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"O BROTHER" SOUNDTRACK SUCCESS POINTS TO RESURGENCE OF OLD-TIME COUNTRY
ROLLA, Mo. -- The success of the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 27 signals a renewed interest in roots music, says a University of Missouri-Rolla historian.
Dr. Patrick Huber, assistant professor of history at UMR, says the Grammy success of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," a tribute to "old-time country" sounds of the 1920s and 1930s, will generate more interest among music lovers. "A lot of people have discovered old-time country music for the first time," thanks to"O Brother," Huber says.
The soundtrack to the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" won Album of the Year at the 2002 Grammy Awards, held Feb. 27. T. Bone Burnett, who produced the album, was named Producer of the Year. The multiplatinum disc featured performances by Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley and Dan Tyminski (the voice behind George Clooney's Soggy Bottom Boys on the single "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow").
"There definitely has been a renewed interest in this style of music" due to the success of both the movie and the soundtrack, says Huber, who is working on a book that examines the origins of American country music and has written widely about Missouri history, popular music and race relations. "A lot of music buyers will probably add two or three bluegrass CDs to their collections."
Even with this renewed appreciation of roots music, Huber doesn't expect old-time country to displace the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Ludacris or Britney Spears from the top of the pop music charts. "Nor do I think Britney will cover any of these tunes," Huber says.
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