Except for Chapters 1 (The Starday Machine) and 4 (Nashville Sound), the book is formatted so that alternating chapters add to one of two parallel narratives. Toward the end of offering a bit of organizational help to any poor souls with a reason to be on this page of this website, it seems correct to provide separate bibliographies, one bibliography for the George & Tammy/Country Music narrative and another bibliography for what we’ll call the History narrative, which includes the opening paragraphs of Chapters 1 and 4. First, though, since this is the only place that makes sense to do it, a list of all the known typos in the first edition of the book.
First Edition Typos
For several reasons there’s no point going in to here, first editions almost always contain typos. The good news is that nearly every typo in the book will instantly be spotted as a typo by the readers who notice them and the intended meaning of the sentence will be obvious to those readers. Unfortunately, there are a couple instances of typos that won’t be so easily spotted for what they are and could change the whole meaning of some sentences. I hate that but all I can do about it now is provide this list.
pg. 26, paragraph 3, line 8: there should be no comma after “Americanized versions of European folk songs”
pg. 76, paragraph 2, line 5: there should be no comma after “twentieth century”
pg. 95, paragraph 2, line 1: “bear-beating” should read “bear-baiting”
pg. 127, paragraph 2, line 2: the comma after “one major difference” should be a period, beginning a new sentence at “Shelby, ever the hustler…”
pg. 169, paragraph 2, line 24: “lose conscious” should read “lose consciousness”
pg. 177, paragraph 2, line 20: “on her way to fair” should read “on her way to the fair”
pg. 191, paragraph 3, lines 3 & 4: “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” should be italicized, not in quotes
pg. 195, paragraph 2, line 7: the word “Canadian” should be hyphenated “Can-” at the line break
pg. 203, paragraph 2, line 12: “get ass kicked” should read “get his ass kicked”
pg. 269, paragraph 3, line 4: “the subject of a nature of documentary” should read “the subject of a nature documentary”
pg. 276, paragraph 2, line 2: “skating ring” should read “skating rink”
pg. 311, paragraph 2, line 11: “to involve death in anyway” should read “to involve death in any way”
pg. 314, paragraph 1, line 12: “is unable touch him” should read “is unable to touch him”
pg. 320, paragraph 3, line 14: “nearly ten million dollar” should read “nearly ten million dollars”
pg. 330, paragraph 2, line 8: “It wouldn’t do Rick or Bill” should read “It wouldn’t do Rick or Billy”
pg. 348, paragraph 1, line 4: “asked Billy produce it” should read “asked Billy to produce it”
pg. 362, paragraph 2, line 15: “thousands in dollars in cash” should read “thousands of dollars in cash”
pg. 369, paragraph 2, line 14: there should be a comma after “once” in “Once he was in the middle…”
pg. 383, paragraph 1, line 14: “the name of weapon” should read “the name of a weapon”
pg. 413, paragraph 2, line 1: “fifty million dollar million wrongful death” should read “fifty million dollar wrongful death”
pg. 443, paragraph 3, line 1: “The last album George made” should read “The last Epic album George made”
pg. 467, paragraph 3, line 1: “The year George received” should read “The year Glenn received”
George & Tammy/Country Music Bibliography
As should already have been made clear by the actual text of the book, the inclusion of any source here should not be taken as an endorsement by me of said work’s credibility or even its entertainment value. Many of the items on this list contain factual errors and some of them, particularly the Isenhour book, are terrible in several different ways. For more of my thoughts on certain sources used for the book and the Cocaine & Rhinestones podcast, please see The Library and Season 2 Library pages of this website.
Also, it will not be readily apparent from this list of sources but much of everything in this section that isn’t a book, movie or box set was something I read, watched or heard while researching in the archives at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Though custom dictates attributing credit the way it’s attributed below, if that single institution didn’t exist, I never would have found a lot of the stuff on this list.
Allen, Bob. “Billy Sherrill: Steward of His Talent.” Country Music, March 1984.
———. George Jones: The Life and Times of a Honky Tonk Legend. (Updated Edition of 1984 Jones biography, below). Birch Lane Press, 1994.
———. George Jones: The Saga of an American Singer. Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1984.
Along the Navajo Trail. Film. Republic Pictures, 1945.
Atkins, Chet, and William Neely. Country Gentleman. Henry Regnery Company, 1974.
Billboard. “Fourth Studio in Nashville.” June 13, 1960.
Billboard. “Suit Over Wynette’s Death Resolved.” 2002. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/suit-over-wynettes-death-resolved-76046/.
Bond, Johnny. Interview by Douglas B. Green, July 1, 1974. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/3015/rec/63.
Broven, John. Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock ‘N’ Roll Pioneers. University of Illinois Press, 2009.
Bufwack, Mary A. “‘Stand by Your Man: An Autobiography.’” Journal of Country Music, 1980.
Bufwack, Mary A., and Robert K. Oermann. Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music, 1800-2000. Vanderbilt University Press, 2003.
Callahan, Mike, and Dave Edwards and Patrice Eyries. “The Musicor Records Story.” https://www.bsnpubs.com/ua/musicorstory.html.
Campbell, Walter. “Interview: Billy Sherrill.” Journal of Country Music, May 1978.
Cantwell, David, and Bill Friskics-Warren. Heartaches by the Number: Country Music’s 500 Greatest Singles. Vanderbilt University Press, 2003.
Carlisle, Dolly. Ragged But Right: The Life & Times of George Jones. Contemporary Books, 1984.
Carr, John. The South Bank Show. “Elvis Costello in Nashville.” TV series episode. BBC, November 8, 1981.
Carr, Patrick, and Richard Nusser. “The Great George Jones: Trouble, Trouble, Trouble.” Country Music, December 1975.
Daley, Dan. “Producer Billy Sherrill.” MixOnline.com, 2002. https://www.mixonline.com/recording/producer-billy-sherrill-365045.
Daly, Jackie, and Tom Carter. Tammy Wynette: A Daughter Recalls Her Mother’s Tragic Life and Death. Putnam Adult, 2000.
Dean, Eddie. Pure Country: The Leon Kagarise Archives, 1961-1971. Daniel 13/Process, 2008.
Deen, Dixie. “The Crown Prince of Country Music.” Music City News, August 1966.
Dew, Joan. Singers & Sweethearts: The Women of Country Music. The Country Music Magazine Press, 1977.
Donahue, Phil. Donahue. “Tammy Wynette.” TV series episode, February 1979.
Don’t Fence Me In. Film. Republic Pictures, 1945.
Emery, Ralph. The Ralph Emery Show. “Tammy Wynette.” Radio Broadcast. WSM, October 1971.
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, and Chris Woodstra, Vladimir Bogdanov and others. All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music. 2nd Edition. Backbeat Books, 2003.
Escott, Colin. Tattooed on Their Tongues: A Journey through the Backrooms of American Music. Schirmer Books, 1996.
Five Easy Pieces. Film. Columbia Pictures, 1970.
Flippo, Chet. “King Picker: The Rolling Stone Interview with Chet Atkins.” Rolling Stone, February 12, 1976.
Franks, Tillman, and Robert Gentry. I Was There When It Happened. Sweet Dreams Publishing, 2000.
Gibson, Nathan D., and Don Pierce. The Starday Story: The House That Country Music Built. University Press of Mississippi, 2011.
Grand Ole Opry. Film. Republic Pictures, 1940.
Harris, Emmylou. Interview by Paul Kingsbury, February 14, 1992. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/2752/rec/12.
Havighurst, Craig. Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City. University of Illinois Press, 2007.
Hemphill, Paul. The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music. Simon & Schuster, 1970.
Hollywood Canteen. Film. Warner Bros., 1942.
Howard, Jan. Interview by John W. Rumble, May 23, 1991. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/2928/rec/1.
Hurst, Jack. “Greatness, Grief and George Jones.” Chicago Tribune, March 22, 1981.
———. “Nashville’s Good Ol’ Hit Man: Billy Sherrill.” Chicago Tribune, October 1976.
Irwin, Colin. “Stand by Your Record Producer.” Melody Maker, September 16, 1978.
Isenhour, Jack. He Stopped Loving Her Today: George Jones, Billy Sherrill, and the Pretty-Much Totally True Story of the Making of the Greatest Country Record of All Time. University Press of Mississippi, 2011.
Jarrett, Michael. Producing Country: The Inside Story of the Great Recordings. Wesleyan University Press, 2014.
Jones, George. The George Jones Show. TV series. TNN, 1998.
Jones, George, and Tom Carter. I Lived to Tell It All. Dell Publishing, 1997.
Jones, George, and Kevin Coffey. The Complete Starday and Mercury Recordings, 1954-1967: Birth of a Legend. Bear Family Records, 2017.
Jones, George, and Rich Kienzle. The Complete Musicor Recordings, 1965-1971 (Part One): Walk through This World with Me. Bear Family Records, 2009.
———. The Complete Musicor Recordings, 1965-1971 (Part Two): A Good Year for the Roses. Bear Family Records, 2009.
———. The Complete United Artists Recordings, 1962-1964: She Thinks I Still Care. Bear Family Records, 2007.
Jones, Georgette, and Patsi Bale Cox. The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George. Atria Books, 2011.
Kienzle, Rich. The Grand Tour: The Life and Music of George Jones. Dey St., 2016.
Killen, Buddy, and Tom Carter. By the Seat of My Pants. Simon & Schuster, 1993.
Kingsbury, Paul, Michael McCall, John W. Rumble, Michael Gray, Jay Orr, and Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press, 2012.
Kosser, Michael. How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row. Hal Leonard, 2006.
Loggins, Kirk. “Autopsy for Wynette May Hinge on Narcotic Use.” The Tennessean, February 8, 1999.
———. “Wynette Daughters’ Suit Settled.” The Tennessean, April 18, 2002.
Malone, Bill C. Country Music, U.S.A. American Folklore Society, 1968.
———. Country Music, U.S.A. Revised Edition. University of Texas Press, 1985.
Mazor, Barry. “Billy Sherrill: Icon and Iconoclast.” Wall Street Journal, 2010.
McCoy, Charlie, and Travis D. Stimeling. Fifty Cents and a Box Top: The Creative Life of Nashville Session Musician Charlie McCoy. West Virginia University Press, 2017.
McDonough, Jimmy. Tammy Wynette: Tragic Country Queen. Viking, 2010.
Miller, Dan. Miller & Company. “Tammy Wynette.” TV series episode. WSMV, December 29, 1982.
Modern People. “What Are You Up To, Burt?” April 17, 1977.
Montgomery, Charlene, and Earl Peanutt Montgomery. The Legend of George Jones. Heritage Builders, 2014.
Music Business. “Music City Special.” June 20, 1964.
Nash, Alanna. Behind Closed Doors: Talking with the Legends of Country Music. Knopf, 1988.
Nashville. Film. Paramount Pictures, 1975
National Enquirer. “Burt Reynolds Romancing 2 at a Time: Lucie Arnaz and Tammy Wynette.” October 26, 1976.
Neff, James. “Tammy.” Country Style, March 10, 1977.
People. “Sally Field Makes a Movie with the Fonz and Has a Fling with Burt Reynolds.” April 25, 1977.
Porter, Bill. Interview by John W. Rumble, February 23, 1994. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/4006/rec/1.
———. Interview by John W. Rumble, June 8, 1994. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/2555/rec/2.
———. Interview by John W. Rumble, November 11, 1994. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/2558/rec/3.
Praguefrank’s Country Music Discographies. http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/, https://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/. [SIC]
Requiem for a Heavyweight. Film. Columbia Pictures, 1962.
Reversal of Fortune. Film. Warner Bros., 1990
Riders in the Sky. Film. Columbia Pictures, 1949.
Riese, Randall. Nashville Babylon: The Uncensored Truth and Private Lives of Country Music’s Stars. Congdon & Weed, 1988.
Roland, Tom. The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits. Billboard, 1991.
———. RolandNote.com: The Ultimate Country Music Database. https://www.rolandnote.com/.
Rose, Mark. “George Jones: Last Exit off a Dark Highway.” Village Voice, 1981.
Rosenberg, Neil V. Bluegrass: A History. University Of Illinois Press, 1993.
Self, Philip. Guitar Pull: Conversations with Country Music’s Legendary Songwriters. Cypress Moon Press, 2002.
Sherrill, Billy. Interview by Bob Allen, November 13, 1981. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/musicaudio/id/9407/rec/8, https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/musicaudio/id/9411/rec/5, https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/musicaudio/id/9413/rec/7.
———. Interview by Bob Allen, December 22, 1982. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/musicaudio/id/9421/rec/3, https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/musicaudio/id/9473/rec/4, https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/musicaudio/id/9474/rec/6.
Smokey and the Bandit. Film. Universal Pictures, 1977.
Snyder, Tom. Tomorrow. “Johnny PayCheck.” TV series episode. NBC, October 1, 1980.
“Stand by Your Dream: The Tammy Wynette Story.” BBC, 1987.
Stand by Your Man. Film. CBS, 1981.
Strzelecki, Henry. Interview by John W. Rumble, March 14, 1990. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/2872/rec/16.
———. Interview by John W. Rumble, March 22, 1990. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/2875/rec/17.
———. Interview by John W. Rumble, April 20, 1990. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/2881/rec/19.
———. Interview by John W. Rumble, June 25, 1990. https://digi.countrymusichalloffame.org/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/2884/rec/20.
Tammy and the Bachelor. Film. Universal, 1957.
The Forest Ranger. Film. Paramount Pictures, 1942.
Thomas, Susan. “Drugs Also Lure Female Artists.” The Tennessean, September 14, 1984.
Tosches, Nick. “The Devil in George Jones.” Texas Monthly, July 1994.
Tucker, Stephen R. “‘You’re so Cold I’m Turning Blue: Martha Hume’s Guide to the Greatest in Country Music.’” Journal of Country Music, 1983.
Tumbling Tumbleweeds. Film. Republic Pictures, 1935.
Twitty, Pat. “Music as Written – Nashville.” Billboard, June 27, 1960.
Wynette, Tammy. The Legends of Country Music. TV series. TNN, 1994.
Wynette, Tammy, and Dolly Carlisle. Tears of Fire: The 25th Anniversary Collection. Epic, 1992.
Wynette, Tammy, and Joan Dew. Stand by Your Man: An Autobiography. Simon & Schuster, 1979.
History Bibliography
As with the George & Tammy/Country Music Bibliography above, let no single source’s inclusion here be viewed as an endorsement of factual accuracy or entertainment value.
$5,000 Reward. Short film. Selig Polyscope Company, 1916.
Allen, Robert C. Speaking of Soap Operas. The University of North Carolina Press, 1985.
Beard, Tyler, and Jim Arndt. 100 Years of Western Wear. Gibbs Smith, 1993.
———. Art of the Boot. Gibbs Smith, 1999.
Behr, Edward. Prohibition: Thirteen Years That Changed America. Arcade, 2011.
Belmonte, Juan, and Manuel Chaves Nogales. Juan Belmonte, Killer of Bulls: The Autobiography of a Matador. Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1937.
Blumenthal, Karen. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. Square Fish, 2013.
Bully for Bugs. Cartoon short. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1953.
Buntline, Ned. “Buffalo Bill: The King of Border Men.” Chicago Weekly, December 1869.
Cassiday, George. “20 to 25 Orders Daily Called Fair Capitol Trade by Cassiday.” The Washington Post, October 26, 1930.
———. “Capitol Tipplers Had Weakness for Rye, Bourbon, Says Cassiday.” The Washington Post, October 28, 1930.
———. “Cassiday Reveals Rum Dealings in U.S. Senate Office Building.” The Washington Post, October 27, 1930.
———. “Cassiday, Capitol Bootlegger, Got First Rum Order from Dry…” The Washington Post, October 24, 1930.
———. “Part of Cassiday’s Rum Supply Stores in House Office Building.” The Washington Post, October 25, 1930.
———. “Rum Buyers in Capitol Indicted as Law Violators by Cassiday.” The Washington Post, October 29, 1930.
City Slickers. Film. Columbia Pictures, 1991.
Do and Dare. Film. Fox Film Corporation, 1922.
Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. Harcourt, 1980.
Fame and Fortune. Film. Fox Film Corporation, 1918.
Friedman, Hilary Levey. Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of the Beauty Pageant in America. Beacon Press, 2020.
———. “The Single Strip of Fabric That Went from ‘Votes for Women’ to ‘Miss America.’” The New York Times, August 15, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/15/opinion/sashes-suffrage-19th-amendment.html.
Hell’s Hinges. Film. Triangle Distributing Corporation, 1916.
Hemingway, Ernest. Death in the Afternoon. Scribner’s, 1932.
———. The Dangerous Summer. Scribner’s, 1985.
———. The Sun Also Rises. Scribner’s, 1926.
Hosseinpour, Reza. Making Sense of Bullfighting. Punto Rojo Libros, 2014.
Jackson, Tom. Chilled: How Refrigeration Changed the World and Might Do So Again. Bloomsbury Sigma, 2015.
Jester, Tom Wilson, and Don Dudenbostel. Popcorn Sutton: The Making and Marketing of a Hillbilly Hero, 2011.
Jones, Chuck. They’ll Flip for Chuck Amuck: Wascally Autobiography! Avon Books, 1990.
Joyce, Jaime. Moonshine: A Cultural History of America’s Infamous Liquor. Zenith Press, 2014.
Lee, Carol. Ballet in Western Culture: A History of Its Origins and Evolution. Routledge, 2002.
Levin, Ira. Rosemary’s Baby. Random House, 1967.
Levine, Elana. Her Stories: Daytime Soap Opera & U.S. Television History. Duke University Press, 2020.
Luther, Martin. “Ninety-Five Theses, Or, Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” 1517.
Machiavelli, Niccolò. “The Prince, Or, of Principalities,” 1532.
Mexican Joyride. Cartoon short. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1947.
Mukerji, Chandra. Territorial Ambitions and the Gardens of Versailles. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Mund, Cara. “Open Letter Re: Miss America,” August 16, 2018. https://media.nj.com/entertainment_impact/other/miss-america-cara-mund-letter.pdf.
Natkin, Bobbye Claire, and Steve Kirk. All About Pinball: A Fascinating Look at the Thrills, Skills, and Nostalgia of Today’s Most Popular Game. Grosset & Dunlap, 1977.
Paris Is Burning. Documentary. Off-White/Prestige, 1990.
Phillips, Roger, and Martyn Rix. The Quest for the Rose. Random House, 1993.
Reefer Madness. Film. Motion Picture Ventures, 1936.
Rombauer, Irma S., and Marion Rombauer Becker. The Joy of Cooking: A Compilation of Reliable Recipes with a Casual Culinary Chat. A.C. Clayton, 1931.
Rosemary’s Baby. Film. Paramount Pictures, 1968.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Film. Cinecom Pictures, 1990.
Ruben, Adam. Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball. Chicago Review Press, 2017.
Sharpe, Roger C., James Hamilton, Carl Desens, Clark Whelton, and George Delmerico. Pinball! E.P. Dutton, 1977.
Shubert, Adrian. Death and Money in the Afternoon: A History of the Spanish Bullfight. Oxford University Press, 1999.
Some Like It Hot. Film. United Artists, 1959.
Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Play. 1966.
The New York Times. “Flying Fortresses Double as Ice-Cream Freezers.” March 13, 1943.
The Queen. Documentary. Grove Press, 1968.
The Untamed. Film. Fox Film Corporation, 1920.
Thériault, Anne. “Queens of Infamy: The Reign of Catherine De’ Medici.” Longreads, October 11, 2018. https://longreads.com/2018/10/11/catherine-de-medici-reign/.
———. “Queens of Infamy: The Rise of Catherine De’ Medici.” Longreads, September 27, 2018. https://longreads.com/2018/09/27/queens-of-infamy-the-early-trials-of-catherine-de-medici/.
This Is the Last Dam Run of Likker I’ll Ever Make. Film. Neal Hutcheson, 2002.
Yates, Frances A. The Valois Tapestries. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1975.