Includes bibliographical references (p. 386-388), discography (p. 389-390), and index.

Feiler is a Southerner who grew up distancing himself from "hillbilly" country music. After spending several years abroad, he returned to the South and soon embraced the "new" country music. One hopes that his first book on country music is not his last, for he is a savvy author and journalist who can sort through misconceptions about country music and analyze the historical background with a clarity that other writers sometimes lack. Here he concentrates on the careers of Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, and Wade Hayes to show what it takes to get to the top in Nashville's country music world.