The Boss cites the stories of Flannery O'Connor as a sort of literary awakening for him. Her gritty realism and Catholic spirituality served as an inspiration, as he wrote the "Nebraska" album while reading O'Connor's work.
Irish rock band U2 was inspired by Flannery O'Connor, and the band gave her a shout-out in their acceptance speech at the 1987 Grammy Awards, when "Joshua Tree" won Best Album.
This song from Harvey's "Is This Desire" album is inspired by O'Connor's story "Good Country People." "I been believing in nothing ever since I was born," Harvey sings – a direct quote from O'Connor's story.
Flannery O'Connor was indelibly shaped by the South. In turn, the Richmond, Virginia-based musical group South was influenced by Flannery O'Connor. The group recorded a musical tribute to the writer entitled "Flannery."