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“Between Jennings and Jones”: Jamey Johnson, Hard-Core Country Music, and Outlaw as Authenticating Strategy

2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 37; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/03007766.2012.730681

1740-1712

Stephen King,

American Political and Social Dynamics

AbstractIn this essay, I examine how country artist Jamey Johnson rhetorically transformed himself from Nashville hopeful into a "hard-core," "authentic" country outlaw. By associating himself with the original 1970s outlaw movement and including folklore elements of the American outlaw-hero in his songs, Johnson was successful in rhetorically crafting a "double outlaw" persona. This essay is the first scholarly examination of Jamey Johnson and his music. In addition, this essay provides an opportunity to study the rhetorical dimensions of the country outlaw as well as examine key rhetorical strategies employed to create an authentic, hard-core country artist. AcknowledgementsThis article is dedicated to my wife, P. Renee Foster. Renee's father (Bobby H. Foster) was an avid country music fan; he introduced her as a child to the likes of Ernest Tubb and took her to the Grand Ole Opry. Her knowledge of country music, along with her insights and editorial suggestions, were extremely helpful in the development of this article. I would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers who provided key insights and suggestions that improved the overall quality of the article.Notes[1] I placed quotation marks around "movement" to signify the loose usage of the term, since one would not call the outlaw movement a "social movement."[2] There are also distinct differences between these two outlaw movements. For example, the original outlaw movement's rejection of Nashville led to establishing an alternative "home" for country music: Austin, Texas. By the early 1970s, Willie Nelson, Michael Murphey, and Jerry Jeff Walker, among others, had moved to Texas (Shank Citation60–62). The Austin music scene, characterized by rowdy drunkenness and a laid-back deportment, promised musicians a type of artistic autonomy and independence alien to Nashville's corporate model (CitationMalone, Don't 142). The new outlaws have not created an alternative, countercultural home for country music. Many still live in the Nashville area.[3] Similar to the original outlaw movement, the concept "new outlaw movement" is a rhetorical construction imposed by outside observers. It is unclear whether Johnson views himself as part of the "new" outlaw movement. He has rarely, if ever, referenced other contemporary "outlaws" in song or in interviews. However, the power of labels and categorization are considerable; if he is perceived and labeled as part of a new outlaw movement, then rhetorically speaking, he is part of the movement.[4] See, for example, CitationA. Fox, Real Country; CitationP. Fox, "Recycled 'Trash'"; CitationHorn, "'Keepin' It Country'"; Jensen, Nashville Sound; Peterson, Creating Country Music.[5] For an excellent discussion of the outlaw movement, see Ching, "Wrong's What I Do Best."[6] Country music scholars (e.g. Richard A. Peterson, Aaron A. Fox, Bill Malone) have defined authenticity from a rhetorical or constructionist perspective.[7] Johnson also invited traditional country musicians to the studio: Bill Anderson sings on "The Guitar Song" and George Jones can be heard on "Keepin' Up with the Jonesin'."Additional informationNotes on contributorsStephen A. KingStephen A. King is Professor of Communication Studies at Delta State University, located in Cleveland, Mississippi. King is the author of two books, Reggae, Rastafari, and the Reggae of Social Control (2002) and I'm Feeling the Blues Right Now: Blues Tourism and the Mississippi Delta (2011). King's work has also been published in a variety of journals, including the Southern Communication Journal, Popular Music and Society and Caribbean Studies as well as edited books such as The Resisting Muse: Popular Music and Social Protest (2006) and Popular Music and Human Rights, Volume I (2011).