Honky-Tonk Heroes and Hillbilly Angels: The Pioneers of Country and Western Music

by Holly George-Warren, Laura Levine (Illustrator)

Overview

Discover the surprising beginnings and humble origins of the charismatic pioneers who helped shape the country-and-western scene into the influential musical empire it is today.

Included among this collection of legends are Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, and more unforgettable people who changed the face of music forever!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547349503
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/10/2006
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	8 - 10 Years

About the Author

Holly George-Warren is an award-winning writer, editor, producer, and music consultant. She has contributed to more than two dozen books about rock and roll, including The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock, and The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. She’s also written for the New York Times, the Village Voice, the Journal of Country Music, and Rolling Stone. Ms. George-Warren lives in upstate New York with her family. Visit her online at www.hollygeorgewarren.com.

Editorial Reviews

George-Warren and Levine, whose Shake, Rattle and Roll profiled early rock-n-rollers, appeal to country fans in this collection of kitschy painted portraits and mini-biographies. The book condenses the history for a young audience and for older readers who know the stories but want Levine's portfolio on the shelf with the old LPs. A concise introduction chronicles the evolution of folk ballads into 1920s "hillbilly" music collected by "talent scouts" (and folklorists), then into mainstream "C&W" on the radio and at dances. "Vocalists sang about whiskey, broken marriages, and other tragedies of modern life" in the '40s, writes George-Warren, whose one-page bios of the musicians mention but don't linger on the hard luck and rampant sinnin' among Opry aspirants. (Similarly, she downplays the powerful influences of gospel and black performers.) Levine's mixed-media folk-art paintings, each presented in an antique wooden frame, provide the collection's raison d' tre; if they don't entirely resemble their subjects, they capture the down-home mood of the rootsy music and the inimitable style of, say, Tammy Wynette's big blond hairdo. Between the opening act (the Carter Family) and the closer (Johnny Cash), Levine's luminaries include bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe, tragic heroes Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, singer-guitarist Kitty Wells and picker/grinner Buck Owens. Yet without a CD library, one cannot imagine the Carter Family's "unique harmonizing," "Singing Brakeman" Jimmie Rodgers's yodel, tenor vs. bass singing or the niceties of fiddles, steel guitars or electric jamborees. This album rates a couple of rhinestones, but appeals to those already familiar with that good ole Nashville music. Ages 6-10. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 3-5-Concise but thorough, this picture book discusses the evolution of a distinctive American music style through a chronicle of its biggest stars. After a lively introduction to the history of Country & Western music from its beginnings in 19th-century folk songs to the present, the author highlights 20th-century artists from the Grand Ole Opry, honky-tonks, western swing, and rock and roll. Each artist or group receives a full-page treatment opposite an illustration. The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Gene Autry, Ernest Tubb, and Bill Monroe are all featured for their performances or their introduction of unique sounds: guitar leads, hillbilly yodels, Hollywood films, electric guitar, and the string-band blues and gospel mix of the Kentucky Bluegrass sound. Bob Wills and his country swing music, Kitty Wells's empathy for women's issues, Hank Williams's pop chart hits, Patsy Cline's Nashville Sound with small orchestras and background singers, Buck Owens's Bakersfield Sound of rockin' Country & Western, the solo sounds of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, and Johnny Cash all receive individual entries that define their talents, personal history, and professional accomplishments. Colorful, stylized, folk art of the performers and/or their instruments is included.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

A companion volume to Shake, Rattle and Roll: The Founders of Rock and Roll (2001) presents brief biographical sketches of some 18 of the greats of Country and Western music, from the Carter Family to Johnny Cash. George-Warren's engaging text packs a lot of information into a small space, detailing in broad arcs the movements of a given performer's career, including a song title or two, and indicating how that particular performer influenced those who followed. Although some of the dicier aspects of some performers' lives are shown the light of day-Hank Williams's drug use, George Jones's alcoholism-these are given only glancing attention, the focus firmly on the music. Levine's bright, folk-arty illustrations are particularly suited to her subject here, presenting performers in homespun fashion. While the text sometimes gets a little heavy on superlatives-"most successful," "greatest," "top-selling"-with the effect that the sketches are not as individual as one might hope, this is, on the whole, a well-presented selection that will give interested children a solid introduction to the form and its shapers. (Picture book/biography. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

"Levine's mixed-media art harmonizes perfectly with these vignettes. . . . Fans of any age will enjoy this paean to roots music."  —Horn Book

"Levine’s folk-art paintings, created with flat colors and occasional use of pattern, are quite distinctive."  —Booklist
 
"Concise but thorough, this picture book discusses the evolution of a distinctive American music style through a chronicle of its biggest stars. . . . Colorful, stylized, folk art of the performers and/or their instruments is included."  —School Library Journal

"The perfect primer for young music lovers...Homespun, folksy paintings that in their simplicity, charm and naivete...provide the perfect accent to George-Warren's informative, no-frills prose."  —Bookpage

"Levine supplies a bright, naiive, vintage-framed portrait of each artist...There's considerable visual appeal to draw in readers and sufficient hints to send readers out to rrack down the tunes."  —Bulletin
 
"After a few pages, you'll want to break out the fiddles, guitars and mandolins, and make your own country music."  —New York Post

From the Publisher