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Lone Star & Legends: The Story of Texas Music

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Texas is home to a legion of musical trailblazers ranging from Scott Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and T-Bone Walker, to Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Willie Nelson. In Lone Stars And Legends: The Story Of Texas Music, music journalist Paula Felps traces the diverse paths of the men and women who laid the foundation for what has come to be described as "Texas Music" and a musical legacy that reaches deep into Texas history and culture. All forms of the Texas musical tapestry are surveyed including ragtime, Blues, Boogie Woogie, Jazz, Cowboy ballads, Country, Western Swing, Honky-Tonk; Rockabilly, and Rock 'n Roll. Lone Stars And Legends is a unique and welcome contribution to the study of Texas cultural history in general, and the history of American music in particular.

Texas is a mighty big place. Big enough, it seems, to produce a wealth of influential musicians - players who not only helped shaped the sound of Texas music, but of American music in general.
"Lone Stars and Legends," Paula Felps' excellent chronicle of the first 100 years of Texas music and musicians, sheds light on a host of these musical mavericks and their various innovations. Along the way, we hear about the birth of such styles such as Tejano and Western Swing, while also gaining new insight into specifically how Texas legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Ernest Tubb and Buddy Holly contributed to the advancement of more widespread artforms like blues, country and rock'n'roll.
Unlike many other historical tomes, Lone Stars and Legends is written in such a way that it actually holds your interest, making it as hard to put down as it is easy to soak up the information. In addition to providing a truckload of facts, Felps interjects these history lessons with humorous asides and investigations into not just the output but also the people behind the guitars, accordions, fiddles, pianos and trumpets - the people whose contributions provided the framework for Texas and American music as we know it today.

Once you pick this book up you can't put it down! Lone Stars and Legends: The History of Texas Music takes you on a fantastic journey through the history of Texas music. The author, Paula Felps is a creative and witty writer who makes the words come alive, and has her facts straight. If you consider yourself a music buff, you've got to read this book. In short, if you like music and want an interesting read, you need this book. It makes a great gift, too!