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.

AcknowledgmentsIntroductionNotes on PlaylistsEck RobertsonFiddlin' John CarsonHenry WhitterErnest V. StonemanUncle Dave MaconVernon DalhartFiddlin' PowersCharlie PooleKelly HarrellDaCosta WoltzUncle Jimmy ThompsonDr Humphrey BateSam McGeeGid TannerRiley PuckettClayton McMichenLowe StokesEarl JohnsonJohn DilleshawGeorgia Yellow HammersSouth Georgia HighballersCofer BrothersDock BoggsFrank HutchisonDarby & TarltonThe Carter FamilyJimmie RodgersBridge: The Great DivideAllen BrothersFleming & TownsendChris BouchillonEd HaleyClark KessingerBlind Alfred ReedRoy HarveyWalter SmithAsa MartinDick BurnettJohn D. FosterEmry ArthurAlfred G. KarnesBuell KazeeRaymond RenderG. B. GraysonClarence AshleyCarolina Tar HeelsCarolina TwinsRed Fox ChasersBascom Lamar LunsfordLeake County RevelersNarmour & SmithHoyt MingDr Smith's Champion Hoss Hair PullersFiddlin' Bob LarkanGolden Melody BoysWalter CoonJules V. AllenPowder River Jack LeeCartwright BrothersHarry "Mac" McClintockGoebel ReevesJohn I. WhiteBernard "Slim" SmithCarson RobisonFrank LutherOtto Gray & His Oklahoma CowboysBridge: Country Music In TransitionGene AutryJimmie DavisCliff CarlisleBill CoxMac & BobBradley KincaidThe Girls of the Golden WestWilf CarterHank SnowBridge: The Radio YearsLulu Belle & ScottyPatsy MontanaLily May LedfordJ. E. MainerDixon BrothersCallahan BrothersClaude CaseySnuffy JenkinsRoy Acuff"Ramblin' Red" LoweryDelmore BrothersLonnie GlossonGrandpa JonesCarl SwansonBridge: Western Swing & HonkytonkMilton BrownBob WillsLight Crust DoughboysAdolph HofnerCliff BrunerHank PennyBob SkylesSwift Jewel CowboysJohnnie Lee WillsTed DaffanHoyle NixRex GriffinBuddy JonesAl DexterFloyd TillmanErnest TubbJohnny BondRed River Dave McEneryLeo SoileauHarry ChoatesMolly O'DayRose MaddoxBibliographyIndex of NamesIndex of Songs