Announcing Thacker Mountain Radio Hour + two Nashville events
Nashville, TN – Peter Guralnick, the dean of rock-and roll-storytellers, writes in the introduction to Johnny’s Cash & Charley’s Pride, “Peter Cooper has always been in the mix.” Whether spending time with a legend like Johnny Cash, playing bass for Loretta Lynn, discussing songwriting with Taylor Swift, or introducing the Grateful Dead’s Robert Hunter to Porter Wagoner, Peter Cooper, a respected music writer, accomplished musician, and Grammy-nominated producer, has continually found himself in the presence of music royalty and the recipient of countless intimate conversations, asides, and confidences.
In his new book, Johnny’s Cash & Charley’s Pride: Lasting Legends and Untold Adventures in Country Music (Spring House Press; ISBN: 9781940611709; $17.95; April 25, 2017; Paperback), Cooper chronicles his many “in the mix” tales since arriving in Nashville in 2000 to cover the country music scene for the Tennessean. Filled with untold stories and newly revealed histories, it is an informal yet well-studied inside view of country music’s greatest characters and pivotal moments. Now a senior director, writer, and producer at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Cooper’s selected stories are akin to a curated behind-the-scenes, first-person tour of the unique personalities that shaped country music. American Songwriter Magazine gave the book 4 out of 5 stars, noting that Cooper “…manages to strike the perfect balance between folksy storytelling and deep musical knowledge.” Critic Paul Zollo continues, “That the man is a musician himself informs each story, as he understands intimately the fundaments and technicalities of the job itself, which he fuses with genuine reverence for true greatness. His writing evokes that of the late great film critic Roger Ebert, who knew everything there was to know about movies, yet never lost touch of the pure passion and love for film he’d had since he was a kid.” Read the rest of Zollo’s review here.
Spanning nineteen chapters, Johnny’s Cash & Charley’s Pride is an original take on the formative days at WSM as well as engaging introductions to an ensemble cast of country music’s icons, quirks, and golden-but-hidden personalities. Including the previously mentioned legends, Cooper covers Kris Kristofferson, Don Light, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Jimmy Martin, Earl Scruggs, The Station Inn, and many more while sprinkling in guest appearances by the likes of Lee Ann Womack, Jimmy Buffett, Chris Stapleton, and Dierks Bentley. With a gem on every page, Cooper has crafted a perceptive, smiling, and atypical immersion into the world of country music that will keep any music fan engaged with its wit, passion, and authenticity.
Cooper will guest on Thacker Mountain Radio Hour on April 28th, part of a live broadcast from Double Decker Arts Festival in Oxford, Mississippi. For streaming links, times, and rebroadcasting information, visit http://thackermountain.com/. In Nashville, Cooper will conduct a reading at Parnassus Books on May 16th at 6 p.m., and host an evening of music and readings at The Station Inn on May 26th at 9 p.m. — both events are open to the public.
See below for recent press on this release:
American Songwriter review, American Songwriter excerpt, The Oxford American expert, The Talkhouse except, interview with The Bluegrass Situation