13 Underrated Blasts from Country Music’s Past
They were legends in their time (the ’70s and ’80s), but what about now?
What becomes a country music legend most? The Statler Brothers offered a complete rundown of star-making qualities in 1979, via their hit “How to Be a Country Star.” The vocal quartet’s primer for supernovas-in-training ticked off a list of X factors and legends who perfected them (learn to sing like Waylon, pick like Jerry Reed, etc.).
Sadly, even for those who do become country stars, there are no guarantees that decades later their names will be on the lips of people who weren’t alive when their hits were in heavy rotation — or that their names will make it into the lyrics of a Top 10 song. The flashier legacies of the genre’s higher-profile icons easily could overshadow their accomplishments in hindsight. It’s hard to compete with the Johnny Cashes, the Dolly Partons, and the Willie Nelsons of country history!
Take Ronnie Milsap, one of the top crossover country stars of the ’70s and ’80s. He ticked so many of the right boxes. The Statler Brothers even name-dropped him in their song, which was written by Don and Harold Reid…
