Full Description
Country may be the plainspoken music of rural America, but it certainly got gussied up on its way to the hit parade. Rhinestones and Twanging Tones: The Look and Sound of Country Music shows in glittering detail how most classic country stars traded in their overalls for sequined and spangled outfits that shone from a mile away, and strummed guitars that were often just as ornately bedecked, or customised by decades of road wear. These musical accoutrements demanded attention, and certainly captivated young country fan Mac Yasuda as he was growing up in Japan. A Hank Snow record set Yasuda on a musical path that led to him becoming friends with many of his heroes and performing alongside them on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Along the way, he amassed the unique collection shared here of their signature guitars and suits (most of the latter made by the famed "rodeo tailor" Nudie), including ones played and worn by Hank Snow, Porter Wagoner, Jim Reeves, Ferlin Husky, and other classic country stars. Those include Snow's famed Snow Job custom Martin D-45, Hank Thompson's Paul Bigsby-modified Gibson SJ-200, Carl Smith's Gay guitar, and others, depicted here in lavish detail. Rhinestones and Twanging Tones is a unique bundling of the sartorial and six-stringed equipage that defined the look and sound of a generation of country music.
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. The Sons of the Pioneers
2. Ken MacKenzie
3. Red Foley
4. Jimmy Wakely
5. Jimmie Dolan
6. Hank Snow
7. The Willis Brothers
8. Hank Thompson
9. Webb Pierce
10. Hank Williams Haywire Hayride Guitar?
11. Porter Wagoner
12. Carl Smith
13. Jim Reeves
14. Hank Locklin
15. Billy Walker
16. Jack Greene
17. Ferlin Husky
18. Jimmy C. Newman
19. Faron Young
20. Carl Story
21. Wilma Lee Cooper
22. Red Smiley
23. Rem Wall
24. Sonny James
25. Buck Owens
26. Judy Lynn
27. Bobby Lewis
28. Charlie Walker
29. Tut Taylor
30. Norman Blake
31. David Bromberg
32. Ricky Skaggs
33. Roy Buchanan
34. J. Geils
35. Mac Yasuda's Unanticipated Life
Bibliography
About the Authors
