The best country songwriters are great - most have been listed already but I'd add the short lived Delevantes to that list. Harder core country old time writers like the Louvin Brothers have some great moments, even though I'd have a hard time listening at length. Alt Country rockers like Uncle Tupelo and the "nephew" bands - Wilco, Sun Volt, Bottle Rockets - have their charms (I love a lot of this stuff), but they don't really feel particularly "country" to me. They feel more like rockers who add a fidddle or banjo to add some country flavor. 16 Horsepower adds an interesting "hillbilly" vibe to this genre.
I also like some of the country rock women like Kim Richey (great live show), even though they're usually a bit lightweight compared to the Emmy Lou Harris, Patsy Cline, etc class and also edge closer to pop/rock. The Faith Hill, Crystal Gayle, Matraca Berg school includes some really good voices singing music of really variable quality - usually more "pop" than "country".
Country music has also produced some great guitarists, Flatt and Scruggs and Chet Atkins come to my mind first. Danny Gatton is mostly country and the 3 main players in Bob Wills' Playboys band were all wonderful. Pete Anderson, Greg Leisz (lap steel) and so many others, too.
Marty
