Jacques-Timothe Boucher Sieur de Montbrun (anglicized to Demonbreun soon thereafter), born 1747 in Quebec, set the bar for country music's stories of cheating, gambling, drinking, and being the boss more than two centuries before anybody thought of supporting the storyline with a 1-4-5-4 chord progression and a fiddle. Lightly called a "fur trader," he came to the city to make his fortune and fame, much like songwriters today. Looking back, it would be easy to call Demonbreun, the son of French Canadian near-royalty and brother to two nuns, a spoiled child who did what he wanted, a classic-case misogynist and polygamist, a conceited adventurer. He was a man who conned the Spanish governor out of a war, carried on graceful correspondence with Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, owned several slaves, may have served as a spy, and was a decorated veteran. He fought in the Revolutionary War, extraordinarily so it seems, given the number of land grants he received across Kentucky and Tennessee. He's also known around Nashville as the guy who lived in a cave. Author Elizabeth Elkins sorts through the legends and nails down the facts in order to present the true story of "Nashville's First Citizen.

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.

Bluegrass Ambassadors is the first book-length study of the McLain Family Band, which has spread the gospel of bluegrass for more than fifty years. Rooted in bluegrass but also collaborating with classical composers and performing folk, jazz, gospel, and even marches, the band traveled to sixty-two foreign countries in the 1970s under the auspices of the State Department. The band's verve and joyful approach to its art perfectly suited its ambassadorial role. After retiring as full-time performers, most members of the group became educators, with patriarch Raymond K. McLain's work at Berea College playing a particularly important role in bringing bluegrass to the higher education curriculum. Interpreting the band's diverse repertoire as both a source of its popularity and a reason for its exclusion from the bluegrass pantheon, Paul Jenkins advances subtle arguments about genre, criticism, and audience. Bluegrass Ambassadors analyzes the McLains' compositions, recordings, and performances, and features a complete discography.

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.