Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music 19721981

As a person who grew up in the heart of the Bible belt and in the shadow of the "Ozark Jubilee" and "Grand Old Opry" I knew I'd like this book. Many of my Jr. High Class mates were part of the "Wagon Wheelers Square Dancers" on the national televised "Jubilee." It was a common occurrence to see Red Foley, and enormously popular preteen singer Brenda Lee and some of the people photographed in this book strolling down the street. My parent's CPA was also Red Foley's accountant. That's my bias in reviewing this book. I'm so glad Henry had the insight to document this fascinating and important part of American Music lore. Honky Tonk refers to Southwestern and Southern bars with musical entertainment and sometimes dancing. It is also subgenre of USA country-western music. If an upright piano player or small group of musicians weren't playing at the bar there was usually a jukebox. Sometimes there were both. As a young photographer who loved Honky Tonk music, Henry Horenstein was selling cover photos to Rounder Records and that little known company arranged for the young photographer to get backstage at WSM's Grand Old Opry and from 1972-1981 Henry made the photographs in this fascinating visual history. He also made photographs of individual Honky Tonk legends on tour, at their homes and at various Honky Tonk bars such as the legendary Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville, TN and the Hill Billy Ranch in Boston. Some of this readers favorite pictures were taken of the typical working class patron of these bars. One of my favorites was a close-up picture of woman standing directly in front of the camera holding out an open HAV-A-TAMPA cigar box with a handwritten sign stating "Band Plays for Tips Only--Thank You--Very Much." Who is the beautiful woman posing for this picture while she makes the rounds of the bar patrons looking for contributions. Most of the money in box is change and two or three one dollar bills. It doesn't appear that the band is going to make much money on this particular night. The obviously pleased to be having her picture taken subject is wearing what looks like a form fitting leather dress and may well be a member of the band or one of the band members wives or girl friends. It's a great picture that appears to have been taken on a Rolleiflex camera with a strobe right on the camera. The square formatted picture asks many questions that the viewer can only guess at answering. Another series of pictures from Tootsie's Orchid Lounge is mostly still life pictures of the programs, flyers and autographed pictures and album jackets completely covering the walls. The series includes many terrific portraits of the typical Honk Tonk patrons and café/bar/road house staff surrounded by the autographed and graffiti covered walls. Most of the book is simple flash on camera straight-forward, unadorned portraits of the performers. Ernest Tubb and fans is another of my favorites included in the book. It shows a smiling cowboy clad Tubb surrou