Product Description

To its millions of fans, country music is America's music, offering a window on the sweet dreams and cruel disappointments of ordinary American lives. Now the renowned Country Music Foundation, custodian of Nashville's legendary Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, has compiled a fascinating and infinitely useful guide to this beloved musical genre--The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Nearly 1,300 alphabetical entries put eight decades of country music at readers' fingertips, from the earliest '20s recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to the '90s chart-topping albums of LeAnn Rimes and Garth Brooks. A distinguished field of 137 contributors provides an eminently readable and reliable guide to the singers, songwriters, record companies, and industry movers and shakers who have made country music the increasingly popular--and profitable--juggernaut it is today. Hundreds of photographs, some never before published, accompany the text, including 75 color photographs from the CMF Library's record collection, surveying the history of the country music album cover. Twelve appendices provide lists of country's all-time best-selling albums, country music stations nationwide, all the country music awards won over the years, and much more. Authoritative, accessible, and unerringly accurate, The Encyclopedia of Country Music will delight fans. It is an essential reference for libraries, radio stations, and the entertainment industry.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #151364 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 664 pages

From Library Journal
A surprisingly frank product of the Nashville country music establishment (it was compiled by the Country Music Foundation), this title promises to be the definitive historical and biographical work of the past eight decades of country music. Some 150 authorities (e.g., Colin Escott and Ronnie Pugh) discuss the music in all its permutations, and the results are beyond impressive. Interspersed with the biographical entries are historical and sociological essays on the literature of country music, country songwriting, gospel, folk and popular music connections, and even touring and costuming. Thirteen appendixes cover the Country Music Hall of Fame, radio stations, and best-selling country albums. While all the major artists (e.g., Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb) are given their due, this work also gets at the second- and third-tier country singers as well as songwriters, musicians, DJs, record company executives, and others who have played roles in the genre. By covering contemporary artists as well as those who have been lost in the mists of time, the book is superior to any country music reference this reviewer has seen. Well written and heavily illustrated, this is the only country music reference work most libraries will need. An unparalleled work, worth its price and highly recommended.?David M. Turkalo, Suffolk Univ. Law School Lib., Boston
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Any serious country music fan will treasure this authoritative book."-- The Seattle Times

"Sets new standards in the field."--The Baltimore Sun

"Perhaps the best single-volume reference work on country music."--Billboard Magazine

"While a handful of worthwhile country music encyclopedias are in print, none are as comprehensive in scope as The Encyclopedia of Country Music.... For country fans with an eye for trivia, it doesn't get much better than this."--Tower Pulse

"Truly a labor of love.... I hope you find that it brings you a little closer to the music you love and leads you down paths that bring more music into your life."--Emmylou Harris, from the Foreword

"Should prove a valuable resource to those who work in the country music business. But it's also an entertaining read for the music's true fans."--Houston Chronicle

"This big, handsome volume, compiled by the staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, spans the history of country music, listing not only artists and groups but also important individuals and institutions."--San Francisco Examiner

"A long-awaited, major accomplishment, which educators, historians and students, broadcasters and music writers, artists and fans alike, will welcome and enjoy."--The Nashville Musician

"An unparalleled work, worth its price and highly recommended."

About the Author

Paul Kingsbury is a freelance writer and the author of The Grand Ole Opry History of Country Music and Vinyl Hayride:Country Music Album Covers. A Deputy Director for the Country Music Foundation and an editor of Journal of Country Music, he lives in Nashville.

Customer Reviews

A wonderful comprehensive guide to explore from A to Z
After hearing about this book, I was anxious to find it. I am pleased to report that it is indeed "the real deal" and not only met but exceeded my expectations. Well organized and easy to read, this encyclopedia provides just enough information in each entry to fill your plate. It is not too sketchy, nor too long in any areas (but I would have liked to read a bit more about Hank Williams and George Jones!) As an encyclopedia, it is not something you "read" per se, but rather "explore"...over and over. The names of familiar artists jump off the page and every scan can lead you to learn either something more about someone you know, or perhaps introduce you to someone or something totally new. Numerous illustrations (and it could use a few more)break up the mountain of text; the pictures provide enough rest for your eyes before scouring the pages for more well-researched documentation. This compilation is just awesome; the years of research have paid off in my humble opinion. What makes the book so wonderful is its scope -- suitable for a newcomer and also detailed and informative enough for the country music veteran. I highly recommend you buy at least two. One to enjoy as often as you want to and the other to offer as a special gift. Whoever you give this book to will NOT have another like it on the shelf. My "gift volume" will be going to my Dad as a tribute and thank-you for being weaned on the music that is country. If you love country music or think you want to, add this book to your library. There is enough interesting history and data collected here to satisfy even the largest musical appetite for the better part of year. ENJOY !!!

Great book!
I work as a DJ at a country radio station and I produce and host a weekly classic country program. I needed a book that provided a good bit of general information about a wide variety of singers and groups without a lot of useless information and what not -- this book has exceeded my expectations! As an "encyclopedia," this isn't something that you read cover-to-cover, but anyone who has ever belted-out a note of country music can be found with just the right amount of information. If you are looking for a country music reference book, this is it!

A DJ's Guide to Country Music
I am a DJ at a traditional country/bluegrass radio station. I use the Encyclopedia of Country Music constantly to add color and flavor to my show. Contains all kinds of info and neat trivia for just about all traditional artists. Really great guide for any country music fan or professional.