Dawn of the American Singer-Songwriter Era, 1944-1963: Bibliographic Profiles of the Performer-Composers

This study focuses on influential, commercially successful post-World War II recording artists. It highlights singer-songwriters who ignored the popularity of Tin Pan Alley ditties in favor of their own tunes. It also emphasizes the reality of commercial isolation caused by racial segregation and cultural isolation imposed by the hillbilly twang. Fortunately, these circumstances didn't undermine the musical genius of singer-songwriters like Roy Acuff, Big Bill Broonzy, Al Dexter, Red Foley, Amos Milburn, T-Bone Walker, or Hank Williams. This study also stresses the creative verve of those singer-songwriters who helped launch rock 'n' roll at mid-century. These energetic, innovative performers include Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, and Carl Perkins. It seems more than reasonable that the dawn of the American singer-songwriter era should be traced back to 1944. The two decades that followed established the composing/performing foundation for the powerful figures of the sixties, seventies, and eighties.