Before Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter,’ There Was Ray Charles’ ‘Modern Sounds’ – Though His Country Embrace Didn’t Begin or End There

Paul Grein

May 30, 2024

Billboard

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Discover how Ray Charles' 'Modern Sounds' influenced country music and Beyoncé's genre-defying album 'Cowboy Carter.' Explore their musical legacies and impact on the industry.

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A split image featuring a Ray Charles smiling man in sunglasses and a suit on the left, and a joyful Beyonce in a wide-brimmed hat on the right, both in black and white.

Photo Credit:

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Mason Poole

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Ray Charles, Beyoncé, Modern Sounds, Cowboy Carter, genre exploration

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RAMPD Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities

a group amplifying disability culture, promote inclusion, and advocate for accessibility with the music industry.

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Rainbow Rodeo: Playlist

A bi-montly playlist celebrating queer country, Americana, blues, and roots music.

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Karen & the Sorrows have been building queer country community in Brooklyn by running the Queer Country Quarterly and the Gay Ole Opry (gayoleopry.com) since 2011. Most of these bands have come to play for us, but some we're still wishing on!

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