The Grand Ole Opry

November 1, 2006
Escott's (Hank Williams: Snapshots from the Lost Highway) handsomely illustrated book is the first of three major titles from Center Street in partnership with Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, the longestrunning radio broadcast in history. It is an account told primarily through oral histories conveying the personalities, events, and enduring musical traditions that emanated from the opry across the nation's radio waves. The live music that the opry broadcast amalgamated rural American folk music traditions to help create what became known as country music. Through archival interviews from other sources and original interviews by the author, the book traces the story of the dozens of distinctive artists (e.g., Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash) who graced the opry stage, the business behind the music, and the challenges faced by the industry over the course of 80 years. The words and reminiscences of the dozens of participants in the opry's history provide rich and detailed immediacy to the story. Hundreds of photographs of music personalities, original programs, and artifacts result in a unique narrative of the distinctly American genre of country music. Recommended for public libraries with interests in popular culture and music.Jim Collins, Morristown & Morris Twp. P.L., NJ

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.