Chips Moman's genius began in the studio, where he instituted technical innovations that forever changed the recording industry, but it expanded from there with an uncanny ability to recognize hit songs when he heard them as rough demos, and then blossomed with an unsurpassed string of hit records. He rescued Elvis Presley's career with his recordings of "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto," and he provided Willie Nelson with one of his most memorable signature songs, "Always on My Mind." Not bad for a Georgia country boy who dropped out of school in the eighth grade and hitchhiked to Memphis in search of the American Dream. "I think the Chips Moman story has provided me with the best book I have written since Colonel Tom Parker, which was purchased by Warner Bros. for its Elvis film starring Tom Hanks," says author James L. Dickerson. "I anticipate great interest in a movie based on Moman's story. Small wonder. He has been called the "Steve McQueen of the music business.'" By any measure-sales, multi-genre capability, number of hit records, technical innovation, artistry, etc.-Lincoln "Chips" Moman was the most important record producer in American history. With several hundred hits to his credit in pop, country, rhythm & blues, and rock, both from record production and songwriting, Chips Moman is legendary within the music industry. This biography is the story of his life. Early on, Chips Moman was a co-founder of Memphis's Stax Records, along with Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Moman found the location for the studio, organized the recording system, recruited the early talent and produced the legendary soul music record label's first two hits-"Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas and "Last Night," an instrumental by the Mar-Keys. As a record producer, he rescued Elvis Presley's career with hits such as "Suspicious Minds, "In the Ghetto," and "Kentucky Rain." He produced music icons such as Petula Clark and Dionne Warwick. In rock and pop he is associated with the Gentrys ("Keep on Dancing"), the Box Tops ("The Letter"), Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," Sandy Posey ("Born a Woman" and "Single Girl" ), Paul Revere & The Raiders ("Goin' to Memphis"), Dusty Springfield ("Son of a Preacher Man"), Ringo Starr (an unreleased album which the author listened to and considers among Ringo's best; the album ended up in a celebrated court case); B.J. Thomas ("Hooked on a Feeling," "The Eyes of a New York Woman," and "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song." In country music, he produced Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind" and numerous other albums; he originated the super group the Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kristofferson) and produced two of their three albums; Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard (Pancho & Lefty), plus albums with Tammy Wynette, Gary Stewart, Brenda Lee and others. Moman also recorded a country album, as of now unreleased, with actor Robert Duvall, who got permission from Moman to use him as a model for the character he played in Tender Mercies, a role for which he was awarded an Oscar.

Although her mother, Naomi, and older sister, Wynonna, rose to fame as the country music duo the Judds, Ashley Judd took her own road to stardom, becoming one of Hollywood's most successful actresses. Discover the inside story of the actress who has starred in movies such as "Heat," "Kiss the Girls," "High Crimes" and "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." Journey wilth her as she makes the transition from actress to social activist, addressing the General assembly of the United Nations on matters of the greatest importance. Learn the horror and disgust she felt when she learned her movie career had been crippled by a Hollywood mogul who orchestrated a smear campaign against her because she would not have sex with him.

When Dixie's Dirty Secret was first published in 1998, it was the first book to ever expose the super-secret Mississippi Sovereignty Commission and the involvement of the government, the right-wing news media, and organized crime in combating the civil rights movement. This newly published edition, with nearly 20 years of new information, is a revised, greatly expanded analysis of that era that demonstrates how white resistance to racial integration in the South transformed the Republican Party into a right-wing reflection of Old Confederacy values. In the United States, the Republican Party's "Southern Strategy" is now in full bloom, a reincarnation of Old Confederacy values that are based on states' rights, foreign isolation and the demonization of blacks. Dixie's Dirty Secret traces the moral and political disintegration of the Republican Party, beginning with a 1955 secret gathering in Memphis, Tennessee, and continuing to the present day transformation of the Republican Party into one that has adopted white identity as its major platform, in the process losing the respect of both the majority of Americans and the international community. Inspired by Mississippi's refusal to ratify the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery until 1995, GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump opened campaign headquarters in Mississippi to learn how the state has "handled" its blacks. Was the idea to take the Mississippi Plan nationwide? In this book, learn how the state's white leadership, has blocked blacks from being elected to statewide offices for 138 years, how they have used the winner-take-all provision of the Electoral College to nullify black votes for president, and how through legal and social pressures they have created reservations for blacks similar to the ones created in another century for Native Americans. Mississippi has more black elected officials than any other state, but none of them are empowered to govern beyond their reservations. Dixie's Dirty Secret exposes the longest running political gambit in American history and paints a frightful picture of the future of the United States if the current trend in politics continues. How did the populist Democratic Party lose its blue collar and Southern base? How did the elitist, stiff-upper-lip Republican Party become a vehicle for racism and right-wing political anarchy?

The true life story of Elvis's original guitarist, the masterful Scotty Moore When Elvis Presley first showed up at Sam Phillips's Memphis-based Sun Records studio, he was a shy teenager in search of a sound. Phillips invited a local guitarist named Scotty Moore to stand in. Scotty listened carefully to the young singer and immediately realized that Elvis had something special. Along with bass player Bill Black, the trio recorded an old blues number called "That's All Right, Mama." It turned out to be Elvis's first single and the defining record of his early style, with a trilling guitar hook that swirled country and blues together and minted a sound with unforgettable appeal. Its success launched a whirlwind of touring, radio appearances, and Elvis's first break into movies. Scotty was there every step of the way as both guitarist and manager, until Elvis's new manager, Colonel Tom Parker, pushed him out. Scotty and Elvis would not perform together again until the classic 1968 "comeback" television special. Scotty never saw Elvis after that. With both Bill Black and Elvis gone, Scotty Moore is the only one left to tell the story of how Elvis and Scotty transformed popular music and how Scotty created the sound that became a prototype for so many rock guitarists to follow. Thoroughly updated, this edition delivers guitarist Scotty Moore's story as never before. Scotty Moore, Nashville, Tennessee, is the sole survivor of the Sun Records sessions of July 1954 during which he, Elvis Presley, and Bill Black, with Sam Phillips at the engineering sound board, blended country and blues into a new art form that would shake up American culture for decades to come. James L. Dickerson, Jackson, Mississippi, is a freelance author and journalist who has published dozens of books.

With about 70,000 domestic and international adoptions each year in the United States and Canada, adoption remains a major means of building families in both countries. Its continued success can be inferred not only from the yearly statistics, but from a report issued in 2003 by the U.S. Census Bureau. To the surprise of many, the report announced the existence of 1.6 million adopted children in the U.S. under the age of eighteen. Written by a former social worker who has placed hundreds of children in foster and adoptive homes and a clinical psychologist who has counseled adopted children and parents, this book offers a comprehensive look at the adoption process by merging the best of social work with the best of psychology. Adoption can be a frustrating and intimidating undertaking for the unprepared. This guide provides prospective adoptive parents with the insider information that they need to navigate the process-and it provides students with the sort of expert opinion that they need to grasp the academic theory they receive in the classroom. Highlights include: An insider's look at the home study process Advice on single-parent adoptions Advice on gay parent adoptions Advice on parenting adopted children A look at adoption procedures in both the United States and Canada Information about international adoptions A directory of adoption agencies in the United States and Canada

Screening applicants for adoption or foster homes has life-altering consequences for the children involved, yet there are incredibly few programs available to train screeners. The educational system that certifies thousands of social workers each year does not understand the specialized training required to screen adoptive and foster parents; social work schools provide minimal interview training and what training they do provide focuses on therapeutic interview techniques rather than screening skills. There is a clear need for a book like Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening, one that can be incorporated into course requirements and used by working social workers and psychologists involved with adoption and foster parent screening. Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening, written by a former social worker, who has placed hundreds of children into adoptive and foster homes, and a clinical psychologist, meshes the best of psychology and social work experience into a definitive guide for screening adoption and foster home applicants. The book provides information on: evaluating aberrant behavior and unhealthy parenting attitudes interview techniques psychological testing. Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening is based on case histories, research data, and interpretive analysis. The book is written in an accessible style free of technical language, thus making it appropriate for college-level students and professionals who don't have time to sift through empirical data to obtain accessible information that they can adapt to their profession.

A collection of stories shared by 25 country music stars in which they were embarrassed, often in the middle of a performance. Country music fans will enjoy this look at the occupational hazards of being an entertainer.

SOON TO BE MADE INTO A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Based on unprecedented, original research and interviews with insiders, this authoritative biography of Colonel Tom Parker (1909-1997), Elvis Presley's lifelong manager, includes new revelations and insights into the music industry's most notorious and mysterious manager. Investigative journalist and music writer James L. Dickerson looks at topics such as Parker's illegal entry into the United States, his work as a carny with Royal American Shows, and his management of country singer Eddy Arnold, his partnership with Hank Snow, and how he manipulated Elvis Presley and his family to seize control of the singer's career. The book examines Parker's greed, his indebtedness to behind-the-scenes players in Las Vegas, his gambling addiction, and his fear of deportation played a role in ruining Elvis's career. Because Colonel Parker was always there with Elvis, gazing ominously over his shoulder, the book presents behind-the-scenes glimpses of the entertainer's career that you will read nowhere else, thanks in part to the author's personal and professional relationship with Elvis's first guitarist, Scotty Moore, with whom the author wrote two revealing books. Based on unprecedented, original research and interviews with insiders, this authoritative biography of Colonel Tom Parker (1909-1997), Elvis Presley's lifelong manager, includes new revelations and insights into the music industry's most notorious and mysterious manager. Investigative journalist and music writer James L. Dickerson looks at topics such as Parker's illegal entry into the United States, his work as a carny with Royal American Shows, and his management of country singer Eddy Arnold, his partnership with Hank Snow, and how he manipulated Elvis Presley and his family to seize control of the singer's career.

Included in this book are photographs, poetry, and narrative anecdotes looking back on the author's 40-year (and still counting) career as a journalist, photo-journalist, and author while working for three Pulitzer Prize winning newspapers in the South. Dickerson is known for seeking interaction with his photographic subjects. Featured in this book are portraits of ordinary people who have distinguished themselves in various ways, such as Lt. Col. Sarah Deal, the first female pilot for the U.S. Marines Corps (she was attending air traffic school at the U.S. naval base in Millington, north of Memphis, when the defense secretary announced that pilot training would be offered to women in the U.S. Marine Corps.) . . . an old warrior who got to fly a B-17 bomber again after more than three decades . . . the midwife birth of a Mississippi Delta baby . . . the Ghost of Annandale, a spine tingling story associated with the Chapel of the Cross, one of the most historic churches in Mississippi . . . and a look Back at Trader Jon's, Pensacola, Florida's most famous strip joint/safe haven for Navy fighter pilots and Broadway playwrights and British princes--along with entertainment celebrities such as Waylon Jennings, Ringo Starr, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, the Bangles, Marshall Chapman, B.B. King, Suzy Bogguss, Rosanne Cash, Marty Stuart, rock 'n' roll legend Carl Perkins, Jimi Jamison of the rock group Survivor, Rolling Stone Ron Wood, hit songwriter and recording artist Deborah Allen, Faith Hill, Leon Redbone, teen star Tiffany, Lynn Anderson, R&B legend Bobby Womack, Shelby Lynne, Holly Dunn, Paulette Carlson legendary record producer Chips Moman, Elvis Presley's first guitarist and co-inventor of rock 'n' roll, legendary guitarist Scotty Moore, a poem about a female Mississippi surgeon who operates in the nude (no nudity involved iln the book) . . . Mississippi author Willie Morris (North Toward Home and My Dog Skip) and others. Roughly 1/3 of the images in the book relate to Mississippi, 1/3 relate to Memphis, and 1/3 relate to Nashville.

Katherine Summer had everything in life that she wanted--a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, an incredible island home in the Thousand Island region of the St. Lawrence River, an incredibly bright cocker spaniel named Bessie, and a wildly successful career as a landscape artist. All that changed in an instant, when a boating accident seemingly took the lives of her husband and daughter, leaving Katherine alone and heartbroken on the idyllic island that previously had provided her with so much joy and inspiration. Love on the Rocks takes place in the picturesque, castle-populated Thousand Islands region of Ontario/New York State. It follows Katherine through the process of sorting out her emotions as she overcomes her grief and seeks a meaningful new relationship, only to discover that the path to happiness requires her to choose between two men--an American psychologist who may lose his license because of his love for her, and a millionaire, "bad boy" Member of the Canadian Parliament being groomed for prime minister, who dazzles her with his charm. A focal point of the story occurs when Prince Harry and his wife make a cameo at a banquet and dazzle the guests with previously unknown talents. The choices that Katherine makes as she attempts to build a new life, while pursued by the police of both countries for failing to testify against the psychologist, will take the reader on a roller-coaster of emotions as she navigates the treacherous rocks of romance, unable to decide on a future that will not leave everyone involved shipwrecked by love lost. The surprise ending will take your breath away.

Along with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, Lillian "Lil" Hardin (1898-1971) was arguably the third most crucial figure in the creation of popular jazz, but today her important contributions are largely unknown today because of past and present hostility of male jazz critics. Today's "MeToo" generation should embrace Lil Armstrong for the pioneer that she was. No other genre of American music has been quite so inhospitable to women as jazz, which makes it perfect timing for the reprint edition of this important book. Publishers hope to soon see this book in development for a motion picture. Born in Memphis, with strong roots in Mississippi, Lil was, by her early twenties the most sought-after jazz pianist in Chicago, playing first with Freddie Keppard's watershed Creole Jazz Band and later with King Oliver's world-famous Creole Jazz Band. She was already well established in Chicago as a pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader before she met and married Louis Armstrong (1898-1971) in 1924. Beyond her musical contributions to Louis as a songwriter, arranger, and pianist, Lil launched, guided and promoted his solo career. Her tireless efforts and musical craftsmanship (she was the only one in Louis's band who could read music) made possible his now legendary Hot Fives and Hot Sevens recordings. Later, after Louis divorced her in 1938, she established her own successful solo career. In 1931, in Harlem, she spearheaded the first all-female jazz band. It is a distinction that makes her the perfect role model for today's "Me Too" generation. Over the years, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and others recorded her songs. Music writer and investigative journalist James L. Dickerson chronicles Lil's many musical achievements, which are all the more remarkable when one considers the patriarchal resistance that women in all professions--jazz included--confronted in twentieth-century America.