Additional Resources
Introduction
From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music traces a century-spanning, musically wide-ranging journey of Black Americans in commercial country music. Still, its eighty-two tracks are by no means an exhaustive collection of Black artists’ involvement in country music, nor are they the last word on the subject. Choices were made in how to tell the story.
In addition, despite the best efforts of our partners at Warner Music Nashville, some tracks could not be licensed. These include Beyoncé and the Chicks’ collaboration on “Daddy Lessons,” Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” and Al Green’s version of “For the Good Times.” These tracks are represented on this page.
Fortunately, the 2024 compilation has numerous musical additions. These include a brand-new fourth disc of twenty-first century music (featuring artists who emerged prior to 2020), a second Ray Charles cut, and rare recordings by Jo Ann Sweeney and Lenora Ross.
This musical collection was licensed solely for physical release as a CD box set. Proceeds from the sale of the box set will benefit the nonprofit Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s educational programming. All songs represented on the CD box set are available for listening via this free-to-access educational resource, the From Where I Stand: The Online Experience.
Beyonce and the Chicks, “Daddy Lessons,” The 50th Annual CMA Awards, 2016
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road – Remix,” The BET Awards, 2019
Al Green, “For the Good Times,” Soul Train, 1973
Archival Collections
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s vast Digital Archive, exhibits, and programs can help you dig deeper into The Black Experience in Country Music.
Live at the Hall
The Museum’s weekly program series Live at the Hall features interviews and performances from a diverse array of country musicians.
Below are selections from recent installments of Live at the Hall, including conversations and performances with Rhiannon Giddens, Keb’ Mo’, and the Black Opry and the Black Country Music Association. To access the full library, visit here.
Night Train to Nashville
online exhibit.
In 2004, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened the physical exhibition Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945–1970. This online adaptation examines how Middle Tennessee’s vibrant, pioneering R&B community played a significant role in building Nashville’s worldwide reputation as a prominent music center, and the exhibit also highlights the interplay between R&B and country music styles. The online exhibit was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Voices in the Hall Podcast
The Voices in the Hall podcast presents interviews conducted by Museum senior director, producer, and writer Peter Cooper, including conversations with recording artists who are part of From Where I Stand. To access all three seasons, visit here.
Discover Series – Family appropriate histories
Designed for family audiences, the Discover series explores diverse voices in country music through materials created for school-age learners. Learn more about country music’s Black roots and its broad, cross-genre appeal through two websites dedicated to individual members of the Country Music Hall of Fame: Discover DeFord Bailey and Discover Ray Charles. This series is funded by the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Digital Archive
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to preserving its unparalleled collection and making it publicly accessible for educational and research purposes. Visitors can browse the Digital Archive for photographs, film and video, sound recordings, periodicals, posters, and oral history interviews. The selections below reflect the many Black artists represented in the collection. Visit the Digital Archive here to begin browsing.
Lead Belly, “Pick a Bale of Cotton,” Three Songs by Lead Belly, 1945
Bobby Hebb, “I Got Rhythm,” The !!!! Beat, 1966
The Staple Singers, “We’ll Get Over,” The Johnny Cash Show, 1969
Dobie Gray, “Easy Come, Easy Go,” Bobby Bare and Friends Songwriter Showcase, 1983
O. B. McClinton, “New York Times,” Nashville Now, 1984
Fats Domino, “Blue Monday,” Austin City Limits, 1986
