R&B Country
tagStarted early 1960sPeak 1962–1968; 2018–present revivalLast big hit still active
R&B Country places country songwriting or vocal identity inside rhythm-and-blues-inflected phrasing, chord color, and groove. Compared with Country Soul, it often sounds smoother, more urban in studio finish, and more explicitly connected to Black pop traditions.
History
Ray Charles' country albums were a landmark early demonstration of the overlap, and later artists such as Arthur Alexander, Darius Rucker, Kane Brown, Mickey Guyton, and The War and Treaty further tore down the false wall between the traditions. In contemporary country, the style has become newly visible as Black artists reclaim country's shared roots and audience.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- GRAMMY on Black artists in country
- Billboard and country-chart breakthroughs
- country-soul histories