Today (Jacksonville)
- Take it Back! (Fayetteville)
- Glen CampbellGlen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
(Delight) - Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
(Dyess) - Conway TwittyConway TwittyConway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
(Helena) - EvanescenceEvanescenceEvanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
(Little Rock) - The GossipThe GossipGossip is a three-piece American indie rock band formed in 1999. The band consists of singer Beth Ditto, guitarist Brace Paine and drummer Hannah Blilie. After releasing several recordings, the band broke through with their 2006 studio album, Standing in the Way of Control . A follow-up, Music for...
(Searcy) - Pharoah SandersPharoah SandersPharoah Sanders is a Grammy Award–winning American jazz saxophonist.Saxophonist Ornette Coleman once described him as "probably the best tenor player in the world." Emerging from John Coltrane's groups of the mid-60s Sanders is known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on...
(Little Rock) - Lefty FrizzellLefty FrizzellLefty Frizzell , born William Orville Frizzell, was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty...
(El Dorado) - Tracy LawrenceTracy LawrenceTracy Lawrence is an American country music artist. He started at a country music restaurant called "Live At Libby's" where owner Libby Knight would help local talent find their way into country music...
(Foreman) - Melvin EndsleyMelvin EndsleyMelvin Endsley was a musician, singer, and songwriter best known for writing the song "Singing the Blues", along with over 400 songs recorded by hundreds of artists since 1956. Some of the artists that have recorded his songs include Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Andy Williams, Paul McCartney,...
(Drasco) - Joe Nichols (Rogers)
- Collin RayeCollin RayeFloyd Collin Wray Floyd Collin Wray Floyd Collin Wray (born August 22, 1959 or 1960,Although multiple online sources all indicate Raye's date of birth as 1959, Raye's MySpace lists his date of birth as 1960. Furthermore, the 2004 Deseret News article cited in this article indicates the singer as...
(DeQueen) - Living SacrificeLiving SacrificeLiving Sacrifice is a Christian heavy metal band that formed in September 1989 in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. The band has released seven studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnson as a more thrash metal and death metal...
(Little Rock) - Charlie RichCharlie RichCharles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
(Benton) - RwakeRwakeRwake is a Southern sludge metal band from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, that began as a jamming four-piece in 1996. The band was originally called Wake. The first Wake show was March 15 1997 in Batesville, Arkansas at the Landers Theater....
(North Little Rock) - Ben Coulter (Montrose)
- Fire To Reason (Conway)
- HumanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
(Fayetteville) - Florence PriceFlorence Price- Career :Florence Price is considered the first black woman in the United States to be recognized as a symphonic composer. Even though her training was steeped in European tradition, Price’s music consists of mostly the American idiom and reveals her Southern roots...
(Little Rock) - William Grant StillWilliam Grant StillWilliam Grant Still was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions. He was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major...
(Little Rock) - Deas VailDeas Vail-History:Noted for having musical similarities to Death Cab for Cutie, Mew, Copeland, and Mae, Deas Vail was formed in the university town of Russellville, Arkansas in 2003. After a couple of years of touring, Deas Vail signed to Brave New World Records in 2005. In the fall of 2006, they released...
(Russellville) - Garrett Moore (Conway)
- Kris AllenKris AllenKristopher Neil "Kris" Allen is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol...
(Jacksonville and ConwayConway-Surname:* Alan Conway, impersonator of Stanley Kubrick* Albert Conway , Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals * Anne Conway, Viscountess Conway , English philosopher* Arthur Conway , any of several men...
) - Louis JordanLouis JordanLouis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
(Brinkley) - Willie CobbsWillie CobbsWillie Cobbs is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known for his song, "You Don't Love Me"....
(Smale) - Jimmy DriftwoodJimmy DriftwoodJames Corbitt Morris , known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was a prolific American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud"...
(Mountain View) - Al GreenAl GreenAlbert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
(Forrest City) - Levon HelmLevon HelmMark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
(Turkey Scratch) - Barbara HendricksBarbara HendricksBarbara Hendricks is an African American operatic soprano and concert singer. Hendricks has lived in Europe since 1977, and in Switzerland on Lake Geneva since 1985, She is a citizen of Sweden.-Early life and education:...
(Stephens) - Sister Rosetta TharpeSister Rosetta TharpeSister Rosetta Tharpe was an Amercian pioneering gospel singer, songwriter and recording artist who attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and early rock and roll accompaniment...
(Cotton Plant) - William WarfieldWilliam WarfieldWilliam Caesar Warfield , was an American concert bass-baritone singer and actor.-Early life and career:Warfield was born in West Helena, Arkansas and grew up in Rochester, New York, where his father was called to serve as pastor of Mt. Vernon Church. He gave his recital debut in New York's Town...
(West Helena) - Peetie WheatstrawPeetie WheatstrawPeetie Wheatstraw was the name adopted by the singer William Bunch, an influential figure among 1930s blues singers...
(Cotton Plant) - Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (Helena)
The New Wave of Musicians
While Arkansas is known for its southern styles, of country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and related styles of music, there's a much younger style coming from the state. In the late 90's, and early 2000s, there were many rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
groups, as well as pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
groups. One of the well-known bands from this time would be multi-platinum-selling alternative rock band Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
, which has origins in Little Rock.
Pop and Rock groups today, are still around, as well as a few young bands, that play southern styled music, or Christian pop/Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
like The Wedding
The Wedding (band)
The Wedding is a Christian band from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Musically, The Wedding fuses elements of Christian punk, Christian rock, Alternative Contemporary Christian, pop punk, ska, piano rock, and post-hardcore with their pop rock base...
. However, as the trends change, post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
and metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
bands have popped up left and right. Many bands after the mid 2000's, and currently, have taken refuge in styles like that of Norma Jean
Norma Jean
Norma Jean may refer to:*Norma Jeane Mortenson, the given name of actress Marilyn Monroe*Norma Jean , a metalcore band from Douglasville, GA*Norma Jean , country music singer, nicknamed "Pretty Miss Norma Jean"...
and Underoath
Underoath
Underoath is an American Christian metalcore band from Tampa, Florida. Founded by Dallas Taylor and Luke Morton on November 30, 1997 in Ocala, Florida, subsequently its additional members were from Tampa, Florida...
, while others continue slightly poppy and/or less chaotic acts, similar to Blessthefall
Blessthefall
Blessthefall is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, currently signed to Fearless Records. The band was founded in 2003 by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist Jared Warth. Their debut album, His Last Walk, with original vocalist Craig Mabbitt, was released April...
and Fear Before the March of Flames. Some have even taken on the Math rock
Math rock
Math rock is a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s and that was very influenced by progressive rock like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow - and 20th century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage...
genre, like Burn Baby Burn, and others have added unusual time signatures to their music, and styles like Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
to their songwriting. Notably, three of the few screamo
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
/emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
groups in Arkansas, Strike the Choir (Monticello, AR) and I Was The Red Wine of 1955 (Warren, AR) and The Fashion Show
The Fashion Show
The Fashion Show is a British television programme which debuted on ITV2 on 11 September 2008. The programme was originally titled The Fashion Project....
(Russelville, AR). Most of the bands on the AR scene are made up of underage kids, from high-school to early college days, and is dependent upon these teens and young adults. Recent bands have started to play deathcore
Deathcore
Deathcore is an extreme metal music genre that combines elements of death metal with elements of metalcore or hardcore punk, or both. It is defined by an "excessive" use of death metal riffs, blast beats and use of hardcore punk breakdowns...
, such as Kingdom Under Siege, and Virtues. There is also still a hardcore/punk scene in Arkansas, such as Lasting Era, Jungle Juice
Jungle juice
Jungle juice is the name given to a improvised mix of liquor that is usually served for group consumption.Most jungle juice mixtures contain large quantities of hard alcohol mixed with a variety of fruit juices...
, Dead Beat
Dead beat
In discrete-time control theory, the dead beat control problem consists of finding what input signal must be applied to a system in order to bring the output to the steady state in the smallest number of time steps....
, Weeknight Rodeo, and Hollywood Homicide
Hollywood Homicide
Hollywood Homicide is a 2003 American action comedy film starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett.The film also features Lena Olin, Lolita Davidovich, Martin Landau, Bruce Greenwood, Isaiah Washington, Keith David, Dwight Yoakam and Master P in supporting roles, with Eric Idle making a cameo...
.
Though there are many groups that come from hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
backgrounds, there are still bands that have an indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
appeal, like the long gone Stained Glass Masquerades(Warren, AR), Parashos Parachutes (Monticello/Little Rock, AR), Maybe Next Weekend (Bryant, AR), and This is Jacob (Bryant, AR). Others are pop rock bands, like School Boy Humor(Little Rock, AR) and Alert All Arms (Little Rock, AR). Acoustic bands such as The Truth About Movie Stars (Kylan Savage of Bentonville Arkansas) and The Professor's Umbrella (Nikki Xaysanasy of Springdale Arkansas)originated from Arkansas.
Arkansas is also becoming known for the underground metal scene most prevalent in the Little Rock metropolitan area. Bands such as: Rwake
Rwake
Rwake is a Southern sludge metal band from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, that began as a jamming four-piece in 1996. The band was originally called Wake. The first Wake show was March 15 1997 in Batesville, Arkansas at the Landers Theater....
, Deadbird, Shitfire, Seahag, Vore, Kryostate, Circle of the Black Thorn, The Witch's Tit and Placid Eclipse, all have their roots in Arkansas. Venues such as Downtown Music host metal shows nearly every weekend.
one song that is popular in arkansas, is "arkansas."