3 Iconic Singers Who Were Told They Weren’t “Country” Enough

Country music has evolved quite a bit through the last century. And no matter how much it changes, there will always be genre purists who believe there is a “right” and “wrong” way to make music. The following three megafamous singers in country music were told they weren’t “country” enough at some point in their careers.

1. George Strait

Nobody has delivered as many no. 1 hits as George Strait. To many, he’s still the reigning king of the genre. And at one point, he was told he wasn’t nearly as “country” as he should be.

Back in the 1970s, Strait started experimenting with country music production while in the Army. He told an interviewer that when he first auditioned for a band, they told him he wasn’t as “country” as he should have been. They ended up giving him the boot. Strait didn’t give up, and now he’s one of the most recognizable country singers in the world.

2. Shania Twain

This is probably the most well-known example of a star who was told (constantly) that she was not “country” enough. Twain is Canadian and not from the South, and her hit album Come On Over leaned toward country-pop territory. Because she wasn’t a “traditional” country artist, a lot of haters back in the day didn’t particularly enjoy her music.

Ultimately, those opinions don’t matter. Twain sold over 100 million albums and holds a number of chart and sales records in country music. We won’t argue that she’s a traditional country artist. But she was still a country icon in our book!

3. Waylon Jennings

This entry on our list of stars who weren’t “country” enough might be surprising. However, Waylon Jennings got a lot of flack early on in his career. Keep in mind that outlaw country wasn’t really a thing when Jennings started making music; he was one of several singers who pioneered the genre. Quite a few purists back in the day didn’t like the “outlaw” image or Jennings’ long hair. They believed that artists like Jim Reeves and Faron Young were “real” country.

Today, Jennings is considered one of the biggest country icons of all time. And traditionalists today think that modern country artists should look more like him.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives

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