Notes Concerning the Author
Bill C. Malone (born August 25, 1934) is an American musician, author and historian specializing in country music and other forms of traditional American music, he is a renowned scholar. He is the author of the 1968 book Country Music, U.S.A., the first definitive academic history of country music. Malone is Professor Emeritus of History at Tulane University.
Our Review
For Southern music, the Society recommends Country Music USA, published by U of Texas Press in 1968, by Professor Bill C Malone. In the 1970s, the Nashville Tennessean called it “The most accurate, complete, and serious study of country music ever published”. Unfortunately, the first edition is now very hard to find, but the third, revised edition is plentiful.
A review of the recent third edition states on the internet: “Since its first publication in 1968, Bill C. Malone’s Country Music, U.S.A. has won universal acclaim as the definitive history of American country music. Starting with the music’s folk roots in the rural South, it traces country music from the early days of radio through the first decade of the twenty-first century. This third revised edition includes an extensive new chapter in which new coauthor Jocelyn R. Neal tracks developments in country music in the post-9/11 world, exploring the relationship between the current scene and the traditions from which the music emerged.
Availability of this book
We suggest the University of Texas Press, Amazon, or used book re-sellers. The link on amazon follows:
DTC