The old man could use a shave and he rarely dresses up anymore. He's cradling a well-worn guitar in his arms, one he scarcely plays these days. It's summer and the buses are rolling out of Music City, U.S.A., taking a new generation of country singers to county fairs, municipal auditoriums, theme parks and nightclubs.

"I'm not worried about the future of country music," the old man says. "Let 'em have their fun. Let them roll up and down the highways for a few years and sing their songs. I want them to have just as much fun as we did.

"I've seen my better days. I used to roll out of here with all the energy and all that fire these kids have today. I know what it's like to stand on that stage and hear that applause. These kids are gonna be fine. They're taking the music in new directions, they're bringing their own things to country music. I think that's great. Just so long as they don't forget where we've been."

The retired picker takes a gulp from his glass of iced tea. The shadows are lengthening as the sweltering Tennessee afternoon lingers. A dog is barking nearby; the humming of insects and the calls of birds hover lazily in the still air. And from inside the house you can hear the sounds of fiddles and steel guitars from the record that's playing.

Yes, country music has changed and evolved dramatically. But there are eternal truths in Music City, too. And one of them is, indeed, that we "don't forget where we've been."

The old man was young when Eddy Arnold inaugurated regular recording in Nashville in December 1944. Two years later, Fred Rose and Roy Acuff discovered the greatest singer-songwriter in the history of country music, Hank Williams.

That steel guitar we can hear in the background belongs to Sonny Garrish. He is conjuring up the spirit of the past on the intro to "Cold Cold Heart." The vocal belongs to Collin Raye, a performer whose unerring taste in contemporary country songs has brought him five Platinum albums and nine No. 1 hits. In the 1990s, Collin has played to more than 2.2 million people, which is a far cry from what a hillbilly act of 1951 could expect. But here he connects viscerally with a sound that thrilled country fans long before he was born.

Hank Williams was part of a post-war style that electrified country music with piercing instrumental solos and gave it a new edge with hard-hitting lyrics and openly emotional singing. These honky-tonk stylists set a standard for country vocalizing that is still the one we aim for today. You can still hear echoes of Webb Pierce, Carl Smith, Hank Thompson, Ernest Tubb, George Jones and Faron Young in the arena-rock country singers of the '90s.

Perhaps more than anyone, the singing of Lefty Frizzell set a benchmark. His baritone dips, clipped and drawled phrases, curlicued toying with notes, throaty moans and tenor aches have cast their spell over everyone from Merle Haggard to Keith Whitley. In fact, one of Lefty's most moving songs, "I Never Go Around Mirrors," was also in the repertoire of the tragically doomed Whitley. The charismatic Trace Adkins is among the men who define honky-tonk singing today; not surprisingly, Trace invests Lefty's classic song with all the bent-note emotional wallop it deserves.

In the wake of Hank Williams' untimely death, Ray Price carried the torch forward. A master of many styles, the Texas-bred Hall Of Famer was already the veteran of a dozen Top 10 hits when he took "City Lights" to the top of the charts in 1958. It remained at No. 1 for 13 consecutive weeks that year and is now considered a country standard.

"City Lights" was written on the roof of a Commerce, GA hotel by a local disc jockey. Chet Atkins recorded the song in Nashville with a singer named Dave Rich. Ernest Tubb heard that record on the golf course with Ray Price and urged Ray to stop the presses on his planned single and record "City Lights" instead. In the studio, Ray reportedly coached all the musicians to play as though they could feel the yearning and loneliness in the lyrics. As a result, a classic was born and an unknown DJ named Bill Anderson became one of the most successful, creative and enduring singer-songwriters in the annals of country music.

Young Rick Trevino might have given the same speech that Ray did. For his new version of "City Lights" recaptures that same spirit of isolation and longing. And once again, the torch has been passed.

By the late 1950s, Nashville's record producers were trying to combat a drastically declining country music market. Men like Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley began to craft records that could appeal beyond country radio and compete on the pop charts. Their efforts became known as "The Nashville Sound." These productions used traditional country singers and lyrics, but married them with novel sounds, uptown arrangements and clever audio touches.

Several historians point to Chet's work with singer-songwriter Don Gibson as the first "Nashville Sound" recordings. In particular, the session that produced 1958's "Oh, Lonesome Me" has been singled out as the dawning of the "Nashville Sound" era. With its jaunty tempo and nifty guitar licks, "Oh, Lonesome Me" was a simply sparkling record for its time. And it did, indeed, cross over, becoming a No. 7 pop hit that summer 40 years ago, as well as the first country chart-topper for the distinctive North Carolina stylist who wrote and sang it.

Two generations of country stars later, Mary Chapin Carpenter takes "Oh, Lonesome Me" out for a spin that shows just how timeless its appeal is. Bubbling along on guitars behind her are Steve Wariner, Vince Gill, Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins, who is "full circle" here as, once again, the record's producer.

The first "Nashville Sound" record to go all the way to No. 1 on the pop charts was the enchanting "The Three Bells" by The Browns. In 1959 its ethereal harmonies, haunting European melody and touching small-town story touched millions of listeners. The delicate, wind-chime soprano of Alison Krauss is the perfect vehicle to salute this historic milestone of a song. And, again, original producer Chet Atkins has been brought back to guide the sessions on Music Row.

The seasons change, a new generation emerges and a page is turned in country music history. In the mid-1960s a generation of brilliantly poetic singer-songwriters emerged to transform the genre. People like Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson and Mel Tillis connected powerfully with listeners by elevating country songwriting to a new level of craftsmanship and insight.

The most influential of them all was arguably Merle Haggard. By taking pages from his life he created a stunning body of songs that continues to inspire listeners to this day. His burnished, cigarettes-and-whiskey vocals and inventive guitar playing helped make the Bakersfield Sound a major chapter in country history.

Here, one profound influence salutes another. Many observers say that the astounding success story of modern country music begins with the sound of Randy Travis. His unflinching honesty, steadfast simplicity of approach and fierce commitment to country tradition made Randy a lightning rod for the entire "new country" explosion. Randy has sold more than 20 million records, placed 25 brilliant singles in the Top 10 and paved the way for Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Alan Jackson and the rest of his multi-Platinum contemporaries. Who better to sing Merle's 1968 classic "Mama Tried" than the master of contemporary honky-tonk singing?

If there's a female equivalent of Randy Travis singing today, it's probably Patty Loveless. She, too, has demonstrated an unwavering faith in the power of honest country music. The CMA's Female Vocalist Of The Year of 1996 is widely loved for her straight-from-Kentucky delivery. And she is a cousin of the woman who patented the style, Loretta Lynn. There had been female stars before Loretta. In Nashville, Kitty Wells and Patsy Cline had both proved that there was room at the top for women in country music. But Loretta was something else. The first to "sing it like the women lived it," as she put it, she revolutionized female country music. A perfect example is 1964's "Wine, Women and Song," to which Patty gives a frisky new kick. This track also marks Vince Gill's debut as a producer.

The first female country single to sell a million was 1968's "Stand By Your Man," sung and co-written by the incomparable Tammy Wynette. "Stand By Your Man" was a Top 20 pop hit. It was a keynote song in Jack Nicholson's 1970 movie Five Easy Pieces. It traveled to England to become a disc sensation of 1975. It became the title of Tammy's 1979 autobiography and 1981 TV movie. It is said to be the largest selling single by a woman in the history of country music. Ironically, its two best-known subsequent versions have been by men-David Allan Coe and Lyle Lovett. The irrepressible Dixie Chicks have taken the tune back, turned it into a shuffle and layered on some delectable harmonies.

Tammy's other signature song is 1976's "'Til I Can Make It On My Own." Co-written with her husband George Richey, this cry of weakness and resilience is one of Tammy's most enduring legacies. Her vocal range and power are the stuff of country legend. And among today's stylists, the million-selling Martina McBride has that same hair-raising intensity. Amid cover versions by Kenny Rogers & Dottie West and numerous other acts, diminutive Martina's treatment of "'Til I Can Make It On My Own" stands tall.

Tammy, Dolly and Loretta are certainly role models for an entire generation of female country singers. And throughout the 1970s male singers emerged to strengthen and redefine the honky-tonk tradition. When you talk to true-blue country stylists, they cite people like Gene Watson, Vern Gosdin, John Conlee and John Anderson as men who emerged in the '70s to remind us what it's all about.

One name that you'll hear frequently is Gary Stewart's. He not only sang like a man possessed, he also recorded some of the decade's most perfect honky-tonk songs. Not the least of these was 1975's "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)," which Oklahoma native Wade Hayes revives splendidly.

Another era passes and another style shift brings a new generation of listeners to the country sound. In the 1970s it was "countrypolitan" or "pop country" as another group of producers updated what it meant to be "country." Billy Sherrill was certainly at the vanguard of this new Nashville Sound. He reached his zenith at the session that yielded "Behind Closed Doors" for Memphis singer-pianist Charlie Rich. The record and the "Silver Fox" singer became sensations. "Behind Closed Doors" sold a million and became the CMA's Song, Single and Album Of The Year in 1973. Rich scaled the pop charts, won a Grammy and was named Male Vocalist. He died too young in 1995. But no one who ever heard this "singer's singer" ever forgot it.

If there's a "singer's singer" working on Music Row now, it's surely Joe Diffie. Capable of rowdy honky-tonkers, darkly moody meditations, sunny love songs or shrieking rockers, the million-selling Diffie is Mr. Versatility. In addition, his reverence for country's traditions is obvious in every note he sings. Diffie's discs have nodded to everyone from Jimmie Rodgers to Buck Owens as influences. And now he has tipped his hat to Charlie Rich.

By the mid-1970s, another page was turning and the country sound was evolving yet again. A group of stylists rejected the formulaic Nashville studio approach and all of its pop aspirations. They seized control of their own record productions, insisted on recording with their own bands, wrote their own songs and defied the status quo. These nonconformists became known as "outlaws." Their leading symbol was Waylon Jennings. In 1973 he issued a landmark collection called Honky-Tonk Heroes, composed almost entirely of tunes by Billy Joe Shaver.

More than anyone else, Waylon taught country music that it could sell in the multiple millions, just like rock. His long-haired, "outsider" image and uncompromising musical integrity taught it something else. For the first time, country acquired true youth appeal and a "hip" cachet. Every "new country" artist enjoying the enormous popularity of this style in the '90s owes this man a debt of gratitude.

Two of them are showing their respect here, Collin Raye and Joe Diffie. That tradition is alive and well in Nashville today is illustrated by the two new tunes we're hearing. Doug Stone's performance of "Gone Out Of My Mind" is not only as hardcore country as you can get, it is co-produced by the legendary Jerry Kennedy.

"It's the same old train / It's just a different time," sings Marty Stuart on the collection's theme song. Among those lifting their voices in praise of country's unbroken circle are Clint Black, Pam Tillis, Dwight Yoakam, Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris and Merle Haggard.

As we hurtle toward the millennium, toward the year 2000, country music stands transformed from what it was 70, 50, 30 or even 10 years ago. But it also stands eternal. The old man walks over to the disc player, turns the volume down and smiles. He settles back into his chair and takes another sip. His mind wanders back to his days picking in the spotlights of a thousand roadhouses and forward to the shiny dance clubs with their giant video screens.

"Yep, these kids are alright," he says. "I'm not worried about the future of country music. I think it's in good hands."

-Robert K. Oermann

Nashville, 1998