Description: As he looks at "hillbilly" music's pre-commercial era and its early popular growth through radio and recordings, Bill C. Malone shows us that it was a product not only of the British Isles but of diverse African, German, Spanish, French, and Mexican influences.
Brief description: BILL C. MALONE, as a performer and a scholar, has been immersed in country music for most of his life. Now retired from Tulane University, he lives in Madison, Wisconsin, where he hosts a weekly radio show, "Back to the Country." He is the author of Country Music, U.S.A., Don't Get above Your Raisin', and other books.
Review Quotes:
Goes a long way toward filling a bothersome hole in American musical history.
--Sing Out!