Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio (NelsonFree) [Hardcover]

Diamond Rio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2009

Can a band comprised of six very talented but very different musicians make a difference with their music?

What made it possible for Diamond Rio to weather the storms inherent in the fickle world of fame and fortune and go more than two decades without a single lineup change? Any reader in search of transparency and a behind-the-scenes look into the life of the band as a unit as well as the individual lives of the players and singers will be well satisfied. Can true loyalty exist within the competitive, seemingly unforgiving music industry? In Beautiful Mess Marty Roe, Dan Truman, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, Gene Johnson, and Dana Williams each has an entire chapter devoted to his personal and professional life. The book’s tone is a welcome rarity—not written from one player’s perspective, but from all six as they “meet in the middle.” Beautiful Mess is a wild ride from the edge of disaster and a little-known secret to an ongoing heart-warming revival.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Diamond Rio are Dana Williams, Marty Roe, Gene Johnson, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, and Dan Truman. Since their first release more than ten years ago, Diamond Rio has had more than 20 top ten hits and sold more than 6 million albums. Based in Nashville, Tennessee the group has won and been nominated for every major country music award.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 1 Har/Dwn/ edition (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595552685
• ISBN-13: 978-1595552686
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #996,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read! April 5, 2010

By Ryal McMurry VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I had always been a fan of Diamond Rio's music. In the 1990's especially, they were a constant presence on my radio. There music has always appealed to me. That being said, I did not know a whole lot about the group, so I was curious to find out more.

This book gives a great history of the group. I found their formation and Opryland roots in particular to be really fascinating. There are also chapters written by and about each guy in the group. Since I didn't know all about them, this was particularly interesting for me. All the history and facts was new for me, so I really enjoyed it. I imagine that if you already know everything about Diamond Rio, this might be old information to you; but I still think it is presented in a way that is fun to read.

I learned a lot about the group, and about each of the guys in Diamond Rio. I have more respect for them than I had before, and it was fascinating to read all the stories behind the music.

One of my favorite things about this book is that when you buy it you also get free digital and audio copies that you can download from the publisher's website. I downloaded the audio version because I wanted to hear each of the guy's voice reading their section, and the audio provides that. I wasn't really interested in a digital copy to read on my computer or other device, but that is an option as well.

This book is certainly a bargain -- in that you get three formats for the price of one! The book is a great read, and I really enjoyed reading about one of the great bands of country music!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent read August 3, 2010

By Stormi Johnson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I have not read many autobiographies, so when the opportunity came my way to review this book I thought it would be great to read. I loved Diamond Rio when I was younger and I thought it would be fascinating to read about how they got together, etc.

The book starts out with the reader learning that things were not going so well with Diamond Rio. The lead singer Marty Roe couldn't sing on key anymore. It was a real trying time for them and if Marty couldn't fix the problem with his vocal cords then the group would have to break up.

Then the book takes a chapter for each of the band members and sort of gives you there life story from when they were small to when the group gets together under a different name at the time called the Tennessee River Boys. The one thing that bothers me is the chapters seem sort of short and do no contain enough information since it is a autobiography I believe it should be a bit more revealing and more personal than biographies are, so I found it a bit lacking.

Then after the chapters on each band member it takes you through the wild ride they have had together and then back to the original problem of Marty's voice and how it gets fixed. Yes, you can say that Diamond Rio's ride through country music has been A Beautiful Mess, but I just think the book could have been a bit better.

I would recommend it to anyone who loves reading autobiographies because it is a decent book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Mess July 27, 2010

By A. Schaffer

Format:Hardcover

Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio... NELSONfree version

With the purchase of the NELSONfree version you get the audio book and the ebook.

"If your only exposure to Diamond Rio is the band's flawlessly layered harmonies and tender lyrics, you only know a fraction of the story."

Beautiful Mess is a great collectors item for any fan of Diamond Rio. I would recommend this book to anyone that is a lover of their music. It takes you behind the music scene. You get to know the history of the band and how they overcame obstacles.

After reading the book, it gave me more respect and admiration for Diamond Rio.

The story shows how the group followed God's plan. In the world today it's hard to make the decision to follow God's plan and not our own. We need to put away our wants and accept the blessings that God gives us.