Times really are changing in Nashville
Country music has long been perceived as the last redoubt of old-fashioned American machismo. When the country star Garth Brooks released his pro-LGBT hit We Shall Be Free, in 1992, some radio stations in the South boycotted it.
‘‘We shall be free,’’ Brooks sang, ‘‘when we’re free to love anyone we choose.’’ His support for gay rights did not play well with his more conservative fans.
The industry is singing a different tune today, as some of the biggest stars show their support for a more inclusive country music culture.
Luke Bryan, the pin-up of the moment, is selling out stadiums across America and dominating airwaves on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, despite having his own statement of inclusivity.
His latest hit, Most People Are Good, has been No 1 in the country charts for three weeks and includes a line in support of gay rights. ‘‘I believe you love who you love / Ain’t nothing you should ever be ashamed of,’’ he sings. No-one is boycotting Bryan, who is straight.
It is a sign that times are changing in Nashville, Tennessee, the capital of country music.
When he first heard the line, Blair Garner, a radio personality in the city who is gay, texted Bryan immediately. ‘‘On behalf of myself and my family, I just want to thank you for recording that song and that line. It means more than you can know,’’ wrote Garner.
Bryan responded: ‘The perfect lyric, perfectly written, proud to sing it.’’
Traditionally, if you wanted to talk about loving another man in a country music song, then your best bet was Jesus. But country is not like that any more. In 2010 Chely Wright broke the mould by being the first big artist to announce she was a lesbian. Four years later, the singer Ty Herndon came out.
When Mike Huckabee, the openly homophobic radio host and former presidential candidate, was appointed to the charitable board of the Country Music Association in March, many top artists and producers protested. He stepped down 24 hours later.
The change is being driven in part by the softening of views on gay rights across America. But it is also a reflection of how country music has reached beyond its traditional heartlands. Some four in 10 Americans now listen to it.
Diane Pecknold, co-editor of A Boy Named Sue, a book about gender and country music, believes perceptions of country music culture as a bastion of redneck prejudice have been somewhat unfair.
‘‘There is a long tradition in rural and white working-class communities that what’s important is being supportive to friends and community members regardless of their differences,’’ she said. ‘‘So some of this has been there all along. Luke Bryan is a really good example of this. His lyrics are not meant to be an ideological statement; it’s just how people are.’’
Pecknold points out that many artists are still in the closet. Some country fans still prefer their singers straight, something the record labels are wary of.
‘‘You get a lot of people expressing tolerance and support, but there is still a barrier for gay artists to become stars.’’ – Sunday Times