Legends of Country

You can't have music without people--people to write it, to play it, to sing it--and this book is all about the people who do that for country. It contains an even 100 essays focusing on artists ranging from Roy Acuff to Faron Young, from the Carter Family to '90's comers like Trisha Yearwood, and from at least one virtual unknown (black 1920's harmonica virtuoso Deford Bailey) to giant names like Johnny Cash. Every kind of country is here, from classic hill twang to Nashville Sound to New Traditionalist to the rock-crossover tunes of today. Each essay includes something of the biography, career, and early influences of the artist profiled, plus at least one photo, usually in color; the biggest names, like Cash or Hank Williams Sr., get as many as four pages, but most rate only one. There's a sizeable discography listing seminal releases by each of the hundred, and a brief bibliography. I personally think there are at least one or two glaring omissions (where is Dave Dudley, with his trademark growl and repertoire of truckin' songs? or Jerry Reed, with his "hot licks"?), but if you've just become hooked on country and want a basic overview of the best of its artists, or are just curious to painlessly learn more about your favorites, this book should be just your speed.