I could have written that post word for word, even down to working at a theater at the time.
I think this movie is indicative of the popularity of C&W and/or Southern culture seeping into the mainstream in the US. I don't know what started it all, but Southern rock was very popular at the time, as were some C&W artists/bands like Charlie Daniels and Willie Nelson, who appeared in
The Electric Horseman (which I've always enjoyed), released in '79, and starred in
Honeysuckle Rose, released a month after
Urban Cowboy. I can even remember hearing "Uneasy Rider" on radio stations that normally played R&R and, of course, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" was a huge hit. Most of my friends at the time were into Judas Priest, AC/DC, Van Halen, and Black Sabbath and even they liked some of that stuff.
I also remember at the time that Northerners were even buying cowboy hats. What was really interesting about it was that they also adorned them with feathers that hung on a string from the back. Astute observers, however, noticed that the part that attached to the hat was actually a roach clip.
Funny thing to me is I've always hated C&W music but for some reason,
Urban Cowboy and
The Electric Horseman get a pass from me.
Well, it did take place in the Houston area, so what do you expect? And, as I mentioned, Willie Nelson and Charlie Daniels and some other acts enjoyed crossover popularity and most of them wore cowboy hats, too. It was the zeitgeist.
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