The Death of Rhythm and Blues [Paperback]

Nelson George (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 1989

This passionate and provocative book tells the complete story of black music in the last fifty years, and in doing so outlines the perilous position of black culture within white American society. In a fast-paced narrative, Nelson George’s book chronicles the rise and fall of “race music” and its transformation into the R&B that eventually dominated the airwaves only to find itself diluted and submerged as crossover music.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Slicing through the main layers of the world of R & B, George, music critic for Billboard and Playboy , profiles his personal heroes in the recent history of black musicespecially in the evolution of black radio, the growth of independent record labels and the development of retail outlets for R & B records. Here are perceptive summations of the contributions of such star creative performers as Chuck Berry, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson, as well as of lesser-known musicians, and of the links between black social and economic affairs and the changes in contemporary black culture. Above all, George examines the business of black music and probes the ways in which it has affected the "symptoms of illness" in R & B. He is convinced that "black America's assimilationist obsession is heading it straight toward cultural suicide." Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

George, music editor at Billboard and contributor to Playboy and the Village Voice , has written a provocative book describing how white society has changed black music. Providing as much a cultural as a musical history, he takes the extreme view that black music has become so assimilated into white culture that it is near destruction. In response, he urges blacks to achieve integration and practical power by becoming more self-sufficient, politically and economically. An important and perceptive book. Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Inc., Amherst, Mass.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Plume (October 6, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452266971
• ISBN-13: 978-0452266971
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,808,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Forgotten Past, March 2, 2000

By 

Drew Hammond (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Death of Rhythm and Blues (Paperback)

Nelson George's arguments are clear, well-organized, and powerful. While reading, I was forced to look at things differently than I ever had before. The ideological vision of integration is an honorable one, but the simple fact demonstrated in The Death of Rhythm & Blues is that integration is forever indebted to black utility for white profit. It is likely that race relations in this country would be quite different if whites had not benefited from the talent and ingenuity of black athletes and performers in such a profitable fashion. This is ground that history teachers rarely, if ever, tread on. It is quite tragic to know that the unique and powerful black culture from which basically all popular music is derived, can be so easily forgotten or ignored. George's position is most intriguing in that it reminded me that history may belong to the teller, but there are many stories to be told. I consider myself fortunate to have heard this one.

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally an honest book the goes beyond dates and names, August 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Death of Rhythm and Blues (Paperback)

I've read a lot of books on musical roots in the last 30 years...to understand what really happened in the history of black music in America you have to understand what went down for the African-American in a white controlled enviroment. Mr. George holds nothing back and lets true history smack us all in the face. I would like to comment on a couple of points relating to white men playing black-roots music. Nelson commented that although Elvis was totally involved in black music ( and hair styles, clothe,etc.) that he essentially became a "wimp". I feel his material got wimpy, because of the white-music-machine & Tom Parker..but,I beleive the inner Elvis had "soul" in it's truest form. Then Nelsons examples of white boys who actually could play the blues 1. Eric Clapton, who I find leaves me cold with the text-book perfect licks pumped out with computer accuracy & 2. Johnny Winter, who to my ear does the classic wanna-be style playing of "more- notes-faster"...typical of the white boy trying so hard to over compensate, that it loses what it was all about in the first place, FEELING! These are just small things that bugged me a bit...the book is not about white boys wanting to play black music...it has a much deeper and more important message...a very eye openning look at reality in the music buisness and the black experience...I will continue to read Nelson George, he is saying things I'd like my children to understand. People deserve to here the truth.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Let's get real...., December 22, 2010

By 

catlover37 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Death of Rhythm and Blues (Paperback)

The thing that bothers me about books like this is,disco gets ALL the blame for the demise of "black music" but rap/hiphop always gets a free pass.
No I don't like it that disco seemed to take over & knock the superior Funk genre out of the way,but at least in disco,people were still playing INSTRUMENTS.
What is considered R&B,since the mid 90s is basically just beats & nothing more.
There is nothing in this book expressing dismay at the thought of DJs & sampling replacing LIVE BANDS,which is the true death of R&B.