Ernie K Doe

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Ernie K-Doe

Author : Ben Sandmel
Publisher : Louisiana Artists Biography
ISBN 13 : 9780917860607
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (66 download)

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Book Synopsis Ernie K-Doe by : Ben Sandmel

Download or read book Ernie K-Doe written by Ben Sandmel and published by Louisiana Artists Biography. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "May 1961, and one tune was sitting pretty atop both the R&B and pop charts. "Mother-in-Law" became the first hit by a New Orleans artist to achieve this feat?to rule black and white airwaves alike. Ernie K-Doe was only twenty-five years old, and his reign was just beginning. Born in New Orleans?s Charity Hospital, K-Doe came of age in a still-segregated South. He built his musical chops singing gospel in church, graduating to late-night gigs in clubs on the city?s backstreets. He practiced self-projection, reinvention, shedding his surname, Kador, for the radio-friendly tag K-Doe. He coined his own dialect, heavy on hyperbole, and created his own pantheon, placing himself front and center: "There have only been five great singers of rhythm & blues?Ernie K-Doe, James Brown, and Ernie K-Doe!" Decades after releasing his one-and-only chart-topper, he crowned himself Emperor of the Universe. A decade after his death, lovers of New Orleans music remain his loyal subjects." -- from publisher's website.

The 'Baby Dolls'

Author : Kim Marie Vaz
Publisher : LSU Press
ISBN 13 : 080715072X
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis The 'Baby Dolls' by : Kim Marie Vaz

Download or read book The 'Baby Dolls' written by Kim Marie Vaz and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 2013-01-18 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the first women's organizations to mask and perform during Mardi Gras, the Million Dollar Baby Dolls redefined the New Orleans carnival tradition. Tracing their origins from Storyville-era brothels and dance halls to their re-emergence in post-Katrina New Orleans, author Kim Marie Vaz uncovers the fascinating history of the "raddy-walking, shake-dancing, cigar-smoking, money-flinging" ladies who strutted their way into a predominantly male establishment. The Baby Dolls formed around 1912 as an organization of African American women who used their profits from working in New Orleans's red-light district to compete with other Black prostitutes on Mardi Gras. Part of this event involved the tradition of masking, in which carnival groups create a collective identity through costuming. Their baby doll costumes -- short satin dresses, stockings with garters, and bonnets -- set against a bold and provocative public behavior not only exploited stereotypes but also empowered and made visible an otherwise marginalized female demographic. Over time, different neighborhoods adopted the Baby Doll tradition, stirring the creative imagination of Black women and men across New Orleans, from the downtown Trem area to the uptown community of Mahalia Jackson. Vaz follows the Baby Doll phenomenon through one hundred years with photos, articles, and interviews and concludes with the birth of contemporary groups, emphasizing these organizations' crucial contribution to Louisiana's cultural history.

Huey "Piano" Smith and the Rocking Pneumonia Blues

Author : John Wirt
Publisher : LSU Press
ISBN 13 : 080715296X
Total Pages : 319 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis Huey "Piano" Smith and the Rocking Pneumonia Blues by : John Wirt

Download or read book Huey "Piano" Smith and the Rocking Pneumonia Blues written by John Wirt and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 2014-03-24 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Huey "Piano" Smith's musical legacy stands alongside that of fellow New Orleans legends Dr. John, Fats Domino, Ernie K-Doe, and Allen Toussaint. His 1957 classic, "Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," made Billboard's top R&B singles chart, and hundreds of artists including Aerosmith, the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, Johnny Rivers, and Chubby Checker have recorded his songs. The first biography of the artist responsible for hits "Don't You Just Know It," "High Blood Pressure," and "Sea Cruise," Huey "Piano" Smith and the Rocking Pneumonia Blues follows the musician's extraordinary life from his Depression-era childhood to his teen years as a pianist for blues star Guitar Slim to his mainstream success in the 1950s and '60s. Drawing from extensive interviews and court records, author and journalist John Wirt also provides new insights on Smith's professional disappointments and financial struggles in the 1980s and '90s as he battled over royalties from his most successful and profitable work. An enigmatic and guarded personality in a profession of extroverted performers, Smith made farreaching contributions to the New Orleans music scene as a songwriter, pianist, and producer. Wirt reveals that Smith's numerous collaborations with other artists -- including the Clowns, the Pitter Pats, the Hueys, and Shindig Smith and the Soul Shakers -- served as vehicles for his creative vision rather than simply as an anonymous backup for a leading front man. Throughout this intimate account, Wirt details Smith's significant impact on rock and roll history and underscores both the longevity of his music -- which has entertained and inspired for over five decades -- and the musician's personal endurance in the face of hardship and opposition.

Music, Lyrics, and Life

Author : Mike Errico
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1493059793
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (93 download)

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Book Synopsis Music, Lyrics, and Life by : Mike Errico

Download or read book Music, Lyrics, and Life written by Mike Errico and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-11-15 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Music, Lyrics, and Life is the songwriting class you always wish you'd taken, taught by the professor you always wish you'd had. It's a deep dive into the heart of questions asked by songwriters of all levels, from how to begin journaling to when you know that a song is finished. With humor and empathy, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike Errico unravels both the mystery of songwriting and the logistics of life as a songwriter. For years, this set of tools, prompts, and ideas has inspired students on campuses including Yale, Wesleyan, Berklee, Oberlin, and NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Alongside his own lessons, Errico interviews the writers, producers, and A&R executives behind today's biggest hits and investigates the larger questions of creativity through lively conversations with a wide range of innovative thinkers: astrophysicist Janna Levin explains the importance of repetition, both in choruses and in the exploration of the universe; renowned painter John Currin praises the constraints of form, whether it's within a right-angled canvas or a three-minute pop song; bestselling author George Saunders unpacks the hidden benefit of writing, and revising, authentically; and much more. The result is that Music, Lyrics, and Life ends up revealing as much about the art of songwriting as it does about who we are, and where we may be going. This is a book for songwriters, future content creators, music lovers, and anyone who wants to understand how popular art forms are able to touch us so deeply. Mike Errico has honed these lessons over years of writing, performing, teaching, and mentoring, and no matter where you are on your songwriting journey, Music, Lyrics, and Life will help you build a creative world that's both intrinsic to who you are, and undeniable to whoever is listening.

Dust & Grooves

Author : Eilon Paz
Publisher : Ten Speed Press
ISBN 13 : 1607748703
Total Pages : 428 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (77 download)

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Book Synopsis Dust & Grooves by : Eilon Paz

Download or read book Dust & Grooves written by Eilon Paz and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A photographic look into the world of vinyl record collectors—including Questlove—in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms. Compelling photographic essays from photographer Eilon Paz are paired with in-depth and insightful interviews to illustrate what motivates these collectors to keep digging for more records. The reader gets an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions, including Gilles Peterson and King Britt, as well as a glimpse into the collections of known and unknown DJs, producers, record dealers, and everyday enthusiasts. Driven by his love for vinyl records, Paz takes us on a five-year journey unearthing the very soul of the vinyl community.

Louisiana Rocks!

Author : Tom Aswell
Publisher : Pelican Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1455607835
Total Pages : 502 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (556 download)

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Book Synopsis Louisiana Rocks! by : Tom Aswell

Download or read book Louisiana Rocks! written by Tom Aswell and published by Pelican Publishing. This book was released on 2010-09-23 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An in-depth history of rock and roll's Louisiana roots. Taking the position that rock and roll started in New Orleans in 1947 when Roy Brown recorded "Good Rockin' Tonight," Aswell provides an expansive history of this beloved American music form. By looking at the Louisianan influences of swamp pop, Cajun, zydeco, R&B, rockabilly, country, and blues music, the author explores the way these musical forms gave birth to rock and roll as we know it today.

To Selena, with Love

Author : Chris Perez
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0451414063
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (514 download)

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Book Synopsis To Selena, with Love by : Chris Perez

Download or read book To Selena, with Love written by Chris Perez and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chris Perez tells the story of his relationship with music superstar Selena in this heartfelt tribute. One of the most compelling and adored superstars in Latin music history, Selena was nothing short of a phenomenon who shared all of herself with her millions of devoted fans. Her tragic murder, at the age of twenty-three, stripped the world of her talent and boundless potential, her tightly-knit family of their beloved angel, and her husband, Chris Perez, of the greatest love he had ever known. For over a decade, Chris held onto the only personal thing he had left from his late wife—the touching and sometimes painful memories of their very private bond. Now, for the first time, Chris opens up about their unbreakable friendship, their forbidden relationship, and their blossoming marriage that was cut short. Chris’s powerful story gives a rare glimpse into Selena’s sincerity and vulnerability when falling in love, strength and conviction when fighting for that love, and absolute resilience when finding peace and normalcy with her family’s acceptance of the only man she called her husband. While showcasing a side of Selena that has never been disclosed before and clarifying certain misconceptions about her life and death, To Selena, with Love is an everlasting love story that immortalizes the heart and soul of an extraordinary, unforgettable, and irreplaceable icon. This commemorative edition includes photos and a special chapter detailing the author’s reflection since writing the book.

Carolina Beach Music

Author : Rick Simmons
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781609492144
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (921 download)

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Book Synopsis Carolina Beach Music by : Rick Simmons

Download or read book Carolina Beach Music written by Rick Simmons and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Draws on firsthand accounts from the legendary performers and people behind the music"--Back cover.

Cherchez la Femme

Author : Cheryl Gerber
Publisher : Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN 13 : 1496826221
Total Pages : 261 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (968 download)

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Book Synopsis Cherchez la Femme by : Cheryl Gerber

Download or read book Cherchez la Femme written by Cheryl Gerber and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2019-12-26 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contributions by Constance Adler, Karen Celestan, Alison Fensterstock, Kathy Finn, Helen Freund, Cheryl Gerber, Anne Gisleson, Cherice Harrison-Nelson, Karen Trahan Leathem, Katy Reckdahl, Melanie Warner Spencer, Sue Strachan, Kim Vaz-Deville, and Geraldine Wyckoff New Orleans native Cheryl Gerber captures the vibrancy and diversity of New Orleans women in Cherchez la Femme: New Orleans Women. Inspired by the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, DC, Gerber’s book includes over two hundred photographs of the city’s most well-known women and the everyday women who make New Orleans so rich and diverse. Drawing from her own archives as well as new works, Gerber’s selection of photographs in Cherchez la Femme highlights the contributions of women to the city, making it one of the only photographic histories of modern New Orleans women. Alongside Gerber’s photographs are twelve essays written by female writers about such women as Leah Chase, Irma Thomas, Mignon Faget, and Trixie Minx. Also featured are prominent groups of women that have made their mark on the city, like the Mardi Gras Indians, Baby Dolls, and the Krewe of Muses, among others. The book is divided into eleven chapters, each celebrating the women who add to New Orleans’s uniqueness, including entertainers, socialites, activists, musicians, chefs, entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and burlesque artists.

Kerouac on Record

Author : Simon Warner
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1501323377
Total Pages : 480 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Kerouac on Record by : Simon Warner

Download or read book Kerouac on Record written by Simon Warner and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2018-03-08 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He was the leading light of the Beat Generation writers and the most dynamic author of his time, but Jack Kerouac also had a lifelong passion for music, particularly the mid-century jazz of New York City, the development of which he witnessed first-hand during the 1940s with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk to the fore. The novelist, most famous for his 1957 book On the Road, admired the sounds of bebop and attempted to bring something of their original energy to his own writing, a torrent of semi-autobiographical stories he published between 1950 and his early death in 1969. Yet he was also drawn to American popular music of all kinds – from the blues to Broadway ballads – and when he came to record albums under his own name, he married his unique spoken word style with some of the most talented musicians on the scene. Kerouac's musical legacy goes well beyond the studio recordings he made himself: his influence infused generations of music makers who followed in his work – from singer-songwriters to rock bands. Some of the greatest transatlantic names – Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, Van Morrison and David Bowie, Janis Joplin and Tom Waits, Sonic Youth and Death Cab for Cutie, and many more – credited Kerouac's impact on their output. In Kerouac on Record, we consider how the writer brought his passion for jazz to his prose and poetry, his own record releases, the ways his legacy has been sustained by numerous more recent talents, those rock tributes that have kept his memory alive and some of the scores that have featured in Hollywood adaptations of the adventures he brought to the printed page.

Lightfoot

Author : Nicholas Jennings
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 014319920X
Total Pages : 325 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (431 download)

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Book Synopsis Lightfoot by : Nicholas Jennings

Download or read book Lightfoot written by Nicholas Jennings and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-09-26 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER A 2023 ROLLING STONE RECOMMENDED BOOK Shortlisted for the 2017 Legislative Assembly of Ontario Speaker's Book Award Nominated for the 2018 Heritage Toronto Award - Historical Writing: Book “The preeminent account of the late singer's life.” —Rolling Stone The definitive, full-access story of the life and songs of Canada's legendary troubadour Gordon Lightfoot’s name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness. His music defined the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and ‘70s, topped charts and sold millions. He is unquestionably Canada’s greatest songwriter, and an international star who has performed on the world’s biggest stages. While Lightfoot’s songs are well known, the man behind them is elusive. He’s never allowed his life to be chronicled in a book—until now. Biographer Nick Jennings has had unprecedented access to the notoriously reticent musician. Lightfoot takes us deep inside the artist’s world, from his idyllic childhood in Orillia, the wild sixties, and his canoe trips into Canada’s North to his heady times atop the music world. Jennings explores the toll that success took on his personal life—including his troubled relationships, his battle with alcohol and his near-death experiences—and the extraordinary drive and tenacity that pulled him through it all. Rich in voices from fellow musicians, close friends, Lightfoot’s family and the singer’s own reminiscences, the biography tells the stories behind some of his best-known love songs, including “Beautiful” and “Song for a Winter’s Night,” as well as the infidelity and divorce that resulted in classics like “Sundown” and “If You Could Read My Mind.” Kris Kristofferson has called Lightfoot’s songs “some of the most beautiful and lasting music of our time.” Lightfoot is an unforgettable portrait of a treasured singer-songwriter, an artist whose work has been covered by everyone from Joni Mitchell, Barbra Streisand and Nico to Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and Gord Downie. Revealing and insightful, Lightfoot is both an inspiring story of redemption and an exhilarating read.

Blues

Author : Bob L. Eagle
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 0313344248
Total Pages : 629 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (133 download)

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Book Synopsis Blues by : Bob L. Eagle

Download or read book Blues written by Bob L. Eagle and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 629 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examining the blues genre by region, and describing the differences unique to each, make this a must-have for music scholars and lay readers alike. A melding of many types of music such as ragtime, spiritual, jug band, and other influences came together in what we now call the blues. Blues: A Regional Experience is the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference book of blues performers yet published, correcting many errors in the existing literature. Arranged mainly by ecoregions of the United States, this volume traces the history of blues from one region to another, identifying the unique sounds and performers of that area. Each section begins with a brief introduction, including a discussion of the region's culture and its influence on blues music. Chapters take an in-depth look at blues styles from the following regions: Virginia and the tidewater area, Carolinas and the Piedmont area, the Appalachians and Alabama, the Mississippi Delta, Greater Texas, the Lower Midwest, the Midwest, the Northeast, and California and the West. Biographical sketches of musicians such as B.B. King and T-Bone Walker include parental data and up-to-date biographical information, including full names, pseudonyms, and burial place, when available. The work includes a chapter devoted to the Vaudeville era, presenting much information never before published. A chronology, selected artists' CD discography, and bibliography round out this title for students and music fans.

Do Not Sell At Any Price

Author : Amanda Petrusich
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 145166706X
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis Do Not Sell At Any Price by : Amanda Petrusich

Download or read book Do Not Sell At Any Price written by Amanda Petrusich and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A celebration of 78 rpm record subculture reveals the growing value of rare records and the determined efforts of their collectors and archivists, exploring the music of blues artists who have been lost to the modern world.

Being Dead Is No Excuse

Author : Gayden Metcalfe
Publisher : Hachette Books
ISBN 13 : 1401305741
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Being Dead Is No Excuse by : Gayden Metcalfe

Download or read book Being Dead Is No Excuse written by Gayden Metcalfe and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A hilarious guide to the intricate rituals, customs, and etiquette surrounding death in the South-and a practical collection of recipes for the final send-off. As author Gayden Metcalfe asserts, people in the Delta have a strong sense of community, and being dead is no impediment to belonging to it. Down south, they don't forget you when you've up and died-they may even like you better and visit you more often! But just as there is an appropriate way to live your life in the South, there is an equally essentially tasteful way of departing it-and the funeral is the final social event of your existence so it must be handled flawlessly. Metcalfe portrays this slice of American culture from the manners, customs, and the tomato aspic with mayonnaise that characterize the Delta way of death. Southerners love to swap tales, and Gayden Metcalfe, native of Greenville, MS, founder of the Greenville Arts Council and chairman of the St. James Episcopal Church Bazaar, is steeped in the stories and traditions of this rich region. She reminisces about the prominent family that drank too much and got the munchies the night before the big event-and left not a crumb for the funeral (Naturally some early rising, quick-witted ladies from the church saved the day, so the story demonstrates some solutions to potential entertaining disasters!). Then there was the lady who allocated money to have "Home on the Range" sung at the service, and the family that insisted on a portrait of their mother in her casket, only to refuse to pay for it on the grounds that "Mama looks so sad." Each chapter ends with an authentic southern recipe that will come in handy if you "plan to die tastefully", including Boiled Bourbon Custard; Aunt Hebe's Coconut Cake; Pickled Shrimp; Homemade Mayonnaise; and Homemade Rolls.

Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans

Author : John Broven
Publisher : Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1455619523
Total Pages : 360 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (556 download)

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Book Synopsis Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans by : John Broven

Download or read book Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans written by John Broven and published by Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A chronicle of the rise and development of a unique musical form. Inducted into the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame under its original title Walking to New Orleans, this fascinating history focuses on the music of major R&B artists and the crucial contributions of the New Orleans music industry. Newly revised for this edition, much of the material comes firsthand from those who helped create the genre, including Fats Domino, Ray Charles, and Wardell Quezergue.

A Life in Jazz

Author : Danny Barker
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1349099368
Total Pages : 247 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (49 download)

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Book Synopsis A Life in Jazz by : Danny Barker

Download or read book A Life in Jazz written by Danny Barker and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a musician who grew up in New Orleans, and later worked in New York with the major swing orchestras of Lucky Millinder and Cab Calloway, Barker is uniquely placed to give an authoritative but personal view of jazz history. In this book he discusses his life in music, from the children's 'spasm' bands of the seventh ward of New Orleans, through the experience of brass bands and jazz funerals involving his grandfather, Isidore Barbarin, to his early days on the road with the blues singer Little Brother Montgomery. Later he goes on to discuss New York, and the jazz scene he found there in 1930. His work with Jelly Roll Morton, as well as the lesser-known bands of Fess Williams and Albert Nicholas, is covered before a full account of his years with Millinder, Benny Carter and Calloway, including a description of Dizzy Gillespie's impact on jazz, is given. The final chapters discuss Barker's career from the late 1940s. Starting with the New York dixieland scene at Ryan's and Condon's he talks of his work with Wilbur de Paris, James P. Johnson and This is Jazz, before discussing his return to New Orleans and New Orleans Jazz Museum. A collection of Barker's photographs,

Against All Odds

Author : Eddie Ray
Publisher : Createspace Independent Pub
ISBN 13 : 9781478213475
Total Pages : 207 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (134 download)

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Book Synopsis Against All Odds by : Eddie Ray

Download or read book Against All Odds written by Eddie Ray and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2012 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He was not a musician, yet spent some 60 years in the commercial music business beginning as a stock boy and rising to become the nation's first African-American executive of a major record company. The grandson of a former slave, Eddie Ray takes you from the rural foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains to the top executive suites of the burgeoning music industry of the 1950s and 1960s. You'll get a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the music business and how Ray became a formidable force in helping shape that dynamic industry. Starting as a stock boy for Decca Records in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when he was 18 years old, Ray eventually rose to become vice president of Capitol-Tower Records in Hollywood, California, at the time one of the top major record companies in the U.S., the first African-American in such a decision-making role. But prior to this top post, Ray was first an extraordinary record sales and promotions man whom acquaintances still describe today as having “an ear for what would sell.” Read about the impact he had on the careers of stars such as Ricky Nelson, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Ernie Freeman, Mike Curb, Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, Sandy Nelson, and even Pink Floyd. Ray went on to found one of the first commercial music schools in the country and subsequently was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as a Commissioner of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal in Washington, DC. Filled with personal encounters with notable names, music industry movers and shakers, and some infamous personalities, this book will make you laugh, shake your head in disbelief, and more importantly learn what it took to lay the foundation for popular music. Baby Boomers especially will enjoy this book that will evoke feelings of nostalgia as they think back to where they were when certain songs of the early Rock and Roll era became hits. They will be fascinated by Eddie Ray's connection with the success of not only mega-stars but names they may not immediately recognize, but whose works they certainly will. Music historians will appreciate learning about Ray, another “national treasure” who can be added to the “untold stories” of influential African Americans. African Americans will be inspired by Ray's quest to open doors, courage to break racial barriers, and audacity to ignore the status quo. Even music students will find this book enjoyable as they read about the people who laid the foundation for the music business today.