American roots music

This book tells the story of American folk music and its creative outpouring, spotlighting the pioneers who wrote the music and sang the songs. It includes: essays on the major musical genres, sidebars on pivotal events, narrative from key artists (including B.B. King, Bessie Smith, Elvis Presley, Muddy Waters and Hank Williams), and outlines of musical and social history. Portraits, performance shots and ephemera such as sheet music and record sleeves illustrate the text.