Heroes & The Cult of Celebrity Analysis

 

 

There are many people that could be considered heroes in country music.  It’s usually someone that brings a new sound to the genre or attracts a greater number of new listeners.  In my opinion, Bill Monroe is one of the original heroes that comes to mind in country music. 

Bill Monroe is known as the father of Bluegrass music.  He formed a band called Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys.  They brought a new sound into the country music genre when they first appeared on The Grand Ole Opry in 1939.  As stated in Kim Ruehl’s online article, Blue Grass Music from Foggy Mountain Boys to Nickle Creek, “The original bluegrass band implemented elements of Gospel, work songs, folk music, country, and Blues music and showcased various types of vocal harmonies.”  Their popularity continued into the mid to late 1940s as they continued to top musical charts.  Their heavy use of the mandolin and their tenor voices is just a small part of what made up this unique sound.
 

 

I have long and hard thought and researched high and low to find an example of someone who represents a cult of celebrity in regards to country music and I’ve had no luck.  The closest I can come is to someone who appears to be doing some crazy things to bring attention to herself like a cult of celebrity.  Miley Cyrus is the person that comes to mind.  Her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, is a country music artist and actor, so she’s always been around the music and acting industry.  Miley has also already had her own success in music and acting as a child working on Disney Channel’s “Hanna Montana” show.  Now that she’s older, she’s trying to transition her image to a more mature one by doing outlandish things similar to unknown individuals trying to make themselves famous.  She has performed sexual looking acts with other male performers and people dressed in cartoon character costumes on awards shows.  She has also done what are nude photo ops for magazines to promote her new album.   It’s unfortunate because she is a very talented woman.

 References

Ruehl, K. (n.d) Bluegrass Music from Foggy Mountain Boys to Nickle Creek.  Retrieved December 6, 2013. http://folkmusic.about.com/od/historyoffolk/a/Blugrass_Histor.htm