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| Music of the United States |
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Arkansas is aSouthernstate of theUnited States. Arkansas's musical heritage includescountry music and various related styles likebluegrass androckabilly.
Arkansas has four officialstate songs:
Two of the official state songs are because of acopyright dispute. "Arkansas" was published in 1916 by theCentral 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.[1]
Two Arkansas politicians have been noted for mixing music with their campaigns for thepresidency.Bill Clinton, attorney general and 50th and 52ndgovernor of the state and later president, played thesaxophone, famously performing "Heartbreak Hotel" onThe Arsenio Hall Show during the1992 presidential election.[2]Mike Huckabee, 54th governor, plays thebass guitar, and his campaign in the2008 presidential election has prominently featuredcover song performances by his bandCapitol Offense.[3]
ComposerFlorence Price was born in Little Rock in 1887.
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1966.[4] 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 experiencedconductor Vasilios Priakos. Today the Orchestra is conducted by Geoff Robson. They have an extensive outreach and education program. In February 2012,George Takei performed with the group in aHolocaust memorial.[5]
Traditional folk instruments include thefiddle andbanjo as well asguitar,mandolin,dulcimer andautoharp.
Located in theOzark Mountains, the town ofMountain View bills itself as the "Folk Music Capital of the World". There is an Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, which includes musicians likeRonnie Dunn,Melvin Endsley, andAl Green.
Jimmy Driftwood and Beau Renfro.
Indie Folk group Little Chief is made up of former University of Arkansas student Matt Cooper and is based out of Fayetteville.
Gospel music is very popular in Arkansas. Because of the racial tension extant since slavery in the Delta region, gospel music has had a tremendous influence in the lives of African Americans in Arkansas.[6] While Blues is dominated by men, it is the women of Arkansas who have led the way in gospel music. Gospel composer, singer, pianist, arrangerRoberta Martin was born inHelena. The Brockwell Gospel Music School inBrockwell, Arkansas in Izard County, has been offering a two-week summer course in Gospel music since 1947.[7]
Country blues singer and slide guitaristCasey Bill Weldon was born inPine Bluff. Blues pianistRoosevelt Sykes was born in Elmar.Jump blues singerJimmy Witherspoon was born inGurdon.Electric blues andChicago blues artistWillie "Big Eyes" Smith was born inHelena. Guitarist, singer, and songwriterPat Hare, born inCherry Valley, served as a sideman atSun Records in Memphis.Billy Lee Riley, born inPocahontas, andSonny Burgess, born nearNewport, also recorded for Sun.
West Memphis, just across the Mississippi river fromMemphis, Tennessee, has its own thriving music scene. WhenBeale Street would shut down for the night, performers likeB. B. King,Ike Turner,Junior Parker, andElmore James came to 8th street in West Memphis.Wayne Jackson even said once that "the Memphis sound was born over the river".[8] Jackson was born and raised in West Memphis as wasChicago blues artistJunior Wells. The West Memphis R&B scene was an integral part of theCivil Rights Movement of the 1960s.[9]
Jazz artists born in Arkansas include pianist and bandleaderAlphonse Trent from Fort Smith, trombonistSnub Mosley born in Little Rock, pianist and composerWalter Norris born in Little Rock,Joe Bishop born in Monticello, saxophonistPharoah Sanders born in Little Rock,free jazz tenor saxophonistKalaparusha Maurice McIntyre born in Clarksville, tenor saxophonistRed Holloway born in Helena, tenor saxophonist and bandleaderHayes Pillars born in North Little Rock,Oliver Lake born in Marianna, pianistBob Dorough born in Cherry Hill, bassistJames Leary born in Little Rock, pianistArt Porter, Sr. and saxophonistArt Porter, Jr. born in Little Rock, andAmina Claudine Myers born in Blackwell.[10]
Sister Rosetta Tharpe fromCotton Plant was a gospel artist who achieved crossover success and became arock and roll pioneer, influencing among many others fellow Arkansas nativeJohnny Cash fromKingsland.Sonny Burgess was another Arkansan who influenced the rock and roll industry as an artist forSun Records in adjacentMemphis, Tennessee. Arkansas early rock and roll was typicallyrockabilly music influenced byZydeco music andblues.[11]
Arkansasgarage rock andpsychedelic music of the 1960s has been reexamined by Psych of the South withLost Souls.[12]
While Arkansas is known for its southern styles of music, there is a much younger style coming from the state as well. In the late 1990s, and early 2000s, there were manyrock music groups, as well aspop rock groups. One of the best-known bands from this time would be multi-platinum-selling rock bandEvanescence, which has origins in Little Rock.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Little Rock became the home of a thriving punk andmetal music scene. The 1990s DIY scene was captured in the 2007 filmTowncraft. As the trends have changed,post-hardcore andmetalcore bands such asNorma Jean gained popularity.Doom Metal is represented byPallbearer from Little Rock, whileRwake is known for southernsludge metal.American Princes from Little Rock show theindie rock side of Arkansas.
Young Freq is a rapper from Little Rock working with local independent label Roc Town Music Group, formed in 2013.[13]
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, onKCLA, during 1968 through 69 and as Tom Payton onKXLR in North Little Rock in 1964, and in 1966 atKAAY. 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'".
Arkansas's rock and roll scene is served by a free monthly magazine launched by Peter Read on December 8, 1980, calledNight Flying.[11]
Among Arkansas's most prominent modern musical festivals is Riverfest, amusic festival held along the Arkansas River in downtownLittle Rock. Riverfront Blues Festival, Ft Smith Arkansas in June. Riverfest has been held annually since 1978. TheKing Biscuit Blues Festival is held each October in Helena. It has been ongoing since 1986. The festival seeks to celebrate and preserve the rich blues history of the region.
