Women in the Performing Arts

Popularizing Country Music

Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, country and folk music did not often reach a national audience. However, as the twentieth century progressed, country music became increasingly popularized at the national level. Musicians such as Sara Dougherty Carter, Maybelle Carter, and Patsy Cline expanded the boundaries of the genre and helped revolutionize the way America viewed country music.

In 1993 the United States Postal Service honored The Carter Family and Patsy Cline by featuring them on postage stamps. The stamps were designed by Richard Waldrep for the American Music Series: Country Music Issue. The ceremony was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.