A Musical Tribute to Redneck Women

Recently, two high profile divorces among the many women, who serve in the House of Representatives have drawn big headlines. I am not the one to attempt to defend the two women for their conservative politics, but rather, my goal is to take a closer look at some of the music in America that we call "Country" and to examine how expressing outlandish or opinionated sentiments is by no means uncommon or detrimental to one's career, even if you are a woman.

Back in 2003 the Dixie Chicks raised the roof, when they criticized fellow Texan and POTUS, George W. Bush, on stage for his War in Iraq.

When Women Speak Out

Laura Bell Bundy

The Band Perry

Gretchen Wilson

Laura Bell Bundy first learned to dance at an early age, even be so lucky as to appear in a Radio City Christmas Spectacular at age 9. From her home in Kentucky, she went on to star in several movies, like Jumanji and The Adventures of Huck Finn, but her biggest roles have been on stage, where she starred in such Broadway productions as Legally Blonde and Hairspray.

In 2008, Laura moved to Nashville, where she began writing and recording C & W songs. Presented here is Giddya On Up, her first single (2010), which turned into a whopping good hit. One can see her stage background in this rip-roaring music score that depicts a dance hall/cowgirl getting even were an unfaithful man.

The Band Perry consists of three siblings, Kimberly, Reid and Neil. The trio has been playing together since teenagers. In 2008, the they were discovered by Garth Brooks and their sequential rise to stardom has been legendary. Two years later, Kimberly wrote, If I Die Young, the most somber musical selection in this music collection. The song is a solemn ballad that expresses a young lady's desire to make it past her early years, so she can live a fruitful life.

Originally from Pocahontas, Illinois (yes, there is such a place in the southern part of the state), Gretchen moved to Nashville in her twenties and released her first album in 2004 at age 30. "Redneck Woman" was her first major hit and perhaps this song has best defined her musical genre over the years. Gretchen has released many albums since then, better defining her celebrity persona as a "party girl". True to her redneck persona, Gretchen was once arrested for a "breach of peace" incident, while conducting an interview at a Connecticut airport in 2018. Otherwise, Ms. Wilson is just a down home Country girl.