Honky-tonk
Ahonky-tonk(also calledhonkatonk,honkey-tonk,honky tonk,ortonk) is both abarthat providescountry musicfor the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) used to play such music. Bars of this kind are common in theSouthandSouthwestUnited States. Many prominent country music artists such asJimmie Rodgers,Ernest Tubb,Lefty Frizzell,Hank Williams,Patsy Cline,Johnny HortonandMerle Haggardbegan their careers as amateur musicians in honky-tonks.
The origin of the term "honky-tonk" is disputed, originally referring tobawdyvariety shows in areas of the old West (Oklahoma,theIndian Territoriesand mostlyTexas) and to the actual theaters showing them.
The firstmusic genreto be commonly known as honky-tonk was a style ofpianoplaying related toragtimebut emphasizingrhythmmore thanmelodyorharmony;the style evolved in response to an environment in which pianos were often poorly cared for, tending to be out of tune and having some nonfunctioning keys. This honky-tonk music was an important influence on theboogie-woogiepiano style. Before World War II, the music industry began to refer tohillbilly musicbeing played from Texas and Oklahoma to the West Coast as "honky-tonk" music. In the 1950s, honky-tonk entered itsgolden age,with the popularity ofWebb Pierce,Hank Locklin,Lefty Frizzell,Faron Young,George Jones,andHank Williams.
Etymology
[edit]The origin of the termhonky-tonkis unknown. The earliest known use in print is an article in thePeoria Journaldated June 28, 1874, stating, "The police spent a busy day today raiding thebagniosand honkytonks. "[1]
There are subsequent citations from 1890 inThe Dallas Morning News,[2][page needed]1892 in theGalveston Daily News(Galveston, Texas)[3](which used the term to refer to an adult establishment inFort Worth), and in 1894 inThe Daily Ardmoreitein Oklahoma.[4]Early uses of the term in print mostly appear along a corridor roughly coinciding withcattle drivetrails extending from Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, into south central Oklahoma, suggesting that the term may have been a localism spread by cowboys driving cattle to market. The sound ofhonky-tonk(orhonk-a-tonk) and the types of places that were called honky-tonks suggests that the term may be anonomatopoeicreference to the loud, boisterous music and noise heard at these establishments.
One theory is that the "tonk" portion of the name may have come from the brand name of piano made by William Tonk & Bros., an American manufacturer of large upright pianos[5][page needed](established 1881),[6]which made a piano with the decal "Ernest A. Tonk". The Tonk brothers, William and Max, established the Tonk Bros. Manufacturing Company in 1873, so such an etymology is possible,[7][8]however, these pianos were not manufactured until 1889, at which point the term seems to have already been established.[9]
An early source purporting to explain the derivation of the term (spelledhonkatonk) was an article published in 1900 by theNew York Sunand widely reprinted in other newspapers.[10]The article, however, reads more like a humorous legend or fable, so its veracity is questionable.
History
[edit]An article in theLos Angeles Timesof July 28, 1929, with the headline"'Honky-Tonk' Origin Told ", which was probably in response to theSophie Tuckermovie musical,Honky Tonk(1929), reads:
Do you know what a honky tonk is?
Seafaringmen of a few years ago knew very well, as the honky-tonks ofSan Francisco'sBarbary Coastconstituted perhaps the most vivid spots in their generally uneventful lives.
The name originated on the Barbary Coast and was applied to the low "dives"which formed so great a part of this notorious district. In these establishments, which were often of enormous size, much liquor was dispensed at the tables which crowded the floor, and entertainment of doubtful quality was given on a stage at one end of the room.
The honky tonk, as a matter of fact, was the predecessor of the present-daycabaretornight club,the principal differences being that the prices were lower and that the former establishment made no pretense of "class."[11]
In this context of the term’s meaning and its possible origin, an example from roughly the same period is theHarvey Oliver Brookssong “They Call Me Sister Honky-Tonk,” sung byMae Westin the 1933 filmI’m No Angel.[12]
Honky-tonks were rough establishments, providing country music in theDeep SouthandSouthwestand servingalcoholic beveragesto aworking-classclientele. Some honky-tonks offered dancing to music played by pianists or small bands, and some were centers ofprostitution.Katrina Hazzard-Gordon wrote that the honky-tonk was "the first urban manifestation of thejook",and that" the name itself became synonymous with a style of music. Related to the classic blues in tonal structure, honky-tonk has a tempo that is slightly stepped up. It is rhythmically suited for many African-American dance. "[13]
AsChris SmithandCharles McCarronwrote in their 1916 hit song "Down in Honky Tonk Town", "It's underneath the ground, where all the fun is found."
Origins of the establishment
[edit]Although the derivation of the term is unknown,honky tonkoriginally referred to bawdy variety shows in theWest(OklahomaandIndianTerritories andTexas) and to the theaters housing them. The earliest mention of them in print refers to them as "variety theaters"[14]and describe the entertainment as "variety shows".[15]The theaters often had an attached gambling house and always a bar.
In recollections long after the frontiers closed, writers such asWyatt Earpand E.C. Abbott referred to honky-tonks in the cowtowns of Kansas, Nebraska, and Montana in the 1870s and 1880s.[16]Their recollections contain lurid accounts of the women and violence accompanying the shows. However, in contemporary accounts these were nearly always calledhurdy-gurdyshows, possibly derived from the termhurdy-gurdy,which was sometimes mistakenly applied to a small, portable barrel organ that was frequently played by organ grinders andbuskers.
As late as 1913, Col. Edwin Emerson, a formerRough Ridercommander, hosted a honky-tonk party inNew York City.[17]The Rough Riders were recruited from the ranches of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Indian Territories, so the term was still in popular use during theSpanish–American War.
Music
[edit]
The honky-tonk sound has a full rhythm section playing a two-beat rhythm with a crisp backbeat.Steel guitarandfiddleare the dominant instruments.[18]
The firstmusic genreto be commonly known as honky-tonk music was a style ofpianoplaying related toragtimebut emphasizingrhythmmore thanmelodyorharmony;the style evolved in response to an environment in which the pianos were often poorly cared for, tending to be out of tune and having some nonfunctioning keys.
Honky-tonk music influenced theboogie-woogiepiano style, as indicated byJelly Roll Morton's 1938 record "Honky Tonk Music" andMeade Lux Lewis's hit "Honky Tonk Train Blues." Lewis recorded the latter many times from 1927 into the 1950s, and the song was covered by many other musicians, includingOscar Peterson.
Thetwelve-bar bluesinstrumental"Honky Tonk"by theBill DoggettCombo, with a sinuoussaxophoneline and driving, slow beat, was an earlyrock and rollhit.New OrleansnativeFats Dominowas another honky-tonk piano man, whose "Blueberry Hill"and"Walkin' to New Orleans"were hits on the popular music charts.
In the years before World War II, the music industry began to refer to honky-tonk music played from Texas and Oklahoma to the West Coast ashillbilly music.More recently, the term has come to refer to the primary sound incountry music,developing in Nashville asWestern swingbecame accepted there. Originally, it featured theguitar,fiddle,string bass,andsteel guitar(imported fromHawaiian folk music). The vocals were originally rough and nasal, as exemplified by the singer-songwritersFloyd TillmanandHank Williams,but later developed a clear and sharp sound, such as that ofGeorge JonesandFaron Young.Lyrics tended to focus on working-class life, with frequently tragic themes of lost love, adultery, loneliness, alcoholism, and self-pity.
Copyrighted and released in 1941, "Walking the Floor Over You",byErnest Tubb,[19][20]his sixth release forDecca,[21]helped establish the honky-tonk style and Tubb as one of its foremost practitioners.[22]Tubb, from Crisp, Texas, was a fan of Jimmie Rodgers and fused Western swing, which had been using electric guitars for years, with other "country" sounds.[23]
He took the sound to Nashville, where he was the first musician to playelectric guitaronGrand Ole Opry.In the 1950s, honky tonk entered itsgolden age,with the popularity ofWebb Pierce,Hank Locklin,Lefty Frizzell,Faron Young, George Jones, and Hank Williams. In the mid- to late 1950s,rockabilly(which melded honky-tonk country withrhythm and blues) and the slick country music of theNashville soundended honky-tonk's initial period of dominance.
The Rolling Stones' number-one single and gold record "Honky Tonk Women"(1969) was based on the sound of 1940s honky-tonk artists like Hank Williams[24]and referred to the reputation of honky-tonk bars as centres of prostitution.[25]In the 1970s,outlaw country's brand of rough honky-tonk was represented by artists such asGary Stewart,Waylon Jennings,Willie Nelson,David Allan Coe,andBilly Joe Shaver.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Underworld – Women(PDF),“Peoriana” collection, Peoria Public Library, pp. 2335–2342
- ^The Dallas Morning News(Dallas, Texas), August 6, 1890: "Myself and him set and talked awhile and he got up and said he wanted to go to the honk-a-tonk (variety show)."
- ^Galveston Daily News,July 26, 1892, p. 6: "Fort Worth, Tex. (...) A youth named Goodman, who arrived here from Wilbarger county entered Andrews' honkatonk on Fifteenth street and was ordered out on account of his age." (Honky Tonk (Not from Tonk Pianos),retrievedJuly 9,2006)
- ^The Daily Ardmoreite(Oklahoma), February 26, 1894, p. 2, col. 1. (Oklahoma Historical Society, Microfilm #110). "The honk-a-tonk last night was well attended by ball heads, bachelors and leading citizens. Most of them are inclined to kick themselves this morning for being sold."
- ^Pierce,Pierce Piano Atlas.
- ^"Piano Manufacturers New York State 1789–1911".Sweeneypiano.
- ^Tonk Manufacturing Company records.January 21, 1873.OCLC713358409.
- ^Tonk, William (January 21, 2019)."Memoirs of a Manufacturer".Presto.RetrievedJanuary 21,2019– via Google Books.
- ^"World Wide Words: Honky-tonk".World Wide Words.RetrievedJanuary 21,2019.
- ^Reno Evening Gazette(Nevada), February 3, 1900, p. 2, col. 5.
- ^"'Honky-Tonk' Origin Told ".(subscription required)Los Angeles Times.July 28, 1929. p. 16.
- ^"I'm No Angel (1933) - Soundtracks".IMDb.RetrievedJune 16,2024.
- ^Hazzard-Gordon, Katrina (1990).Jookin'.Temple University Press. p. 84.ISBN0-87722-613-X
- ^The Daily Oklahoman,Sunday, September 5, 1915, p. 1., col. 1. "There is scarcely an old-time gambler in the United States who does not remember the Reeves gambling house and 'honkytonk' in Guthrie.... a stage and rows of curtained boxes, was built as an addition for the purposes of a free-and-easy variety show."
- ^Reno Evening Gazette(Nevada), February 3, 1900, p. 2, col. 5. "The programme is made up largely of specialties. Whatever the feeling of a long-suffering public, the honkatonk vocalists never will permit 'Sweet Rosie O'Grady' and 'Just One Girl' to perish from the earth, and coon songs are sung as May Irwin never did and never will sing them. Always at least one drama is presented, the entire company, vocalists, dancers and all, participating. Among the most popular plays are 'The Dalton Boys' and 'Mildred, the She-Devil of the Plains,' for the old traditions still are respected to a certain extent, though the participation of the audience is no longer solicited."
- ^Hunter,Trail Drivers of Texas,p. 832ArchivedJuly 16, 2006, at theWayback Machine:"I went to Dodge City, the honkatonk town, cleaned up an bought a suit of clothes, and left for San Antonio, reaching home July 1, 1885."
- ^"Col. Emerson's Novel Party; Rough Rider Veteran Gives 'Old Forty-niners' Honky-Tonk Fandango'".The New York Times,February 23, 1913. p. C7
- ^Campbell, Michael (2011).Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On.Cengage Learning.p. 127.ISBN9780840029768
- ^"Walking The Floor Over You" Sheet Music by George IV Hamilton,SheetMusicNow
- ^Ernest Tubb,Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- ^[1][permanent dead link]
- ^Morrison, Craig (1952).Go Cat Go!University of Illinois Press. p. 28.ISBN0-252-06538-7.
- ^Nassour, Ellis.Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline.p. 39.ISBN978-1556527470
- ^Appleford, Steve (1997),The Rolling Stones: It's Only Rock and Roll: Song by Song,Schirmer Books, p. 88,ISBN0-02-864899-4.
- ^Melissa Hope Ditmore, ed. (2006),Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Volume 2,London: Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 407,ISBN0-313-32970-2.
Bibliography
[edit]
- Abbott, E.C. (2000).We Pointed Them North: Recollections of a Cowpuncher.Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.ISBN0-8061-1366-9.
- American Dialect Society (2005). "Honkatonk (1900, from wild geese?)".American Dialect Society.Retrieved July 16, 2006.
- Boyd, Jean Ann (1998).Jazz of the Southwest: An Oral History of Western Swing.Austin: University of Texas Press.ISBN0-292-70860-2.
- Dary, David (1989).Cowboy Culture: A Saga of Five Centuries.University Press of Kansas.Reprint ed.ISBN0-7006-0390-5.
- Hunter, J. Marvin (ed.) (1993).Trail Drivers of Texas: Interesting Sketches of Early Cowboys.Austin: University of Texas Press.Reprint of 1925 edition.ISBN0-292-73076-4.
- Kienzle, Rich (2003).Southwest Shuffle: Pioneers of Honky Tonk, Western Swing, and Country Jazz.New York: Routledge.ISBN0-415-94102-4.
- Lake, Stuart (1994).Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal.Pocket. Reprint ed.ISBN0-671-88537-5.
- Pierce, Bob; Ashley, Larry (1996).Pierce Piano Atlas.10th ed.ISBN0-911138-02-1.
- Shay, Anthony.Boys Night Out in Leadville.Retrieved July 16, 2006.
- Tennessean Tootsies'56th Birthday BashOctober 2016