North Carolina
Country Music

North Carolina has produced some of country music's most distinctive personalities. Eric Church was born in Granite Falls and has built one of the format's most independent careers, selling out stadiums on his own terms while resisting the pop-country trend. Charlie Daniels was from Wilmington and made "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" a crossover phenomenon in 1979. Ronnie Milsap from Robbinsville had one of the 1970s' and 1980s' most successful country careers despite being blind from birth. Kellie Pickler from Albemarle became one of American Idol's most recognizable country alums.

Charlotte is the state's country music hub. Coyote Joe's is one of the Carolinas' best-known dedicated country clubs and has hosted touring acts for decades. PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte is a major outdoor venue that brings in summer country tours. Raleigh's Coastal Credit Union Music Park and Greensboro's Greensboro Coliseum handle additional touring dates. The state has strong country radio particularly in the Piedmont and western mountain communities.

Living in North Carolina, country music is accessible and culturally embedded, especially in the rural and small-city communities outside the Triangle and Charlotte areas. The western mountain region has a strong old-time and bluegrass tradition adjacent to the North Carolina-Virginia-Tennessee border. The state produces artists who tend to be personalities. Eric Church and Charlie Daniels are not interchangeable with Nashville formula country, and that independence shapes how North Carolina fans relate to the genre.

Eric Church (Granite Falls) is one of country's most critically respected artists and has put North Carolina on the country map. Ronnie Milsap (Robbinsville) and Charlie Daniels (Wilmington) are also North Carolina natives. Charlotte has a growing country nightclub scene.

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