Honky-Tonk Rockabilly
tagStarted 1953Peak 1955–1962Last big hit 1983
Honky-tonk rockabilly sits between barroom country and early rock and roll, keeping country song forms, steel or twangy guitar habits, and cheating-drinking themes while driving them with slapback and a more aggressive beat. It is less polished than Nashville rockabilly and more unruly than classic honky-tonk.
History
The overlap between honky-tonk and rockabilly was natural in the 1950s, especially in southern and western dance circuits. Charlie Feathers, Wanda Jackson, Sleepy LaBeef, and later revivalists sustained the overlap, while dive-bar traditionalists kept the hybrid alive.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Britannica
- rockabilly histories
- revival histories