Not ‘country enough’? Beyoncé proudly proclaims her Texas roots in ‘Cowboy Carter.’
by Ken Makin
Apr 01, 2024
4 minutes
Just before the official release of “Cowboy Carter,” the second act of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance,” I thought about a number of Black artists who had been disrespected by the country music establishment. The most local, if not the most notable, for me, was James Brown.
There’s a recollection of Brown’s March 1979 performance at the Grand Ole Opry from Rolling Stone, which recounted some of the angst from other country music performers. “I could throw up,” piano player Del Wood reportedly said to the Nashville Banner. The Memphis Press-Scimitar offered this headline: “James Brown brings disharmony to Grand Ole Opry.”
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