Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter and musician, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 15 studio albums, three Greatest Hits albums, two Christmas albums, two Gospel albums and several compilations. © wikipedia.org

You'll hear a lot of musicians say that they were surrounded by country music when growing up. But few can say it and mean it as literally as Amber Digby can. © countrystandardtime.com

Billy Mata is a Texas music scene veteran with over a quarter-century of making music with his own Texas Western Swing Hall Of Fame band, The Texas Tradition. Two-time Academy Of Western ArtistsWestern Swing Vocalist of the Year and winner of the Academy's Entertainer Of The Year award, Billy Mata delivers authentic Western Swing and true traditional country music. © billy-mata.com

His animated presence thrilled audiences in dance halls, over the radio and in the movies. His energy lifted spiritis. His music moved and his style inspired. © bobwills.com

Buck was the leader of the Bakersfield sound, a twangy, electricified, rock-influenced interpretation of hardcore honky tonk that emerged in the '60s. Owens was the first bona fide country star to emerge from Bakersfield, scoring a total of 15 consecutive number one hits in the mid-'60s. © www.cmt.com

Known as Mr. Country, Carl Smith was one of the most popular honky tonkers of the '50s, racking up over 30 Top Ten hits over the course of the decade. Smith was also able to sustain that popularity into the late '70s, during which time he had a charting single for every year except one. © www.cmt.com

Chuck Cusimano was born to a Working Cowboy Father, Louie, and it is said that his Mother, Judy, in her younger years, could "Cowboy" as good as most men also. The Cusimano's are from the Trinidad, Colorado area and have worked on various Ranches in Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico. © chuckcusimano.com

In less than a year, Connie Smith moved from being a small-town Ohio housewife to country stardom with a number one single to her credit. Perhaps overly compared to and identified with Patsy Cline, Smith is still considered by many to be one of the best and most underrated vocalists in country history. © www.cmt.com

Since the start of his music career, Dwight Yoakam has proven he's more than just another guy with a guitar and a hat. He has risen from hot country star to being one of country music's biggest influences. © imdb.com

Already celebrated as a discoverer and interpreter of other artists’ songs, 12-time Grammy Award winner Emmylou Harris has, in the last decade, gained admiration as much for her eloquently straightforward songwriting as for her incomparably expressive singing. © emmylouharris.com

Born in Texas in 1952, country singer George Strait began performing in a band while serving in the U.S. Army. He landed a recording contract in the 1980s with MCA records and produced numerous hit albums throughout the next three decades. © biography.com

Hank Williams is the father of contemporary country music. He was a superstar by the age of 25; he was dead at the age of 29. In those four short years, he established the rules for all the country performers who followed him and, in the process, much of popular music. © www.cmt.com

A stark traditionalist, Jake Penrod is as close to Country as Country gets. He describes his singing style as sounding like “Hank Williams’ and Kitty Wells’ love child,” and if you’ve ever heard him sing, you’ll whole-heartedly agree. © jakepenrod.com

Jimmy Parker has remained true to his musical roots, traditional country music. Since his return to the music business scene in 2004, he has recorded five CD albums and has released several music videos on some of the songs he has recorded. ©jimmyparkermusic.com

Jody Nix, a well established artist in the great State of Texas gives Glory and Thanks to God for the talent, and the ability to use it to play music that he dearly loves. A true Traditional Country Music and Western Swing artist, he has been in the business 50 years. He has played dances and shows all over Texas and parts of the southwest. © jodynix.com

Lefty Frizzell was the definitive honky tonk singer, the vocalist that set the style for generations of vocalists that followed him. Frizzell smoothed out the rough edges of honky tonk by singing longer, flowing phrases -- essentially, he made honky tonk more acceptable for the mainstream without losing its gritty, bar-room roots. © www.cmt.com

The word “legend” usually makes an appearance at some point when discussing Merle Haggard. It’s an acknowledgment of his artistry and his standing as “the poet of the common man. © merlehaggard.com

Michael Perry Siler was born and raised in Lubbock, TX. Surrounded by farming and ranching it is easy to understand Mike's view of life. To see soil tilled and prepared and a small seed planted for harvest, you learn first hand the cycle of life. © thewesternartists.com

Leslie Anne Sloan, aka Miss Leslie, was born in Charleston, SC to parents of distinctly different musical tastes. Her father was a church minister from Tennessee who loved bluegrass and classic country. Her mother grew up in Florida and played classical piano. © reverbnation.com

Patsy's big break came when she won an Arthur Godfrey Talent program in 1957 with the hit Walkin' After Midnight. From there she pursued a recording career appearing at the mecca of country music - the Grand Ole Opry in 1958, and received national awards in 1961 and 1962. © patsycline.com

Spade Cooley was born December 17, 1910, in Pack Saddle Creek, Oklahoma. He moved with his impoverished family to Oregon for work and began playing the violin for extra money. He transitioned his talent into becoming one of the most popular fiddlers of the time. © biography.com

In a career that has given rise to more than a decade’s worth of fine-tuned, highly anticipated and wonderfully received music, the Derailers continue to build the relationship between song, listener and dance floor. © derailers.com

Wanda Jackson was born in Oklahoma, but her father Tom — himself a country singer who quit because of the Depression — moved the family to California in 1941. He bought Wanda her first guitar two years later, gave her lessons, and encouraged her to play piano as well.© wandajackson.com