A recently unearthed song from 1891 is being hailed as a pivotal piece of country music history. Thompson’s Old Gray Mule, recorded by Louis Vasnier, a Creole artist from the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, predates the birth of what we now know as “hillbilly” music by three decades. Released last month as a 45rpm vinyl by Archeophone Records, this recording is believed to be one of the oldest known country records in existence.
Archeophone co-founder Richard Martin refers to the song as “arguably the oldest country record,” while his wife, Meagan Hennessey, calls it “the most important thing we’ve ever put out.” The song, which tells the story of a farmer’s mule, offers a rare glimpse into the roots of country music, challenging the conventional timeline of the genre’s origins.
Vasnier’s 1891 recording represents a long-lost link to country music’s early days and serves as a “true unicorn” in the genre’s history, showing that the sound of country music was not limited to the rural South, but rather was part of a larger, more diverse musical landscape.
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