For many diehard music fans and critics, Oklahoma-born James Talley ranks among the finest of American singer-songwriters.
Readers will also gain valuable understanding about the country music industry and the inescapable links between commerce and artistry..
Nashville City Blues offers hard-won wisdom for any aspiring artist motivated to work hard and handle whatever setbacks might follow.
His relationship with the country music industry was--and still is--fraught, but he makes no apology for staying true to his core principles.
By his own admission, Talley at times made poor business decisions and trusted the wrong people.
As an early champion of social justice causes, his ideals did not fit neatly into Nashville\'s star-making machine.
Eventually Talley landed in Nashville, where his first years included exciting brushes with fame but also bitter disappointments.
These experiences shaped Talley\'s artistic vision and inspired him to write his own songs.
He has never forgotten his Oklahoma roots.
As a young man, he witnessed poverty and despair and worked alongside ordinary Americans who struggled to make ends meet.
Talley\'s story begins in the hardscrabble towns of eastern Oklahoma.
In this engaging, down-to-earth memoir, Talley recalls the highs and lows of his nearly fifty-year career in country music.
Talley\'s unique style--a blend of folk, country, blues, and social commentary--draws comparisons with the likes of Woody Guthrie, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash.
For many diehard music fans and critics, Oklahoma-born James Talley ranks among the finest of American singer-songwriters
