Bluegrass Autobiography
Ralph Stanley, the godfather of bluegrass music, is, as all mountain musicians are, full of stories. His new memoir, Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times, offers readers a chance to wander along beside him as he details his hard-knock upbringing and the perils of his rise to fame.
The book, which not only covers Stanley’s musical journey, but also speaks to the dangers of a minstrel’s life on the road, is resonant with Stanley’s distinctive country-boy dialect and has been praised for its honesty and its insights into country music, then and now.
If you’re not familiar with Stanley’s work – he won a Grammy for the highly acclaimed O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack – this is a great entry point into his career; if you’re already a Stanley fan, his accounts in Man of Constant Sorrow will only enrich your experience with his music.
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