2018
On the surface, country music seems simple and straightforward. It has been described as “three chords and the truth,” and it’s known for themes of heartbreak and suffering with notes of resilience and humor. However, the history of country music is much more complex. With roots in English ballads and folk traditions, many local styles have developed, including the Nashville sound, bluegrass, honky-tonk, rockabilly, and Western swing. Country music became nationally known through the Grand Ole Opry, which began as a radio broadcast and now identifies itself as "Country’s Most Famous Stage." The NLS collection has many histories of the development of country music and biographies of its performers.
Digital braille and talking book titles can be downloaded from the NLS BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) service. Contact your local cooperating library to register for BARD. Registered users may also download audio titles on iOS and Android devices using the BARD Mobile app. Braille titles may be downloaded using the app on a device linked by Bluetooth to a refreshable braille display. To find your local cooperating library, go to www.loc.gov/nls/findyourlibrary or call toll-free 888-NLS-READ (888-657-7323).
Contents
Biography
Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff's Nashville
by Roy Acuff
Reminiscences of one of country music’s pioneers. Acuff traces his forty-year odyssey from the early days of the Grand Ole Opry to the crossover hits of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Spiced with down-home humor, Acuff’s account includes revealing portraits of such artists as Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, and others. 1983.
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Trace Adkins
A Personal Stand
by Trace Adkins
Country singer and Celebrity Apprentice runner-up explains his philosophy of life. Describes his small-town upbringing and discusses his love of singing, beginning in church choirs and culminating with success in Nashville. Advocates traditional values, personal responsibility, and hard work. Some strong language. 2007.
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Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold, Pioneer of the Nashville Sound
by Michael Streissguth
Recounts the life of country singer Richard Edward (Eddy) Arnold from his birth in Tennessee in 1918. Discusses Arnold’s interest in playing the guitar at an early age, his first radio appearance while still in high school, his rise to fame, and his struggle to remain popular as Elvis Presley and rock ’n’ roll began to overtake country music in the 1960s. 1997.
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Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins: Me and My Guitars
by Chet Atkins
Autobiography written with Atkins’s longtime friends the Cochran brothers. The guitarist recalls his career, beginning with his early days in Tennessee and Georgia, by focusing on guitars he’s had over the years. Describes the evolution of his guitars’ construction and includes anecdotes about favorite instruments. Introduction by Jerry Reed. 2001.
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Country Gentleman
by Chet Atkins
Autobiography of a developer of both the contemporary and finger-picking styles of guitar playing. Reveals a shy man’s search for expression and acceptance. 1974.
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Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks: The Road out of Santa Fe
by Matt O’Meilia
Former drummer in a band called Santa Fe describes the early career of the group’s singer. O’Meilia recalls meeting Garth Brooks in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1986, appearing with him during the next year, and being impressed with the singer's determination to succeed even after a series of failures. Some strong language. 1997.
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Glen Campbell
Rhinestone Cowboy
by Glen Campbell
Campbell recalls his rise from an impoverished Arkansas childhood through working as an on-demand studio musician to becoming a recording star in the 1960s and hosting his own television show in the 1970s. He discusses the negative impact of drugs, alcohol, and womanizing on his life and the spiritual rebirth that ultimately saved him. 1994.
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The Carter Family
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone?: The Carter Family and Their Legacy in American Music
by Mark Zwonitzer
Life and times of country music's legendary Carter family, from the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Chronicles the commercial success of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, and sister-in-law Maybelle during the 1930s and the subsequent careers of Maybelle and her daughters after the breakup of the original band. Some strong language. 2002.
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June Carter Cash
Among My Klediments
by June Carter Cash
Carter shares her childhood memories as well as her life as a famous country music entertainer. Discusses her God-directed life with Johnny Cash, whom she describes as “husband, lover, friend, and brother in Christ.” “Klediments” refers to her fond memories of people, places, and events along with her personal verse. 1979.
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From the Heart
by June Carter Cash
An eccentric, winning memoir by the wife of singer Johnny Cash, who is herself an entertainer from a famous Grand Ole Opry family. She tells her story episodically in some forty vignettes with grassroots poetry. The author's main themes are love, marriage, family, friends, careers, and God. 1987.
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Johnny Cash
I Shot a Man in Reno
by Caleb S. Cage
This story looks at the history and legacy of country music legend, Johnny Cash’s most famous line and how it related to his life at the time. 2010
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Cash
by Johnny Cash
The country music star relates his life in rural Arkansas as a boy picking cotton, his early career, and his continual concert touring. Chronicles his ups and downs with amphetamine addiction and his various rehabilitation attempts and describes his homes in Tennessee, Florida, and Jamaica. Includes a discography. 1998.
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Man in Black
by Johnny Cash
In this candid autobiography, legendary country singer Johnny Cash revisits the “good and bad times” of his life and career. Describes his rural Arkansas childhood, older brother Jack’s death, seven nightmarish years of drug addiction, marriage to June Carter, and the faith in God he ultimately found. 1975.
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Johnny Cash
by Robert Hilburn
Biography of the National Medal of Arts winner by the author of Corn Flakes with John Lennon (DB70477). Uses archival interviews with Cash (1932–2003) and materials provided by Cash’s intimates to detail the country music star’s early years in Arkansas, fifty-year career, and tumultuous relationships. Strong language and descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2013.
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Johnny Cash: The Biography
by Michael Streissguth
Author uses archives and interviews to document the life of country singer Johnny Cash (1932–2003). Traces Cash’s childhood as the son of an impoverished Arkansas sharecropper, his musical rise in 1950s Memphis after a stint in the air force, and his family life. 2006.
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Rosanne Cash
Composed
by Rosanne Cash
Self-portrait of award-winning singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash (born 1955), the eldest daughter of country music legend Johnny Cash. Reminisces about her extensive musical family, including stepmother June Carter. Discusses her career, two marriages, five children, and collaborations with other artists. 2010.
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Roy Clark
My Life in Spite of Myself!
by Roy Clark
Autobiography of the country music star and host of the television show Hee Haw. Clark, born in the depths of the Great Depression, moved with his family to wherever they could find work. His father, a laborer, sometimes moonlighted, playing guitar for square dances. Roy, following in his father's footsteps, added banjo and a little comedy to his act and soon was making a name and a living for himself. 1994.
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Patsy Cline
Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline
by Ellis Nassour
Biography portrays Patsy Cline (1932–1963) as the first female country singer to cross over into pop music. From interviews with Cline’s family and friends, Nassour details the performer’s trailblazing career, dynamic relationships, and untimely death in a plane crash. Foreword by Dottie West. Some strong language. 1993.
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Rodney Crowell
Chinaberry Sidewalks
by Rodney Crowell
Autobiography of Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Crowell (born 1950) evokes his hardscrabble Texas upbringing by volatile parents. Details the relationship between his epileptic, Pentecostal mother and alcoholic, honky-tonk father. Recounts the start of his own career and discusses his marriage to Rosanne Cash. Strong language and some violence. 2011.
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Billy Ray Cyrus
Hillbilly Heart
by Billy Ray Cyrus
Autobiography of country singer and songwriter Billy Ray Cyrus, father of pop star Miley Cyrus. Discusses growing up in Kentucky, working in night clubs from Nashville to Los Angeles, and his success with the 1992 song “Achy Breaky Heart.” Some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2013.
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Doyle Dykes
The Lights of Marfa
by Doyle Dykes
World-renowned musician Dykes, a Grand Ole Opry member, uses scripture to share inspirational insights from his life. Reminisces about his career as a fingerstyle guitarist and marvels at phenomena such as the Texas balls of light known as Marfa, which he attributes to God. Includes songs performed by the author. 2011.
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Ralph Emery
Memories: The Autobiography of Ralph Emery
by Ralph Emery and Tom Carter
With the help of coauthor Tom Carter, Walter Ralph Emery, the host of The Ralph Emery Show, Nashville Now, and The Grand Ole Opry, chronicles his life in the country music world. During a forty-year career from radio broadcasting to a cable TV talk-show, Emery introduced country music to would-be fans. He includes inside stories about some country music entertainers. Strong language. 1991.
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More Memories
by Ralph Emery
Emery continues the chronicles of his life and his connections with country music. He discusses well-known stars, and the often-overlooked people who work behind the scenes, such as studio musicians. His memories include reactions to the deaths of Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves and his interview with Dick Clark. Some strong language. Sequel to Memories (DB34759). Bestseller. 1993.
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Rory Lee Feek
This Life I Live
by Rory Lee Feek
Country singer who gained fame alongside his wife, Joey, tells how their love and religion changed him. Discusses the birth of their daughter in 2014 and learning that she has Down syndrome. Describes the diagnosis and impact of the cancer that claimed Joey’s life at the age of forty in 2016. Bestseller. 2017.
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Tennessee Ernie Ford
River of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved: A Memoir
by Jeffrey Buckner Ford
The son of entertainer Ernie Ford (1919–1991) chronicles his father’s career—including his television show and such hits as “Sixteen Tons”—and his parents’ long marriage. Discusses his mother’s suicide in 1989 and his father’s death, two years later, from an alcohol-induced condition. Some strong language. 2008.
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Merle Haggard
Sing Me Back Home
by Merle Haggard
Born in Oklahoma and raised in poverty in a boxcar in Bakersfield, California, Merle Haggard served a prison sentence in San Quentin before becoming one of the most popular country music singer-songwriters in the nation. In this funny, searching, and intensely honest autobiography, he tells his story. 1981.
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Patrick Henry Hughes
I Am Potential
by Patrick Henry Hughes
Born with multiple physical birth defects and blind due to anophthalmia, Patrick Henry Hughes exemplifies the triumph of human potential. At the age of nine months Patrick’s family discovered he possessed an astounding musical talent that would eventually lead Patrick to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, march in the University of Louisville marching band with the help of his father, and appear on the TV show Extreme Home Makeover. 2008.
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Alan Jackson
It’s All about Him
by Denise J. Jackson
Autobiography of the wife of country music superstar Alan Jackson describes marrying Alan, her Georgia high-school sweetheart, and recounts his slow rise to fame. Reveals that the breakup of her marriage seventeen years and three children later led her to a reconciliation and new relationship with God. Bestseller. 2007.
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Waylon Jennings
Waylon
by Waylon Jennings
A country music legend recalls the determination that led to his reputation as one of country music’s “outlaws.” He describes how he defied “Nashville sound” and forged his own blend of rock and country music. He also discusses his friendships with musicians Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1996.
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George Jones
Ragged but Right: The Life and Times of George Jones
by Dolly Carlisle
Born in 1931 during hard times in East Texas, this top performer of country music was ill-prepared for stardom and wealth. His marriage to Tammy Wynette and problems with alcohol and drugs were widely reported. 1984.
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I Lived to Tell It All
by George Jones
The rough-and-tumble life of a hard-living icon of country music. Follows George Jones through his hardscrabble early years in East Texas, growing fame, and difficult times to his clean-living sobriety. Jones admits that binge drinking, drugs, and violent behavior plagued his life and career. Strong language. 1996.
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The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George
by Georgette Jones
Memoir by the only child of country singer/songwriters Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Georgette, born in 1970, chronicles her parents’ relationship, including their careers, divorce, and subsequent remarriages. Recalls Tammy's death in 1998 and discusses her own path and pursuit of a singing career. 2011.
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Naomi Judd
Love Can Build a Bridge
by Naomi Judd
Judd chronicles her path to country-music stardom, recounting early days when her poor Kentucky life had a soap-opera quality and tracing her singing career through major setbacks. When she formed a duo with her elder daughter, Wynonna, all was not harmonious, even though they won six Grammy awards. Finally, the Judds undertook a strenuous farewell tour before breaking up due to Naomi's liver disease. Bestseller. 1993.
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Wynonna Judd
Coming Home to Myself
by Wynonna Judd
Autobiography of award-winning country singer. Recalls her impoverished childhood and her sudden success singing duets with her mom, Naomi. Wynonna describes her personal and professional life and her continuing efforts to improve mentally, spiritually, and physically. 2005.
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Brenda Lee
Little Miss Dynamite: The Life and Times of Brenda Lee
by Brenda Lee
Autobiography of rockabilly singer who was born in poverty in Georgia in 1944. Lee began performing professionally when she was seven and was soon supporting her family. She reminisces about the entertainers she has known, from her early days in rock ’n’ roll through country music superstardom. Some strong language. 2002.
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Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter
by Loretta Lynn
The country music star from Butcher Holler, Kentucky, recalls her life from rags to riches. Lynn emphasizes the importance of her twenty-five-year-old marriage and her faith in people and in God. 1996.
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Still Woman Enough: A Memoir
by Loretta Lynn
Country singer continues her autobiography begun in Coal Miner’s Daughter (DB47599). Includes reminiscences of her career and friendship with Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette, and other entertainers; her stormy marriage to her late husband, Doolittle Lynn; and her relationships with her children. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2002.
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Barbara Mandrell
Get to the Heart: My Story
by Barbara Mandrell
As a country-music superstar, Barbara Mandrell was at the peak of her career when she was injured in an automobile accident that put her life on hold. Her story describes how she got her start, became a top-of-the-charts singer with her own TV show, and was named entertainer of the year two years in a row. It is also about her family and her recovery. Bestseller. 1990.
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Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
by Don Cusic
Born in 1954, Reba McEntire grew up in a ranching family and barrel raced in rodeos. She began singing with friends and siblings in a high school country band and kept going until she hit the top of the country music charts. Cusic describes Reba’s Oklahoma roots and influences, her much-admired marriage to Charlie Battles and their surprising divorce, and her successful career. Included is Reba’s discography. 1991.
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Comfort from a Country Quilt
by Reba McEntire
The country star reminisces about her childhood on a ranch in Oklahoma where her father worked in rodeos, her singing career including the 1991 crash that killed members of her band, and her favorite role—as a mother. Bestseller. 1999.
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Reba
by Reba McEntire
McEntire, an award-winning country music performer, describes her life. A rancher’s daughter, McEntire married a fellow rodeo performer the year of her first hit record. The marriage collapsed, but her career continued to thrive despite a tragic plane crash that killed members of her band. Marriage to a long-time colleague led to the birth of her first child. Some strong language. Bestseller. 1994.
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Ronnie Milsap
Almost Like a Song
by Ronnie Milsap
Taken in by dirt-poor but loving grandparents after his mother rejected him, Ronnie was soon sent off to a school for the blind. There, among other things, he learned discipline, determination, and classical music—acquirements that shaped his boyhood, his career, and his success as a country music superstar. His inspiring story reveals little-known aspects of the music industry where he rose to the top. 1990.
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Willie Nelson
Willie: An Unauthorized Biography of Willie Nelson
by Michael Bane
The making of an American culture hero—from a poor country boy who once siphoned gas from government vehicles to the beloved star who proved that a country album could sell just like a rock album.1984.
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The Facts of Life: And Other Dirty Jokes
by Willie Nelson
Popular singer/songwriter’s reflections on what is and what is not important in his life. In his collection of jokes, memories, and song lyrics (often raunchy and politically incorrect), Nelson ruminates on the stock market, sports endorsements, and his favorite biblical lines. Some strong language. 2002.
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It’s a Long Story: My Life
by Willie Nelson
Following up on his previous memoir, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die (DB75901), country music icon Nelson shares stories of his personal life and work, including the writing of some of his famous songs. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2015.
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Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road
by Willie Nelson
Country and folk music superstar reflects on the influences of his career. Discusses growing up in Texas, moving to Nashville, loving his family, and more. Memories and commentary contributed by friends and relatives are sprinkled throughout. Includes foreword by Kinky Friedman. Strong language. Bestseller. 2012.
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Willie Nelson: An Epic Life
by Joe Nick Patoski
Biography of Willie Nelson (born 1933), a country singer/songwriter from Texas, who began writing and performing songs as a child. Chronicles Nelson’s career and first success in 1961 when Patsy Cline sang his song “Crazy.” Discusses his colleagues, marriages, and social causes. Some strong language. 2008.
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Randy Owen
Born Country: How Faith, Family, and Music Brought Me Home
by Randy Owen
Randy Owen, lead singer for the award-winning band Alabama, provides an autobiographical account of his life. Owen describes his family’s southern heritage, the band’s rise to fame and fortune in the 1980s, and the faith and values that have sustained him personally and in his career. 2008.
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Brad Paisley
Diary of a Player: How My Musical Heroes Made a Guitar Man Out of Me
by Brad Paisley
Grammy-winning country-music star chronicles his development as an entertainer, beginning with the gift of his first guitar from his grandfather. Details his personal life and profiles the people—famous and not—who have influenced him, including Buck Owens, Vince Gill, and Steve Wariner. 2011.
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Dolly Parton
Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business
by Dolly Parton
Parton, born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin in East Tennessee, was the fourth child in a family that would eventually number twelve children. Parton discusses her early years, especially her schooling and love for music; the strong ties that kept the family together; her relationship with her best friend Judy Ogle; her rise to fame in Nashville; and her marriage of twenty-eight years to Carl Dean. 1994.
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Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You
by Dolly Parton
Memoir by country singer expands on a commencement speech she gave at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Offers advice on reaching goals, learning from failures, and relying on God. Includes personal anecdotes and song lyrics. 2012.
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In the Shadow of a Song
by Willadeene
The story of the Parton family by country music star Dolly Parton’s older sister. For high school and adult readers. 1985.
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Minnie Pearl
Minnie Pearl: An Autobiography
by Minnie Pearl and Joan Dew
With anecdotes from both personal and professional life, the popular country entertainer covers her early aspirations of becoming a dramatic actress to her success as a gifted comic. Some of her experiences include an embarrassing comedy routine as a last-minute contestant in a beauty pageant and an encounter with the looser morals of show business people. 1980.
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The Statler Brothers
The Statler Brothers
by Harold W. Reid and Don Reid
Memoir by brothers Harold and Don Reid, who along with some teenage friends, formed a country and gospel quartet called the Statler Brothers in 1950s Staunton, Virginia. They recall their rise to fame as Johnny Cash’s opening act, their tours with other stars, their long-running television show, and the inspiration behind their hits. 2007.
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Jeannie C. Riley
From Harper Valley to the Mountain Top
by Jeannie C. Riley
Jeannie C. Riley was a small-town girl from Anson, Texas, who burned to sing country music. Her dream came true in 1968 with a song that was an instant hit from coast to coast, Tom T. Hall's “Harper Valley P.T.A.” But she was unprepared for the success that ended her marriage and threatened to destroy her life until she renewed her faith in God. 1986.
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Kenny Rogers
Luck or Something Like it
by Kenny Rogers
Memoir of the Country Music Hall of Fame singer. The author details his youth, his marriages, his development as an artist, and the stories behind some of his famous songs. He also tells about the friends he made along the way, including Dolly Parton. 2012.
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Ricky Skaggs
Kentucky Traveler: My Life in Music
by Ricky Skaggs
Grammy Award-winning bluegrass and country-music star (born 1954) recounts his life and career. Details his formative years in rural Kentucky, professional success, and personal relationships. Describes his recommitment to his Christian faith after his second marriage and his friendship with the Reverend Billy Graham. 2013.
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Hank Snow
The Hank Snow Story
by Hank Snow
Country-music legend known as the Singing Ranger tells of early years of abuse and the comfort he found in music. Snow's slow-moving career parallels the growth of country-and-western music in Canada, where he was born. His 1950 Nashville Grand Ole Opry debut was disappointing, but once he recorded “I’m Movin’ On,” his star began to rise. Later he would introduce Elvis Presley. Includes a selective discography. 1994.
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Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb
by Ronnie Pugh
Born in tiny Crisp, Texas, in 1914, Ernest Tubb became an innovator in the world of country music. In a stellar career that spanned five decades, Tubb nurtured the growth of country music and paved the way for its acceptance into the American music mainstream through his successful appearance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 1947. The author of this carefully researched biography is a life-long fan of Ernest Tubb and head of Reference at the Country Music Foundation in Nashville. Strong language. 1996.
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Tanya Tucker
Nickel Dreams
by Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker reminisces about her childhood when she and her sister La Costa began singing in contests with the encouragement of their parents. She describes her professional triumphs and personal setbacks, including drug and alcohol abuse, and her numerous affairs with other entertainers. Some strong language. 1997.
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Shania Twain
Shania Twain
by Michael McCall
Biography of the Canadian country-pop singer-songwriter who, after an unspectacular 1993 debut album, gained widespread fame and awards with her second album, which was expensively produced by her ex-husband Robert Lange. Details such controversies as the dismissal of her manager and Twain's initial claim of being Native American. 1999.
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From This Moment On
by Shania Twain
Forty-five-year-old Grammy-Award-winning Canadian singer Shania Twain details her impoverished childhood, her mother and stepfather’s tumultuous relationship and their accidental deaths when Shania was twenty-two, and the painful betrayal in her own first marriage two decades later. Discusses relishing her career, second marriage, and role as a mother. Strong language. 2011.
Downloud DB74444
Townes Van Zandt
To Live’s to Fly
by John Kruth
A fully authorized biography of singer-songwriter-guitarist Townes Van Zandt (1944–1997), who wrote such classic songs as “If I Needed You” and “Waitin’ ’round to Die.” Born to a wealthy oil family in Ft. Worth, hounded by alcoholism and unshakable depression, Van Zandt pursued an often nomadic existence on the fringes of society. Along the way, he composed a striking body of work simultaneously heartbreaking in its beauty and terrifying in its willingness to go to the darkest of places. His songs were covered by artists such as Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Doc Watson, and others. Violence, strong language, and explicit descriptions of sex. 2007.
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Doc Watson
Blind but Now I See
by Kent Gustavson
Biography of Grammy Award-winning guitarist, songwriter, and singer Arthel “Doc” Watson (1923–2012) from Appalachian North Carolina. Explores his training at the Raleigh School for the Blind, rise during the 1960s folk revival, partnership with his son Merle, and the development of his flatpicking style of guitar playing. 2010.
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Hank Williams
Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams
by Paul Hemphill
Biography of country and western singer Hiram “Hank” Williams (1923–1953). The author, a southern native and longtime fan, traces Williams’s life from birth in Depression-era rural Alabama to death at age twenty-nine. Describes his alcoholism, health and family problems, and rise to fame playing at honkytonks. Some strong language. 2005.
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Hank Williams, So Lonesome
by George William Koon
Biography of country singer Hank Williams (1923–1953) who wrote more than one hundred songs including “Hey, Good Lookin’,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” and “Lovesick Blues.” From interviews with family, friends, and band members, Koon documents Williams’s rise from Depression-era Alabama to Nashville stardom and examines the mystery surrounding his death. 2001.
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Ramblin’ Man: Short Stories from the Life of Hank Williams
by Brian J. Turpen
The book is a collection of fifty-one short stories, most about previously unknown topics relating to Hank Williams. Stories included are about Hank’s brother Ernest Huble Williams, who died as an infant; Hank’s first home; the lady who helped deliver Hank; the story of his delayed birth certificate; a short college stint; a lengthy article on the 1949 Grand Ole Opry European Tour (co-written with Manfred Reinhard); Hank’s 1951 Montgomery Homecoming; his 1952 Greenville Homecoming; his Nashville farm; the Nashville home he shared with Ray Price; several stories concerning Hank’s songs; and many others. 2007.
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Ain’t Nothin’ as Sweet as My Baby: The Story of Hank Williams’ Lost Daughter
by Jett Williams
A country singer chronicles her heritage as the daughter of Bobbie Jett and superstar Hank Williams. Jett traces her childhood—as an infant taken in by a grandmother, placed in foster care, and adopted by an Alabama family at age three. She describes her attempts to establish her identity, to reconcile with siblings, and to claim her share of the family estates.
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Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette: A Daughter Recalls Her Mother's Tragic Life and Death
by Jackie Daly
One of Tammy Wynette’s four daughters recounts her mother’s career in country-western music, her five marriages, her addictions, and her untimely and mysterious death. 2000.
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The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George
by Georgette Jones
Memoir by the only child of country singer/songwriters Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Georgette, born in 1970, chronicles her parent’s relationship, including their careers, divorce, and subsequent remarriages. Recalls Tammy’s death in 1998 and discusses her own path and pursuit of a singing career. 2011.
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Tammy Wynette: Tragic Country Queen
by Jimmy McDonough
Biography of Tammy Wynette (1942–1998), the first country-music performer to go platinum. Discusses Wynette’s Mississippi childhood, her five marriages, and her work as a recording artist. Examines the health problems that led to her decades-long drug addiction and premature death. Some strong language. 2010.
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Stand by Your Man
by Tammy Wynette
Country-western singer’s memories of her rise to stardom from the obscurity of a tar-paper shack in rural Mississippi. Wynette recalls her five marriages, including one to fellow performer George Jones; her children; physical and emotional problems; and the tragedies she has had to cope with. 1979.
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Faron Young
Live Fast, Love Hard
by Diane Diekman
Biography of honky-tonk singer Faron Young (1932–1996) traces his forty-year career that culminated in his posthumous 2000 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Includes insights from Young’s family and colleagues revealing his abusive side and discusses the history of country music. Strong language. 2007.
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Group Biography
In the Country of Country: People and Places in American Music
by Nicholas Dawidoff
These portraits of notable figures in American country music include Earl Scruggs, whose innovative approach to the banjo took the instrument beyond being a vaudeville prop, and Patsy Cline, country’s first torch singer. Also discusses Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Harlan Howard, Emmylou Harris, Bill Monroe, and the Louvin Brothers. Some strong language. 1997.
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Behind Closed Doors: Talking with the Legends of Country Music
by Alanna Nash
A collection of twenty-seven interviews with some of the legends of country music, as well as some of the newcomers. Each interview is preceded by a capsule summary of the star’s career. Interviewees include Tom T. Hall, Alabama, the Judds, Willie Nelson, Rosanne Cash, Minnie Pearl, Mel Tillis, and Charley Pride. Strong language. 1988.
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Who’s Who in New Country Music
by Andrew Vaughan
Alphabetical profiles of country music stars and groups provide information on the decline of cross-over pop country and the rise of a back-to-basics movement in the 1980s. Covers both leading artists and up-and-coming performers. Includes brief features on country music in Great Britain and some of the key singers in classic country in the United States. 1989.
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Classic Country: Legends of Country Music
by Charles K. Wolfe
Presents more than fifty portraits of past and present country music notables, based largely on interviews and recollections. Includes obscure performers and studio musicians as well as such stars as Hank Snow and Roy Acuff. 2001.
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Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
by Chet Hagan
The author is a devoted country music fan and an award-winning writer and producer of several major network TV specials featuring country stars and the Grand Ole Opry. He relates events in the sixty-four-year history of this American institution. Hagan recounts how “hillbilly music” and homespun humor from the WSM Barn Dance on Nashville radio in 1925 caught on, changed its name, and became a tradition in our culture. Some strong language. 1989.
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Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City
by Craig Havighurst
Chronicles the rise of Nashville radio station WSM, established in 1925, which popularized country music including the Grand Ole Opry performances. Discusses the station’s importance to the city. Profiles the businessmen and entertainers who influenced the station’s popularity and protested the 2002 proposed format change. 2007.
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A Good-Natured Riot: The Birth of the Grand Ole Opry
by Charles K. Wolfe
History of the country music radio station that founded the Grand Ole Opry following a well-received broadcast of old-time fiddle tunes in 1925. Recalls the show's early performers and discusses social and cultural conditions that fueled its immense popularity and created a nationwide audience by the 1940s. 1999.
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History
Dreaming Out Loud: Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Wade Hayes, and the Changing Face of Nashville
by Bruce S. Feiler
Traces the evolution of country music from the Grand Ole Opry to later methods of developing potential new stars. Highlights the careers of two famous musicians—Garth Brooks and Wynonna Judd. Discusses the business aspect of the music industry in Nashville. Some strong language. 1999.
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A Few Honest Words
by Jason Howard
Kentucky has long been associated with folk, bluegrass, and country music, but the commonwealth’s rich heritage of roots music stretches much wider. The author profiles fourteen contemporary musicians from many genres, showing how Kentucky music has influenced diverse artists such as country singer Naomi Judd, cellist Ben Sollee, country rocker Dwight Yoakum, and jazz pianist Kevin Harris. 2012.
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Sing Me Back Home: Love, Death, and Country Music
by Dana Andrew Jennings
New York Times editor explains the ways the classic country music of the 1950s to 1970s resonated with the rural, working-class lives of his New Hampshire family and neighbors. Discusses legendary musicians like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn and their effect on audiences. Strong language. 2008.
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Country Music, U.S.A.
by Bill C. Malone
This is a revised edition of a comprehensive history of American country music. Since its first publication in 1968, country music has grown from regional to international popularity, and author Malone surveys the recent trends (urban folk revival, the crossover phenomenon, etc.), placing singers and songs in their social, cultural, and historical context. 1985.
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The Listener’s Guide to Country Music
by Robert K. Oermann
An overview of country music and musicians from the old-time music of the Carter family to the pop-country sound of Charlie Rich, Anne Murray, and Eddie Rabbit. Includes critical discussions of vintage and more recent recordings.1993.
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