1998

20.1

Don Cusic

NASCAR and Country Music

In the movie Thunder Road (1958) actor Robert Mitchum plays Lucas Doolin, a backwoods bootlegger running moonshine whiskey. In order to evade the law, as well as others trying to muscle in on his business, Doolin develops a souped-up car that can outrun any other car, and a superb talent for driving down mountain roads and around hairpin turns in order to deliver his moonshine. This story, which Mitchum also wrote, could have been the story of a number of young men from the 1920-1960 era who made their living this way. Their story is the basic beginnings of NASCAR racing today.

In addition to writing and starring in the movie, Mitchum also wrote and recorded the theme song, "The Ballad of Thunder Road," which achieved some success on the pop charts twice, in 1958 when it was originally released on Capitol Records and rose to number 62 and again in 1962 when it was re-released on the same label and rose to number 65. The only other time Mitchum was on the pop charts was in 1967 when his song, "Little Old Wine Drinker Me" on Monument reached number 96 on the pop charts (Whitburn, Top Pop 398). Mitchum did not get on the Country Charts with his recording, although Jim and Jesse's recording of "The Ballad of Thunder Road" reached number 44 on the Country Charts in 1967 on Epic Records (Whitburn, Top Country 155).

Around the same time that the story of Thunder Road took place, a number of other country boys in the mountains were playing music--what would later become known as "country" music--and trying to get out of the mountains. What the country musicians and bootleggers had in common was that both were generally poor, rural, working class guys trying to make a living outside the traditional world of manual labor. Playing music and running bootleg moonshine both had an element of glamour, or excitement, and the money was much better than the money to be made from hard, manual labor. Plus, in that rural environment many people were desperate to survive economically, and playing country music or running moonshine whiskey allowed a lot of poor families to get by. While these old rural musicians laid the groundwork for what would become modern or contemporary country music, these moonshiner drivers laid the groundwork for the sport now known as NASCAR racing.

Country Music and NASCAR racing have both come a long way since that time to reach a level of respectability far beyond the dreams of most of those early country performers and drivers. But what remains in common to both is that they're both entertainment for the white working class. Although neither is limited to the South, where they started, or to those on the lower economic scale, both carry the southern, rural tradition of entertainment for "ordinary" people, the working class--although that class is no longer defined simply as manual laborers, nor confined to rural regions or to the South. The working class wears a white collar as well as a blue collar today, and the pay is much better, allowing working class Americans to send their kids to college and own a home in the suburbs. But they're still the working class, those who work for someone else, putting in their hours on the job in order to find their fulfillment and fun outside this job. Further, according to studies by the Country Music Association which I've seen presented a music industry seminars, the crowds watching NASCAR or country music also include a fair amount of those on the higher end of the socioeconomic scale, those who are professionals; however, deep in their hearts lie working class roots. Those roots are expressed by listening to country music and watching NASCAR races.

Like those company executives who came from blue collar families to become white collar professionals, both country music and stock car racing have risen from their images as lower-class, blue collar, redneck modes of entertainment to entertainment forms with middle-class respectability. And, with the large amounts of money involved, they have penetrated the board rooms of corporate America whose executives, in the past, were loath to be associated with either country music or stock car racing. In other words, if—as it often seems--money defines class, then country music and stock car racing have come from the bottom rung in terms of economic clout to the higher reaches of the economic ladder by virtue of the money each has generated. And where there is money in popular culture, there is usually respectability. Although it may be grudgingly given at first, this fight for "respect" is at the heart of the success stories of both country music and stock car racing.

The conjunction of country music performers and NASCAR racing drivers should be no surprise. The Nashville Network (TNN) has discovered their fans form the same core audience and TNN’s programming reflects this. In fact, in terms of TV advertising, NASCAR races generally make more money for the network than country music does. And the NASCAR races pull in a larger audience of TV viewers than country music shows in general, according to several high ranking executives at the Nashville Network who don't want to be quoted.

The connection between the "stars" and their fans is similar in both country music and NASCAR. The "stars"--Winston Cup drivers and country artists--must remain accessible to their fans, signing autographs--for free, not pay--and be available to pose for pictures or just chat. They must connect with their fans as "down-home" folks, with a touch of glamour that comes from their achievements. In many ways, the country artists and NASCAR drivers are like their fans--for the most part, they have the same working-class roots, a fact evident from attending events and conversing with a cross-section of these fans--but they become extraordinary through their talent, hard work, individualism, and dedication. And so the fans reward these stars because the artist or driver is "one of their own."

Both country music and NASCAR owe a great deal of their initial success and national exposure to tobacco companies, specifically the R.J. Reynolds Company. In January, 1939, Reynolds, through the Esty Advertising Agency began sponsoring the Grand Old Opry through its Prince Albert brand. In October, 1939, the sponsor brought the Opry to network radio, giving the Grand Ole Opry national exposure. Prince Albert remained a sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry until December, 1960. During World War II, the Reynolds company sponsored "Camel Caravans" where country artists from the Grand Ole Opry performed for service people, while samples of the product were handed out. During the 1950s, Philip Morris sponsored tours of country artists in an effort to promote their product (Hagan). When R.J. Reynolds company decided to promote its Winston brand, they began sponsoring Winston Cup races for NASCAR in 1971. Before the races a representative from a tobacco company (Reynolds and Philip Morris sponsor racing teams) hands out samples to those who want them and Miss Winston, a beauty queen, also passes out samples before a race (Howell).

Lord knows it's not politically correct these days to say anything good about tobacco companies. However, the fact remains that the tobacco companies were behind the early success of both NASCAR and country music. It is possible that neither would have become the major industry each has become without that early tobacco company support; or at least it would have taken a lot longer and things would have turned out a bit differently. The tobacco companies were not altruistic--they wanted a "market," people to buy their product. And they realized that people who liked country music and NASCAR were more likely to smoke cigarettes than followers of other kinds of entertainment; or at least they could "target" this market better through these two events.

Prince Albert tobacco was a loose-in-the-can type of tobacco; although it was advertised for pipe smokers, the truth is that the blue collar crowd used the brand to roll their own. This appealed to the poor Southerner who listened to country music. Winston was a competing brand for Marlboro, which was owned by the Philip Morris Company; in an effort to attract the race driving fans, Winston began sponsoring a series of races.

NASCAR and country music are not team events in the traditional sense. While the team in baseball, football or basketball wins or loses, it is the individual in NASCAR or country music who carries the burden. However, behind the scenes there is a team--a team united behind a single performer. For example, a driver for NASCAR has his group of sponsors, the pit crew at the race track, those who take care of the cars in the shops, and even those who do the logistics of booking travel. In country music the star has a group of sponsors, the "team" of a manager, record company, publisher, publicist, booking agent, etc. In other words, the focus is on the individual in both NASCAR and country music, but the concept of the "team" is essential for success. An individual without a great team in the background cannot "win." In organized sports a team wins because of great individuals; in NASCAR and country music an individual wins because of a great team.

Part of this team for both NASCAR and country music are those who put together merchandise or souvenirs for the fans. For those outside the inside world of country music and NASCAR, these two activities are about music and cars. But that's not the view of those inside these professions. In many ways, country music and NASCAR are about selling. The NASCAR cars are rolling advertisements. Country music tries to sell recordings, but also to present a music that "sells" air time on country music radio stations and corporate products through corporate sponsorship of tours. Further, country music artists and NASCAR drivers are in the business of merchandising their names and likeness on t-shirts, sweatshirts, key chains, caps, pens, pictures and anything else the consumer will buy. And consumers buy a great deal of this merchandise. For country music performers, the profit on a tour may come from the sales of merchandise while the money from the performance itself serves as the break-even point. For major artists like Garth Brooks, it is possible to do both--and merchandise sales can reach $100,000 for an evening's performance. That's in addition to the money he makes from the performance itself. In NASCAR there is "souvenir row" at Winston Cup Races where fans can purchase t-shirts, caps, belt buckles, mugs and a variety of other objects with the driver's likeness or logo on it. For example, during a Winston Cup event, about 5,000 Dale Earnhardt t-shirts might be sold; in 1993 Earnhardt, one of the most popular Winston Cup drivers, grossed approximately $42 million in souvenir sales alone (Howell, 161).

Both NASCAR and country music have benefited by the creation and development of a controlling organization: NASCAR and the Country Music Association. NASCAR was organized in December, 1947, and incorporated in February, 1948. NASCAR is owned and controlled by the France family, with Bill France, Sr., who retired in 1972, the founder of the organization and his son, Bill, Jr., the current President. NASCAR serves as nearly a dictatorship in deciding the rules and penalties for NASCAR drivers and cars--and caters to the needs and demands of its major corporate sponsors (Howell). The Country Music Association was formed in 1958 by a group of Nashville executives concerned about the rise of rock'n'roll and the erosion of support for country music, particularly on radio. In the history of the CMA--familiar to all those in the country music industry—the organization’s primary activity was talking to advertising agencies and convincing them country music is a good buy for their advertising dollars. Currently, their major activity is Fan Fair, held each June, and the Country Music Association Awards Show, held in September or October each year. The CMA determines who goes on the show and who does not as well as overseeing the awards given to performers.

In the major events for both forms of entertainment, corporate executives receive a seat of honor. At the CMA Awards Show, I have watched the representatives of the advertising agency and corporate sponsors escorted to the best seats. In NASCAR, fans can look up and see corporate sponsors and ad agency executives at their seats in special boxes where they watch the race. Anyone close to these organizations knows that the courting of corporate sponsors is an integral part of what they do--and these advertisers have a major say in both country music and NASCAR. From the 1940s, when the Esty Agency wrote the scripts for the Minnie Pearl and Rod Brasfield routines, to the 1990s, when the corporations have a major say in who does or does not perform on the showcase events, this has been obvious. In NASCAR, the sponsors have devised new ways to have their products displayed on the driver's uniform, the car itself, and on billboards around the track so that TV cameras broadcast them as the race is run.

Both NASCAR and country music were "regional" in the beginning--the roots for both are in the South--and their early performers, audiences and exposure were in the South. Both have now become "national," although they remain linked to the South in image. They have become national through exposure on the national media, particularly television, although radio and the movies have also played an important part. From Thunder Road to Days of Thunder (1990) is a long way; the latter movie, starring Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle, depicts a more recent NASCAR race with its huge crowds and cars covered with sponsors' advertisements and logos. For those inside the world of NASCAR, Days of Thunder departs too far from reality to be realistic; however, many of those outside this world found that the movie captured much of the excitement and drama of a real NASCAR race. Country music has not had a movie like Days of Thunder, but there have been a number of movies featuring country music stars, from the 1940 picture The Grand Ole Opry starring Roy Acuff, through made-for-TV movies starring everyone from Reba McEntire ("The Gambler") to Johnny Cash ("The Pride of Jesse Hallum"). Country music performers have at least received national exposure through the movies. Radio has played a more important role in country music with the vast expansion of country music radio stations. But TV has been the vehicle that has brought both country music and NASCAR racing into America's living rooms through broadcasts of such key live events as the Country Music Association Awards Show and the Daytona 500 races. Here, American viewers have been able to watch both country music and NASCAR at its best.

Being a country music artist or a NASCAR driver is a full-time, pressure-filled, demanding job. Both artists and drivers spend only a small part of their time doing a country concert or driving in a Winston Cup race; the rest of their time is filled with media interviews, meetings with corporate sponsors, personal appearances, signing autographs, and staying in touch with their fans. The country artist must visit radio stations, retail outlets, and record company personnel in addition to recording albums and giving concerts. NASCAR drivers must not only drive but also do personal appearances for their corporate sponsors, sign autographs, have meetings and media interviews, sign autographs and stay in touch with their fans. And, yes, these stars must find time to practice their trade as well--testing cars and tracks or learning new songs to perform. In addition to these public demands--and both drivers and artists live their lives in the public spotlight--they must also find a way to stay on top in their professional lives. It is a difficult job and talent in the job alone is not enough; both also require an immense amount of public relations skills outside their jobs.

Both professions also require a great deal of money in order to operate on the national level. According to Mark Howell in his book From Moonshine to Madison Avenue, A NASCAR team requires at least $4 million a year in order to operate; a country artist, according to a number of record company executives I have spoken with, will have to spend about half a million dollars by the time the first album is released. The rewards are great for the chosen few at the top; for a number of others in both fields, it is possible to carry over a million dollars in debt every day of their lives.

NASCAR and country music are connected not only by a shared audience, but also by shared interests among the drivers and artists. Country artists such as Diamond Rio and David Lee Murphy have helped sponsor NASCAR teams, and other artists from Marty Robbins to Brooks and Dunn have been involved in racing. They talk about this involvement in a number of interviews printed in country publications as well as during TV appearances. A number of NASCAR drivers are avid country music fans, and they have discussed this love of country music in interviews that those who follow either NASCAR or country music have seen or read. In a sense, both the drivers and artists are cut from the same cloth; both usually have working class roots and, even when they are successful, must show themselves to be "ordinary" people for their white, working class audiences. At the same time, they must operate in the world of big money and corporate sponsorship. Being a NASCAR driver or country music artist means carrying an aura of glamour. But outside that glamour is a world of constant demands. Perhaps the biggest connection between the two fields is that stars in neither are what they seem to be, and yet both seem to be what in their heart of hearts they are: working class heroes who have found the jackpot in their field of dreams. In this sense, they both represent the American Dream.