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On September 19, 1973, Gram Parsons became yet another
rock-and-roll casualty in an era of excess, a time when young men
wore their dangerous habits like badges of honour. Unfortunately,
his many musical accomplishments have been overshadowed by a morbid
fascination with his drug overdose in the Joshua Tree desert at the
age of twenty-six. Known as the father of country rock, Parsons
played with the International Submarine Band, The Byrds, and the
Flying Burrito Brothers. In the late 1960s and early 70s, he was a
key confidante of Keith Richards. In 1972, he gave Emmylou Harris
her first big break. When Tom Petty re-formed his Florida garage
band Mudcrutch, he invoked the name of Gram Parsons as an
inspiration. Musicians as diverse as Elvis Costello, Dwight Yoakam,
Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin, and Steve Earle have also paid homage to
alt-country's patron saint. In Calling Me Home, Kealing traces the
entire arc of Parsons's career, emphasising his Southern roots.
Drawing on dozens of new interviews as well as rare letters and
photographs provided by Parsons's family and legendary
photojournalist Ted Polumbaum, Kealing has uncovered facts that
even the most stalwart Parsons fans will find revealing. Travelling
from Parsons' boyhood home in Waycross, Georgia, to the southern
folk mecca of Coconut Grove, Florida, from the birthplace of outlaw
country in Austin, Texas, to the Ryman auditorium in Nashville,
Tennessee Kealing celebrates Parsons's timeless and transformative
musical legacy.
It was his most electric and influential time as a live performer.
The young and hungry Elvis, the rising star, burst onto stages
large and small-sexy, controversial, brimming with talent and
ambition. One lightning-hot year in Florida fueled his rise from
novelty act to headlining megastar. Elvis Ignited follows the
immensely talented musician through his tour of Florida in
1955-1956, where he played more concerts than in any other state in
the country and where he first became the object of worship, scorn,
and controversy. Bob Kealing interviews people who saw the King up
close in high school gymnasiums, nightclubs, radio stations, and
shopping centers, recalling the time-stands-still memories of
hearing his hit songs for the first time and the shrieks of young
fans at the sight of the young rockabilly god. Struck by a new kind
of music and performances so different from anything they had known
before, Floridians saw how special Elvis was before the rest of the
world caught on. Kealing continues the story through Elvis's years
in the army and the filming of Follow that Dream in Florida in
1961. Elvis's rise to fame in the Sunshine State was a turning
point in American music history. It was the arrival of rock and
roll.
The musical and cultural impact of the Fab Four in FloridaIn 1964,
Beatlemania flooded the United States. The Beatles appeared live on
the Ed Sullivan Show and embarked on their first tour of North
America-and they spent more time in Florida than anywhere else.
Good Day Sunshine State dives into this momentous time and place,
exploring the band's seismic influence on the people and culture of
the state. Bob Kealing sets the historical stage for the band's
arrival-a nation dazed after the assassination of John F. Kennedy
and on the precipice of the Vietnam War; a heavily segregated,
conservative South; and in Florida, recent events that included the
Cuban Missile Crisis and the arrest and imprisonment of Martin
Luther King Jr. in St. Augustine. Kealing documents the culture
clashes and unexpected affinities that emerged as the British
rockers drew crowds, grew from fluff story to the subject of
continual news coverage, and basked in the devotion of a young and
idealistic generation. Through an abundance of letters,
memorabilia, and interviews with journalists, fellow musicians, and
fans, Kealing takes readers behind the scenes into the Beatles'
time in locations such as Miami Beach, where they wrote new songs
and met Muhammad Ali. In the tropical environs of Key West, John
Lennon and Paul McCartney experienced milestone moments in their
friendship. And the band dodged the path of Hurricane Dora to play
at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, where they famously refused to
perform until the city agreed to integrate the audience. Kealing
highlights the hopeful futures that the Beatles helped inspire,
including stories of iconic rock-and-rollers such as Tom Petty who
followed the band's lead in their own paths to stardom. This book
offers a close look at an important part of the musical and
cultural revolution that helped make the Fab Four a worldwide
phenomenon.
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