Böcker av Preston Lauterbach

"The Blind Boys of Alabama are the quintessential gospel vocal group, and the longest-running musical institution in America. Their story intersects with pivotal moments and issues in American history and is [a] ... prism through which to trace music, culture, history, and race in America. [This book] invites readers to follow along the Blind Boys' eight-decade journey together, from a segregated trade school through the rough and tumble indie record game and grinding tour schedule of the golden age of gospel, to starring in an iconic Broadway musical, performing at the White House for three presidents twice, collaborating with Tom Petty, Lou Reed, and Ben Harper, among others, singing the theme song for 'The Wire,' and winning five Grammys. More than just a story of the Blind Boys' illustrious career, Spirit of the Century also sheds new light on the larger world of African American gospel music, its origins, and the colorful characters at its center'

In this thought-provoking book, the Black musicians who influenced Elvis Presley's music finally receive recognition and praise. After Baz Luhrmann’s movie, Elvis, hit theaters, audiences and critics alike couldn't help but question the Black origins of Elvis Presley’s music and style, reigniting a debate that has been circling for decades. In Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King​, author Preston Lauterbach answers these questions definitively, based on new research and extensive, previously unpublished interviews with the artists who blazed the way and the people who knew them.    Within these pages, Lauterbach examines the lives, music, legacies, and interactions with Elvis Presley of the four innovative Black artists who created a style that would come to be known as Rock ’n’ Roll: Little Junior Parker, Big Mama Thornton, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, and mostly-unknown eccentric Beale Street guitarist Calvin Newborn. Along the way, he delves into the injustices of copyright theft and media segregation that resulted in Black artists living in poverty as white performers, managers, and producers reaped the lucrative rewards.    In the wake of continuing conversations about American music and appropriation, Before Elvis is indispensable.

The dramatic rise and fall of Beale Street, the legendary Memphis thoroughfare that shook American culture.

The first history of the network of black juke joints that spawned rock 'n' roll through an unholy alliance between vice and entertainment.