At eight years old, Rick Nelson began his career in show business. After a successful run on radio, his family's situation comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet enjoyed a 14 year television tenure. On the April 10, 1957, episode, ""Ricky the Drummer,"" Rick Nelson started his singing career by lip syncing to Fats Domino's ""I'm Walkin'."" He scored 36 Top-40 singles between 1957 and 1972, ranking him number 5 in Billboard's Top 25 Artists of the Decade (1950-1959). As a country rock pioneer, he influenced Buffalo Springfield, Linda Ronstadt, and the Eagles. This book is a candid account of his journey in rock and roll through stories told by musicians and producers who worked on the road and in the studio with him. Actors and family members also provided invaluable insight.

Disc jockey Alan Freed coined the term "rock and roll" in the 1950s. Rooted in rockabilly, rhythm and blues, country and western, gospel, and pop, the genre was popularized by performers like Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. Rock and roll's originators and revivalists continue to entertain crowds at roots music festivals worldwide. This book presents stories about performers' lives on the road and in the studio, along with the stories behind popular songs. Informative biographical profiles are provided. Artists sharing their experiences include Dale Hawkins, Big Jay McNeely, Ace Cannon, Sleepy LaBeef, Billy Swan, Robin Luke, Rosie Flores and James Intveld. Conway Twitty, Buck Owens and Janis Martin are also featured.

The music today known as "classic country" originated in the South in the 1920s. Influenced by blues and folk music, instrumentation was typically guitar, fiddle, bass, steel guitar, and later drums, with lyrics and arrangements rooted in tradition. This book covers some of the genre's legendary artists, from its heyday in the 1940s to its decline in the early 1970s. Revivalists keeping the traditions alive in the 21st century are also explored. Drawing on original interviews with artists and their associates, biographical profiles chronicle their lives on the road and in the studio, as well as the stories behind popular songs. Thirty-six performers are profiled, including Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Loretta Lynn, Bill Anderson, Faron Young, Mickey Gilley, Freddie Hart, Jerry Reed, Charley Pride, David Frizzell, The Cactus Blossoms, The Secret Sisters, and Pokey LaFarge.

Unique among the various types of impersonation entertainers, a tribute artist concentrates on only a few of a famous singer's notable characteristics in order to effectively evoke that performer through song. This book explores the elements of tribute performance through case studies of performers who pay homage to legendary singers like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. Drawing on original interviews with tribute artists, biographical profiles chronicle performers' early careers, musical influences and their lives on the road. A few performers even reflect on their friendships with musical titans like Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Crickets. Forty tribute artists are profiled, including winners of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, Million Dollar Quartet alumni and several European performers.

Rockabilly, a musical designation coined by ""Billboard"" magazine in the mid - 1950s, is a rambunctious rhythmic style combining the liveliest elements of country, gospel, and rhythm and blues. Popularized by such celebrated performers as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Ricky Nelson, rockabilly has been a major influence on the music of Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen. This affectionate history captures the essence of life on the road and in the recording studio through interviews with many of rockabilly's foremost artists. Among those sharing their experiences are Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis of the Crickets, Sonny Burgess, Wanda Jackson, Glen Glenn, the Collins Kids, Charlie Gracie and Deke Dickerson. Complementing the recollections of these gifted musicians are several rare publicity photos.