Overview

This book is the story of Texas convict bands, informed by prison records, radio show transcripts, and the words and music of the inmates themselves. Captivating and charismatic, banjo player Reliable Childs received thousands of fan letters with the Goree All-Girl String Band during World War II. Hattie Ellis, a young black inmate with a voice that rivaled Billie Holiday's, was immortalized by notable folklorist John Avery Lomax. Cowboys, songsters, and champion fiddlers all played a part in one of the most unique prison histories in the nation. The author presents the decades-long story of the Texas convict bands, informed by prison records, radio show transcripts, and the words and music of the inmates themselves.

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