The New Rockabilly Geography

Anyone who is a rockabilly musician or fan has noticed the explosion in the number of groups that are staying true to the roots of the genre. This is great news for us roots music fans. Also, Myspace and communication with some of my friends there has allowed me a closer look at the phenomena of rockabilly and what strikes me immediately is the distinctly international character of the movement. I simply had no idea of the the strength and commitment to rockabilly in Spain, Australia, Sweden, Italy and Finland, just to mention a few. For example, check out the top 30 myspace friends of the Swedish rockabilly outfit Wildfire Willie and the Ramblers. Our 1950's roots are running deeper than ever in Europe right now. Is Asia next?

Closer to home, Canada also has a very strong representation in the genre. And here in the U.S., that representation seems to break down regionally, with exceptions of course. Rockabilly groups have proliferated in California and all along the West Coast, and the state of Washington seems to have a real concentration of groups. And, to be expected, there is also a very strong following in the musically rich cities of Austin and Nashville, and quite a few groups in Boston and New York State.

In spite of these concentrations, rockabilly is well represented all across the U.S. map, from Lincoln, Nebraska to Athens, Georgia. Congrats to all who are staying true to the roots.