Rissi Palmer has a hit song “Country Girl” Why does it matter that she’s Black?
Rissi Palmer’s debut album is out and she already has a hit song “Country Girl” rising up the billboard charts. The song “Country Girl” isn’t meant to be political but it is Rissi Palmer’s plea basically saying “just give me a chance.” I think that’s all Palmer is trying to say. In numerous media reports Palmer’s race has been pointed out because she’s the first black female singer trying to make it in Country Music. Since race always matters in America the topic is unavoidable and it shouldn’t be ignored. Why is Rissi’s gender being ignored? Country Music has a history of misogyny. Hopefully for Rissi Palmer the music will shine through. Palmer has a strong voice and clearly has a lot of talent and the looks to become a star.
Some people may say why is a young black woman singing Country Music? Well why not? Rissi Palmer was first offered a record deal when she was younger by Janet Jackson’s producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis but she refused the deal. I commend Rissi Palmer for doing that. As Rissi says why should she be “another Beyonce.” Isn’t that boring? White people can cross musical genres and they are praised. Nobody makes a big deal about the white female singers Nelly Furtado, Fergie, and Gwen Stefani singing hip hop/R&B soul music. Why is it when a black person tries to cross musical genres its thought of as a science experiment? Let girlfriend do her own thing I say! You go girl! I mean seriously, I think Rissi Palmer is brave because I don’t particularly like Country Music there are a lot of double standards and hypocrisy in this particular genre of music.
Country Music has an abhorrent history of misogyny, homophobia, hypocrisy, and racism. K.D. Lang was a very popular and successful Country Music singer back in the late 1980s. Once Lang came out of the closet in the early 1990s Nashville rejected her. Lang declared she was a lesbian and removed herself from the shackles of compulsory heterosexuality. Lang loved women and she didn’t care to sing songs about loving men. The Country Music genre is all about women loving men singing songs about falling in love and serving men. Lang wasn’t about that she didn’t care to sing those kinds of songs. Lang’s lesbianism shouldn’t of been an issue for the Country Music audience but it was. K.D Lang should of been judged on her vocal talent not her love life. Lang found success as a pop star and still has a career. Lang is an incredible talent with amazing vocal range. Real talent will rise to the top and K.D. Lang became an international superstar after she moved on from the bigoted Country Music industry. The Country Music establishment is still very homophobic and sexist.
Shania Twain another Canadian singer also had problems with the Country Music establishment because of her “image” and “lyrics.” Twain changed the image and perception people have of “Country Music”. In the past “sexy” in Country Music was looking like Dolly Parton. Parton was not sexy at all but she was popular with her drag queen image of platinum blonde hair, too much make up, over-sized breasts, and sequin gowns. Twain “crossed over” from traditional Country Music to other radio and TV formats because she demonstrated a woman can be “sexy” and “talented” without looking tacky. Twain was also outspoken she believed in herself and her musical talent and had total control over her image. Shania Twain wasn’t the “classic” image of what a female Country Music artist was supposed to be she also was a foreigner making her the other.
Twain became the “Madonna” of Country Music all by herself Shania Twain transformed Country Music she made it cool, exciting, sexy, and the Country Music industry had to realize her talent. Twain’s record sales soon crossed over and she no longer needed Nashville to be a star. Nashville could not deny that a “foreigner” made Country Music a global success. Shania Twain made CountryMusic famous all over the world. The Country Music industry can thank Shania Twain for making Country Music a global success. In the past Country Music was only popular in North America the record sales were limited over seas. Due to Canadian superstars such as K.D. Lang and Shania Twain Country Music became a global music genre. Twain and Lang’s albums sold millons of records in foreign markets such as Europe, Australia, and Asia.
When Twain started out in the Country Music business the controversy was over the fact she was an attractive woman and her belly button was exposed in a music video. Yes folks, this is how conservative Country music is. Now Shania Twain is the blueprint many female Country Music artists have attempted to copy to become successful.
The Dixie Chicks encountered the most backlash from Country Music fans when Natalie Maines the lead singer made a controversial statement about the war in Iraq and President Bush. Unlike Twain, and K.D. Lang, the Dixie Chicks are Americans they weren’t foreigners. However, the Country Music industry still sends the same sexist messages to women that they must be “demure” they must conform to middle class standards of respectability. Men have more leverage in Country Music they can be alcoholics and sing about lewd sexual conquests but women can only sing about heartache and love.
The Country Music radio stations and fans immediately rejected the Dixie Chicks. The turn around by Country Music fans was incredible and also very disturbing from death threats to the sheer negativity of the business side of the industry. Country music radio stations that once played the Dixie Chicks stopped playing their music.The Dixie Chicks were so successful and yet the fans suddenly were so fastidious. The Dixie Chicks were “forced” to “crossover” to a mainstream pop culture and formats. The marketing team behind the Dixie Chicks have been very shrewd creating a film to document the time after the backlash to maintain the public interest in the group.
The main reason the Dixie Chicks won so many Grammy Awards this year was because it was a political statement a way for the mainstream liberal media to “get back” at Nashville. The Grammy Awards has its own covert racist elements where black entertainers are segregated in the R&B/hip hop category not winning the big awards. Mary J Blige deserved the top Grammy Awards this year and not Dixie Chicks. Blige album “The Breakthrough” was a superior album and she was robbed of her glory.
The Country Music genre has demonstrated over and over that if women speak up they will be punished. Unfortunately, in Country music women are expected to conform to male domination and male supremacy. Male country music singers such as Toby Keith are very outspoken and discuss their heterosexuality, masculinity, and their sex drive. Toby Keith criticized Natalie Maines yet he wasn’t scorned. Keith also had a controversial song “Courtesy, of the Red, White, And Blue” Why? Just because Keith is a man with a penis? Why must women in Country Music be quiet? Don’t women have a right to give their opinion without receiving death threats? Why must women be perfect but men can have flaws? In Country Music women are just supposed to be pretty and sing and then when they get old they get tossed aside for the next young pretty female Country Music artists that come along. Women are supposed to be “polite” and not “outspoken”. It is the reason the Dixie Chicks, K.D. Lang, and Shania Twain were “scorned” by Nashville when they dared to challenge the misogynst ideologies of gender and sexuality. Rissi Palmer is now taking the battle for women’s rights in Country Music to the next level she’s attempting to break the race and gender barrier. Notice all the people attacked by the Country Music establishment recently have been women.
I don’t believe Country Music really “wants” to be more “inclusive” to new people that don’t fit the stereotypical image of the genre. Country Music radio, TV formats, magazines, is still very white, conservative, racist, Christian, pretentious, hypocritical, and pious. Foreigners such as Keith Urban and Shania Twain have managed to have multi platinum sales and they aren’t even American. Rissi Palmer is American but for some in the Country Music industry she’s still viewed as “the other” as an “outsider” looking in because she is an African American woman. In the American south there is a racist attitude of treating black women as inferior to whites.
Palmer really does have an uphill battle trying to convince the white Southern “audience” that she’s “real country”. Palmer’s music is indeed “Country Music”. Country Music has a history of misogyny and turning on women that “speak out” about polemical issues. Country Music actually has a history of incorporating aspects of the blues, jazz, and soul. Its obvious Country Music actually originated from African American culture. In the 1920s due to the racial divide in the USA Country Music morphed into a white music genre and it has remained this way ever since.
Rissi Palmer must really “love” Country Music because I just find the genre to be so racist, sexist, homophobic. Rissi music must “convince” the white American south that they should buy her albums? Good luck, Rissi. If Rissi Palmer says something that the conservative white Southern country music scene doesn’t like will they turn on her too? Nashville has a history of being very intolerant and very racist.
I wish Rissi Palmer well but I just hope girlfriend doesn’t end up as a “novelty act”? The question is will “white” Country Music give Rissi Palmer a legitimate chance? Or will Rissi Palmer be treated like Cowboy Troy? It costs a lot of money to market a new artist these days. Will the Country Music channels and radio formats play Palmer’s music? Cowboy Troy an African American male singer he tried to break into Country Music a few years ago with mixed results. Since Palmer is the first black woman in this genre unfortunately a lot of the media discussion will focus on Rissi’s race and gender instead of the music. I just hope girlfriend stays strong and believes in herself and her abilities.
I think the mainstream media will be much harder on Palmer and nit pick at her more. However, its not impossible for Palmer to succeed though in mainstream formats. Tracy Chapman, Lenny Kravitz, and Ben Harper are examples of black singers that have “crossed over” to a larger “mainstream” audiences. Chapman, Kravitz, and Harper’s fans are mostly white people and not blacks. White people buy their Cds, go their concerts, and purchase the DVDs.
Will the black media give Palmer any attention at all? We will see. Will the black media such as Essence, Ebony, Upscale, Vibe, discuss Rissi Palmer? Will Rissi Palmer be on BET or on black radio in America? Or will the black media ignore Rissi Palmer the same way they ignored Meshell N’Degeocello, and Tracy Chapman? Rissi Palmer’s marketing team shouldn’t just focus on success in the Country Music genre? Shania Twain didn’t waste her time just on Nashville she was smart enough to try to conquer other radio and television formats as well. Rissi Palmer has talent the truth about the entertainment business is its not just about “talent” a lot of it has to do with the business side. Rissi Palmer seems to be on the right track though she already has a hit song.
16 responses to “Rissi Palmer has a hit song “Country Girl” Why does it matter that she’s Black?”
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- - Thursday , March 12 , 2009
Gayblackcanada 
I agree with much that you have to say about country music indstry’s attitudes. It actually doesn’t matter that the girl is black, millions of black artists records have been sold over many, many years, in many, many genres, and I don’t think the record buying public, in general, differentiates on the basis of colour, sex or sexuality, except, perhaps, at the extremes of bigotry, which sadly, does exist.
Personally, I believe the conservatism which exists in Country music does the industry itself a huge disservice, but it will never change unless a change is promoted. Rissi’s work will help with that a little.
Nashville is not that special, it doesn’t ‘own’ Country music, and indeed, historically, it isn’t even at the centre of Country’s origin, although, Bristol, Tennessee, which is, is quite nearby…Country music as typified today is a merely a musical style derived from original european and celtic roots intermingled with aspects of african influence…If there was no African influence, how does one explain the plethora of Country Blues songs? Nashville has an exaggerated idea of it’s own importance, and as far as I am concerned, can safely be ignored most of the time. The girl can play and sing in her own particular way, and if that turns out Country like, that’s neither here nor there, if it’s good, people will buy it…where she is, who she tours with, where her record company is, all of those are actually irelevant, really.
Good luck to her..
George Bolam (aka tindle) http://inzanecountry.co.uk
good luck to her, but at the very least she’s not the first massively successful black country artist. Considering Charlie Pride had 36 #1 country singles, I figure it’s safe to say he wasn’t considered a ‘novelty act’ by the white country music establishment. Granted he may have been at the beginning of his career, but it takes a long long time to get 36 #1 hits, nevermind 36 singles released, so I think he transcended that quite dutifully.
I really agree though regarding the misogyny of country music. I never actually noticed before you mentioned it that all the women who “caused a problem” in country music were women. K.D. Lang being the most obvious example. But remember, every time these women were scorned by their traditional audience, the mainstream were immediately so disgusted by the country music community’s stupidity that the women in question became infinitely more successful than they’d ever been previously. So perhaps it’s really a blessing in disguise.
Orville.
Excellent post.
I come from Rachel’s Tavern via her post on your write-up on Ms. Palmer. Rachel said the following over at her site:
“(It’s rare to see black women in country music (in spite of the fact that country music has it’s roots in the blues and other forms of music heavily influenced by African Americans.)”
She is right.
Country and western music is an amalgamation of black and white music.
Black slaves singing remnants of African songs, Negro spirituals, gospel music.
Whites singing songs/hymns of what is known as shape-note/sacred harp/fasola congregational music, (and I will include some dancing in there too, with the African dance technics of Western/Sub-Saharan Africa and Irish step dance/reel/jig [which evolved into tap-dancing, which blacks became better at than the Irish]),
After over three centuries of living side by side, whether as slave/overseer in the countryside, free person of color/white immigrant/poor white in the urban area, the music known today as country and western DOES have a black/white melding that began during slavery.
You cannot have two distinct groups of people (black and white) live next to each other, sleep with each other, eat with each other, work with each other and not have there be a cross-cultural symbiotic relationship not occurring.
Be it in food.
Language.
Or even music.
There is a black influence in country and western music.
There is a white influence in country and western music.
Many Americans do not known of the long back-and-forth acquisition that occurred between blacks and whites in what would give America, and the world, the music genres we now know of as:
Gospel (black and white)
Blues
Country and western
Rhythm and blues
Rock and roll
Shape note (though black shape note has a decidedly “African” lilt to it)
Black and white did not live so segregated from each other that neither group had no influence on each other.
They did.
Which is why if you listen to country and western music, you will hear the BLACK AND WHITE influence in it.
In America, AND ESPECIALLY IN MUSIC, the so-called black and the so-called white people of the United States resemble nobody else in the world so much as they resemble each other.
“Nobody makes a big deal about the white female singers Nelly Furtado, Fergie, and Gwen Stefani singing hip hop/R&B soul music. Why is it when a black person tries to cross musical genres its thought of as a science experiment?”
That’s because EVERYONE (not including black people) is allowed to commodify, appropriate and take from black culture, and to especially make money from it—except for black people. White singers are praised for their branching out into musical genres that would be considered “Black”:
-rap
-R & B
-jazz
But, let a black person want to say, take up Polka, and they are looked upon as if they just landed in from Titan.
Before I came over to your post Orville, I put up my comments over at Rachel’s.
I came over and read your post, and found you saying some of the same things I said on the origins of “country and western music”:
“Its obvious Country Music actually originated from African American culture. In the 1920s due to the racial divide in the USA Country Music morphed into a white music genre and it has remained this way ever since.”
True.
Right there with you Orville. Like I said in my previous post over at Rachel’s, many people do not know the origins of many music forms in America. Many people prefer to believe that music genres developed in separate vacuums all unto themselves.
Black America’s music is America’s music.
And not just country and western.
There is black American/blues influence in bluegrass music.
Bluegrass is an amalgam of old-time black music—blues, ragtime and jazz, as well as white music. Bluegrass music has roots in Irish, Scottish and English traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the British Isles (particularly the Scots-Irish immigrants of Appalachian), as well as that of rural Black Americans, jazz, and blues. In bluegrass, as in jazz, each instrument takes a turn playing the melody and adding on and modifying it—this technique is known of as “improvising”.
(Improvisation is similar to what is found in jazz, which originated from an earlier form of “jazz”—-ragtime. Even way back then, circa late 1890s, white people took over that music genre with many white performers lying and saying that they invented ragtime.)
Unlike so-called “mainstream country music”, bluegrass relies mostly on acoustic stringed instruments. No electric instruments are used. Even though this type of blues musical instrumentation originally started among rural black Americans dance bands, bluegrass was picked up by white musicians, most notably Bill Monroe and his band, The Blue Grass Boys.
“Since Palmer is the first black woman in this genre unfortunately a lot of the media discussion will focus on Rissi’s race and gender instead of the music. I just hope girlfriend stays strong and believes in herself and her abilities. Some people may say why is a young black woman singing Country Music? Well why not?”
Yes, why not?
Black women have just as much right to sing the type of music they so desire. If anything, a black woman singing C & W would be more understandable since C & W does have black roots. Therefore, Ms. Palmer would be singing a genre of music that was birthed by black as well as white songwriter/musicians.
“Country Music has a abhorrent history of misogyny, homophobia, hypocrisy, and racism.”
The performers of country/western music bear that out:
Racist/misogynist:
-Hank Williams, Sr.
“Rissi Palmer is American but for some in the Country Music industry she’s still viewed as “the other” as an “outsider” looking in because she is an African American woman. In the American south there is a racist attitude of treating black women as inferior to whites.”
Charlie Pride had it hard enough then breaking into white, mainstream country western. Ms. Palmer definitely will have a hard time since black women are the ultimate “Other” in America.
“The question is will ”white” Country Music give Rissi Palmer a legitimate chance? Or will Rissi Palmer be treated like Cowboy Troy? It costs a lot of money to market a new artist these days. Will the Country Music channels and radio formats play Palmer’s music? Cowboy Troy an African American male singer he tried to break into Country Music a few years ago with mixed results. Since Palmer is the first black woman in this genre unfortunately a lot of the media discussion will focus on Rissi’s race and gender instead of the music. I just hope girlfriend stays strong and believes in herself and her abilities.”
Will she be marketed intelligently enough by her manager/record label with longevity as paramount for her career?
Will white listeners of country give her a chance? Record sales are paramount to record companies, the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, etc. Marketing can make or break a performer, especially an up-and-coming young performer, especially if poor marketing is involved.
Will she be looked upon as an interloper, a marginalized trespasser on the white stranglehold on country?
“Will the black media give Palmer any attention at all? We will see. Will the black media such as Essence, Ebony, Upscale, Vibe, discuss Rissi Palmer? Will Rissi Palmer be on BET or on black radio in America?”
Media exposure given to Ms. Palmer via black publications/media would certainly help her alot. R & B, rap, hip hop, etc., are not the only types of music black people listen to. There are many black people who listen to country and western music but are most comfortable buying the music, taking it home, and listening to it there. If Ms. Palmer is not promoted enough by the black media, then that is less exposure for her. And she will need all the exposure she can get as a young and rising new star performer. She will need all formats to let the public know more about her, as well as keep her in the public’s eye.
“Rissi music must ”convince” the white American south that they should buy her albums? Good luck, Rissi. If Rissi Palmer says something that the conservative white Southern country music scene doesn’t like will they turn on her too? Nashville has a history of been very intolerant and very racist.”
Yes, how the white America South treats Ms. Palmer in her musical endeavors will say alot about how well black women have truly arrived and how far they come in the eyes and minds of white people. White women performers of country music as you’ve pointed out had it tough enough. A black woman C & W singer will face even more double jeopardy—racism and sexism.
Meanwhile, back to Charlie Pride.
It was hard enough for a black man to have broken the color barrier in white-dominated C & W.
It will be hell for a black woman.
Make no mistake, EVERYONE will be watching her every move like hawks watching a baby chick.
I wish her much success and longevity in her chosen career.
It would be wonderful to be able to hear one day the words:
“And this Year’s Best New C & W Performer is:
Ms. Rissi Palmer!”
Ann I echo your comments about whites being allowed to “profit” off of black culture yet black artists are treated differently when trying to cross music genres. If Nelly Furtado and Diana Krall can sing r&B/hip hop and jazz music why can’t Rissi Palmer sing Country Music? Why should black singers be segregated by the racist music industry into a very limited territory? It must be so frustrating for black enterainers that want to do their own thing but the “system” wants to “categorize” “blacks” and maintain the status quo. The whole point about being a singer and artist is about expanding their craft. If white singers aren’t limited why should black singers be limited? I applaud Rissi’s thinking and she’s totally right in doing her own thing. I also wish Rissi Palmer well. Since white singers are allowed to cross genres Rissi should be able allowed to sing the country music! She is so brave.
i didn’t know about this girl but thanks for highlighting her orville. i wish her luck too. she’s a stunning girl and i know looks shouldn’t matter but in addition to her talent, her looks will help her. just how the music industry work.s
I think you are totally misunderstanding the Dixie Chicks/Toby Keith controversy in Country. Country fans support TK and loathe DC not because they hate a woman who expresses an opinion and think its a mans right. It had to do with the content of their opinions. Country fans are for the most part a very conservative bunch. The DC went overseas and criticized the President on the eve of War. That made lots of people mad. Toby’s song is about patriotism and his war-hero father. If TK had gone overseas and said the same thing the chicks did, Im confident he would have faced the same backlash. His comments wouldnt have been ignored and accepted just because hes male. The whole DC backlash had nothing to do with their gender rather their unpatriotic (in some people’s eyes) statements.
Chris I think that’s the problem as you say Country Music fans “are a pretty conservative bunch”. Aren’t the Dixie Chicks entitled to their own opinions? So what if the Dixie Chicks criticizes President Bush? America is a democracy and the Dixie Chicks have a right to say whatever they want. Why was the backlash against the Dixie Chicks so extreme? I disagree that the backlash against the Dixie Chicks didn’t have a gender element because it did. I think the outrage against the Dixie Chicks was because they are women that speak their minds and have their own opinions. The Dixie Chicks have extremely high record sales prior to the controversy and for radio stations to suddenly become so fastidious and stop playing their music? It was extremely disconcerting and outrageous. Country Music has a history of misogyny as I have pointed out. The negative treatment K.D. Lang received was horrible and just plain wrong.
I do not know how she always gets confused as white, but Nelly Furtado is of Portuguese descent.
“I do not know how she always gets confused as white, but Nelly Furtado is of Portuguese descent.”
Portuguese do have African blood in them from the black-skinned “Moors” conquering Southern Europe.
In fact, there is an old saying:
“Europe STARTS at the Pyrenees.”
Even though Portuguese have African blood mixed in with their European blood, they are still considered “white”, just like their dark-almost-black-skinned” neighbors the Italians (Sardinians, Sicilians).
Not saying that you have stated this, but, I will wager you that NO Portuguese man or woman considers themselves black, (or a POC), no matter what color that Portugese person comes in.
I am also an African American country & western artist. I’m not famous yet, but I’ve been working on my music for over 10 years. Rissi and I have A LOT IN COMMON. We even almost have the same look. I’m from Oklahoma and my town (the blacks) LOVE the fact that I sing country music. The whites are so/so. I’m from a small town that I would consider racist. I’ve lived there all my life. When I ran for Miss Black Tula, NO ONE in my home town would support me, not even a .50 cent donation & these are people that watched me grow up… BUT… when I actually won, they did decide to put me in the local newspaper. I don’t know what to think. I sang the song “Blue” by LeAnne Rimes in the black pageant & won the audience over. The next year, I ran for Miss Tulsa (the white pageant), did the same routine & sang the same song, & the audience(all whites..except for my family) just looked at me in augh. No smiles, no nothing. I didn’t even place. I thought to myself, I look just as good as all these other girls & I know I can sing just good…why did I NOT place, but I knew. I’m no fool. It’s just something that I’ve gotten used to. I’m not sure if Rissi is used to the rejection or not, but like her, I don’t care if people are going to be racist. If I can come out of an all white school as the 1st black captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, VOTED student council representative, VOTED class Secratary…then I can conquor anything and anyone. Of course there are going to be some things that people are going to say to hurt you, but oh well, they are just word coming from close minded people. The world is NOT perfect. I found out that people are not happy with themselves or their lives, then they ARE going to find any and everything ugly & mean to say about someone else. I think what Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Rissi, me & any other human, stepping outside doing something against the norm is AMAZING! This world is BORING and need a change. 10 years from now, I see more interracial people, blacks topping the country charts, whites topping the hip/hop & R&B charts, and so on. Music is music regardless of color or shape, or WHATEVER! I can see Rissi topping the charts/ crossing over & I can see myself and many others doing the same. Who’s to say that beautiful black women can’t be Grammy winners in country music. Rissi….LET’S KICK BUTT TOGETHER.
Thanks for the story on Rissi Palmer. First I must say Rissi is not the first Black woman to rise in country music. Linda Martell received a major Capitol Record Deal in the 1980’s but was not promoted as the white artists. Mary Cutrafello and Mary Ann Palmer, both of Texas attempted to make a name for themselves in Country in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s to no avail. We wish Rissi the best in her quest. While Nashville and Country music may be the bastion of prejudices when it comes to music, Black folks are just as closed too. There are a number of successful record companies that refused to assist Blacks in Country. The would rather follow the formula of making music to shake the boody and denigrate Black women. As for the Toby Keith/Dixie Chick comments. I will say most of the comments are true to the fact that when a woman speaks out no matter what, she is relegated to the back. TK talked about putting a boot in their ass on the Iraq war and he got rave reviews. The Dixie chicks commented on the ills of the war as a result of a president and they were sent to the cellar and gang plank. Yes America has a lot to learn and maybe just one day, we all will wake up and smell the roses. By the way, Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish) scored a number one Country single and Album too.
Hi, cool post. I have been thinking about this topic,so thanks for blogging. I will certainly be coming back to your blog. Keep up great writing
As someone who is associated with the musical industry and who is acquainted with Rissi Palmer, it’s well know within the industry that Rissi and her management placed her in country music not because of any extraordinary country connections that she has as a singer, but because of her skin color. Her average appearance and vocal abilities were not competent enough to compete with the R&B and Soul singers who are upcoming or already established in the genre. Rissi Palmer would not have stood a chance and knew this, so she decided to market herself as the first black female country singer. Her management thought it was a clever and untried angle that might work. The R&B, Soul and Pop world wouldn’t have given her look or singing the time of the day, but her advisors knew they could garner interviews by talking about how ‘hard” it is for her to break into a music field that is predominately white. Read Rissi’s interviews and notice how in all of them she brings up instances of country music executives loving her demos but changing their minds once they meet her and see that she’s black. This is one reason why her career never took off, true country fans can tell when singers have the love of country in their heart and Rissi Palmer doesn’t.
Why does it matter, because blacks have yet to shatter that country music glass ceiling “for good”, especially since our ancestors are the ones who helped to make this music popular.
Check out the CMA’s for yourself, to see just how many ‘genuine’ black country music artists who LOVE the music are ‘ever’ featured on any of their shows, singing ‘live’ to the millions of viewers who watch the shows??? I make you and anyone else here a guarantee that if more of these artists were put front and center, it would really take off in the ratings, but who wants that especially when you can keep it “all white”????
NO, it should NOT be up to an individual’s skin color to move them forward in any industry with their talent(s), so why aren’t the black ones able to advance through the ranks like the others, even when they do have the proven talent to do so??
Tom, this is the first time I’ve ever heard or seen what you’ve posted here, but I only know what Ms. Palmer told us in the audience when we went to see her perform, about how much she ‘said’ she really loved the music she was performing. ‘You’ say that true country fans can tell when singers have the love of country in their heart and Rissi Palmer doesn’t”?? Well, truth be told I really don’t buy this 52 years hence, because there are black country music singers who LOVE what they do, but have yet to be taken serious by this closed mind and heart industry. My opinion only but I really and truly believe that racism still abounds here, but pray to Almighty God that as with the ‘Gospel Country Music’ showcases, the regular CMA will have their ceilings broken and shattered real soon. Kudos to those black country music singers who continue to sing the music they love, despite the way they’re treated.
When God gives you a talent to share with the world,it will be heard
inspite of. It really doesn’t matter if you are black or white. If
everyone sang the same music there would be no beauty.The world would be
a boring black and white. Thank God for diferences. I grew up in the
country and all I ever heard was country and blues,but I have the talent
to sing it all. I love the ,blues,country western,r&b,latin, jazz, opera
hip hop etc. I take my hat off to Rissi Palmer,don’t give up your dreams
no one on this earth has the right to tell anyone what kind of music they have to sing. If the big record companies don’t want to sign you,it’s their loss,form your own company and promote your self. It’s hard work,but it will pay off in the long run..God bless you
Always put Him in front of everything you do,you can’t lose.