So did country music originate from the Scottish and Scotch Irish?

You betya it did.

Despite the many critics of country music and a perception at a time that it was "too hillbilly" from humble roots it has exploded in popularity. Between 1990 and 1997, country music grew from $700 million a year to $1.8 billion a year. CD sales have quadrupled. Two of the five best-selling albums of 1998 were by country artists (Garth Brooks and Shania Twain), as were three of the ten highest-grossing concert tours (Brooks, Twain, and George Strait). Brooks's new album, Double Live, set a record by selling more than a million copies the first week after its release in 1998. One of the hottest acts to pick up Grammies was the Dixie Chicks, a young trio of scantily dressed country musicians with a timeless and classic Scotch Irish story telling style.

Country and folk music owes a great deal to the Scotch Irish pioneers, some of the most popular country songs in history such as "Sallie Gooden," to mention just one came from the Scotch-Irish immigrants, of course there is also one of the worlds most recorded songs Danny Boy written by Presbyterian Billy McCurry in Limavady, Ulster and transported to America by Jane Ross. I will also add here that songs like "The Great Speckled Bird" can be traced back to English colonists of the American Revolution and "Frankie and Johnny" has more than a hundred variants, all deriving from a Scottish ballad. I only mention the latter two as its wouldn't be factual or fair to claim that the Scotch Irish were responsible alone for country music as we know and have known it, but it is very fair to say they have been by far the biggest influence. Having said that according to some Irish musicians apparently we lack genes required to compose memorable ballads such as Danny Boy.

Storytelling has always been the cornerstone of country music through the ages, it's a rich tradition particularly when it comes to the age-old tradition of telling stories through song. Not only can the origins of country music be traced to the story's, Hymns and ballads of the Scotch Irish, but the connections between the two are not nearly as remote as many used to think.

Over a quarter of a million people emigrated from Ulster to America, many of them to the Appalachians -- upwards of fifty percent of all settlers of the Appalachians were of Scotch-Irish descent, by far the largest ethnic group in the region. Along with their instruments, these first settlers also brought the stories, ballads and tunes that helped to define and differentiate their culture from the rest of the Old World. They have a great oral tradition, and are renowned as the best story tellers in the world.

Many of their songs and ballads dealt with William, Prince of Orange, who defeated the Catholic King James II of the Stuart family at the Battle of the Boyne, Ireland in 1690. These Scotch Irish were known as “Orangemen” and "Billy Boys" and and out of this was born the term "hillbillies". It is interesting to note that a traditional song of the Glasgow Rangers football club today begins with the line, "Hurrah! Hurrah! We are the Billy Boys!" and shares its tune with the famous American Civil War song, "Marching Through Georgia".

The term "Red neck," this refers to supporters of the National Covenant, Lowland Presbyterians, whom would flee Scotland for Northern Ireland during persecutions by the British Crown. Many Covenanters signed in their own blood and wore red pieces of cloth around their necks as distinctive insignia; hence the term "Red neck", which became a slang name. The term was applied to the Scotch Irish in the USA, and then, later, their Southern US descendants. One of the earliest examples of its use comes from 1830, when an author noted that "red-neck" was a "name bestowed upon the Presbyterians." Again I say most Scotch Irish in Ulster and the USA are not aware of their history and WHAT THEY DO KNOW THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

A few years ago, some American folk musicians were playing at a Protestant social club in Belfast. The crowd was very polite, but largely concentrated on chatting and drinking, until the flautist played an old Appalachian tune which got a response which astonished him. When he reached the chorus, the crowd in an joyful uproar bellowed: "Hello! Hello! We are the Billy Boys/ Up to our necks in Fenian blood, surrender or you'll die/ For we are the Billy Billy Boys!" That example of the Ulster Presbyterian Diaspora meeting its roots is very rare and I would say very sad, its a history and a culture being lost.
We have been informed that the "Billy Boys" song, mentioned above is in fact a song glorifying a notorious Glasgow criminal gand which was also vociferously anti-catholic and responsible for brutal crimes against catholics. We intend to research this more, however the tune can be heard throughout Scotland, ulster and American with various different lyrics. However we have uncovered the following with regards the Irish Fenian Movement.
"Our duty is to deAnglicanise Ireland, Gaelicise Ireland and Catholicise Ireland"
J. O'Mahony Fenian Movement

One of the reasons its being lost is that unlike the Irish Catholics, the assimilation of the Scots-Irish emigrants from Ulster's shores into American has been total, they became full blooded Americans. There is a simple reason for this: the 250,000 Ulster Presbyterians who started leaving in large numbers from 1717 played a vital part in the American Revolution, helping to shape what it meant to be American. The Irish Catholic Diaspora, on the other hand, started to arrive in large numbers well over a century later. By then, the rules had been written.

For all our great history its sad that even we ourselves have forgotten. How many Scotch Irish Ulstermen or Americans know that the Great Seal of the United States was designed in 1782 by Charles Thomson, an orphan emigrant from Upperlands, County Londonderry. His flying eagle, with the motto Epluribus unum - (Out of many, one) - is the Presidential badge of office to this day and is on every 25 cent coin and dollar bill in American purses and pockets.

In fact, the isolated Scotch Irish were playing the same fiddle tunes and singing the same ballads his or her great-great grandparents had played and sang back in Ulster. It was only after the railroads and coal mining came to the Southern highlands that Appalachians would expose there hidden musical treasure.

While the Scotch Irish vocal style, haunting melodies and storytelling tradition is nothing if not country, it took the introduction of the guitar to the Appalachians to create the final bridge between the old and the new. Far superior for singing accompaniment than the high-pitched, often abrasive fiddle, the guitar brought with it the possibility of rhythm, a possibility which would move the music closer to the sound and feel that characterizes what we today know to be country music.

The Scotch Irish Presbyterians were sonorous defenders of religion, custom and pride. This influence has carried on and Country music today similarly exalts religion without embarrassment. Among performers, only blacks acknowledge their Maker with the same regularity and reverence. One of the first hit records of country music was the gospel song "Peace in the Valley," written by the accomplished songwriter Thomas Dorsey.

Virtually all of the most famous country performers either were children of preachers or had learned to sing in church. Even some of the worst hillbillies, drunks, profligates, and ex-cons piously sing gospel songs on their albums. Merle Haggard's best work is his gospel album, "The Land of Many Churches," partly recorded in the garden chapel at San Quentin prison, where Haggard once served time.

Today's music as sung by country stars like Alison Krauss, Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks is just like music brought to Appalachia by the Scotch Irish, it still remains personal; stories of love, longing, hardships, protests, religious beliefs; life set out in lyrics, with or without music.

Roy Acuff, Johnny Cash, Tex Ritter, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Charley Pride, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and many other musical legends followed in the footsteps of the early country pioneers. Hank Williams (senior) and Patsy Cline were possibly the most famous of all. Hank's rendition of "Your Cheatin Heart" and Patsy's recording of "Crazy" are probably the two best-known country music hits of all time.

Country western music is more popular than ever Modern performers like Ricky Scaggs, Garth Brooks, The Judds, Tanya Tucker and Reba McEntire have raised country music to the top of worldwide popularity charts. That original old hillbilly music of the past has given birth to many new and different styles. Pop country, new country, country rock, rockabilly, blue grass, western swing, honky tonk, Nashville sound, outlaw country, urban cowboy and traditional country all share the title of "country western music".

From the Music of today's popular artists to the lined-out hymnody of the Presbyterians or Regular Baptists; this music remains a vital part of everyday lives and American and Scotch Irish heritage.

Its one of a very few hand-me-downs left by the Scotch Irish settlers but is one which we should all be extremely proud of.

"Hurrah! Hurrah! We are the Billy Boys!"

Dolly proud of her Ulster Scots heritage. 24/11/2002

Dolly Parton the Queen of Country spoke of her pride at being Scotch Irish just before a sellout gig in Belfast. In an interview with Northern Ireland newspaper the Belfast Telegraph she said, " there is no reason why I haven't played Belfast in the past. But with my Scotch Irish ancestry its ridiculous that I haven't been here before. Obviously my roots have been a massive influence on my music" Dolly then said that she would love to return to Northern Ireland being very proud of her heritage she would love to find out more. The Ulster Scots Agency who presented Dolly with a Ulster Scots translated version of her hit "Jolene" said she would be very welcome, " Dolly is just one of 22 Million Scotch-Irish in America who are enthusiastically following up their Ulster Scots roots. I am delighted she is in town and hope she finds out more about her roots. I am sure she will find us very welcoming and will come back again to visit where her forefather's came from"