In a western town like Arizona from the movies, a space resembling a pub where cowboys push through the doors. This place was called a 'Saloon.' However, this saloon was not just a bar for drinking whiskey and playing cards; it served as a small theater, a music hall, and a starting point for the entertainment industry of that era.

The ones who captivated the eyes and ears of the people were the 'Saloon singers.' They were not as glamorous as today's pop stars, but they were real entertainers who provided comfort and excitement to the people of the western frontier through music.

The first characteristic of saloon singers was their 'proximity to the audience.' The stage and the audience were not rigidly separated, and a variety of people, from drunken miners to lonely cowboys, merchants, and newly arrived immigrants, listened from just a hand's breadth away. These singers could instantly read the atmosphere and spontaneously change the tempo of their songs or alter the lyrics as if teasing the guests. Saloon singers were not 'mechanical performers' but the original form of live music that responded directly to the audience's feelings.

The second characteristic was that their main repertoire consisted of music centered around stories and narratives that the public could understand at the time. The hardships of westward expansion, longing for home, failures in love, or tales of gunmen and gamblers. In an era without newspapers or TV, music served as both 'news' and 'drama.' Some saloon singers sang about real people's stories and were threatened by thugs, while others satirized tragic events and were revered like heroes. Music was a tool that amplified the empathy and emotions of the people of that time in real-time.

The third characteristic is the 'importance of visuals.' Although there were no extravagant stage costumes like today's idols, saloon singers maintained a memorable character for the public. Female singers would perform on tables wearing elaborate puff dresses or feather decorations with exaggerated makeup, while male singers appeared with cowboy hats and vests, holding guitars and singing like storytellers. This style would later influence the 'country music singers.'

And an important fact is that saloon singers left a significant mark on the musical culture of the American West. At that time, portable instruments like pianos, violins, and guitars were central, and particularly, the 'style of singing while accompanying oneself' became popular. This played a major role in the later development of American folk, blues, and country music. In other words, saloon singers nurtured the roots of 'American popular music' before the massive music industry emerged.

Interestingly, saloon performances served not just as entertainment but as a connection for the community. Music soothed the loneliness of people wandering the city and acted as a social device that brought together unfamiliar immigrants.

Some guests shed tears while listening to the songs, and others shouted while holding beers. Within that round, the differences of race, occupation, and class disappeared. Everyone listened to the same song and shared the same emotions.

Looking back now, saloon singers performed on small stages, but the musical traces they created became the starting point of American popular music. The country music, rockabilly, and folk styles we hear today were born in those saloons filled with the smell of alcohol. Even without dazzling lights, smartphones, or YouTube, they captivated audiences with just their voices. The saloon singers who sang there were forgotten grassroots artists in American music history.