Country music has always been a storytelling tradition, weaving the trials and triumphs of everyday life into melodies that stand the test of time. While most fans trace the roots of recorded country music to the 1920s with pioneers like Eck Robertson, Uncle Dave Macon, and the Carter Family, a recent discovery suggests the genre’s history goes even deeper.
A collector’s incredible find—a wax cylinder from 1891—has revealed what may be the earliest known country music recording. Featuring a song called “Thompson’s Old Gray Mule,” performed by Louis Vasnier, this groundbreaking discovery predates what we thought were the earliest recordings by over 30 years.
The story began when collector John Levin stumbled upon a box of wax cylinders at an auction in Pennsylvania. For those unfamiliar, wax cylinders were one of the first mediums for recorded sound, predating vinyl records by decades. Upon playing one of the fragile cylinders, Levin …