Hell-Bent For Music: The Life of Pee Wee King - Hardcover

Hall, Wade

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813119596 ISBN 13: 9780813119595

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 1996

Synopsis

" King is probably best remembered as the co-writer of the most popular country music song of all time, "The Tennessee Waltz." He is just as important, however, for his role in expanding the horizons, and the market potential, of country and western music. He made country music respectable and brought it into the mainstream of American culture. He took the polka and waltz rhythms of his youth, mixed them with the sounds of the big bands of the thirties and forties, and flavored it all with the balladry and modes of the Western cowboy. He combined this new sound with folk and country traditions rooted in places like Louisville, Knoxville, and Nashville. The result was a smooth, listenable, danceable, up-to-date sound that has become the most popular form of music in the United States. Recipient of numerous awards, including induction into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, Pee Wee King has been one of the most important figures in country music for over sixty years. Told in King's own voice and words, this biography, based on many hours of taped conversations, is the first account of King's incredible life and career. Featuring a star-studded cast of characters form the history of music-Gene Autry, Eddy Arnold, Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Patti Page, and many others-this memorable book is a must read for any country music fan.

About this title

Review:

"His story is the story of the development of a whole genre of music." -- Green Man Review

"Hall is to be commended for ensuring that the story of this deserving, beloved musician is finally told. We are all the richer for it." -- Louisville Music News

"A charming biography." -- New York Times

"A fine history not only of Music City and its more famous residents but also of the peculiar life of Frank Kuczynski." -- Southern Historian

"Pee Wee King helped make it respectable to like country music." -- Western Clippings

From the Publisher:

Reviews of Hell-Bent for Music:

"PeeWee King is credited with changing and updating country music with sophistication and showmanship. . . . All country music buffs will love reading this personal history of an icon." -Come-All-Ye

"Readers will love revisiting King's old landmarks, and learning how Louisville could have beat out Nashville to become the country music capital. This is one biography that ached to be written." -Louisville Voice Tribune

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0813119596
• ISBN 13: 9780813119595
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272