The Encyclopedia of Country Music

A foreword by country music superstar Vince Gill opens this volume on music and musicians who have had "the greatest influence on country music" since 1922. Kingsbury (The Grand Ole Opry History of Country Music), who edited the first edition, and Michael McCall and John W. Rumble (both of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum) then present articles written by Hall of Fame staff writers, music journalists, and other experts. The articles, listed alphabetically by topic, person, or organization, average two or three paragraphs, with the exception of 12 one- to three-page essay-type discussions. Some content from the first edition has been deleted as certain topics have "faded in importance in the ensuing years," but all remaining entries and appendixes have been updated, with 90 new entries and two new essays added. Most of the material is enhanced by black-and-white photographs, and Kingsbury's essay on album cover art is accompanied by eight leaves of color photographs. Entries include in-text cross-references, but unless readers know what they are looking for, these can be difficult to find as they are identified by small-font capital letters. Appendixes include lists of best-selling albums, award winners (Grammy, ACM, CMA), Grand Ole Opry members, and full-time country radio stations in the United States.