Grand Ole Opry The Making Of An American Icon By Colin Escott Center Street 2006 250 Pages ISBN:  1-931722-86-2

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In this unique journey, country music legends of the past and present will tell you the story of how the Opry grew up to be the longest-running radio broadast in the world. Packed with candid first-person accounts, this insightful history will let you: stand beside Opry founder Edwin Craig as he fights Nashville's elite to keep the Opry on the air go on the road with Minnie Pearl and Pee Wee King during the lean war years walk on the Opry stage for the first time with Johnny Cash witnes the birth, struggles, and ultimate triumph of bluegrass with Bill Monroe experience the sudden and tragic loss of Patsy Cline discover how Elvis and rock 'n' roll nearly destroyed the Grand Ole Opry win over Carnegie Hall with the Opry stars for the first time in 1947 and again in 2005 to celebrate the Opry's eightieth birthday From soaring triumphs to heartbreaking losses, these firsthand accounts and hundreds of photos from the Grand Ole Opry archives (many of which have never been published) deliver a fascinating and exclusive look at the birthplace of country music. About the Author Colin Escott is one of the world's leading experts on country music history. He cowrote and coproduced Hank williams: Honky Tonk Blues for PBS and was a series consultant and cowriter for BBC-TV's highly acclaimed series on country music, Lost Highway. His music journalism has been published in two volumes, and he has worked with numerous music legends, including Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. He lives near Nashville, Tennessee.