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This summer, the University of Chicago Press published a book I wrote with “country music” in the title. Inevitably that led to people asking me at book events how I got into country music, especially since I grew up in Oak Park, a place where people speak with no discernable twang.The answer is within the pages of my book. Chicago played a significant role in the pioneering days of country music, even before the music had the designation. In the 1920s, music played with stringed instruments was sometimes classified as just that: “With guitar accompaniment.” Otherwise, performers who sang old songs that had been passed through generations for longer than they can remember, were categorized as simply “folk.”It turns out Chicago became a primary destination of early performers due to the emergence of the WLS Barn Dance, a Saturday night variety show that started in 1924.

United statesUniversity of chicagoOak parkRobbie fulksBill monroeEmpson scobie prineUniversity of chicago pressAmerican can companySinclair oil in whitingResearch for countryChicago pressBarn danceNorth sideAmerican canSinclair oilCarter family