Country Music Originals The Legends and the Lost

by Russell, Tony

• ISBN13: 9780199732661
• ISBN10: 0199732663
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Graced by more than 200 illustrations, many of them seldom seen and some never before published, this sparkling volume offers vivid portraits of the men and women who created country music, the artists whose lives and songs formed the rich tradition from which so many others have drawn inspiration. Included here are not only such major figures as Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Fiddlin' John Carson, Charlie Poole, and Gene Autry, who put country music on America's cultural map, but many fascinating lesser-known figures as well, such as Carson Robison, Otto Gray, Chris Bouchillon, Emry Arthur and dozens more, many of whose stories are told here for the first time. To map some of the winding, untraveled roads that connect today's music to its ancestors, Tony Russell draws upon new research and rare source material, such as contemporary newspaper reports and magazine articles, internet genealogy sites, and his own interviews with the musicians or their families. The result is a lively mix of colorful tales and anecdotes, priceless contemporary accounts of performances, illuminating social and historical context, and well-grounded critical judgment. The illustrations include artist photographs, record labels, song sheets, newspaper clippings, cartoons, and magazine covers, recreating the look and feel of the entire culture of country music. Each essay includes as well a playlist of recommended and currently available recordings for each artist. Finally, the paperback edition now features an extensive index.

Author Biography

Tony Russell is a music historian who has written on country music, blues, jazz, and other forms of popular music in a wide variety of publications and has researched,
written, and presented many musical programs for BBC Radio. He lives in London.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Notes on Playlists

Eck Robertson

Fiddlin' John Carson

Henry Whitter

Ernest V. Stoneman

Uncle Dave Macon

Vernon Dalhart

Fiddlin' Powers

Charlie Poole

Kelly Harrell

DaCosta Woltz

Uncle Jimmy Thompson

Dr Humphrey Bate

Sam McGee

Gid Tanner

Riley Puckett

Clayton McMichen

Lowe Stokes

Earl Johnson

John Dilleshaw

Georgia Yellow Hammers

South Georgia Highballers

Cofer Brothers

Dock Boggs

Frank Hutchison

Darby & Tarlton

The Carter Family

Jimmie Rodgers

Bridge: The Great Divide

Allen Brothers

Fleming & Townsend

Chris Bouchillon

Ed Haley

Clark Kessinger

Blind Alfred Reed

Roy Harvey

Walter Smith

Asa Martin

Dick Burnett

John D. Foster

Emry Arthur

Alfred G. Karnes

Buell Kazee

Raymond Render

G. B. Grayson

Clarence Ashley

Carolina Tar Heels

Carolina Twins

Red Fox Chasers

Bascom Lamar Lunsford

Leake County Revelers

Narmour & Smith

Hoyt Ming

Dr Smith's Champion Hoss Hair Pullers

Fiddlin' Bob Larkan

Golden Melody Boys

Walter Coon

Jules V. Allen

Powder River Jack Lee

Cartwright Brothers

Harry "Mac" McClintock

Goebel Reeves

John I. White

Bernard "Slim" Smith

Carson Robison

Frank Luther

Otto Gray & His Oklahoma Cowboys

Bridge: Country Music In Transition

Gene Autry

Jimmie Davis

Cliff Carlisle

Bill Cox

Mac & Bob

Bradley Kincaid

The Girls of the Golden West

Wilf Carter

Hank Snow

Bridge: The Radio Years

Lulu Belle & Scotty

Patsy Montana

Lily May Ledford

J. E. Mainer

Dixon Brothers

Callahan Brothers

Claude Casey

Snuffy Jenkins

Roy Acuff

"Ramblin' Red" Lowery

Delmore Brothers

Lonnie Glosson

Grandpa Jones

Carl Swanson

Bridge: Western Swing & Honkytonk

Milton Brown

Bob Wills

Light Crust Doughboys

Adolph Hofner

Cliff Bruner

Hank Penny

Bob Skyles

Swift Jewel Cowboys

Johnnie Lee Wills

Ted Daffan

Hoyle Nix

Rex Griffin

Buddy Jones

Al Dexter

Floyd Tillman

Ernest Tubb

Johnny Bond

Red River Dave McEnery

Leo Soileau

Harry Choates

Molly O'Day

Rose Maddox

Bibliography

Index of Names

Index of Songs

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.