Image by Gustavo Ferreira Gustavo from Pixabay

There are few words in English that have as curious a history and an even more curious reputation hillbilly. It is derided as both hateful and a stereotype. It is also honored as an American tradition and a source of pride. It has no cultural equivalent outside of the United States because it is associated with a type of music as much as it is an unfair caricature of a specific type of American. In short, this is a very complicated, and unique, word.

Etymology of Hillbilly

There is a lot of false information that has been published about the origin of the word. Scottish and Scots-Irish settlers who emigrated to the US in the 1700s settled in the hills and backwoods from the Southeast Coast to the Midwest in order to flee religious persecution. They were uniquely clannish, with families and friends dispersed over a large area, separated from other groups by hills and woodland. The economy was agricultural, and they were united by their communal church. These settlers lived off the land, were God-fearing, and devoted to each other. They preferred to call themselves, simple folk.¹https://www.jstor.org/stable/40920908?seq=1

Because they often sang about the victory of Protestant leader William of Orange over the Catholic James II, some have surmised that “Billy” refers to William of Orange. In fact, “Billy” is a common Scots term for “fellow”, or “guy”. Hence, a Hillbilly is a fellow from the hills.

The Hillbilly Stereotype

The first thing many people will think of when they hear the word hillbilly is a poorly educated person from the backwoods of the Appalachian and Ozark mountain hills of eastern US. Typically, they drink homemade liquor, walk barefoot, and wear torn blue jeans. It is very much an unfair stereotype. The comedian and singer Tennessee Ernie Ford, who was written about in this blog, became famous for playing the cliché hillbilly. Many more associate the word with the long-running comedy series, The Beverly Hillbillies.

The story of the Clampett family, a dirt poor family from the Ozarks who struck oil on their property, suddenly becoming wealthy and moving into a mansion in Beverly Hills, ran for 9 seasons on national television. Its depiction of the Clampetts’ simple ways, rustic speech, and manners served to cement for millions the stereotype of what the hill folk are like.

Hillbilly Music

Very different, however, is the popularity of hillbilly music. This is a form of acoustic folk songs and ballads in which the dominant instruments are banjo, guitar, and fiddle (violin). This is the early precursor of what we call Country Music. Bluegrass, which combines fast tempos and jazz-like improvisation, is also often recognized as a form of Hillbilly music. So is traditional Cajun, and Creole – so long as the music is acoustic and features at least two of the three-stringed instruments. Other instruments that you might hear in a night of Hillbilly music would be harmonica, bass, tambourine, metal spoons, and even an old-fashioned washboard played percussively to add a beat.

Many object to the label of hillbilly attached to the music because of the pejorative associated with the word. Yet, stars like Dolly Parton, Dwight Yokum, and Ricky Skaggs have all embraced the term because of its rich heritage.

But, maybe, the music just needs to speak for itself.

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  https://www.jstor.org/stable/40920908?seq=1