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Ameripolitan Awards - The Guesthouse at Graceland, Memphis,TN

  • The Guesthouse at Graceland 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd Memphis, TN 38116 (map)

Ameripolitan – This thought provoking word is intended to be an invitation to discuss the future of the music that is important to so many of us. By leaving the hopelessly compromised word “country” behind and exclusively using the term “Ameripolitan”, our intention is to reestablish this music’s own unique identity, elevate its significance and help reinvigorate it creatively. Also, because of our place in history, we have the privilege and responsibility to pass a great musical tradition on to future generations who will otherwise have no direct connection to this music.

We believe this extra effort is necessary because, for the majority of people under the age 50 years old, their country music experience has been vastly different. As far back as the 1970s, corporations began descending upon country music. Executives, disdainful of the great musical tradition they had inherited, were placed in charge of country music. With ruthless efficiency they separated the music from its roots, redefined the brand, until finally, they succeeded in remaking country music their own superficial image. Today, the only remaining vestige of tradition in country music is the name.

The days of debating the definition of what is, and what is not country music now seem irrelevant. No one involved in producing country music today can even begin to comprehend the argument. Alabama and Lynyrd Skynyrd are classic country to them. 

In our opinion, it is time to concede the point, leave them all to their own devices, and put the whole unpleasant chapter behind us. Once we have stopped wasting our time defending the “good name” of country music or decrying the ill-suited alternatives, we can go back to where the record skipped and continue on from there.

The Ameripolitan Music genre is here. We invite all of you who love Ameripolitan Music to help spread the word.