Well the election is over and we are waiting to swear in a new President. As we say both the candidates in this election were endorsed by musicians. These types of endorsements are certainly nothing new to the world of American politics. From the days of Frank Sinatra singing praise for John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail to Jessica Simpson singing at George W. Bush's inauguration, musicians of every genre have not shied away from displaying their political views. There seems to be a general consensus among certain people that the majority of rock musicians tend to be liberal and vote Democratic. There is also a similar consensus that country and western singers are conservative and vote Republican. Based on the research that I have done, I find this to not 'Entirely' be the case. I have chosen to focus this article on two musical genres. The first is rock music which, of course, is very broad and consists of a variety of sub-genres. The second would be country and southern rock. Southern Rock may not be country music but the reason I am placing these two styles together is because they are often intertwined in terms of influences and culture. In addition, many of the same types of politicians have been equally supported by both types of musicians.
Rock Music
Rock and Roll has been around since the 1950's. Since its inception, it has evolved and produced many different variations. With this evolution of rock music has come many different types of people from all walks of life. With this bringing together of different people comes different ideas of what is right and wrong about society. Elvis Presley was from my home state of Mississippi which is located in the Deep South. During Elvis Presley's upbringing, the south was very Democratic. It is unclear to me what political views Elvis Presley personally espoused. (Note: Elvis was very distantly related to President Jimmy Carter) In 1970, Elvis Presley paid a visit to President Richard Nixon. After being blamed for the counterculture that occurred in the 1960's due to his influence on the Beatles, Elvis wrote and delivered a letter to the President asking to be made a "Federal Agent at Large" for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Due to the fact that most reports claim that Elvis, himself, was using drugs at the time, it is uncertain whether his motivations were to protect his public image or distance himself from the current movement. Elvis, indeed, influenced the Beatles and John Lennon was even quoted as saying "If there never would have been an Elvis, there never would have been a Beatles". The Beatles came from working class roots in England the same way Elvis came from a poor upbringing in the United States, a trait which ultimately influenced their song writing. Elvis even redid several Beatles songs and met with them personally once, so no one knows for sure if he had a personal vendetta against them.
In the 1960's, rock musicians began to incorporate political themes in their music. The 1950's were a quieter time and I'm not sure if President Eisenhower even commented on rock and roll. The 1960's represented a period of upheaval with the JFK Assassination, the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. Bob Dylan sang poetic songs about the status of the country. The Beatles also began to sing music inspiring the movement of "Peace and Love" and a protest of "The Establishment". The Hippie Movement went into full swing in the late 1960's with various psychedelic rock artists and the beginnings of hard rock/early metal. The Grateful Dead, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Doors were followed by Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. In addition the soft rock singers and songwriters prospered in the late 1960s into the 1970s. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Jackson Browne would sing anti-war songs pointing criticisms at both the Johnson and Nixon administrations. The interesting thing about people that were considered 'hippies' at the time is that they were opposed to both Democrats and Republicans. As to whom was responsible for escalating and ending the Vietnam War, that's for another discussion. However, it has been said that both Democrat Lyndon Johnson and Republican Richard Nixon were both responsible for escalating various aspects of the Vietnam War. Therefore, rock musicians at the time opposed both men. Hippie rockers criticized Lyndon Johnson in their music to the nth degree. However, after Lyndon Johnson retired to his ranch in Texas he grew his hair long and listened to Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge over Troubled Water'. People claim Johnson felt shameful about his Vietnam legacy and some feel he was inadvertently becomes one of those that had protested against him, a hippie. Even after the Beatles ended, John Lennon remained prominent in political activism. Certain individuals, including President Richard Nixon, saw him as a threat to the U.S. Government. Many people felt that many of these British musicians had no right to display their views in the United States. President Nixon resigned as President during the Watergate Scandal and some musicians of the early 1970's expressed their disdain of his administration. In addition, they also showed much of the same disdain towards Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, for his pardoning of Nixon. Gerald Ford, however, seemed to have less opposition from the rock community as evidenced when he met with Beatle George Harrison and John Denver at the White House.
The late 1970's saw the emergence of Punk Rock. This is a style of rock music that showcases anti-authoritarianism and rebellion to a huge degree. British punk rockers the Sex Pistols showed their disdain for the British monarchy. Although a different type of government than their own, Americans could identify with this idea of anti-social behavior and beliefs that punk rock exemplified. In some ways, punk rock can be seen as a rebellion against both political parties. Punk Rockers the Ramones would later reveal themselves to be Republicans.
(For a more detailed look at music and politics during the 1970's, go to the section on Country and Southern Rock)
The 1980's were a very conservative time in America with the Presidency of Ronald Reagan. The music industry countered in whatever way possible. The hard rock, shock rock and punk rock that came from the 1970's had given birth to heavy metal. During the 1980's, many different variations of heavy metal came to the forefront of popular music. This style of music was very aggressive and in-your-face. Bands like Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses sang about sexuality and violence, while groups like Poison and Warrant sang about free living and partying all the time. Other groups like Metallica and Megadeth focused their themes and lyrics on adolescent rage and suicide, some of which was borrowed from punk rock. In addition, rap and pop music continued to push the boundaries of decent taste as well. Surprisingly, left-leaning Democrats Al and Tipper Gore adopted the conservative belief that music should be censored in order to protect American youth. The Parents Music Resource Center petitioned U.S. Congress to regulate the popular music industry. Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider protested this idea. Eventually, Parental Advisory stickers would be placed on albums that contained lyrics or subject matter of an adult nature. Ironically, this made the albums more marketable if you think about it. People wanted to buy albums that had the 'Parental Advisory' sticker on it. While some musical artists supported fellow entertainer Ronald Reagan as President, others were not as enthusiastic. During Ronald Reagan's campaign for reelection in 1984, he used Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." as a theme song. However, Springsteen claimed at the time that he was not a supporter of Reagan, and continues to support Democrats and left-leaning politicians to this day.
The elder Bush's presidency continued the conservative movement of the Reagan era. Many rockers like U2's Bono voiced their displeasure of Bush and his policies. The censorship of music was continued. Rap/Rock was a fusion of two musical styles. This musical style would eventually reach its height of popularity in the late 90's. Rapper Ice-T mixed rap with rock and his lyrics were met with great opposition from the White House. Vice-President Dan Quayle commented on one of Ice-T's songs claiming that it was wrong because the lyrics implied violence towards police.
The early 1990's saw the emergence of another variation of hard rock known as grunge. Borrowing aspects of hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock and soft acoustic rock, grunge was a new sound that captured the attention of an emerging youth. At the time, many political changes had happened. The Soviet Union had collapsed and the United States was going through another recession. Many of the grunge artists and MTV people backed President Bill Clinton. Ironically, Clinton's Vice-President was Al Gore, whose wife had spearheaded the PMRC a decade before. However, even during Clinton's presidency, there were still attacks against rock music and its effects on society. Shock Rocker Marilyn Manson became popular in the late 1990s. Certain people blamed Manson's lyrics and messages on the many school shootings that occurred toward the end of the decade. President Clinton didn't shy away from showing his criticisms of Manson. Nevertheless, the Clinton Administration saw a huge amount of support among the rock community. Of course, not everyone agreed with him. Legendary Rocker Ted Nugent had been around since the late 1960's. During the 1990's, he began to showcase his conservative values in his music and writings and still does to this day. A strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment as well as fiscal conservatism, Nugent continues to be very political and has expressed his severe disdain of President Barack Obama and his administration. According to recent social media posts, he has expressed support of various Republicans that are competing for the nomination.
As the 21st Century began, the Internet was reaching its peak. Musical artists began to discuss their political beliefs more so than ever. Even though he had criticized his father, U2's Bono supported 'some' of George W. Bush's stances. While President George W. Bush had his fair share of rock and pop star supporters, many became opposed to his policies, especially the Iraq War. The September 11th attacks brought many musicians together in a time of crisis and a musical support for Bush. However, as the Iraq War escalated, established musicians like Green Day and Rage Against the Machine expressed their disdain for Bush, much like the rockers of the late 1960's and early 1970's had towards Johnson and Nixon.
As the first decade of the 21st century approached its end, Barack Obama saw an overwhelming amount of support of rock musicians who wanted 'Change' in America. Many were disappointed about the wars America was involved in as well as the economic climate. However, as Obama's administration went on, he, like George W. Bush before him, did not maintain the same type of support among certain musicians as he had while running for President. Rocker Gene Simmons of Kiss Fame claims that he voted for Obama in 2008, but later regretted doing so due to Obama's economic policies and what certain people consider a 'misunderstanding of the United States and the world as a whole'. Gene Simmons claims to espouse the old-school 'Rockefeller Republican' values. He is VERY fiscally conservative, supporting capitalism and opposing welfare and aspects of socialism. However, he is socially liberal, supporting the right to have an abortion and gay marriage. With social media, rock artists have expressed their support and disdain of politicians even more. In some cases, the variations and, sometimes consistent changes, of their views are seen. It has been said that Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler is a registered Republican. He has been seen shaking hands with President Obama, but attended one of Donald Trump's recent speeches. Donald Trump was using Aerosmith's "Dream On" for some of his campaign rallies, but Tyler and his parties urged his camp to stop. Trump has also used Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It". However, Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider (remember the guy who protested against the PMRC) has claimed he has mixed feelings about Trump. Trump has also been criticized by the Rolling Stones and Elton John for the use of their music without permission. The Rolling Stones seemed to like Bill Clinton even though George W. Bush went to a Stones concert and has claimed to be a fan. Jon Bon Jovi has always supported Democrats like Al Gore and recently came out in support of Hillary Clinton. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers have always been kind of liberal. However, punk rockers the Ramones were amazingly conservative. Metallica's James Hetfield has claimed to have been a supporter of the NRA and certain conservative values. Although critical of President Reagan during the 1980's, Megadeth front man Dave Mustaine criticized President Barack Obama during a concert overseas. Surprisingly, I just heard Megadeth was playing rallies for Bernie Sanders. Go Figure!! Shock rock legend Alice Cooper has been reported by some to support 'moderate' Republicans. However, he has claimed in interviews that he thinks rock stars and musicians as a whole should refrain from politics as that is not what rock and roll is about.
Nevertheless, rock artists are coming out to support some of the individuals trying to become the Republican and Democratic nominees for President of the United States. Henry Rollins, a self-proclaimed libertarian, has stated that he supports Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side. Kid Rock recently came out and showed his support for Donald Trump. Kid Rock's music has teetered between the rock and country genres which leads to my next area of discussion.
Country and Southern Rock
Like the blues, country music was one of the musical genres that helped spawn what would become rock and roll. Originating in the southern United States in the 1920's, country music has gone through various stages and periods of mainstream appeal. As previously stated, the south at this time in history was solidly Democratic. While it's unclear to me what many of these early country musicians believed politically, I feel that it is a fair assessment that many of them identified with the Democratic party. The exception would be those that came from the Midwest, the West as well as those that were from the traditionally Republican areas of Tennessee. We cannot relegate country music specifically to the south. It has an appeal from coast to coast, even to those not from rural areas. Merle Haggard was from rural California and performed for President Richard Nixon when he was in office. Country musician and promoter Roy Acuff was said to be a Republican and even had Nixon as a guest at the Grand Ole Opry once. A Quaker from California, Nixon had lived in 'small-town' America.
While not associated with country music as other U.S. Presidents, President Lyndon Johnson, a Texan, had functions that had country and western music playing. The good ole boys in Texas certainly considered him one of their own even if they did not agree with his politics. Lawton Williams even had a song called "Everything's OK on the LBJ (Ranch).
Johnny Cash achieved fame in the 1950's. By the 1960's, he was able to maintain his appeal among both country and rock audiences. He 'Walked the Line' so to speak in his political views and met every U.S. President from Nixon to George W. Bush. However, the hippie culture and the country music culture did not mix well at first. In the 1969 film Easy Rider, the good ole boys are seen mocking the hippies for their long hair and lifestyle.
In the 1970's, that began to change. With the emergence of Outlaw country and Southern rock, the so-called 'Hippie' and 'Cowboy' cultures finally merged. Willie Nelson had long hair and was indeed a renegade. David Allan Coe grew his hair out and got tattoos. Charlie Daniels had hits with "Uneasy Rider" and "Long-Haired Country Boy". Southern Rock hit big with bands that each had their own unique sound. The Allman Brothers Band combined blues, country and psychedelic rock into a musical style that was indeed unprecedented. Lynyrd Skynyrd combined blues, hard rock, little bits of country and boogie, that made them a top-selling act, not just in the south, but all over the world. That assessment can be made to the Allman Brothers, ZZ Top and even Charlie Daniels. Their music has influenced artists from the genres of rock to country to pop to heavy metal. ZZ Top played very blues-based rock. They would maintain their status in the 1980's with the emergence of music videos and the band's visual style. The Marshall Tucker Band was kind of Country-Rock. As stated, the Civil Rights Movement had occurred during the 1960's. The south was started to be seen by the rest of the country as racist and socially backwards. Lynyrd Skynyrd wanted to prove that this wasn't true. The band's hit "Sweet Home Alabama" had the lyrics "In Birmingham they love the Governor" followed by a Boo Boo". This is a reference to Alabama Governor and well-known segregationist George Wallace. Reports have stated that certain members of the band appreciated Wallace's hard work in Alabama, but disagreed with his stance on civil rights which was the reasoning behind these specific lyrics in the song.
In 1976, Jimmy Carter was announced as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States and would end up winning the general election. I will spend some time talking about Carter, not necessarily because I agree with all his beliefs or think he was a great President, but because he is an important figure in the politics of the south. Of importance to his article, his Presidency and his campaign to the White House is very much connected to both Rock and Country music. Lyndon Johnson was from Texas as were both Bushes. Years later, Arkansas native Bill Clinton would come into the limelight. However, Jimmy Carter was from the 'Deep South' and was the first person from that area to be elected President since Zachary Taylor. At the time of his campaign, the south was looking to put a native son in office. Although certain southerners did not agree with his views on civil rights, he received support among those who felt his candidacy contained a sense of regional pride. One of these people who showed his support for Carter was the aforementioned George Wallace. Jimmy Carter was also a devoted Christian whom wanted to bring decency and honesty back to the White House after Vietnam and Watergate. This resonated well with the Christian morals that existed within the lives of many fellow southerners. Although many southerners and Christians have disagreed strongly with Carter's religious views, many still praise him for his personal faith and morality. Jimmy's brother, Billy, exemplified the stereotypical Georgia redneck, drinking lots of beer and even hanging out with the outlaws and southern rockers. Many of the county singers and southern rockers displayed their support for the Georgia peanut farmer by performing fundraising concerts during his campaign. The Allman Brothers Band had gotten to know him during his time as Governor of Georgia. Various sources got Charlie Daniels involved in supporting Carter and later the Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Atlanta Rhythm Section and a host of others jumped on the Carter bandwagon. Many country artists supported Jimmy such as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Even non Southern-rock artists such as John Lennon, Bob Dylan and Jimmy Buffet supported him. (Buffet is from the south but despite having influences is not considered southern rock or more specifically country) Johnny Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, and her well known family were distantly related to Jimmy Carter. (As noted, Jimmy Carter was also distantly related to Elvis Presley). Charlie Daniels, the Marshall Tucker Band and the remnants of the Allman Brothers Band performed at Carter's Inaugural Ball in 1977. In one of the concert videos of Lynyrd Skynyrd in the summer of 1977, Ronnie Van Zant ends "Sweet Home Alabama" with "Mr. Carter got his answer". This was a couple of months before the infamous Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash. The actual success of Carter's presidency is of much debate. Some consider it a failure, while others believe he achieved more than people think. Even though he received great praise for the Camp David Accords and hiring people to tackle the economic crisis, his presidency was marked by an energy crisis, double digit inflation and the Iranian Hostage crisis, an event which arguably destroyed Carter's presidency and his image at the time. While not directly responsible for all of these events, Carter was seen as weak and ineffective in dealing with these issues by many in the American public. Nevertheless, his country and southern rock supporters were always invited to perform for him at the White House. There's an interesting story about one of Willie Nelson's visits to the White House (Look that one up). As I previously stated, the south is no longer solidly Democratic. Charlie Daniels is a Staunch conservative today supporting Republicans as evidenced by his political soapbox, and has been extremely critical of Bill Clinton and especially Barack Obama. However, he claims he never regrets supporting Carter. He even campaigned for him during his unsuccessful reelection in 1980 as did others that had initially supported him like Johnny and June Carter Cash. Charlie Daniels was questioned in a video about his reasons for supporting Carter. Daniels has claimed that while he disagrees with many of Carter's ideas and many of the things he did as President, most specifically his dealing with the Iranian Hostage Crisis, he praises Carter as being a good man whom temporarily brought honesty back to the White House. Most importantly, Charlie Daniels claims the Camp David Accords was a monumental achievement by President Carter and that while the agreement is currently being shaken up, it saved many lives and brought a long period of peace to a certain part of the Middle East. Therefore, he still respects Carter. Watch You TubeVideo where Charlie Daniels expresses his admiration for President Carter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpHnoYaz8nw
While not a musician, Actor John Wayne, whom exemplified the American cowboy, did not support Carter in his race against Gerald Ford in 1976. However, he praised Carter's Panama Canal Treaty which surprised many of his fans who thought he would be opposed to it. Something that is overlooked by many is the fact that, while he lost the election to Ronald Reagan in 1980, he still decisively carried his home state of Georgia and almost carried much of the southern states proving he still had regional support even at the nadir of his presidency. While Carter may be seen by many as ultra liberal on foreign policy and some social issues, some scholars have claimed his comparison to Barack Obama by the media is unfair as they feel his policies and principles differ greatly. In fact, during Carter's presidency, he was seen as slightly conservative by Washington Democrats as he wanted to cut in various social programs and lower taxes. In addition, his religious values differed greatly with other more mainstream Democrats. In certain ways, his party briefly turned against him after his Presidency as to not associate with someone they deemed 'an outsider and inefficient leader'. Similarly, the same can somewhat be said of the Republican party and George W. Bush. Regardless of what is actually the case, Carter proved he could rally support of his home region. He was the last Democrat to carry Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Texas. He is also the last Democrat to almost carry Oklahoma (1976), as well as almost carry Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina (1980). In regards to this article, it's important to note he helped put many country artists and southern rockers in the spotlight. People wanted to hear the music of the bands that had supported him and some of these artists most successful years were arguably during his presidency. From what I know, he's still friends with Willie Nelson and Greg Allman.
President Gerald Ford, obviously, did not have the support among the Country artists that Carter did. However, he claimed to have appreciated country music and was seen attending concerts with his wife Betty after his presidency.
The Carter years led to the much more historically respected Reagan years. Country singer and Mississippi native Charlie Pride performed at Reagan's inaugural ball in 1981 just after the Iranian Hostages were freed. As previously noted, Merle Haggard had performed for fellow Californian Richard Nixon. His support was even more founded for Ronald Reagan, who was also a Californian. In 1972, then Governor Ronald Reagan had pardoned Merle Haggard for his past crimes. Reagan also received the praises of Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn. While not a southerner, Reagan had developed an image of a western cowboy. As I said, the rural and good ole' boy lifestyle is not relegated strictly to the south. The Northeast has its share of good ole boys outside of the city as well. Ronald Reagan's charm and charisma enabled him to appeal to many emerging artists in the country music scene at the time. Reagan had maintained a stronger relationship with Congress than Carter had, and therefore, was able to achieve many of his domestic initiatives. The country saw a rebound in the economy during his Presidency. 'Reagonomics' seemed to have crossover appeal. Most importantly, the first steps in the collapse of the Soviet Union were seen under the leadership of Reagan. Whether or not Reagan's economic and foreign policies were directly responsible for these successes is irrelevant. He truly endeared himself to people including 'Reagan Democrats'. Many country artists had become patriotic and rallied around Reagan's view of America and to this day look to him as one f America's greatest leaders. It's true that southern rock was at its peak in the 70s. However, many offshoots of the southern rock scene would maintain success in the 1980's and still do to this day (.38 Special, ZZ Top, Molly Hatchet, Drivin N' Cryin). As to their political views, they seem to vary among members according to most reports.
Reagan's Vice-President George HW Bush would become the next President of the United States. Although from Northeast originally, Bush had settled his family in Texas and adopted many of the traits of both the southern and rural lifestyle including hunting and fishing. Much like Reagan, he appealed to country artists who were achieving success such as Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt and Rebe Mcentire. President Bush presided over the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Desert Storm. This resonated with the patriotism country stars had been feeling since the Reagan years. Fellow Texan Willie Nelson did not show the same support for Bush though. While not pledging allegiance to any political affiliation, Willie's views have always been more in line with Democrats. Most specifically, Willie believed in the legalization of marijuana, which have never been provisions of most Republicans. Nevertheless, George HW Bush had a friendly relationship with the country music and southern rock scene and still does to this day. As the country went into another recession and the Reagan years seemed out of date, certain artists began looking for someone else to support.
George HW Bush's successor was Arkansas native Bill Clinton. While not receiving the same support among the country music scene as fellow Democrat Jimmy Carter, or even Ronald Reagan or George HW Bush for that matter, Clinton did have support of Garth Brooks and several others. Many people had become surprised at some of the liberal values artists like Garth Brooks and K.D. Lang espoused during the 1990s. Indeed, some country artists connected with the charisma of Bill Clinton the same way many had with Ronald Reagan. Johhny Cash continued 'Walking the Line' between political parties by supporting a fellow Arkansan. Willie Nelson seemingly liked Bill Clinton very much. However, others like Charlie Daniels and Hank Williams Jr. did not. Hank Williams Jr. was emerging as an outspoken Right-Winged conservative. Towards the end of Clinton's presidency, sex scandals and gun laws began to contrast with the southern and rural culture that coincided with religion, morality and conservatism. Therefore, the majority of country stars would support George W. Bush, and not native Tennessean Al Gore, in the next Presidential election.
Unlike his father, George W. Bush grew up in Texas and very much exemplified the 'cowboy culture'. Fellow Texans Brooks and Dunn campaigned for Bush and performed at both his inaugural balls, as did a host of other country singers. The legendary southern rockers such as Lynyrd Skynyrd had maintained their status as touring acts, but had most shied away from supporting politicians. However, eventually Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, the Marshall Tucker Band, and former Allman Brothers member Dickey Betts began performing for Republicans such as George W. Bush and many others. Hank Williams Jr. and Charlie Daniels had emerged as supporters of conservatism. Praised for his initial handling of the September 11th attacks, George W Bush's vision of America received musical tributes from Alan Jackson and many others. However, as mentioned in the segment on rock music, certain musicians began to become disillusioned with Bush's presidency during the Iraq War and the economic crisis that began to emerge during the late 2000's. This was evident even among country stars. The Dixie Chicks received great criticism when proclaiming their disdain of President Bush. Natalie Maines mentioned during a concert overseas that she and her band mates were embarrassed that their president was form their home state of Texas. This caused a conflict between country stars who supported Bush and his 'War on Terror' and those that did not. A book was published in 2005 titled Rednecks & Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music. Toby Keith showed his support even taking shots at the Dixie Chicks . However, like Charlie Daniels, Toby Keith claims he sometimes votes for local Democrats if presented with the appropriate ideals. Even though George W Bush maintained a friendly rapport with Nashville and the southern music scene, former supporters of him began to flee. Country legend Merle Haggard surprised many when he became opposed to Bush's administration and expressed his support for Bush's successor, Barack Obama.
Barack Obama has maintained support among some country artists. Of course, Willie Nelson has been seen with him as has Brad Paisley. As stated, Merle Haggard showed his support. Many country music fans were surprised when they found out Faith Hill and Tim McGraw had supported Barack Obama as well as Bill Clinton. Both claim to still be 'Blue Dog' Democrats. Former Highwayman Kris Kristofferson remains pretty liberal. Of course, Obama has had many opponents among the genre. The aforementioned Hank Williams Jr. and Charlie Daniels as well as Travis Tritt have not held back in criticizing the President. Nevertheless, he, like presidents before him, has also connected with a new generation of country artists.
Conclusion
It has been proven to me throughout my research that both rock and country artists are split on their political views. Certain musicians remain grounded in their beliefs. The remaining Beach Boys have always supported Republicans whereas Tom Petty supports Democrats. and support. Some musicians like Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Megadeth seem to flip flop their type of political support. Rock artists like Jon Bon Jovi have come out in support of Hillary Clinton while country/rock crossover Kid Rock has praised Donald Trump. Ted Nugent seems to like both Trump and Ted Cruz. Henry Rollins likes Bernie Sanders. Who do I like? Well, let's just say in the words of the Osmonds, "I'm just a little bit country and I'm a little bit rock and roll!!." My long hair may be gone for right now but that doesn't mean it wont return one day. I go from Hippie Rocker to Country Boy. Go Figure!!!!
Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, the JUnkyard Dog, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and tag teams such as the Demolition and the Hart Foundation. Later on, other stars would either come into their own or join the organization such as Ravishing Rick Rude, Bret "the Hitman" Hart, Shawn Michaels, the Ultimate Warrior, the Undertaker and many others. For once, it became acceptable among certain mainstream audiences to watch such a spectacle. Families were going to see wrestling and the crowd was a combination of all ranges of demographics and social statuses. Celebrities from Mr. T to Danny Devito to Liberace began to show up at Wrestling Events and Sports Illustrated even began doing stories about Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. The first Wrestlemania in 1985 at Madison Square Garden was a success and brought in celebrities from all over. Each annual Wrestlemania grew in terms of celebrity support and appeal. In 1987, World Wrestling Entertainment broke what was then the indoor attendance record bringing in 92,000 people at the Pontiac Silverdome at Wrestlemania 3. Merchandising went through the roof with action figures, apparel, cartoons, video games and even ice cream bars. It was just announced that WrestleMania 32 broke attendance record bringing in 101, 736 fans!!
say they only watched it when it was territorial and Mid South Wrestling was popular in Mississippi. Some older friends from the Gulf Coast watched Gulf Coast Wrestling back when the late "Cowboy" Bob Kelly was a local star. In other cases, North Mississippians liked Memphis Wrestling even before Jerry Lawler established himself as the 'King'. I have even talked to some senior citizens who say they actually liked it when Gorgeous George performed on television and even admit they sometimes watch it now. Some people claim they don’t watch it but I bet they do on occasion. Certain peers have watched it all their life while others have never watched it and have no idea, nor do they seem to care, about what professional wrestling is all about.