A few similar artists include Rhonda Vincent, Emmylou Harris, and Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike. In fact, Alison Krauss and Valerie Smith both play the violin and sing and were actually competitors in their young age. When taking a look at the bluegrass influences that may have been Alison’s childhood inspiration we see beginning of bluegrass collaboration in America. Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs were leading bluegrass stars from the 40s up through the 70s along with Bill Monroe and the Foggy Mountain boys whose biggest fame extended clear through the 90s even though they also started in the 40s. This made the father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe, a pioneer in the bluegrass industry in the same time period as Alison.
I thought I would also look up some of the American culture that could have impacted Alison during her teen years – the beginning of her career. The 1980s saw an eruption of Mount St. Helens, double-digit inflation, rising unemployment, a war on drugs, big hairdos, spendthrifts, an emphasis on the richest people rather than biggest companies, the movie ET, the U.S.-led invasion of Grenada, an assassination attempt on the pope, the popularity of Cabbage Patch Kids, the finding of the wrecked Titanic, Black Monday, and the falling of the Berlin Wall. The 80s also saw the fame from bands and musicians such as Aerosmith, Def Leopard, Bruce Springsteen, Olivia Newton John, Madonna, Cher, Michael Jackson, Blondie, John Mellencamp, and Bon Jovi. It was a decade of greed and luxury; a flourishing time for musicians as America indulged themselves in conveniences.
As a kid, Alison Krauss couldn’t wait to grow older so her fame would spread more easily. She definitely predicted the future, because she has now exceeded most artists in talent and recognition. She doesn’t record a song unless it really pulls on her own heartstrings and make her feel the lyrics and the music – a good reason why a lot of her best-performed songs, though sorrowful, really speak to us. Something I love about musicians like Alison Krauss is her modesty. Every award she has ever won was immediately packed away for safekeeping rather than put on display. I admire those who are able to separate their lives at home from their career and fame. Yes, she may display a few work photos on her fridge at home, but there is no boasting of awards won. She is constantly listening to new talent on the scene and admiring other people’s abilities with her coworkers. The other main characteristic that keeps me coming back to Alison Krauss and Union Station is that their music has a unique sound. Some songs they record are completely unexpected, like the one in my Listening Assignment #5 blog posted today. I never imagined Kraus incorporating bagpipes into her music!
Bio and 80s Culture Information from:
Images from:
(Opinions purely homemade and partial to Alison’s area of expertise.)
I like your exploration into what the times were like when she was beginning her career. The times in which we live always shape us to some extent.
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