How Nashville Became Music City, U. S. A.: A History of Music Row, Updated and Expanded

How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A. was first published in 2006 and quickly became the go-to reference for those seeking to understand the Nashville music industry, or write about it. Now, Michael Kosser, prolific songwriter and author, returns with an updated and expanded edition, bringing the history of Music Row up to the present, since so much has changed over the last fifteen years. This new edition of How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A. details the history of the Nashville song and recording industry from the founding of its first serious commercial music publishing company in 1942 to the present. Kosser tells the history of Music Row primarily through the voices of those who made and continue to make that history, including record executives, producers, singers, publishers, songwriters, studio musicians, studio engineers, record promoters, and others responsible for the music and the business, including the ambitious music executives who struggle to find an audience who will buy country records instead of just listening to them on the radio. The result is a book with insight far beyond the usual media stories, with plenty of emotion, humor, and historical accuracy. Kosser traces the growth and cultural changes of Nashville and the adventurous souls who fly to it to be a part of the music. He follows the changes from its hillbilly roots through its “Nashville Sound” quasi-pop days, from the outlaws, the new traditionalists, and the mega-sellers to the recent bro country and the rise of mini-trends. This edition also bears witness to the huge influence of Music Row on pop, folk, rock, and other American music genres. Contents 6 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 12 Cast of Characters 16 1. The Roots of Music Row 20 2. The Opry Puts Its Foot Down 28 3. It All Begins with a Song 38 4. Now We Have an Industry! 46 5. When Country Music Almost Died 52 6. Oohs and Aahs 60 7. Saving Country 70 8. Dang Me! 76 9. Crazy 86 10. Homegrown Talent and the Nashville Machine 98 11. The Everly Brothers and the Bryants 106 12. A Pair of Aces 114 13. Rebels and Respect 126 14. Gallico and His Boys 140 15. Strings and Power Saws 158 16. Lou Bradley: Knight of the Console 172 17. “Wesley, It’s Music!” 180 18. Know When to Hold ’Em, Know When to Fold ’Em 198 19. Wanted: Jerry Bradley 226 20. Nashville, Before and After Bowen 246 21. “Man, There’s Only Three Chords!” 260 22. “I’m Gonna Cut This Song and I Really Can’t Tell You Why” 278 23. The Men of Garth 294 24. From the Alleyway to MCA 316 25. Texas and Oklahoma Song Dogs 332 26. The King of the Independents 346 27. Galante and Tomlinson: Keepin’ It Real 356 28. Murder on the Row 370 29. “If It Is Not Known for Music, It Will Not Be Known for Anything” 380 Afterword to the Second Edition: Did It Have to Be Like This? 384 Index 418 "Michael Kosser came to Nashville to write songs in 1971 and enjoyed a songwriting career that included recordings by country stars like George Jones, Charlie Rich, Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette, Ray Price, Kitty Wells, Barbara Mandrell, Marty Robbins, The Kendalls, Blake Shelton, and Josh Gracin. He has written twenty published books and was a senior editor at American Songwriter Magazine, where he wrote a column, "Street Smarts," for more than twenty years. Kosser has also written extensively for Variety, the Nashville news media, and various other music publications. He and his wife, Gina, live in Nashville, Tennessee"-- Provided by publisher Traces fifty years of music history in Nashville, describing how the city became one of the most important music centers in the United States and profiling the studios, publishing companies, record labels, and promotion offices that contributed to the city's role in the industry.