Editing Southern rock (section)

== History ==
=== 1950s and 1960s: origins ===
Rock music's origins lie mostly in the music of the [[Southern United States|American South]], and many stars from the first wave of 1950s [[rock and roll]] such as [[Bo Diddley]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Little Richard]], [[Buddy Holly]], [[Fats Domino]], and [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] hailed from the [[Deep South]]. However, the [[British Invasion]] and the rise of [[folk rock]] and [[psychedelic rock]] in the middle 1960s shifted the focus of new rock music away from the rural south and to large cities like [[Liverpool]], [[London]], [[Los Angeles]], [[New York City]], and [[San Francisco]].

In the 1960s, rock musician [[Lonnie Mack]] blended black and white roots-music genres within the framework of rock, beginning with the hit song "Memphis" in 1963.<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/song/memphis-mt0001819535 Lonnie Mack Memphis] Retrieved November 16, 2022</ref> Music historian [[Dick Shurman]] considers Mack's recordings from that era "a prototype of what later could be called Southern rock".<ref>{{cite web|title=Dick Shurman, as quoted in McCardle, ''Washington Post'', "Lonnie Mack, guitarist and singer who influenced blues and rock acts, dies at 74"|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/lonnie-mack-guitarist-and-singer-who-influenced-blues-and-rock-acts-dies-at-74/2016/04/25/5c581f3c-0a44-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a_story.html|website=Washingtonpost.com|access-date=August 31, 2017}}</ref> Late 1960s, [[The Box Tops]], [[Sir Douglas Quintet]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=See Doug Sahm, Sir Douglas Quintet Perform 'Mendocino' Live From Austin |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/see-doug-sahm-sir-douglas-quintet-perform-mendocino-live-from-austin-127530/ |website=Rolling Stone | access-date=5 May 2025}}</ref> and [[Dale Hawkins]] were popular in Southern States.<ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Martin| first = Douglas| title = Dale Hawkins Dies at 73; Rockabilly Author of 'Susie Q'| work = The New York Times| date = February 18, 2010| access-date =15 April 2025 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/arts/music/18hawkins.html}}</ref>

[[The Allman Brothers Band]], from [[Jacksonville, Florida]], made their national debut in 1969 and soon gained a loyal following. [[Duane Allman]]'s playing on the two ''Hour Glass'' albums and an ''Hour Glass'' session in early 1968 at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama had caught the ear of [[Rick Hall]], owner of FAME.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.superseventies.com/allmanbrothers.html|title=The Allman Brothers Band; ''At Fillmore East''| access-date=November 13, 2021|publisher=Rolling Stone|year=1971|author=George Kimball}}</ref>

In November 1968, Hall hired Allman to play on an album with [[Wilson Pickett]]. Allman's work on that album, ''[[Hey Jude (Wilson Pickett album)|Hey Jude]]'' (1968), got him hired as a full-time session musician at Muscle Shoals and brought him to the attention of a number of other musicians, such as Eric Clapton, who later related how he heard Pickett's version of "Hey Jude" on his car radio and called Atlantic Records to find out who the guitarist was: "To this day," Clapton said, "I've never heard better rock guitar playing on an R&B record. It's the best."<ref>[https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/eric-clapton-tells-how-a-guitar-solo-brought-him-and-duane-allman-together-video "Eric Clapton Tells How a Guitar Solo Brought Him and Duane Allman Together"], ''[[Guitar Player]]'', March 29, 2015.</ref>

Author Scott B. Bomar speculates the term "Southern rock" may have been coined in 1972 by Mo Slotin, writing for Atlanta's underground paper, ''The Great Speckled Bird'', in a review of an [[The Allman Brothers Band|Allman Brothers Band]] concert.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://jitneybooks.com/southern-rock/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=Scott B. Bomar |date=November 16, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> 

=== 1970s: peak of popularity ===
Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/bad-luck-rockers-allman-brothers-band/|title=No. 12 – Allman Brothers Band Motorcycle Accidents – Ultimate Classic Rock|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|access-date=November 10, 2018}}</ref> [[Blues rock]] sound of Allman Brothers Band incorporated long jams informed by [[jazz]] and also drew from native elements of [[country music|country]] and [[Traditional folk music|folk]]. They were also contemporary in their electric guitar and keyboard delivery.<ref name="history">{{cite video|people=Allman, Gregg|title="Have a Nice Decade", ''The History of Rock 'n' Roll''|medium=DVD|publisher=Time-Life Video}}</ref> Gregg Allman commented that "Southern rock" was a redundant term, like "rock rock."<ref name="history" /> Allmans gained country rock hit "Ramblin' Man" in 1973.

Early 1970s, popular musicians in the southern area included [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]] (from [[California]]), [[Delaney & Bonnie]], [[Janis Joplin]], [[Leon Russell]], and [[Tony Joe White]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://americana-uk.com/ten-top-swamp-rock-tracks |title=Ten top Swamp Rock tracks |last=Baylese |first=Richard  |date=March 10, 2021 |publisher=Americana UK | access-date=30 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://xpn.org/2018/10/25/tony-joe-white-world-cafe-2014/ |title=R.I.P. Tony Joe White; Listen to the master of Swamp Rock play World Cafe in 2014 |last=Dye |first=David |date=October 25, 2018 |publisher=XPN |access-date=2022-11-12 }}</ref>

[[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] of Jacksonville, Florida, is known for "[[Free Bird]]", "[[Sweet Home Alabama]]", "Saturday Night Special", and "What's Your Name". 70s southern rock bands include the [[Atlanta Rhythm Section]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/331215-Atlanta-Rhythm-Section|title=Atlanta Rhythm Section|website=Discogs.com}}</ref> [[ZZ Top]], [[Black Oak Arkansas]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/black-oak-arkansas-mn0000093849|title=Black Oak Arkansas Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More|website=[[AllMusic]]| access-date=13 September 2024}}</ref> [[Potliquor]], [[Barefoot Jerry]], Grinderswitch, [[Wet Willie]], [[Blackfoot (band)|Blackfoot]], [[Johnny Winter]], [[Edgar Winter]] Group, and Sea Level.

=== Country rock bands ===
[[Charlie Daniels]]' [[Charlie Daniels (album)|self-titled debut album]], released in 1970, was a pivotal recording in the development of the Southern rock genre, "because it points the way to how the genre could and would sound, and how country music could retain its [[hillbilly]] spirit and rock like a mother," according to 
[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]].<ref name=Erlewine>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/charlie-daniels-mw0000002609 |title=Charlie Daniels  |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref> Erlewine described Daniels as "a [[redneck]] rebel, not fitting into either the country or the rock & roll [...] but, in retrospect, he sounds like a visionary, pointing the way to the future when southern rockers saw no dividing lines between rock, country, and [[blues]], and only saw it all as sons of the south."<ref name=AMBio>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/charlie-daniels-mn0000806247 |title=Charlie Daniels Biography |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref>

Daniels later formed the Charlie Daniels Band, a group which fused rock, country, blues, and jazz. Erlewine described the band's sound as "a distinctly Southern blend" which emphasized improvisation in their instrumentation. After the success of "[[The Devil Went Down to Georgia]]", a single which Erlewine described as a "roaring country-[[disco]] fusion", Daniels shifted his sound from rock to country music and "helped shape the sound of [[country rock|country-rock]]".<ref name=AMBio />

[[The Marshall Tucker Band]], from Spartanburg, South Carolina, opened many of The Allman Brothers Band concerts using elements of [[blues]], [[country rock]] and [[blues rock]] in their music.<ref name="allmusic.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r347200|title=The Marshall Tucker Band – The Marshall Tucker Band – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.glorydazemusic.com/articles.php?article_id=4146|title=Welcome to GloryDazeMusic (a.k.a GDM). |website=Glorydazemusic.com|access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref> They also collaborated with Charlie Daniels. Their self-titled album, released in 1973, included the hit "[[Can't You See (The Marshall Tucker Band song)|Can't You See]]". Perhaps known best for the single "[[Fire on the Mountain (The Marshall Tucker Band song)|Fire on the Mountain]]," the Marshall Tucker Band hit "Heard it in a Love Song" charted in 1977.

[[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] played British hard rock influenced music until the deaths of lead singer [[Ronnie Van Zant]] and two other members of the group in a [[1977 Convair CV-300 crash|1977 airplane crash]].<ref>Ron Eckerman [http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/168499 Turn It Up!]. Smashwords.com. Retrieved on December 15, 2012.</ref> After this tragic plane crash, members [[Allen Collins]] and [[Gary Rossington]] started the [[Rossington Collins Band]].<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rossington-collins-band-mn0000293448 Rossington Collins Band] Retrieved November 10, 2022</ref>

=== 1980s and 1990s: continuing influence ===
By the beginning of the 1980s, the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd had disbanded, and Capricorn Records had gone bankrupt. Leading acts of the genre (in particular, [[38 Special (band)|38 Special]]) had become enmeshed in [[arena rock]]. With the rise of 80s [[MTV]], [[New wave music|new wave]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[synth pop]], and urban contemporary, most surviving Southern rock groups were relegated to secondary or regional venues. Rock musicians such as [[Molly Hatchet]], [[Outlaws (band)|Outlaws]], [[Georgia Satellites]], the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmie Vaughan, Point Blank,<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/point-blank-mn0000352855 Point Blank] Retrieved November 12, 2022</ref> [[Tom Petty]], Bruce Hornsby, Steve Earle, [[Dangerous Toys]], [[Artimus Pyle]], and [[Kentucky Headhunters]], emerged as popular Southern bands across the southeastern United States during the 1980s and 1990s.

During the 1990s, the Allman Brothers reunited and became a strong touring and recording presence again, and the [[jam band]] scene revived interest in extended improvised music.

[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]'s alternative rock band [[R.E.M.]] released the album ''[[Fables of the Reconstruction]]'' which explicitly invokes the [[Reconstruction Era]] in the title and is considered a [[Southern Gothic]] album. The 1990s also saw [[the Black Crowes]] rise to mainstream popularity with the releases of ''[[Shake Your Money Maker (album)|Shake Your Money Maker]]'' (3× platinum), the ''[[the Southern Harmony and Musical Companion|Southern Harmony and Musical Companion]]'' (debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 and certified 2× platinum), and ''[[Amorica]]'' (certified Gold).

=== 2000s to present ===
New musicians such as the [[Tedeschi Trucks Band]] ([[the Derek Trucks Band]]), [[Warren Haynes]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Patrick Doyle |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/warren-haynes-and-derek-trucks-leaving-allman-brothers-band-20140108 |title=Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks Leaving Allman Brothers Band &#124; Music News |publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]| access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref> [[Gov't Mule]], Chris Duarte Group,<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/chris-duarte-mn0000109263 Chris Duarte] allmusic Retrieved 16 May 2025</ref> [[the Allman Betts Band]], [[Blackberry Smoke]], [[Whiskey Myers]], [[Whiskeytown]], [[the Black Crowes]], [[Dixie Witch]], [[Widespread Panic]], and [[Kid Rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/08/21/best-kid-rock-singles-bawitdaba-first-kiss/32117495/|title=15 Best Kid Rock singles, from 'Bawitdaba' to 'First Kiss'|website=Amp.azcentral.com|access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref><ref name=RSAlbumGuide>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&q=I+Am+the+Bullgod+southern+rock&pg=PA450|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|first1=Nathan|last1=Brackett|first2=Christian David|last2=Hoard|date=August 28, 2018|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8|access-date=August 28, 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kupfer|first=Thomas|title=Rock Hard review|url=http://www.rockhard.de/megazine/reviewarchiv/review-anzeigen.html?tx_rxsearch_pi1%5Breview%5D=30229|work=issue 308|access-date=May 31, 2013}}</ref> are continuing the Southern rock art form.

In 2005, singer [[Bo Bice]] took an explicitly Southern rock sensibility and appearance to a runner-up finish on the normally pop-oriented ''[[American Idol]]'' television program, with a performance of the Allmans' "[[Whipping Post (song)|Whipping Post]]" and later performing Skynyrd's "[[Free Bird]]" and, with Skynyrd on stage with him, "Sweet Home Alabama".

Southern rock currently plays on the radio in the United States, but mostly on oldies stations and classic rock stations. Although this class of music gets minor radio play, there is still a following for older bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers play in venues with sizable crowds.<ref>White, Dave. [http://classicrock.about.com/od/history/a/southern_rock.htm "Southern Rock 101"] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423033705/http://classicrock.about.com/od/history/a/southern_rock.htm |date=April 23, 2009 }}). [[About.com]]. 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref>

A number of books in the 2000s have chronicled Southern rock's history, including Randy Poe's ''Skydog: The Duane Allman Story'' and Rolling Stone writer [[Mark Kemp]]'s ''Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race & New Beginnings in a New South''. ''Turn It Up'' was released by Ron Eckerman, Lynyrd Skynyrd's former manager and plane crash survivor. Sociologist Jason T. Eastman analyzes contemporary Southern rock to illustrate changes in today's southern identity in his book ''The Southern Rock Revival: The Old South in a New World''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Eastman |first=Jason T. |year=2017 |title=The Southern Rock Revival: The Old South in a New World |url=https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498531139/The-Southern-Rock-Revival-The-Old-South-in-a-New-World |publisher=Lexington Books |access-date=16 May 2024}}</ref>

South rock musicians like [[Little Big Town]], Billy Currington and [[Ryan Adams]] combine the Southern rock sound with country, [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]] and blues. This has been propelled by record labels like [[Capitol Records Nashville]], Mercury Nashville and [[Lost Highway Records]].<ref>[http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/flint/index.ssf/2010/09/mark_you_calendar_fall_brings.html Record label info], Mlive.com; accessed August 6, 2014.</ref>