From out of the dust of California's San Joaquin Valley . . . The Ventures only endorsed Mosrite guitars for about five years. But the legendary instrumental band's use of the upstart guitar line in the mid-1960s was and is, for many musicians, the first band-brand affiliation they remember. That saga is part of the iconic guitar boom during that decade, which changed the American music scene forever. California's guitar-centric surf music genre was going strong in the early part of that decade . . . but there ain't no surf in Bakersfield, where numerous instrument builders and innovators were toiling in the gritty and dusty clime of Kern County. Bakersfield Guitars: The Illustrated Historycontains the compelling chronologies of numerous intriguing, born-in-Bakersfield guitar brands, including Mosrite, Hallmark, Gruggett, Standel (three different manufacturers), Encor, Epcor, Dobro (by Mosrite), GM Custom, Melobar, Osborne, and Acoustic. Among the noted musicians whose recollections are documented here are Marshall Crenshaw, Tommy Shaw, Jorma Kaukonen, Jeff Carlisi, Fred Newell, Ed King, Chuck Seaton, Eugene Moles, Jim Shaw, Tim Bogert, Davie Allan, Jackson Smith, and others.

First published in 2010, Ultimate Star Guitars, the first illustrated history of ticonic guitars and their owners, is now expanded to include 32 additional instruments. Where other best-selling guitar histories look at the rank-and-file models, Ultimate Star Guitars is unique in profiling the specific favorites of famous players - oftentimes million-dollar babies, such as the 1968 Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix burned at Woodstock and which sold at Sotheby's in 1993 for $1.3 million. Guitar journalist Dave Hunter explains the stories behind each: the important sessions on which they were used, landmark tours and gigs on which they were played, modifications made by their owners, and more. From twangy country to scorching metal, from full-throttle punk to sophisticated jazz, and from gut-punch blues to lo-fi indie rock, Ultimate Star Guitars is illustrated with performance and candid photography of the artists with their star guitars, relevant memorabilia, and more often than not, studio shots of the guitars or signature models based on them. An information-packed visual feast for guitar enthusiasts!

Reviews and rates the best recordings of country artists and groups, provides biographies of the artists, and charts the evolution of country music

The fully updated The Rough Guide to California is the definitive guide to the most visited state in the US. Now is a great time to visit: 2017 is the 50th anniversary of San Francisco's Summer of Love; the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has burst onto the scene at Universal Studios, and LA also boasts cool new contemporary art museum The Broad; there's been an explosion of microbreweries across the state; countless hiking trails beckon at Yosemite National Park and the backcountry wilderness of Sierra Nevada; whilst Historic Route 66 still offers all the kitsch Americana and romance of the open road. Discover California's highlights with beautiful photography, easy-to-use maps, and more listings and information than ever before. The Rough Guide to California contains fun and adventurous itineraries, author recommendations for where to stay and eat, savvy lists of hotspots, and heaps of practical advice to help you whatever your budget. Make the most of every minute of your trip with The Rough Guide to California.

Arranged in sixteen musical categories, provides entries for twenty thousand releases from four thousand artists, and includes a history of each musical genre.

One of America’s great rock and roll pioneers, Richie Furay played alongside Neil Young and Stephen Stills in Buffalo Springfield, producing some of the signature sounds of American folk rock. He went on to form Poco, one of the bands that founded California country rock, and then Souther-Hillman-Furay. After declaring himself a Christian in 1974, Furay released four solo albums before taking up the ministry in 1983. He began recording again in 1997, and over the next twenty-five years he released two Christian and five secular albums. In this biography of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Richie Furay, Thomas Kitts provides an intimate look at Furay’s life and music. Kitts chronicles the musician’s upbringing, his musical career, and his Christianity, drawing on interviews with Furay and others close to him. In documenting Furay’s extraordinary talent as a songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, Kitts argues that although he never attained the level of stardom of many of his bandmates, Furay is a pivotal figure in American popular music. Fans of Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and country-rock music will enjoy this quintessentially American story of a young man on a quest to fulfill his rock-and-roll dreams.

Immediately upon publication in 1998, the Encyclopedia of Country Music became a much-loved reference source, prized for the wealth of information it contained on that most American of musical genres. Countless fans have used it as the source for answers to questions about everything from country's first commercially successful recording, to the genre's pioneering music videos, to what conjunto music is. This thoroughly revised new edition includes more than 1,200 A-Z entries covering nine decades of history and artistry, from the Carter Family recordings of the 1920s to the reign of Taylor Swift in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Compiled by a team of experts at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the encyclopedia has been brought completely up-to-date, with new entries on the artists who have profoundly influenced country music in recent years, such as the Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban. The new edition also explores the latest and most critical trends within the industry, shedding light on such topics as the digital revolution, the shifting politics of country music, and the impact of American Idol (reflected in the stardom of Carrie Underwood). Other essays cover the literature of country music, the importance of Nashville as a music center, and the colorful outfits that have long been a staple of the genre. The volume features hundreds of images, including a photo essay of album covers; a foreword by country music superstar Vince Gill (the winner of twenty Grammy Awards); and twelve fascinating appendices, ranging from lists of awards to the best-selling country albums of all time. Winner of the Best Reference Award from the Popular Culture Association "Any serious country music fan will treasure this authoritative book." --The Seattle Times "A long-awaited, major accomplishment, which educators, historians and students, broadcasters and music writers, artists and fans alike, will welcome and enjoy." --The Nashville Musician "Should prove a valuable resource to those who work in the country music business. But it's also an entertaining read for the music's true fans." --Houston Chronicle "This big, handsome volume spans the history of country music, listing not only artists and groups but also important individuals and institutions." --San Francisco Examiner "Promises to be the definitive historical and biographical work on the past eight decades of country music. Well written and heavily illustratedan unparalleled work, worth its price and highly recommended." --Library Journal

(Book). Almost every guitarist knows the guitar companies Fender and G&L. Both these companies grew from the successful friendship and business partnership of George Fullerton and Leo Fender. George tells, in his own words, the amazing story of his celebrated collaboration with Leo that, for over 50 years, produced some of the world's most popular and treasured guitars and amplifiers, including the Telecaster, P-Bass and the Stratocaster. This complete history of the Fender organization and the G&L Guitar company, reveals through rare pictures and first-hand accounts, an insider's view of this amazing success story and the friendship that survived for a lifetime. Includes a 16-page photo section featuring George's rare guitars and prototypes. George Fullerton lives in Fullerton, California.

With entries on topics ranging from non-Western instruments to distinctive rhythms of music from various countries, this one-stop resource on global music also promotes appreciation of other countries and cultural groups. A perfect resource for students and music enthusiasts alike, this expansive three-volume set provides readers with multidisciplinary perspectives on the music of countries and ethnic groups from around the globe. Students will find Music around the World: A Global Encyclopedia accessible and useful in their research, not only for music history and music appreciation classes but also for geography, social studies, language studies, and anthropology. Additionally, general readers will find the books appealing and an invaluable general reference on world music. The volumes cover all world regions, including the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia and the Pacific, promoting a geographic understanding and appreciation of global music. Entries are arranged alphabetically. A preface explains the scope of the set as well as how to use the encyclopedia, followed by a brief history of traditional music and important current influences of music in each particular world region.

2022 Belmont Award for the Best Book on Country Music, International Country Music Conference/Belmont University New and expanded biography of one of country music’s most celebrated singer-songwriters. Merle Haggard enjoyed numerous artistic and professional triumphs, including more than a hundred country hits (thirty-eight at number one), dozens of studio and live album releases, upwards of ten thousand concerts, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and songs covered by artists as diverse as Lynryd Skynyrd, Elvis Costello, Tammy Wynette, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Willie Nelson, the Grateful Dead, and Bob Dylan. In The Running Kind, a new edition that expands on his earlier analysis and covers Haggard's death and afterlife as an icon of both old-school and modern country music, David Cantwell takes us on a revelatory journey through Haggard’s music and the life and times out of which it came. Covering the breadth of his career, Cantwell focuses especially on the 1960s and 1970s, when Haggard created some of his best-known and most influential music: songs that helped invent the America we live in today. Listening closely to a masterpiece-crowded catalogue (including “Okie from Muskogee,” “Sing Me Back Home,” “Mama Tried,” and “Working Man Blues,” among many more), Cantwell explores the fascinating contradictions—most of all, the desire for freedom in the face of limits set by the world or self-imposed—that define not only Haggard’s music and public persona but the very heart of American culture.