Customer Reviews

Nashville Babylon: The Uncensored Truth and Private Lives of Country Music's Stars

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Interesting reading but somewhat on the dull side. The title is somewhat misleading in that there was a lot to write about during this time that wasn't even touch on.

Hands down the best trashy celeb bio I've ever read. The fact that it came out in 1988 does not diminish its wonderful, lush, tell-all glory.

Yes, that is none other than the biggest star in country music gracing the cover of "Nashville Babylon", Dolly Parton. This is one of the most informative books to cover the country music industry detaling the lives of the stars who have made country music into a billion dollar a year business. The book was published in 1988 and goes behind the scenes into the lives of the giants in Nashville and covers every one from Merle Haggard to The Judds. What makes the book far superior than other works on Nashville is that the dirt and very personal issues that have faced many in Music City are printed here on these pages.

Loretta Lynn, arguably the "Queen in Country Music", is covered on several pages, everything from her addiction to prescription drugs to the loss of her first-born son. Merle Haggard's alcohol problem is detailed and most informative it is mentioned that in the mid '70's he fell in love with Dolly Parton while they were on tour together which eventually ended his marriage. George Jones and Tammy Wynette are covered exclusively, as is his bout with the bottle and their ultimate divorce. Personally for me the best pages are the ones on Dolly, her relationship with her former mentor Porter Wagoner, their split in 1976, the lawsuit he brought against her in 1979 for 3 million dollars after she left him, and the fact that more went on between the two than she would have people know in her own memoirs published in 1994.

"Nashville Babylon" also discusses Barbara Mandrell's horrific car accident in 1984 and how her career went into the toilet after she sued the family of the boy who hit her for millions after his death.

A fantastic read, the book also features some very rare and never-before published photographs of the stars of one of the best music genres in the world.