L–R: Beyoncé, Linda Martell, and Mickey Guyton. Source: Getty
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, released in 2024, had fans across the globe grooving to country music with standout tracks like “TEXAS HOLD ’EM” and “BLACKBIIRD.” But the album didn’t just captivate listeners, it sparked a wave of curiosity about country music’s deeper roots.
Winning both Best Country Album and Album of the Year at the Grammys in February, Cowboy Carter introduced a fresh wave of talented artists reshaping the genre and prompted music lovers to look back into history to discover the Black pioneers who helped shape the country sound.
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Country music, a genre born in the rural South and West of the U.S. in the early 20th century, is recognized for its simple harmonies, narrative lyrics, and the use of stringed instruments such as guitars, fiddles, banjos, and pedal steel, Merriam-Webster notes.
According to the Jacksonville Music Experience, melodies of early Southern country music were heavily influenced by hymns from Black churches, while the playing styles were shaped by Black musicians. Over time, the genre absorbed elements of blues and jazz, and new instruments like the guitar and fiddle were incorporated, laying the foundation for what we now recognize as country music.
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1. Linda Martell
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Linda Martell is often celebrated as one of the first Black women to make a significant impact in country music, a genre that was predominantly white during her rise to fame. Born in 1941 in South Carolina, she made history in the late 1960s with memorable hits like “Color Him Father” and “Bad Case of the Blues.”
Martell made a groundbreaking achievement in 1969 when her hit single “Color Him Father” reached #22 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. According to her website, this made her the highest-charting Black female country artist at the time, a record she held until Beyoncé’s “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” debuted at #1 on Feb. 21, 2024.
Growing up in South Carolina, Martell’s musical journey began with family performances before she was discovered as a solo act at the Charleston Air Force Base. She moved to Nashville in 1969, where she released her debut single, which charted in the Top 25 that same year. This success paved the way for her only album, Color Me Country, which made its way into the Top 40 of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album featured three charting singles and earned praise from Billboard for its authenticity.
Color Me Country led to high-profile opportunities, including appearances on Hee Haw, package shows with country legends like Waylon Jennings and Hank Snow, and 12 total performances on the Grand Ole Opry. In 1969, Martell became the first Black woman to perform on the Opry stage, a groundbreaking moment that opened doors for other Black artists in the country music scene.
Although her career was relatively brief, Martell’s courage and pioneering spirit made her a trailblazer for future generations of Black women in country music. Her legacy continues to inspire those who follow in her footsteps, reminding us of the importance of representation and inclusion in the genre.
Martell was credited on Beyoncé’s songs “Spaghettii” alongside Shaboozey, and “The Linda Martell Show,” off Cowboy Carter. Both songs include spoken word commentary from the music legend.
