50 Years Down a Country Road

By Ralph Emery and Patsi Bale Cox

Book Overview

In his three previous bestselling books, Ralph Emerynamed country radio's Greatest Personality of the Century by Radio and Records -regaled readers with fascinating tales of the business. Now, in 50 Years Down a Country Road, stellar figures, including Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Tom T Hall, Ronnie Milsap, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and many others, recount the good, bad, and great times of country music during the past five decades. Ralph Emery begins by delving deep into the roots of country through the reminiscences of such luminaries as Eddy Arnold, Tex Ritter, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. He enters the 1950s by examining how the life and death of Hank Williams forever changed Nashville. This decade also launched such stars as Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, Hank Thompson, Carl Smith, Jim Reeves, and Kitty Wells. Emery brings back the 1960s -when writerartists such as Willie Nelson, Don Gibson, Roger Miller, and Johnny Cash proved that Nashville was truly Music City USA. He examines the colorful and contradictory Patsy Cline, the most influential woman in country's history. He talks with Bobby Bare, who set the stage for the '70s outlaws by taking control of his recording in the '60s. In the 1970s, Kris Kristofferson came to Nashville and revolutionized songwriting. Tom T Hall's compositions became the standard to which all "three-minute movie" songs would be held. Mel Tillis, Charley Pride, and Ronnie Milsap succeeded despite incredible odds. America fell in love with George Jones and Tammy Wynette and were brokenhearted when they became yet another divorce statistic. In the 1980s, the pop-country sound rocketed stars such as Anne Murray, Kenny Rogers, and Alabama to the top of the charts. Emery discusses three Of country's biggest female superstars, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, and Reba McEntire, as well as the traditionalist revival led by George Strait, Ricky Skaggs, and Randy Travis. Finally, he looks back at the past ten years, when phenomenal artists including Garth Brooks, Trisha Year-wood, Shania Twain, and Faith Hill helped sell more records than the country music industry ever dreamed possible. 50 Years Down a Country Road is a must for all country music fans.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688177581
• ISBN13: 9780688177584
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 1.3" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Ralph Emery is a great storyteller!

This book had some great stories that you don't get to hear on CMT or in Country Weekly. I thought this was a well-written account of the history of country music by someone who has been an institution in the industry for over 50 years. Very good book!

50 Years Down a Country Road

Ralph Emery is a country music radio/TV personality who knows his stuff. When Ralph puts together material for a book, the reader knows they are going to get authentic data. Ralph's contact with and dealings with the people he wrote about in this book are real. I know the music well and I applaude his analysis of who had the hit songs of the year he was focusing on. Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down. Please let Ralph know, it was thoroughly enjoyed by me. I have been a country music fan since the early 40s when I was about 6 years old and able to turn on the battery operated radio and listen in wonderment at the music I heard. It fascinated me then, and the traditional music still fascinates me today. I am having a very difficult time being as broadminded as Ralph is about the sound of today. I rarely listen to the radio today. I buy albums by Dolly, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Asleep at the Wheel. Need I tell you more. When I am driving, my discs are playing the music I love. I'm not listening to the so-called " country music" station which only play sing-alikes with a sound that doesn't touch my soul. Thank you Ralph, for your many years of touching the souls of your listeners. Tho I never listened to you on WSM (hard to get in S Dak. and Calif is too far away), I loved your TNN Nashville Now program. You were my must see program each day. I surely miss the authentic country shows on TNN. I rarely tune in, except for the Grand Ole Opry these days. Thanks for the book, Ralph. Keep up the good work. Hope to see you soon on TV.