How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row [Paperback]

Michael Kosser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006

How did a medium-sized Southern river town become arguably the most important music center in America? In How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A., we learn how a single studio in a tiny duplex house became Music Row, a ten-block area populated by hundreds of talented people whose job is to simply make music. The book features stories from publishers, songwriters and others who help tell the evolution of this fabled center of music. It's where Elvis ushered in the commercial rock 'n' roll explosion by recording "Heartbreak Hotel," Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and Willie Nelson taught mainstream America to love soulful ballads, and Bob Dylan recorded three of his most important albums. The full-length CD includes 12 recordings made in the early studios of Music Row, giving listeners a rare chance to hear the demos made by some of Nashville's most talented artists. Songs include "Bye, Bye, Love," "Crazy," "King of the Road," "Walkin' After Midnight" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a reliable reference book, and one's bookshelf will be decidedly richer for its inclusion." -- AFM 251 bi-monthly newsletter/April-June 2006

"Kosser...succeeds in painting a vivid panorama of artists and executives, many of them larger than life." -- American Songwriter

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634098063
• ISBN-13: 978-0634098062
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #793,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on country music yet, July 27, 2006

By 

Bjørn Tore Stølen "BTS" (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row (Paperback)

This book is different than others when writing about country music in general and Nashville especially. I does not dwelve into on more or less interesting stories about the stars and the people, how they live, about their drinking problems etc. But it tells the story about the tunesmiths and producers and of cource of the stars from a new angle. How did this and that song come into existence, how producers became excellent producers sometimes by inconcidents. sometimes from working their way from the bottom to the top, and how stars struggled before they became stars. How the network mattered. that is who knows who in the business, which is a key to succseed in Music City USA. And how some key persons, in the different stages of the development of country music were resposnible to get the country wagon back on track when times got bad. Bur most of all I will empathize the autor`s ability to focus on the less known people who contributeted much more to find new artists and songs and publishers, or who run small labels and publishing companies,than they have been credited for. All in all, a must read for all serious fans of country music.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEHIND THE SCENES - A MUST READ!, July 26, 2006

By 

Robert Vohotek (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row (Paperback)

This book is a must read for anyone interested in country music, or the recording industry in general. Actually, anyone interested in pop music or rock n roll should read this, too -- alongside the great behind the scenes stories about the most famous country stars, there are incredible stories about the roots of rock, and even the invention of the fuzz box!

What makes this book so great is that it does not focus on performers and all the stories we've heard a million times or ones you can read elsewhere, instead Kosser goes to the source, the songwriters and the producers who keep the country music business flowing.

Country music is an odd industry, but there is a reason why it remains huge -- great songs. This book tells the tale through the words of the men and women who made it happen, and it is about time someone did. I love to read about Hank and Patsy (both in this book, too!) but to hear where Elvis got his songs and especially about the machine that made stars in the 90s is to really learn something about people and the music business.

This is a great book... and funny, too. My favorite book about music in years!

5.0 out of 5 stars couldn't stop reading, December 25, 2011

By 

ken - See all my reviews

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This review is from: How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row (Kindle Edition)

As a musician who has worked with current session players, met producers, done business dealings with publishers and witnessed the Nashville way...this book is awesome...a must read for music professionals and fans of the industry's history.