St. Louis Blues Society - Recommended Reading List

St. Louis Blues Society Recommended Reading List

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Board name	Topics	Last post
Images of America: St. Louis Radio and Television Absher, Frank Mt. Pleasant SC: Arcadia P. 2012 Leading St. Louis media historian, Frank Absher, tells the story of St. Louis' fascinating broadcast media history. Items such as the fact that St. Louis is where Nikola Tesla demonstrated the first true broadcast in March 1893. In 1920, a St. Louis radio broadcast announced the results of the Harding-Cox presidential election on the same night...	0
The Original Guitar Hero and the Power of Music: The Legendary Lonnie Johnson Music and Civil Rights Alger, Dean Denton TX: U of N Texas P. 2014. The life of guitarist Lonnie Johnson, "the original guitar hero". Among a tremendous amount of good history, there is mention of Kevin Belford’s book, Devil at the Confluence, and has information provided by our own Leroy Pierson. For those of you working on learning the story of St. Louis music, this is a must read....	0
My Cross to Bear Allman, Gregg with Alan Light New York: William Morrow. 2012. From http://www.greggallman.com: "For the first time, the rock icon and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band tells the story of his life, including the music, the band, the tragedies, and the triumphs."	0
Devil At The Confluence: The Pre-War Blues Music of St Louis Missouri Belford, Kevin St. Louis: Virginia P. 2009. St. Louis artist Kevin Belford's beautifully illustrated history of pre-war Blues music in St. Louis. We think that this book would be of great interest to many Society members. Read more about the book at: http://devilattheconfluence.blogspot.com/.	0
Stagolee Shot Billy Brown, Cecil Cambridge: Harvard U.P. 2003. A thought provoking exploration of the facts, the legend, the myth and the symbolism of the events surronding the shooting of Wlliam Lyons by Lee Shelton on Christmas in 1895 in a St. Louis tavern.	0
Gas Light Square: an oral history Crone, Thomas St. Louis: William and Joseph P. 2004. KDHX radio personality Thomas Crone has documented the full 50 year story of St. Louis’ Gaslight Square – from inception to decline to redevelopment – in the voices by people who were there. http://www.williamandjosephpress.com/books.html.	0
Sweet, Hot and Blue: St. Louis' Musical Heritage Cunningham, Lyn Driggs and Jimmy Jones. Jefferson NC: McFarland & Co. 2012 reprint. Originally published in 1989, this book contains 124 biographical entries of St. Louis musicians including 57 original interviews. Entries include stage name, band affiliations, date and place of birth and career highlights. Sadly, both authors, St. Louis musicians themselves, are deceased since the first...	0
Miles Davis: The Autobiography Davis, Miles with Quincy Troupe New York: Simon and Schuster. 1990. The extraordinary life of Miles Davis in his own words.	0
Falling Cars and Junkyard Dogs Farrar, Jay Berkeley CA: Soft Skull P. 2013. From the jacket: In this collection of beautifully crafted autobiographical vignettes, Jay Farrar visits the places he’s journeyed to over twenty years as a traveling musician, and recalls his formative childhood, raised by his parents from the Missouri Ozarks.	0
The Death of Black Radio: The Story of America's Black Radio Personalities; A Personal Perspective Hayes, Bernie St. Louis: iUniverse, Inc. 2005 Our beloved Bernie Hayes’ remarkable journey through the African-American radio experience in America.	0
Every Day I Have the Blues Killer Blues Headstone Project, 3rd Ed. This perpetual calendar book contains a comprehensive list of over 1200 birth dates as well as the final resting place of over 550 major and minor contributors of the music we love so well, plus other important information. Available at http://www.killerblues.net/Stuff-We-Sell.html	0
Images of America: St. Louis Casa Loma Ballroom Lossos, David A. Chicago: Arcadia P. 2005. Chronicles the 80+ year history of the St. Louis landmark. This book contains scores of photographs of nationally known bands, orchestras, vocalists and celebrities who have appeared on its stage.	0
In Concert: KSHE and 40+ Years of Rock in St. Louis Neiman, John Hackensack: Big Jack P. 2009. From SLBS member and volunteer Ron Platt: It’s a hardback, coffee-table style book, with tons of pictures of the radio personalities and rock stars throughout the years, as well as interviews with the radio people describing all the craziness (remember Ruth Hutchinson?). The price on the jacket is $49.95..for anyone who grew up when KSHE was...	0
That St. Louis Thing, Vol. 1 and 2: An American Story of Roots, Rhythm and Race Olson, Bruce R. St. Louis: Lulu Publications, 2016; www.thatstlthing.com Bruce Olson's labor of love brings us the real story of St. Louis from the founding to Ferguson, including a comprehensive look at the development of ragtime, blues, jazz and rock placed within the context of the city's often overlooked political and cultural history. Five years in the making from a lifelong journalist...	0
City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz in St. Louis, 1895-1973 Owsley, Dennis St. Louis: Reedy P. 2006. Dennis Owlsey, the host of St. Louis Public Radio show Jazz Unlimited, dives into the history of St. Louis unique music history. Beginning with ragtime and the riverboats through Gas Light Square, Owlsey's book is filled with interesting and educational history and exciting photographs.	0
St. Louis Sound: An Illustrated Timeline Pick, Steve with Amanda E. Doyle St. Louis: Reedy P. 2019. Long-time KDHX DJ, Steve Pick with St. Louis author and journalist, Amanda Doyle. From Barnes and Nobel Educator: From the French fiddlers of the fur trading days to the rock and hip hop icons of the present millennium, St. Louis has been a town rich in musical history. Though it has rarely been cited as a center of any scene, any area...	0
Hidden History of Mississippi Blues Stolle, Roger. Photographs by Lou Bopp Charleston: The History Press. 2011. Roger Stolle left St. Louis on a mission. He moved to Clarksdale, MS and directed all his energy to helping the living legend delta blues musicians and to promoting and supporting Mississippi's rich blues heritage. His book is a testament to, "the last generation of cotton-farming, mule-driving, juke-joint playing...	0
Clark: The Autobiography of Clark Terry Terry, Clark with Gwen Terry Berekley: U. of Calif. P. 2011. From http://www.clarkterry.com: "Clark Terry, born in 1920, takes us from his impoverished childhood in St. Louis, Missouri, where jazz could be heard everywhere, to the smoke-filled small clubs and carnivals across the Jim Crow South where he got his start, and on to worldwide acclaim."	0
A Blues Life Townsend, Henry as told to Bill Greensmith Urbana: U of IL P. 1999. From the jacket: "This enchanting oral history recounts Townsend's early days as a shoeshiner fronting for a bootlegging operation, his passion for the guitar ("the sound of that guitar just went through me, just pentrated me like a bullet"), and his collaborations and friendships with many of the musicians and...	0
Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir Of Recording And Discording With Wilco, Etc. Tweedy, Jeff New York: Penguin P. 2018. From NPR Books: The singer and songwriter of Wilco opens up about his past, his songs, the music, and the people that inspire him.	0
St. Louis Blues related books or publications you want to share. Know of a good book or article not listed here? Please share!	0