Overview

• At the 2025 AMAs, Megan Moroney’s line that the Carter Family “basically invented country music” drew a viral side-eye from co-presenter Shaboozey.
• The Carter Family popularized the genre in the 1920s and ’30s but relied heavily on melodies and techniques passed on by Black musicians such as Lesley Riddle.
• On social media, Shaboozey listed figures like Lesley Riddle, Steve Tarter, Harry Gay and DeFord Bailey as essential architects of country music’s early sound.
• His posts have reignited conversations about the longstanding omission of Black artists from mainstream accounts of country music history.
• Music historians and artists are calling for more nuanced storytelling that accurately reflects the genre’s diverse roots and influences.