Alice Randall, an award-winning professor, composer, and author, presents "a celebration of all things related to country music" (Ken Burns) as she reflects on her journey with the first family of Black country music. Country music brought Alice Randall and her mother, an activist, together. The sounds and history of the first family of Black country music, such as DeFord Bailey, Lil Hardin, Ray Charles, Charley Pride, and Herb Jeffries, provided inspiration and solace. This community of Black Americans, emerging from difficult times, created simple beauty, true joy, and occasionally deep eccentricity. In her work "My Black Country," there emerges "a delightful, inspiring story of perseverance, resistance, and pure love" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) of this most American of musical genres and the radical joy in realizing the power of Black influence in American culture. As country music undergoes a new renaissance today, with a new generation of Black artists thriving, "My Black Country" is the perfect gift for longtime fans of country music and a vibrant introduction for a new generation of listeners who previously had not been invited to experience the genre.

Pages: 288, Year of Publication: 0508, Dimensions: 14x14cm