
Alabama has a rich musical heritage that has produced some of the nation's most influential composers, instrumentalists, and vocalists. Rooted in traditional folk and spiritual music brought to the region by European immigration and enslaved Africans, Alabama's musical legacy includes jazz and blues legends Dinah Washington and W. C. Handy, country music pioneers Hank Williams Sr. and Jimmie Rodgers, and "Father of Rock and Roll" Sam Phillips.
The Encyclopedia of Alabama TM & © 2013. Alabama Humanities Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
A service of Auburn University, The University of Alabama, and Alabama State Dept. of Education.
