# Ozark Dopers: Why do hillbilly singers often do that broken voice trick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132 "2010-02-23T16:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132/21 "2010-02-24T05:30:05Z")
> [@sassyfras](#): > > Back about two seasons ago on American Idol, in one of the early auditions a country singer did that hillbilly “voice breaking” like sound where their pitch rises for an instant into falsetto, making it have that ‘break’ sound between adult male pitch and the falsetto of a prepubescent boy. > > I myself and not enamoured of this sound, but far be it from me to judge. In any case, Randy Jackson asked the singer, when finished, why do country singers always do that sound? Randy then imitated the sound. The singer didn’t answer. > > SO why is this voice breaking thing done? I’ve never heard any other type of singer do this on purpose. Is it sustained, like a yodel, or more like a quick “yip” in a note? I have an old album of Southern Illinois bluegrass that uses the latter. If it weren’t buried in the lowest layers of my archaelogical strata of storage, I could check the liner notes. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132/22 "2010-02-24T17:06:40Z")
I think the original “high lonesome” was Roscoe Holcomb; lot of his stuff on youtube … one example: [Roscoe Holcomb - “Graveyard Blues”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHHV4K0Z1CA&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132/23 "2010-02-24T23:13:42Z")
I really think this would be easer if you had a sound clip or something of what your talking about. Everyone seems to just be trying to guess what sound your talking about. ---
**Author:** ![BlakeTyner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@BlakeTyner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlakeTyner)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132/24 "2010-02-24T23:38:21Z")
The example I was thinking of when I read the OP was Hank Williams in “Lovesick Blues.” [Linky to Youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xu71i89xvs) Note his voice on the first line, when he gets to “blues.” He does it all through the song. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132/25 "2010-02-25T01:12:43Z")
Yes yes. Hank Williams. Also Bill Monroe. Followers of the style of Roscoe Holcomb. Note that Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and John Lennon also mention Holcomb’s music as a great influence. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132/26 "2010-02-25T02:16:56Z")
> [@](#): > > The example I was thinking of when I read the OP was Hank Williams in “Lovesick Blues.” Hank does it in pert near all of his songs. Not sure if he originated it, but he sure popularized it. Another (non-musical) practitioner was Mr. Haney from Green Acres: “You mean you _ **do-on’t** _ have a blunderbuss?!?” ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132/27 "2010-02-25T02:23:38Z")
[Mr. Haney Link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsEhXE5IUCQ&feature=related) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozark-dopers-why-do-hillbilly-singers-often-do-that-broken-voice-trick/530132.md?page=1)