Singer/Songwriter Genre – Development

What is the history of this genre?In the US the sound evolved with the American Contemporary Folk scene of the 1950s and early 1960s where artists such as Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger began to write and play their own songs. The term singer-songwriter arose in the late 1960s and early 1970s to describe a group of artists such as Carole King, Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman. Many of theses artists had worked as professional songwriters and had hits recorded by other artists. The original artists were rooted in Folk traditions but the genre has evolved to include a much broader range of influences, for example Blues, Lounge, Jazz and even Pop.

How do artist from the genre represent themselves? Lyrics created by the singer -Songwriters genre is usually angled towards topical issues such as romance and political. Singer- songwriters usually wear simple but casual clothes in music videos and on stage as not to distract the audience from the topical issues the song is about.

Who are the leading artists in the genre?Hiram King Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Regarded as one of the most influential singer-songwriter of the 20th Century. He recorded 35 singles and only five was released that was placed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart. Williams moved to Georgian where he met Rufus Payne a black street performer that gave him guitar lessons in return for meals or money. Payne had a major influence on Williams's style of music. in 1937 WSFA radio station hired him to perform and host a 15-minute program. He formed as backup the Drifting Cowboys band which was managed by his mother.

Other modern day artists include Adele,Sam Smith,Amy Winhouse and Tracey Chapman,

What other genres does it connect with?The singer–songwriter genre is connected with the folk and blue genre.What types of music video would be typical of the genre? The Music video’s tend to have Narrative and performance style genre. Conceptual styles are hardly used in singer-songwriter because it doesn't fit well with the genre . The narrative of the music videos is often around every-day issues and topics happening in the world such as homeless, poverty and abuse. The narrative usually reflects the lyrics therefore creating a link between the visuals and lyrics.