Country Music Annual 2002

In the third volume of this acclaimed country music series, readers can explore topics ranging from the career of country music icon Conway Twitty to the recent phenomenal success of the bluegrass flavored soundtrack to the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. The tricky relationship between conservative politics and country music in the sixties, the promotion of early country music artists with picture postcards, the history of “the voice of the Blue Ridge Mountains” (North Carolina radio station WPAQ), and the formation of the Country Music Association as a “chamber of commerce” for country music to battle its negative hillbilly stereotype are just a few of the eclectic subjects that country music fans and scholars won’t want to miss. Charles K. Wolfe, professor of English and folklore at Middle Tennessee State University, is the author of numerous books, including Kentucky Country. James E. Akenson, professor of curriculum and instruction at Tennessee Technological University, is the founder of the International Country Music Conference. While offering serious ideas and information, it manages to be lively, fun to read, and fairly free of jargon. Most of the articles in this issue deal with how country musicians and the industry sought to be true to [their] roots while testing and seeking to broaden them. —Arkansas Review If you’re into country music, and especially if you enjoy reading about the history behind the music, then this book is worth the read. —Modern Mountain Magazine A book that any true country music lover would want in their collection. —No Depression Offers a wide range of topics examining the socioculutral, political, business, and historical aspects of country music. Although aimed at music scholars, these twelve essays are very readable and should capture the interest of serious country music fans as well. —Register of the Kentucky Historical Societyhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_music/1005/thumbnail.jp