Country Gospel

Characterized mainly by spiritual themes and twang, the actual sound of Country Gospel varies tremendously from artist to artist. Many well-known artists have recorded Gospel material in their own singular styles, including Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams. Early Hillbilly musicians were usually well versed in Gospel hymns and other songs of religious praise -- despite the fact that their Saturday night songs often spoke unabashedly of booze, sex, and sinful acts. Artists from the 1920s who dabbled in sacred material included country legends the Carter Family, and Ernest Stoneman. Other artists from that period, like Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Quartet, recorded Hillbilly-style Gospel music almost exclusively.