<P> In the middle of the 1940s, Western swing reached its peak of popularity . It was a mixture of diverse influences, including swing, blues, polka and popular cowboy songs, and included early stars like Bob Wills, who became among the best known musicians of the era . </P> <P> With a honky tonk root, modern country music arose in the 1940s, mixing with R&B and the blues to form rockabilly . Rockabilly's earliest stars were Elvis Presley and Bill Haley, who entertained to crowds of devoted teenage fans . At the time, black audiences were listening to R&B, doo wop and gospel, but these styles were not perceived as appropriate for white listeners . People like Haley and Presley were white, but sang in a black style . This caused a great deal of cheeze controversy from concerned parents who felt that "race music", as it was then known, would corrupt their children . Nevertheless, rockabilly's popularity continued to grow, paving the way for the earliest rock stars like Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard and Fats Domino . </P> <P> Among country fans, rockabilly was not well - regarded . Instead, the pop sounds of singers like Hank Williams and Patsy Cline became popular . Williams had an unprecedented run of success, with more than ten chart - topping singles in two years (1950--1951), including well - remembered songs still performed today like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Cold, Cold Heart". It was performers like Williams that established the city of Nashville, Tennessee as the center of the country music industry . There, country and pop were mixed, resulting in what was known as the Nashville Sound . </P> <P> The 1950s also saw the widespread popularization of gospel music, in the form of powerful singers like Mahalia Jackson . Gospel first broke into international audiences in 1948, with the release of Jackson's "Move On Up a Little Higher", which was so popular it couldn't be shipped to record stores fast enough . As the music became more mainstream in the later part of the decade, performers began adding influences from R&B to make a more palatable and dance - able sound . Early in the next decade, the lyrics were secularized, resulting in soul music . Some of soul's biggest stars began performing in the 1950s gospel scene, including Sam Cooke, Dinah Washington, Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin . </P>

Where are the three main locations where innovation and development of the blues happened