It’s a dichotomy. Country stars and the people who love them are often accused of being narrow-minded and unaccepting, but if you watch any country music award show, you’ll see that the country music community is as welcoming as they come. Rock, pop and urban artists are often invited to come and collaborate with country greats. And, some of them stay!
On this special edition of Rare Country’s 5, host Erin Holt counts down five of the most successful recent rockers to take a stab at country music, and they’ve fared pretty well at it!
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This was a super-wow moment, perhaps the biggest at the 2015 CMA Awards, so it makes sense that the magical collaboration between Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake is our No. 5 on Rare Country’s 5 of “Crossover Artists.” If you missed it, the pair did a mash-up of George Jones’ “Tennessee Whiskey” and Justin’s “Drink You Away,” and the results had everyone talking for days! Justin, who is a native of Memphis, has mentioned recording his own country collection, and Erin has details. You can also relive that jaw-dropping performance via the link below.
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When it comes to iconic rock stars, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is easily among them, but in July, he released his country album, “We’re All Somebody From Somewhere,” and landed his first Top 20 country hit with “Love Is Your Name.” He also landed the No. 4 spot on this episode of Rare Country’s 5. Steven even made an appearance on the hit TV series “Nashville,” where he performed an impressive version of the Patsy Cline classic “Crazy” with Hayden Panettiere’s character, Juliette Barnes. There’s no word yet on a follow-up project from Steven.
If anyone questions Kid Rock’s position in the country music community, just look at the company he keeps. The hybrid hit-maker counts country icons like Charlie Daniels and Hank Williams Jr. as his friends, and he has been a genuine influence on contemporary country stars like Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert and Florida Georgia Line. Speaking of influences, Kid proudly proclaims Hanks Jr. and Sr., David Allen Coe and Johnny Cash among his, which easily puts him in our No. 3 spot.
“Because of You” Kelly Clarkson lands not only at No. 2, but also was a nominee for Female Artist of the Year in this year’s Rare Country Awards. (See what we did there?) Although the majority of Kelly’s success has come from her pop-rock releases, country music has embraced her as one of its own, thanks in large part to dues with Reba, Jason Aldean and Vince Gill. And let’s face it, she’s a proud Texas honey and a Nashville resident, plus her hubs? He manages Blake Shelton, so Kelly is immersed in country.
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Our No. 1 seat goes to the very deserving Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker. When it came to crossing boundaries, Darius did it with an unabashed fearlessness. The singer-songwriter, who had monster success in the pop-rock world, had always felt a draw to country music. So when Hootie took a little hiatus, he seized the opportunity as a chance to dabble with the alternate format. His dabble turned into the platinum-selling No. 1 album, “Learn to Live.” And there’s been no looking back. He has won both CMA and Grammy awards for his work as a country artist, has released successful follow-ups, and has even headlined his own country tours. Darius Rucker is here to stay and we’re happy about that!
If that isn’t proof that country is America’s music, then heck, we don’t know what is. Don’t forget — country music has also been made by actors, actresses, sports figures and talk show hosts, too!
That wraps this special edition of Rare Country’s 5. Don’t forget to check in for our regular Rare Country’s 5 weekly news update with Erin Holt every Saturday. Thanks for watching!