 Chrissie Rossouw is a country music singer, director, video editor, songwriter and radio DJ from Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Rossouw grew up in a rural village called Koster in North West. Her love for music was deeply rooted in her childhood but her music career only got shape and kicked off when she married Phillip Rossouw, a keen musician who had been involved in many different projects.
She released her debut album 'Pappa se Meisiekind' that featured Ray Dylan, Andries Botha and Deon Vd Merwe, Renaldo Taute, Sez Adamson, Denny Laloutte and Vinnie Henrico.
Rossouw is the co-owner of a production house called Angel Music Studio Productions, a company that specialises in audio, video and broadcast productions. Rossouw was also the production leader of two successful television series of 13 episodes each titled 'Die Ekstra Myl' and 'Springbok stories' that broadcast on Kyknet. Rossouw and Martiza joined forces and released their first country Gospel album and DVD, with 12 tracks and 12 music videos called 'Gospel From The Heart'.
https://youtu.be/AN0vZ_jB4oA
 
Taylor Swift'
Taylor Swift is talented. And she's won every country music award there is. But her elfin charms and precocious musical ability don't make the singer immune from writing some pretty bad songs. It's enticing to jump on the Taylor Swift bandwagon, but let's keep it real, shall we?
Taylor Swift (born Dec. 13, 1989) is one of the hottest female singers in pop music today. Since her first album debuted in 2006, she's sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and earned dozens of awards for her singing and songwriting talent. An aspiring musician from an early age, Taylor Swift signed her first recording contract in 2004 and released her self-titled debut two years later. She hasn't looked back since.
Influenced by Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, and other female singers, Taylor Swift initially pursued a career in country music. But with each subsequent album, she moved toward a pop-rock style, best exemplified by her blockbuster 2014 album "1989." Like her previous two albums, "1989" sold more than a million copies in its first week, a record no other female recording artist has matched. That success continued with "Look What You Made Me Do," the debut single from her sixth album "Reputation." It became the most-watched video in the first 24 hours of its release in August 2017.
Willie Nelson was a 20-something songwriter and bass player in Ray Price's touring band when he wrote the song "Crazy." It was first offered to the country singer Billy Walker, but it was turned own because he felt it was written for a woman to sing. Patsy Cline had emerged as a country star with her big hit "I Fall To Pieces." However, she had not yet reached the pop top 10.
Patsy Cline's recording of "Crazy" is considered an all-time classic of country pop. It includes Elvis Presley's backup singers the Jordanaires and legendary Nashville piano player Floyd Cramer. "Crazy" became a #2 country smash and was Patsy Cline's only top 10 pop hit. The song's success made Patsy Cline an even bigger star. Tragically, she died less than two years later in a plane crash.
 
Mary Frances Penick was better known as country singer Skeeter Davis. She first hit the country charts as one half of the duo The Davis Sisters. The pair were involved in a car accident in 1953 that killed Betty Jack Davis, Skeeter Davis' singing partner. She performed with Betty Jack Davis' sister Georgia as The Davis Sisters for three more years before deciding to get married and retire from the music business. She returned to the music business in 1958 and became a solo country star.
Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee wrote "The End of the World" inspired by Sylvia Dee's sorrow at her father's death. Featuring the piano work of Floyd Cramer, Skeeter Davis' recording of the song includes a spoken section in addition to her singing. It is accompanied by a dramatic key change and straddles the sound of modern country music and teen idol pop. "The End of the World" reached #2 on both the country and pop charts and became Skeeter Davis' signature song. it was performed at both her funeral and the funeral of producer Chet Atkins.
Roger Miller gained his first music industry success as a Nashville songwriter in the 1950s. He signed a recording deal with Decca in 1958, but it would be six years before he would become both a country and pop star. After relatively little success as a recording artist, Roger Miller lost interest in his music career and was dropped from his recording contract. In 1964 in need of cash, he signed a contract with rising label Smash Records. His first two releases were "Dang Me" and "Chug-a-Lug." They both were major country-pop crossover hits landing in the top 10 on both charts.
In 1965 Roger Miller released "King of the Road," the song that would become his best-remembered hit. It was inspired by a sign on the side of a barn that read, "Trailers for sale or rent." The song humorously details the life of a hobo who considers himself, "King of the road." The song was a #1 country and easy listening smash while peaking at #4 on the pop chart. Roger Miller's recording of "King of the Road" earned five Grammy Awards including Best Country Song and Best Rock 'n Roll Single.
The landmark song "Harper Valley PTA" helped establish songwriter Tom T. Hall in Nashville with the nickname "The Storyteller." The song tells the story of Mrs. Johnson, a widow with a teenage daughter, who becomes furious when a note from her daughter's school claims she has been exhibiting scandalous behavior. It goes on to give details of, "The day my mama socked it to the Harper Valley PTA."
Singer Jeannie C. Riley was just beginning her career when she recorded "Harper Valley PTA." The song was a smash hit reaching #1 on both the country and pop charts. Jeannie C. Riley was the first woman to top both charts with the same song until Dolly Parton did the same with "9 to 5" more than a decade later. "Harper Valley PTA" received the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and earned nominations for Record and Song of the Year. It later inspired both a movie and TV series.
Australian singer Olivia Newton-John first hit the US pop charts in 1971 with a cover of Bob Dylan's "If Not For You." However, she struggled for a follow-up. In 1973 she recorded the song "Let Me Be There" written by John Rostill, a member of Cliff Richard's backing band The Shadows. The country influenced recording was a top 10 hit on both country and pop charts.
For her follow up, Olivia Newton-John turned to another John Rostill song "If You Love Me (Let You Know)" that helped firmly establish her as a country-pop crossover star. The song hit #2 on the country chart and #5 pop. Like "Let Me Be There" it includes a distinctive bass harmony vocal by British vocalist Mike Sammes. After three more country-pop crossover smash hits, Olivia Newton-John's fortunes faded until she returned in 1978 reworking her image into that of a mainstream pop artist.
Billy Swan worked as a successful country songwriter in Nashville in the latter half of the 1960s. However, he did not record on his own as a solo artist until the mid-1970s when he signed a recording contract with Monument Records. "I Can Help" is recorded in a rockabilly style and includes the distinctive sound of Billy Swan himself on a portable Farfisa organ. The song was a #1 smash hit on both country and pop charts. In addition, it became a #1 hit on pop singles charts around the world. However, despite a string of country chart placements into the late 1980s, Billy Swan never approached the success of "I Can Help" again.
Through much of his career, Glen Campbell frequently crossed over from the country charts to pop. His #1 country smashes "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston" both hit the top 5 on the pop singles chart as well. However, by the mid-1970s, although he was still regularly hitting the country charts, he had not reached the pop top 40 since 1971.
"Rhinestone Cowboy" was written and recorded by Larry Weiss in 1974. It climbed to #24 on the adult contemporary chart but failed to cross over to any other genres. Glen Campbell heard the song, identified with the subject matter, and decided to learn it while touring in Australia. When he returned to the US, he was approached by his label Capitol Records with a request to record a new song "Rhinestone Cowboy." Recording it felt like destiny, and "Rhinestone Cowboy" became the biggest hit of Glen Campbell's career thus far. It became the first song to simultaneously top the country and pop singles charts since Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John" in 1961. It was part of a huge surge in country-pop crossovers with six songs hitting #1 on both the country and pop singles charts in 1975. "Rhinestone Cowboy" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year.
Mexican-American musical pioneer Freddy Fender had a promising regional career as a recording artist in 1960 when he was arrested for marijuana possession and forced to spend nearly three years in prison. By the end of the decade, he was working as a mechanic and playing music on the weekends.
The song "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" was written by Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Member Ben Peters and his then secretary Vivian Keith in 1967. It became a minor chart hit in recordings by Duane Dee and Linda Martell. In 1974 producer Huey P. Meaux asked Freddy Fender to record overdub vocals to go with an already recorded instrumental track. Freddy Fender said, "I was glad to get it over with and I thought that would be the last of hit." Freddy Fender's soulful tenor vocals proved to be irresistible and the recording became a #1 hit on both country and pop charts finally establishing Freddy Fender as a star. He would follow the success with seven more top 10 country hits.
John Denver was one of the biggest country-pop crossover artists of the 1970s. His breakthrough hit "Take Me Home Country Roads" hit both charts in 1971. He had hit #1 on both charts by 1975, but no single John Denver song had yet #1 on both the pop and country charts.
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" was written by John Martin Sommers, a member of John Denver's backing band, while on a road trip from Aspen, Colorado to Los Angeles. He says that it came to him at a time that he was feeling "peaceful, happy and content" with his life. Recorded live, the song topped both the pop and country charts one week apart from each other.
Crystal Gayle is the younger sister of country music legend Loretta Lynn. Her debut single "I've Cried (The Blue Right Out of My Eyes)" was written by Loretta Lynn. It was released in 1970 and had minor chart success, but it was not until 1974 that Crystal Gayle first reached the country top 10. By 1977 she had a series of five top 10 country hits including two that went all the way to #1.
Three of Crystal Gayle's top 10 country hits had been written by Richard Leigh. While looking for follow-ups, Crystal Gayle's regular producer Allen Reynolds visited Richard Leigh and discovered "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue." Released in August 1977, the song went to #1 on the country chart and #2 pop. It earned Crystal Gayle a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal. She enjoyed a string of 24 more top 10 country hits over the next decade but never again achieved the same pop chart success.
Charlie Daniels spent more than 15 years as a journeyman country and southern rock musician before he became a star with his country-pop crossover "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." he landed a top 10 pop hit in 1973 with the novelty classic "Uneasy Rider." His 1976 album Saddle Tramp hit the country top 10 and established the Charlie Daniels Band in the eyes of country music fans.
The engaging storyline of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" helped it cross over from country to pop. The song's protagonist is a boy named Johnny who makes a deal with the devil to engage in a fiddle competition. His soul is at risk, but ultimately Johnny wins defeating the devil's contemporary rock with classic bluegrass influenced fiddle playing. The song was a #1 smash on the country chart and went to #3 pop.
Beginning with her first country chart hit "Dumb Blonde" in 1967, Dolly Parton became one of the most enduring of country singer-songwriters. She first topped the country chart in 1970 with "Joshua" and kicked off a string of four consecutive #1 country hits in 1973 with her classic "Jolene." Her first big country-pop crossover came in 1977 with "Here You Come Again" that kicked off another string of three country #1 hits and it climbed all the way to #3 on the pop chart.
Dolly Parton was asked to write the theme song for her film debut in 9 to 5. She co-starred along with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The song is a female protest for fair treatment in the workplace and blends country with uptempo contemporary pop. It went to #1 on both the country and pop singles charts earning Dolly Parton Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal and Best Country Song. It also received an Academy Award nomination.
By 1980 Kenny Rogers was one of the most successful country-pop crossover artists of all time. Between "The Gambler" and "Coward of the County," four consecutive songs went to #1 on the country chart and hit the top 10 on the pop chart. However, by 1980 he still had not earned that elusive #1 pop hit.
Enter Lionel Richie of R&B group The Commodores. Kenny Rogers has said, "The idea was that Lionel would come from R&B and I'd come from country, and we'd meet somewhere in pop." The idea was a major success and topped the country, pop, and adult contemporary charts. Lionel Richie's production work was his first major effort outside of The Commodores and would help lead to the kickoff of his solo career within two years. In a rare occurrence, "Lady" even crossed over onto the R&B singles chart, and it spent six weeks at #1 pop becoming the only #1 pop hit of Kenny Rogers' solo career.
Before the use of his recording of "Lookin' For Love" as a centerpiece in the hit movie Urban Cowboy, singer Johnny Lee had achieved moderate success on the country singles chart with his reworking of Rick Nelson's "Garden Party" into "Country Party" reaching #15. He was a frequent performer at Mickey Gilley's country music club Gilley's that was a key location for the shooting of much of Urban Cowboy.
The song "Lookin' For Love" had been rejected by more than 20 recording artists. However, songwriter Bob Morrison included it in a group of songs pitched to producers of the upcoming film Urban Cowboy. Reportedly the movie's star John Travolta liked the song. Johnny Lee recorded the song, and despite complaints from critics, the song became a major country-pop crossover. It topped the country chart and went to #5 pop turning Johnny Lee into a star. He earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Male Vocal. Johnny Lee went on to top the country chart four more times.
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Chrissie Rossouw is a country music singer, director, video editor, songwriter and radio DJ from Potchefstroom, South Africa.
