The soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou? wasn’t just a collection of songs accompanying a movie; it was a cultural phenomenon that resonated far beyond the silver screen. Released in the early 2000s, it catapulted bluegrass and old-time music into the mainstream, turning seasoned musicians into household names and sparking a widespread appreciation for genres that had long been relegated to niche audiences. From gospel hymns to folk ballads, blues laments to work chants, the O Brother soundtrack offered a rich tapestry of American roots music, captivating listeners and inspiring a new generation of musicians.
Two decades after its unexpected and phenomenal success, we reflect on the enduring legacy of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. As a culmination of our Artist of the Month series celebrating this milestone, we delve into the profound impact this soundtrack and its subsequent live tours had on the lives and careers of bluegrass and Americana musicians. Through their personal anecdotes and insightful reflections, we uncover how O Brother ignited a bluegrass renaissance and reshaped the landscape of American music.
Sierra Hull: A Childhood Dream Realized
For Sierra Hull, a bluegrass prodigy who grew up in a small town, Alison Krauss was already a superstar. “She was as popular in my little kid brain as Britney Spears,” Hull recalls, highlighting Krauss’s significance even before the O Brother phenomenon. The soundtrack, featuring Krauss prominently, amplified the recognition of artists Hull already revered, including Dan Tyminski and Ralph Stanley.
Hull’s connection to O Brother deepened when she joined the tour for the Cold Mountain soundtrack, another project featuring Alison Krauss. At just twelve years old, this experience marked Hull’s entry into the touring world, performing at iconic venues like Red Rocks and the Beacon Theatre. Witnessing Ralph Stanley’s captivating performances nightly, complete with his dazzling jacket, left an indelible mark. “It’s one of the most special musical experiences I’ve ever had,” Hull fondly remembers, recalling the thrill of wearing Stanley’s jacket onstage.
Sara Watkins: Riding the Wave of Bluegrass Awareness
Nickel Creek, with Alison Krauss as their producer, was already gaining traction when O Brother exploded onto the scene. Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek remembers the serendipitous timing. Despite not being directly involved in the soundtrack, the band found themselves swept up in the wave of bluegrass enthusiasm it generated. A prominent New York Times feature placed them at the heart of this burgeoning scene.
Watkins acknowledges the soundtrack’s pivotal role in accelerating their career. “O Brother really put the wind in our sails,” she states, emphasizing the boost in visibility and audience reach. She credits T Bone Burnett’s masterful curation of musicians for the soundtrack’s authenticity and impact. Witnessing her heroes celebrated on a grand scale was gratifying, particularly Ralph Stanley’s powerful rendition of “Oh Death,” which sparked Watkins’s interest in shape-note singing, revealing the soundtrack’s power to inspire deeper musical explorations. Her anticipation for Dan Tyminski’s performance of “Man of Constant Sorrow” remains a testament to the song’s and the soundtrack’s enduring appeal.
Dave Wilson (Chatham County Line): From Local Gigs to National Recognition
Dave Wilson of Chatham County Line vividly recalls his initial encounter with O Brother, sneaking whiskey into a movie theater with his bandmate. His reaction – “Bluegrass has arrived!” – encapsulates the sentiment of many within the bluegrass community. Chatham County Line, a band playing local gigs, found themselves beneficiaries of the soundtrack’s widespread popularity.
The change was palpable. Suddenly, their audience expanded beyond their usual circles, drawn by the newfound excitement surrounding bluegrass music. While humorous requests for “Man of Constant Sorrow” became a recurring theme at their shows, highlighting the soundtrack’s reach, Chatham County Line never actually performed it, humorously admitting they didn’t know how. Wilson praises the soundtrack’s arrangements and its avoidance of clichés, appreciating its respectful and authentic portrayal of the genre. He highlights Chris Thomas King’s blues track as a standout moment, and emphasizes the Down from the Mountain concert film as potentially even more impactful within the folk music scene itself.
Sam Amidon: Sharing and Celebrating Musical Heritage
Sam Amidon reflects on the protective instincts within the folk music world, yet emphasizes his own desire to share and celebrate the music he loves. O Brother, for Amidon, represented a breakthrough in mainstream representation of traditional music. He appreciates how the soundtrack introduced a vast audience to diverse corners of American music, moving beyond simplistic or stereotypical portrayals often seen in mass media, like the Deliverance banjo cliché.
“O Brother pointed to all of these different areas. It’s singing games and banjo songs and all these different things. O Brother is weirdly inclusive,” Amidon observes, acknowledging its broad scope and positive impact, especially compared to previous mainstream depictions of folk music. While acknowledging contemporary critiques of the “Americana” genre, he underscores the soundtrack’s nuanced and groundbreaking nature upon its release.
Woody Platt (Steep Canyon Rangers): A Soundtrack for a Band’s Genesis
The twentieth anniversary of O Brother coincides with the twentieth anniversary of Steep Canyon Rangers, formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as the movie gained popularity. Woody Platt notes that while exposed to bluegrass in the Carolinas, their band’s deep dive into the genre occurred in college, aligning with the O Brother phenomenon.
While initially unaware of the soundtrack’s precise impact, they felt an undeniable surge of excitement in the local music scene. Playing bars in Chapel Hill, they experienced firsthand the growing interest in bluegrass. Platt emphasizes his personal enjoyment of the O Brother album and the thrill of seeing artists he admired featured in the film. Looking back, he recognizes the fortunate timing for Steep Canyon Rangers’ emergence, as the soundtrack undeniably fueled national interest in a genre that had previously occupied a niche. He marvels at the organic, unmarketed nature of this cultural phenomenon.
Molly Tuttle: Inspiring a New Generation of Bluegrass Musicians
For Molly Tuttle, who was seven when O Brother was released, the film and soundtrack were formative experiences. She recalls her father, a bluegrass teacher, experiencing a surge of new students directly attributable to the movie’s influence. Tuttle underscores the soundtrack’s lasting impact on bluegrass popularity, introducing her to artists who became major influences, such as Gillian Welch and John Hartford, through the Down from the Mountain documentary.
Performing songs like “I’ll Fly Away” and “Angel Band,” and even sharing the stage with Dan Tyminski for “Man of Constant Sorrow,” Tuttle embodies the generation of musicians inspired and shaped by the O Brother legacy. The soundtrack served as a gateway, connecting her and countless others to the rich heritage of bluegrass and old-time music.
Dom Flemons: Rediscovering the Roots of American Music
Dom Flemons’s personal experience attending Ralph Stanley’s O Brother tour performance in 2000 underscores the immediate impact of the soundtrack. He witnessed firsthand the packed venues and the captivating power of these musicians. Flemons emphasizes the soundtrack’s crucial role in bridging generations, arriving at a time when many original old-time musicians were passing away.
“O Brother was very interesting, and I think it’s still a milestone album for several generations,” Flemons states. It served as a vital vehicle for introducing younger audiences to the music of the 1920s and 30s, prompting listeners to delve into the original recordings of RCA Victor and Columbia. He highlights the soundtrack’s masterful structure, from chain gang chants to “Big Rock Candy Mountain” and the revival of Skip James’s “Hard Time Killing Floor,” noting its influence on bringing these songs back into contemporary performance. Flemons’s observations as a pre-professional musician witnessing this phenomenon highlight the profound and lasting cultural impact of O Brother, Where Art Thou?.
The O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack remains more than just a movie accompaniment. It stands as a landmark achievement that revitalized bluegrass and old-time music, introducing these genres to a global audience and inspiring countless musicians and fans. Twenty years later, its influence continues to resonate, a testament to the timeless power of American roots music and the unexpected cultural force of a soundtrack that captured the hearts and ears of a generation.
