Considering that March is Women’s History Month, it’s important to recognize the women who have made a difference within the past several decades, particularly in the country music scene. The country music industry continues to be one of the many professions fraught with sexism. Due to the influence of Southern tradition, it’s no surprise that the music industry is dominated by men, both on the production and performance sides of things. This is especially true in country music–a genre with a long history of marginalizing women and music made by women—where the disparity between the two groups is wider than most.
Let’s start from the beginning with one of country music’s most-renowned female singers, Patsy Cline. Patsy Cline released her debut album in 1957, and if you listened to it right now, you probably wouldn’t call it country music. Back then, country was less the sound of the instruments and the singer’s voice and instead emphasized the themes of the music. Cline’s voice is strong and full; she commands the atmosphere with only a few instruments to support her. She combines features of other genres and unites them in the country spirit, tying them together in an album which has now become timeless. Some people have likened her to the Elvis of women, if that gives you any idea how much of an impact she had on the genre!
The next big female country star after Patsy was Dolly Parton. She was active in the 1970s and 1980s, dropping several albums and our favorite hits such as “9 to 5” and “Jolene.” It’s at this point in the development of country music that it begins to sound more like what we label as “country.” In “Jolene,” Dolly’s Southern twang flows over the plucked guitar strings effortlessly, creating a timeless classic over three choruses and two verses.
After Dolly was Reba, another one of the country greats. Reba McEntire dropped her debut in 1977, but it wasn’t until 1991’s For My Broken Heart where she first made her mark. She continued blazing the trail in country music throughout the 90s, and eventually even starred in her own TV show. She has a commanding voice that is as Southern as can be, and her music is as exciting as it is country. She was one of the first female country artists to have the experience of taking center stage with her music, something that gave it a more personal feeling and spoke to many who listened. Within this last year, Reba actually released a new album that directly addresses female empowerment. Women to The Front further carries Reba’s end-goal of empowering women and striving towards gender equality.
Following Reba and the 90s, we enter the modern era of country music. Some would say that Patsy, Dolly and Reba opened the doors for other women in country, and this is true, however, something interesting to note is the country music industry had a habit of only playing one woman on the radio at a time. One woman is enough seemed to be the sentiment. This is why there was an era of Patsy, an era of Dolly and then an era of Reba. During the 2000s and into today, though, there has been an incredible crossover of pop and country that leads to far more women becoming noticed in the country scene. Think of artists like the Dixie Chicks, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill, Miley Cyrus (when she was Hannah Montana) and Kacey Musgraves. Although these artists aren’t as traditionally country as the big three that came before them, I think they’re following in Patsy’s footsteps by incorporating other styles of music into the country aesthetic.
Finally, the women who inspired this piece are The Highwomen, a band who dropped their debut in the country scene back in 2019. The members of the band are Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires. The Highwomen came together to make music with a purpose: to show that women have a place in country music. Their self-titled debut is simultaneously traditional and progressive–it has every element one would expect from a country album, yet the content is forward-thinking and pointed. They do a wonderful job of sticking to country roots and the end result is a classic country album that will make you reconsider just how important women are to country and music as a whole.
Although the country music industry has had its history of pushing women to the side, women continue to strive for their well-deserved time in the spotlight. As time progresses and traditions dwindle, people will notice talent for what it is and not whether or not it was written by a man.