Because Johnny Cash cut his classic singles at Sun Records in Memphis and reigned for years as country royalty from his Nashville-area mansion, people tend to associate the Man in Black with Tennessee. But some of Cash's best songs-including classics like "Pickin' Time," "Big River," and "Five Feet High and Rising"-sprang from his youth in the sweltering cotton fields of Mississippi County in northeastern Arkansas.In Country Boy, Colin Woodward combines biography, history, and music criticism to illustrate how Cash's experiences in Arkansas shaped his life and work. The grip of the Great Depression on Arkansas's small farmers, the comforts and tragedies of family, and a bedrock of faith all lent his music the power and authenticity that so appealed to millions. Though Cash left Arkansas as an eighteen-year-old, he often returned to his home state, playing some of his most memorable and personal concerts on his native soil, where, to use Cash's phrase, he could touch his roots again. Drawing upon the country legend's songs and writings, as well as the accounts of family, fellow musicians, and chroniclers, Woodward reveals how the profound sincerity and empathy so central to Cash's music depended on his maintaining a deep connection to his native Arkansas-a place that never left his soul.

Encyclopaedic in its scope, this is the ultimate tribute to the life and music of Taylor Swift. No need for glossy images here, the narrative says it all - a chronological account of her mercurial rise to fame; the stories that inspire the songs; an in-depth look at those much-publicised battles with the media, music industry and fellow artists, and all recounted with well-chosen words from the artist herself and dozens of others who have played a part in her incredible story. Put together, we have the definitive record. If not already a fan, reading this may very well change your opinion. "I really do try to be a nice person...but if you break my heart, hurt my feelings, or are really mean to me, I'm going to write a song about you" This is how Taylor Swift once explained the meaning behind one of her earliest songs. Never one to mince her words when it comes to sharing her thoughts, she has achieved legendary status in the music world with a career built largely on her personal feelings, ever since the day one particular teenage boy made her cry. Now barely into her third decade, her songs have taken her fans on an emotional journey that encompasses both the elation of young love and the heartbreak of fallen relationships. As always, fame courts controversy, and Taylor has had her fair share - long-standing feuds with fellow artists; harrowing claims of sexual harassment; deeply personal accusations over her own authenticity, and those headline-making, all-too public breakups with a catalog of celebrity lovers - all subjects covered in detail within these pages. This book strips away the sometimes-mythical veneer of superstardom and lays bare the real Taylor as the songwriting genius she was born to be; a young woman who, after all, is as human as the rest of us, doing amazing things as well as making incredible gaffes. But with dogged determination and staying true to herself, she has been able to drive her own destiny. Love her or hate her (maybe, better to love her), she has inspired a generation of young fans across the globe, not only with her music, but with heartfelt words of wisdom. Taylor's girl-next-door public image remains intact, at least for now, and she stands firm by one of her own mantras: "No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind". For a simple good lesson in life, that ain't bad.

From cradle to great, the comprehensive real story of Bill Monroe The Father of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe was a major star of the Grand Ole Opry for over fifty years; a member of the Country Music, Songwriters, and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame; and a legendary figure in American music. This authoritative biography sets out to examine his life in careful detail--to move beyond hearsay and sensationalism to explain how and why he accomplished so much. Former Blue Grass Boy and longtime music journalist Tom Ewing draws on hundreds of interviews, his personal relationship with Monroe, and an immense personal archive of materials to separate the truth from longstanding myth. Ewing tells the story of the Monroe family's musical household and Bill's early career in the Monroe Brothers duo. He brings to life Monroe's 1940s heyday with the Classic Bluegrass Band, the renewed fervor for his music sparked by the folk revival of the 1960s, and his declining fortunes in the years that followed. Throughout, Ewing deftly captures Monroe's relationships and the personalities of an ever-shifting roster of band members while shedding light on his business dealings and his pioneering work with Bean Blossom and other music festivals. Filled with a wealth of previously unknown details, Bill Monroe offers even the most devoted fan a deeper understanding of Monroe's towering achievements and timeless music.