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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by DukeWill:
And I wondered, that since 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 billboard hits were by black artists, if whites would more likely gravitate to country. Which is almost all white... Damn near every black person in America would not like my honky tonk country music, I guarantee you. We're just different.
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Your first statement may have some merit. Country music is predominantly performed by and listened to by white folks. Still, more white musicians write and play in the many other genres than they do country by a wide margin. "Country" is what the industry chooses to make it as tastes and audiences change. At this point in time, if you are preferably male, have a southern drawl, are ideally in your twenties and look great in a cowboy suit, it's probably the genre you might want to pursue. That look and sound, however, is a bit dated though.

Hip-hop and rap are both very popular now among both black and white audiences that actually go out and BUY CD's. Black artists change with the times like everyone else, so there are only aging doo-wap black groups still doing their thing while the younger artists are giving the audience what it wants now. It's good business sense, not some genetic trait that keeps black artists on top.

Regarding your second comment, most whites in America probably won't like your honky tonk music either. And I know for a fact that Karl Malone, formerly with the Jazz and now with the Lakers, loves good old country music even though he looks outrageous in a cowboy outfit.

No racial group can take credit for creating musical trends, but blacks do have a great track record when it comes to knowing what the audience wants and delivering time and time again. That will get 9 out of 10 of the top spots on the Billboard charts in no time.

P.E. Knudsen

P.E. Knudsen