Emmylou Harris is not only an exceptionally talented person, but an admirably honest one as well. She admitted formerly having a condescending attitude toward country music. But she eventually changed her mind about it. What or who influenced her? We decided to check into that aspect of Harris's career along with her evolving musical leanings.
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Emmylou Harris's Involvement With Gram Parsons Was Pivotal
Harris grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, per rocksbackpages.com, so she was exposed to country music from an exceedingly early age. But it just was not her style of music back in the 1960s. "I used to look down on country though at the time because I was heavily into folk protest stuff. But I couldn't help being drawn to some of it - like Hank Williams. Country was always creeping in. Like I was an Ian and Sylvia addict. They had a lot to do with my musical inspiration. Their music was so original, it had a lot of guts and a lot of powerful beauty."
She added, "There were all kinds of little seeds starting from the beginning, but it was only when I met Gram and started working with him that I really got involved with country. That was the turning point in my musical life."
Harris Acknowledged That The South Was Frowned Upon, So Country Music Was Frowned Upon, Too
It seemed to her that the prejudices people harbored about the South carried over into their negative feelings about country music - the music so prominently associated with the South itself.
Harris explained per the outlet, "Country music has really been looked down upon until the last few years as real redneck music - music of illiterate and prejudiced people...And southern music was considered to be bigoted music even though what it was actually about was basic things like love and death and adultery and lovin' somebody who don't love you back."
Artists Like Parsons, Dolly Parton, And George Jones Made Harris Rethink Her Country Music Stance
She thought the world of Parsons, who died of a drug overdose at the age of 26 in 1973. "Gram and I, we had a kind of affinity being from the South [he was from Florida}. I guess that had a lot to do with it but it was mainly a musical affinity. We sang together very well almost right from the beginning, though I wasn't used to singing with anybody."
Parton impressed Harris, too. "She's appreciated by the country market but they don't seem to appreciate her amazing writing abilities. She's got the most original voice in country music too. She is such an incredible talent, but her appearance just puts people off outside of country music, which is silly...I just love her music. Her warmth and feeling just comes right through."
George Jones became another of Harris's favorite singers. "As a singer, his vocal abilities astound me. As a person, being affected by a singer, I'm just totally wiped out. He just moves me so much. There's nobody that comes close to him - unless it's Ray Charles. They both just tear me a little bit inside out."
