At one point, say the mid-60s, the style of music people like Kris Kristofferson, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, James Taylor, even Bob Dylan sometimes, didn't sound all that completely different. (Sure, those were big names and they all had their own unique sound, but they weren't worlds apart the way their genres have been since). They'd go on the same variety shows. Up to that point, Country was Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Charley Pride, and so on. Hee Haw was a popular show. All pretty good stuff.
Somewhere along the line, newcomers all - all - started singing with a voice affection, a twang that some of the earlier Country stars sang with naturally - sort of a backwoods Appalachian (?) accent that people would poke fun at but accept as the norm of where they were from.
But that voice affection these twits have all put on is such a turn-off that they've completely ruined the genre, at least for me. It's unlistenable.
