With themes like country lifestyle and American pride, you’d think all country artists would be from the U.S. But you’d be surprised!
In fact, quite a few country artists hail from Canada and Australia.
One of the country music’s Hall of Famers, Hank Snow, was actually born in Brooklyn, Canada. He grew up in poverty and chased his music dreams to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Jimmie Rogers. Snow moved to the U.S. after signing to the U.S. branch of RCA in 1949.
He played the Grand Ole Opry in 1950 and his career took off, with hits including “The Golden Rocket,” “The Rhumba Boogie” and “I’m Moving On.” He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in the U.S. and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Keith Urban is another major artist not from the U.S. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia. After having musical success in Oz, Urban moved to Nashville in 1992 and formed the band the Ranch.
The band had moderate success, but had to temporarily stop shows because Urban developed a medical condition that affected his voice. In the meantime, he played on many famous albums for artists such as Garth Brooks, the Chicks, Charlie Daniels and more. After recovering from vocal damage, Urban released his first solo album in 1999 with much success, followed by his legendary album, Golden Road.
Shania Twain is another legendary country artist not born in the U.S. — she was actually born in Timmins, Ontario, where she returned in 2010 to carry the Winter Olympic Torch. In 1991, Twain was offered a recording contract in Nashville and applied for immigration status in the U.S. In 1998, Twain and her producer/ex-husband relocated to Switzerland. Twain owns many homes across the world, including in Las Vegas, Ontario, the Bahamas and Corseaux.
Check out the gallery below to see even more country singers born outside of the States.
7 Country Stars Who Aren’t From the U.S.
While country music is about as American as it gets, did you know there are plenty of country singers from countries outside of the U.S.?! Canada and Australia, especially, seem to have thriving country music scenes that have produces some well-known singers.
Scroll see some country stars who aren’t from the U.S.A.
Gallery Credit: Nicole Taylor
