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My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future Hardcover – April 9, 2024

by Alice Randall (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 41 ratings
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Alice Randall, award-winning professor, songwriter, and author presents “a celebration of all things country music” (Ken Burns) as she reflects on her search for the first family of Black country music.

Country music had brought Alice Randall and her activist mother together and even gave Randall a singular distinction in American music history: she is the first Black woman to cowrite a number one country hit, Trisha Yearwood’s “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)”. Randall found inspiration and comfort in the sounds and history of the first family of Black country music: DeFord Bailey, Lil Hardin, Ray Charles, Charley Pride, and Herb Jeffries who, together, made up a community of Black Americans rising through hard times to create simple beauty, true joy, and sometimes profound eccentricity.

What emerges in My Black Country is “a delightful, inspirational story of persistence, resistance, and sheer love” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) of this most American of music genres and the radical joy in realizing the power of Black influence on American culture. As country music goes through a fresh renaissance today, with a new wave of Black artists enjoying success, My Black Country is the perfect gift for longtime country fans and a vibrant introduction to a new generation of listeners who previously were not invited to give the genre a chance.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Atria/Black Privilege Publishing
  4. Publication date
    April 9, 2024
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1668018403
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1668018408
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From the Publisher

My Black Country

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A poetic textbook of a history that has been erased.”
—Rosanne Cash, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member, and New York Times bestselling author of Composed: A Memoir

“Alice Randall is the perfect trailblazer to shine this light. In her book My Black Country, she hits all the notes of a great country song. She makes you smile, makes you cry, makes you realize the difficulty and beauty of these very human stories. The profound influence Black artists have had on the genre is so eloquently described, beautifully encapsulated in her own trailblazing role as the first Black woman to co-write a number-one country hit.
She’s a treasure.”
—Brad Paisley, Grammy award-winning country artist

“Alice’s unique position in Nashville, her family background, her talent for word craft, and her insatiable thirst for the truth position her as a much-needed voice and perspective on this seminal and overlooked piece of American cultural history.”
—Rhiannon Giddens, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy award-winning musical artist

"I loved reading about Alice Randall’s path to Nashville, as only she can tell it. My own journey to Music City could not have been more different than hers, but what we share is a passion for the music, and a determination to see the dream through, no matter the obstacle.”
—Trisha Yearwood, Grammy, ACM, and CMA Award-winning artist and New York Times bestselling author

“My Black Country pulsates with rhythms of suffering turned to melodies of enlightenment that is the closest thing we are likely to hear [to] John Lee Hooker and George Jones having a baby.”
—Michael Eric Dyson, Distinguished University Professor at Vanderbilt and New York Times bestselling author of The Black Presidency and Tears We Cannot Stop

“In a lesser writer’s hands, this book would reek of tracing or self-satisfied spectacle. In Alice Randall’s deft hands, we find a form unafraid of the joyful splinters in our national trauma and the saltiness of our region’s sweetest, most lasting creation.”
—Kiese Laymon, 2022 MacArthur Fellow and author of Long Division, Heavy, and How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America

“Randall’s knowledge and respect for the performers and musicians who came before her permeates this lyrical memoir/music history hybrid. Country music fans will relish reading it.”
—Library Journal

"Randall beautifully weaves together history and her personal story in a narrative informed by a deep love of country music, her commitment to undoing an ugly legacy of whitewashing, and her determination to change the face of Nashville to create space for herself and other Black artists.”
—Booklist, Starred Review

“Alice Randall’s My Black Country is a celebration of all things country music—including the wonderful mixture of people and traditions that contributed to this most American of art forms. She has a songwriter’s gift for storytelling and an ear for the sounds that ricocheted around the country, from southern hamlets to northern cities.”
—Ken Burns, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker

"Essential… A delightful, inspirational story of persistence, resistance, and sheer love of music.”
—Kirkus, Starred Review

"A landmark book and an essential starting point for conversations about the nature of country music. It is true that mainstream dialogue comes late in country’s history, but coupled with Cowboy Carter, My Black Country feels right on time."
—Bookpage, Starred Review

About the Author

Alice Randall is a New York Times bestselling novelist, award-winning songwriter, and educator. She is widely recognized as one of the most significant voices in modern Black fiction and has emerged as an innovative food activist committed to reforms that support healthy bodies and healthy communities. She lives in Nashville where she writes country songs.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria/Black Privilege Publishing
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 9, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1668018403
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1668018408
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 41 ratings

About the author

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Alice Randall

Alice Randall

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Alice Randall is the author of The Wind Done Gone, Pushkin and the Queen of Spades, Rebel Yell, Ada's Rules, and Black Bottom Saints. She is a Harvard educated African-American novelist who lives in Nashville and writes country songs. Randall has emerged as an innovative food activist committed to reforms that support healthy bodies and healthy communities. With her daughter Caroline Randall Williams she co-authored the acclaimed cookbook Soul Food Love and the young adult novel The Diary of B.B. Bright, Possible Princess winner of the Phillis Wheatley Award. MY BLACK COUNTRY, her memoir, braids the story of her forty years in Nashville working in and around Country Music with the story of her First Family of Black Country and other untold stories of Black Country and the Black West.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
41 global ratings

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1 out of 5 stars
Too insider
Perhaps if you are a friend, family member, or fan of the author, you will find the stories in this book interesting. If not, the book is very insider. It leaned on the side of boring more times than not and simply was not the history of black country music, the title leads on. I usually make a point to finish every book I read, even the stinkers. But I tapped out around page 157 on this one.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Cd in good shape. Thanks
    5.0 out of 5 stars Information worthy of its say!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I liked the openness. Radical truth, like my book, A Cup of Love.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Stephanie H
    4.0 out of 5 stars Part Memoir Part History Lesson
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Alice Randall expertly weaved memoir & history lesson within these pages. Often people talk about the universality of music. Randall's storytelling & fact sharing about the history of country music in the United States & her part within it is testiment to that saying. It's also worth noting there's a fantastic playlist (by the same name) to go along with the book.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • terrell jabbar
    5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece of writing
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Alice Randall delivers a Classic. Her style of writing is smooth and poetic.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Lisa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed reading this book. Well worth the purchase.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Stephanie
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Memoir Following A Black Woman in Country Music
    Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2024
    Format: Hardcover
    My Black Country is part memoir, part discussion of the past, present, and future of Black country which the author gives her definition of early on in the book. Randall describes her journey as a Black woman writing country music including the process of her chart topping song XXX’s and OOO’s. For fans of country music it’s really satisfying seeing the mentions of prominent country singers show up in this story. Additionally, Randall has an interesting life that fits well with the memoir parts. She also does well in bringing forward the stories of other Black people in country. Randall's personal story at times felt a bit scattered, but it was enjoyable overall. Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of country music and those who want to know more about the experiences of Black women in the genre. Thank you netgalley and atria books for an arc of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Karen B
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Book was interesting and very easy to read
    One person found this helpful
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  • NOLA COUNTRY GIRL
    5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED THE HISTORY, STORIES and SETTLING SCORES
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2024
    Format: Audible Audiobook
    It's an onion of a read—each chapter exposes layers of personal and cultural history that many people don't know, and others will refuse to accept. It's important to keep telling, re-telling, and uncovering stories of places and people erased or minimized from the canon of history. I'm so happy to learn about Alice Randall and her immeasurable contributions.

    I pre-ordered the book after seeing a reference to Ms. Randall in an article about Beyonce's incredible new album, COWBOY CARTER. I finished it in one day. Learning about Ms. Randall's career was like finding a treasure hidden in plain sight. I've been a country fan for years and didn't know her name or some of the people she referenced. I felt sad that her work and efforts in country music are only now being recognized more widely - the story of getting fleeced on her writer's share of the song "xxx's and ooo's" was infuriating!

    One day, I hope that people can stop debating 'what is country music" and who can claim rights to it and welcome everyone. Music is a big tent, and there should be room for everyone. Until then, this book and others are reminders that history was written by people who had a stake in controlling the narrative.

    California, Texas and Louisiana, among other places, were hotbeds for country music creativity until Nashville industry leaders coalesced power and worked to control it for years, leaving diversity behind. Every project like this is a dent in that wall. Time to break it down completely.

    I can't wait to listen to the entire album of companion songs , and I already love what I've heard so far
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Sterling
    1.0 out of 5 stars Too insider
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Perhaps if you are a friend, family member, or fan of the author, you will find the stories in this book interesting. If not, the book is very insider. It leaned on the side of boring more times than not and simply was not the history of black country music, the title leads on. I usually make a point to finish every book I read, even the stinkers. But I tapped out around page 157 on this one.
    Customer image
    Sterling
    1.0 out of 5 stars
    Too insider

    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
    Perhaps if you are a friend, family member, or fan of the author, you will find the stories in this book interesting. If not, the book is very insider. It leaned on the side of boring more times than not and simply was not the history of black country music, the title leads on. I usually make a point to finish every book I read, even the stinkers. But I tapped out around page 157 on this one.
    Images in this review
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    2 people found this helpful
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