The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in partnership with Warner Music Nashville, is set to release an expanded edition of the iconic box set “From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music.” Originally introduced in 1998, this updated collection delves into the rich history of Black Americans’ contributions to country music, spanning a century of musical evolution. Inspired by the pioneering efforts of Black country recording artist Cleve Francis and American Baptist College executive Nelson Wilson, the original set aimed to shed light on a neglected aspect of music history. Francis remarked to the Washington Post upon its initial release, “It’s a part of our history that’s been hidden from us.” Now, more than 25 years later, the museum and Warner Music Nashville have joined forces once again to expand, redesign, and update the box set, ensuring that this vital chapter of music history receives the recognition it deserves.
The new collection features 82 tracks across three discs, with a fourth disc titled “Reclaiming the Heritage” that spotlights a fresh wave of Black artists in country and Americana who have emerged up to 2020. Adding depth to the collection are new essays by recording artists Rhiannon Giddens and Rissi Palmer that complement the original contributions by distinguished music scholars and journalists. In addition to the physical release, the museum is launching “From Where I Stand: The Online Experience” on its website starting May 31, 2024, providing free access to all the music, incisive essays, archival photographs and video, and historical track notes. This educational resource will also offer supplemental materials from the museum’s archive and resources tailored for educators. Notably, the online experience will feature music that couldn’t be licensed for the physical box set release, including collaborations like Beyoncé and the Chicks’ “Daddy Lessons” and Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.”
“The most beautiful thing to me about the Black country renaissance is that its stars, who are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve, are truly using country music the way that, to me, it was born to be used,” expresses Giddens in her essay. “Their music reflects and highlights a cultural viewpoint that has been traditionally suppressed, shows the best of the American narrative, and, in the end, tells the important stories of now, for the generations of tomorrow.”
The CD set is packaged in a hard-bound booklet adorned with traditional quilt designs from the Gee’s Bend community of Alabama, alongside cover type by visual artist and designer David Jon Walker, matching each era of music with a corresponding quilt. To celebrate the release, a special concert event, “From Where I Stand: The Concert Celebration,” presented by Amazon and Riverview Foundation, will take place on June 18 in the museum’s CMA Theater. Co-produced by Rissi Palmer and Shannon Sanders, the event will feature performances by Blanco Brown, Cowboy Troy, Tony Jackson, and other artists represented in the box set.
With its comprehensive exploration of the Black experience in country music, this box set serves as both a tribute to the past and a celebration of the genre’s diverse future. Preorders are now available on the museum’s website, inviting music enthusiasts to embark on a journey through a century of musical heritage. For more info, visit www.countrymusichalloffame.org/fwis.
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