Behind Closed Doors: Talking with the Legends of Country Music

by Alanna Nash author of The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Tom Parker and Elvis Pres

Overview

Interviews with 27 country stars reveal the range of personalities and viewpoints that make up today's country music scene. Journalist Alanna Nash speaks in candid interviews with performers about Nashville's music industry, changes in the country audience over the past thirty years, and their own releationships to their music. Nash's interviews showcase the diversity of the performers (from college-educated professionals to ex-convicts) and their audiences. Interviewees include Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, Brenda Lee, Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, Naomi and Wynonna Judd, Bill Monroe, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Hank Williams Jr., Chet Atkins, and Willie Nelson.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461660842
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/22/2002
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	576
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Alanna Nash is the author of Dolly and a country music reviewer for Entertainment Weekly. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Editorial Reviews

The author of Dolly: A Biography of Dolly Parton offers brief biographical profiles of and conducts Q & A interviews with 27 popular performers, from the octogenarian ``King of Country Music'' Roy Acuff to Tammy Wynette, the ``Heroine of Heartbreak.'' Nash asks knowledgable, penetrating questions and leads the singers into intimate areas with ease. Many speak with refreshing candor. Wynette: ``Acting is a very special talent. One that I don't think I have.'' The late Marty Robbins: ``I love attention . . . My ears are tuned for the name Marty Robbins.'' Brenda Lee: ``I grew up not really knowing who or what I was. I was what I read I was.'' Charley Pride: ``I don't have skin hang-ups. I'm no color. I'm just Charley Pride, the man.'' Loretta Lynn: ``I've had so many death threats that I don't get out of the bus that much.'' Minnie Pearl reveals the hurtful experiences that led to the creation in 1936 of her comedy character. She also notes the ``special type of camaraderie that exists among country music performers.'' Fans will delight in this hefty volume, replete with integrity, earthy banter and engaging anecdotes that capture the twang of their favorite honkytonk heroes and heroines. Photos not seen by PW. Music Book Club selection. (October)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Country music singer Charlie Rich once vowed that ``no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.'' But now Nash provides a through-the-keyhole look at the lives of 27 country music acts, picked from interviews she has conducted with whom she sees as ``almost every significant country performer of the last several decades.'' She skillfully probes lives and psyches with perceptive questions: ``Have you always thought that you were destined to have this career?''; ``What did you learn about yourself in prison?'' From traditionalists to Southern rockers, from 85-year-old Roy Acuff to 25-year-old Wynonna Judd, her choice of subjects provides us with a wide range of opinion and experience in country music. Donald W. Maxwell, Noblesville - Southeastern P.L., Noblesville, Ind.

Library Journal

Prepare for some real twists and turns!

Community Times

A book I found hard to put down, I was riveted to its pages for a full weekend and come Monday I wanted to start all over again.

Country Music Round-Up - Pete Smith

A modern history of the industry, full of lively anecdotes, and all but devoid of show-biz bull.

Chicago Tribune - Chrissie Dickinson

Nash's gently probing curiosity draws out small insights and occasional revelations, making the stars seem much less distant.

Nashville Banner

A modern history of the industry, full of lively anecdotes, and all but devoid of show-biz bull.
— Chrissie Dickinson

Chicago Tribune

A book I found hard to put down, I was riveted to its pages for a full weekend and come Monday I wanted to start all over again.--Pete Smith "Country Music Round-Up "

A modern history of the industry, full of lively anecdotes, and all but devoid of show-biz bull.--Chrissie Dickinson "Chicago Tribune "

Nash's gently probing curiosity draws out small insights and occasional revelations, making the stars seem much less distant.--Nashville Banner

From the Publisher