Watermelon Wine: The Spirit of Country Music [Paperback]

Originally published 25 years ago, Watermelon Wine was praised for its honest, unsentimental examination of the compassion as well as the passion behind authentic country music. Author Frye Gaillard looked at the commercialization of the Grand Ole Opry; the tradition-minded rebels such as Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, and Tompall Glaser; the growing divide between country and folk music; how Johnny Cash inspired new songwriters and new ideas; how the changing relationships between men and women were affecting the music; the role of God and gospel; and Southern rocks increasing influence. A quarter-century later, the essays in the book seem prophetic and in many cases have become even more relevant. A new introduction by Nashville music journalist Peter Cooper and a new afterword by the author update the books themes and show what has happened to its personalities. Now published in a 25th anniversary edition including a listener's guide to country music, Watermelon Wine: Remembering the Golden Years of Country Music is a straightforward examination of the country music tradition and the passions that fuel it by award-winning journalist and author Frye Gaillard. Chapters address diverse subsets of the genre from blues country to gospel country, the legacy of Johnny Cash, the impact of commercialism on country music creativity, and much more. A solid, hands-on assessment of one of America's most enduring traditions, once considered vulgar and crude but lately earning a respectable place in people's hearts for its raw emotion and vitality. Midwest Book Review
Watermelon Wine is the first great and inspiring book I ever read about Nashville music-makers. Peter Cooper, The Tennessean