All it takes is a glance at the top downloaded country songs on iTunes or a quick listen to country radio to notice one thing- women in county music are outnumbered. Severely. And the disparity is something that has not gone unnoticed by Dolly Parton, one of country music’s most famous female voices.
“It’s just hard,” Parton said of women trying to make it in the country music business. “Especially for, like, women in any kind of business, but especially in music, too.”
The icon told Got Country Online that she has her “daddy’s sense of business” and her “mama’s creative and spiritual side.” Parton’s surefire combination of creativity and business sense have contributed to her success as one of country music’s most iconic and recognizable leading ladies.
But Parton and all the other women of country music are fairly lonely on the country charts and airwaves these days. With a growing sub-genre of “bro country” that celebrates women in painted-on jeans, driving Chevy trucks down back roads, and sipping on “the good stuff,” many have begun to question when women will get their chance to shine in the genre again.
Although modern female country artists like Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Kacey Musgraves can hold their own against the men of country, they’re still far outnumbered and under-recognized.
(Photo Credit: Timothy Wildey)
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