Virginia's musical contribution to American culture includes Piedmont blues, jazz, folk, brass, hip-hop, and rock and roll bands, as well as the founding origins of country music in the Bristol sessions by Appalachian Virginians.
Within the state, origin points for music ranges from cities such as Richmond to college towns such as Charlottesville and Fredericksburg, and the rural areas of Southwestern Virginia along "The Crooked Road."
State song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" by James A. Bland was Virginia's state song from 1940 until 1997; it now has emeritus status. "Oh Shenandoah" was the interim state song from January 2006, and its melody was used for "Our Great Virginia," with lyrics by Mike Greenly, which became the official state song in 2015. The same year, "Sweet Virginia Breeze," written in 1978 by Steve Bassett and Robbin Thompson, became the official popular state song; the runner-up was "Virginia, the Home of My Heart."
Birthplace of Southern shape note music In 1816, Ananias Davisson of Rockingham County published a shape note tunebook, titled Kentucky Harmony, containing folk melodies collected during his travels. At a time when the musicians in the North were turning to Europe and ridiculing the composers of the First New England School, Davisson's focus on grassroots regional music was widely imitated in the South.
Notable music artists from Virginia by genre One of Virginia's most famous musical contributions is the country singer Patsy Cline. Several towns claim her as their own, including Gore and Winchester. Pearl Bailey and the "First Lady of Jazz" Ella Fitzgerald both hail from Newport News.
Virginia's notable award-winning bluegrass and country musicians include Jim & Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys, Ralph Stanley, Hobart Smith, the Statler Brothers, and the Carter Family. Hip hop and rhythm and blues acts like Missy Elliott, Timbaland, the Neptunes, Clipse, Nottz, and Bink also hail from the commonwealth.
Singer-songwriters from Virginia include Jason Mraz and jam bands like the Pat McGee Band and Dave Matthews Band, who continue their strong charitable connection to Charlottesville. Hip hop Bink! - record producer/songwriter, Norfolk Chris Brown – Hip-hop and R&B singer, Tappahannock Clipse (No Malice and Pusha T) – rap/hip-hop duo, Virginia Beach Black Cobain — rapper, Alexandria Danja – record producer/songwriter, Virginia Beach D'Angelo – R&B singer, Richmond Dalvin DeGrate – singer, member of Jodeci, Hampton DC Talk - Christian rap, Lynchberg Missy Elliott – hip-hop and R&B singer "the Queen of Rap," Portsmouth Black Kray (Sickboyrari) - rapper, Richmond Krohme - record producer/songwriter, Alexandria Lex Luger – producer, Suffolk Lee Major – Music Producer/Songwriter, Petersburg Nick Mira – producer and songwriter, Richmond The Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad Hugo) – hip hop, R&B, and pop producer/artist duo N.E.R.D (Pharrell, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley) – rock, funk, and hip hop band Nettspend - rapper, Richmond Nickelus F – rapper, Richmond Nottz – producer and rapper, Norfolk Big Pooh – rapper (Little Brother), Dumfries Lady Of Rage – rapper, Farmville Skillz – rapper and songwriter, Richmond Trey Songz – R&B singer, Petersburg Eric Stanley – violinist and composer, Chesapeake DeVante Swing – producer/singer, founder of R&B group Jodeci, Hampton Pusha T – rapper and songwriter, Virginia Beach Timbaland – rapper and producer, Norfolk. Lil Ugly Mane – rapper, singer, noise musician, and record producer, Richmond Pharrell Williams – producer, rapper, singer-songwriter, Virginia Beach yvngxchris – rapper, singer, songwriter, Chesapeake
Blues and jazz Pearl Mae Bailey – vocalist, actress, Newport News James "Plunky" Branch – saxophonist; Oneness of JuJu, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Richmond Karen Briggs – improvising violinist (featured with Yanni), Portsmouth Rob Brown – saxophonist and composer, Hampton Ruth Brown – singer, songwriter, actress, musician, Portsmouth Charlie Byrd – jazz guitarist, Suffolk Robert Cray – blues guitarist, Newport News Walter Davis Jr. – bebop and hard bop pianist, Richmond Archie Edwards – Piedmont blues guitarist, Union Hall Ella Fitzgerald – jazz singer, Newport News Tiny Grimes – jazz and R&B guitarist, Newport News The Holmes Brothers – blues, jazz, gospel, Christchurch Claude Hopkins – jazz stride pianist, Alexandria Cliff Jackson – jazz stride pianist, Culpeper John Jackson – Piedmont blues musician, Woodville René Marie – vocalist, Warrenton Tommy Newsom – musician in Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show Band, Portsmouth Don Pullen – avant-garde jazz pianist, Roanoke Keely Smith – jazz singer, actress, Louis Prima collaborator, Norfolk Lonnie Liston Smith – pianist, keyboardist; Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis, Stanley Turrentine, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Betty Carter, Max Roach, Richmond Steve Wilson – saxophonist; Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Lionel Hampton, Hampton Victor Wooten – bass virtuoso, member of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Newport News
Country and bluegrass
Kenny Alphin – of the country group Big & Rich, b. Culpeper Oliver Anthony - singer-songwriter, Farmville Tim Barry – frontman of Avail, and country/folk singer-songwriter, Richmond Dock Boggs – singer, banjo player, Norton The Carter Family – country trio, known as the "First Family of Country Music," Maces Spring Neko Case – country singer, Alexandria Roy Clark – country music artist, Meherrin Patsy Cline – country music singer, Winchester (d. 1963, buried in Winchester) Steve Earle – country-rock musician and songwriter, b. Hampton Jim & Jesse – bluegrass duo, Coeburn Scott Miller – alternative country singer-songwriter, also of the V-Roys and Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, Augusta County Old Crow Medicine Show – Americana/folk band, Harrisonburg Old Dominion – country band, Roanoke River City Gang – country-rock band, Richmond Gary Ruley and Mule Train – Rockbridge County Shaboozey- singer, Prince William County Mary Simpson – violinist, Charlottesville Canaan Smith – country singer, Williamsburg Hobart Smith – banjo virtuoso, Saltville Kilby Snow – autoharpist, Grayson County The Stanley Brothers – bluegrass duo, Dickenson County The Statler Brothers – country-rock-gospel band, Staunton The Steel Wheels - folk and Americana, Harrisonburg Ricky Van Shelton – country singer, Pittsylvania County Phil Vassar – country singer and songwriter, Lynchburg Walker's Run, Lexington Wade Ward – banjo player, fiddler, Independence Mac Wiseman, born in Crimora
Pop, rock, and heavy metal Illiterate Light – indie rock duo, Harrisonburg and Richmond Alabama Thunderpussy – mainstream rock-metal band, Richmond Arsis – death metal band, Virginia Beach Artful Dodger – power pop, Fairfax Avail – punk band, Richmond Bad Omens - heavy metal band, Richmond Broadside – pop-punk band, Richmond Carbon Leaf – Celtic-infused rock band, Richmond Car Seat Headrest - indie rock band, Leesburg City of Caterpillar – screamo/post rock band, Richmond Clarence Clemons – saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Norfolk"Clarence Clemons, Springsteen's Soulful Sideman, Dies at 69". The New York Times, Retrieved August 16, 2024. Stewart Copeland – drummer for rock band the Police and jazz ensemble Animal Logic, Alexandria Lucy Dacus – singer-songwriter and member of indie trio boygenius, Mechanicsville Dave Matthews Band – jam band, Charlottesville Days Difference – pop-rock band, Virginia Beach The Dreamscapes Project – acoustic rock band, Reston The Downtown Fiction – rock band, Fairfax Mark Oliver Everett – lead singer, guitarist, and keyboardist of Eels Neil Fallon – stoner rock, singer for the band Clutch The Friday Night Boys – rock band, Fairfax Glass Cloud – metalcore Hampton Down To Nothing – hardcore punk band, Richmond Eternal Summers – dream pop band, Roanoke Gigantic Brain – experimental metal-grindcore band Gwar – thrash metal, art rock band, Richmond The Last Bison – indie-folk band, Chesapeake Labradford – ambient/drone/post-rock band, Richmond Lamb of God – heavy-metal band, Richmond Jake E. Lee – heavy/glam metal guitarist, Ratt, Dio, Ozzy Osbourne, Mandy Lion Bill Leverty – guitarist for Firehouse, Richmond Michael Foster— drummer for Firehouse, Richmond Mae – pop-rock, Norfolk Aimee Mann – new wave singer-songwriter, Richmond Janis Martin – rockabilly, country, rock and roll, Sutherlin Moutheater – noise rock/sludge/punk, Norfolk Jason Mraz – acoustic pop-rock singer-songwriter, Mechanicsville Municipal Waste – Thrash Crossover band, Richmond Bob Nastanovich - percussionist, member of indie rock band Pavement, Midlothian Parachute – indie-rock band, Charlottesville Pentagram (band) - doom metal, Alexandria Pg. 99 - screamo/emoviolence band, Sterling Pig Destroyer – grindcore band, Alexandria RDGLDGRN, rap-rock, Reston Satan's Satyrs, heavy/doom/punk rock, Herndon (later Richmond) Suzy Saxon and the Anglos – new wave band, Richmond Seven Mary Three – alternative rock, post-grunge band, Williamsburg Matt Sharp – original Weezer bass guitarist, the Rentals, grew up in Arlington Strike Anywhere – punk rock/melodic hardcore band, Richmond Scott Travis – heavy metal drummer for Judas Priest, Norfolk Tim Be Told – contemporary Christian-rock band, Charlottesville Kali Uchis – singer-songwriter, Alexandria Gene Vincent - rockabilly singer and guitarist, Norfolk Steve West - drummer for indie rock band Pavement, Richmond Windhand – Doom Metal band, Richmond Jason Richardson (musician) - guitarist, former member of All Shall Perish, Chelsea Grin, and Born of Osiris; current member of All That Remains, Manassas
Other Pearl Bailey – Broadway singer, Newport News Ann Marie Calhoun – violinist, Gordonsville Bill Deal and the Rhondels are from Virginia Beach Bruce Hornsby – singer-songwriter and pianist, Williamsburg Undine Smith Moore – composer, Jarratt Wayne Newton – a.k.a. "Mr. Las Vegas"; singer and songwriter, Roanoke Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua of Old Crow Medicine Show, Harrisonburg Robbin Thompson – singer-songwriter, Richmond Keller Williams – one-man jam band from Fredericksburg Hilary Hahn – classical violin soloist, Lexington
Music venues and institutions
For larger concerts and events, Virginia has the Ferguson Center for the Arts (Christopher Newport University) in Newport News, VA; Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow (marketed as D.C. for most tours); the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach in Virginia Beach; the Richmond Coliseum; the Hampton Coliseum; and the Norfolk Scope. Vienna is home to the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the only national park for the arts in the United States. Wolf Trap features a large outdoor amphitheater, the 7,000-seat Filene Center, and a smaller indoor venue called The Barns. The Old Dominion Opry is another major venue, located near Colonial Williamsburg, a popular tourist attraction.Byron, pgs. 310 – 321
Virginia's other prominent music venues include The Birchmere in Alexandria, a local country and bluegrass club where Mary Chapin Carpenter performed early in her career. The Landmark Theater in Richmond and the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk both host the Virginia Opera. Phase 2 (the former Cattle Annie's, but significantly remodeled in 2010) is a popular, large club venue in Lynchburg with a reputation for attracting prominent performers. Garth Newel Music Center in Hot Springs was once a farm that is now known for classical, jazz, and blues concerts with gourmet meals and views from the side of Warm Springs Mountain. The Shenandoah Valley Music Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary of summer concerts in 2013 and continues to draw people to the tiny Shenandoah County village of Orkney Springs.