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9780195167511

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Laird's ambitious agenda is to weave a coherent narrative linking the founding of Shreveport as a city to the show's musical styles and their impact on popular music. It left me wishing for similar treatments of other cultural institutions in country music's colorful history. --Jocelyn R. Neal, The Journal of Southern History Laird's interdisciplinary approach, combining analysis of musical sound, social history, interviews with Hayride alumni, and a wide selection of public and private sources should be praised for its valuable contribution to both the local history of northwest Louisiana and the roots of musical change in post-war America. --Notes Focusing on Shreveport's Louisiana Hayride, Laird (Agnes Scott College) deftly explores the historical connections between black and white music along the Red River. Including numerous illustrations, detailed notes, a discography, and an extensive bibliography, this book will be especially useful to those interested in southern musical history and popular culture. --Choice Laird's book is important in that it compiles stories, interviews and other writings from myriad sources into a single handy volume which should prove valuable to any researcher on KWKH or Hayride history...Prof. Laird gets high marks for interviewing so many Hayride alumni and for pulling together a number of significant sources into one book. --The Forum Louisiana Hayride presents a rich trove of new information about a much neglected chapter of American music. Shreveport was an important crucible for an amazing range of music, from gospel, to blues, to country, to rock and roll. Well written, skillfully researched, full of fresh insights, this book will become essential reading for anyone interested in the development of American vernacular music. For too many years, historians have seen Shreveport as a minor league venue for American music; this book makes clear that the locale was a Big Dog in the roiling brew of southern grassroots culture, and it restores Shreveport to its rightful place in the pantheon of popular music. -- Charles Wolfe, author of A Good Natures Riot, and Classic Country Deploying music and radio history and cultural geography, Dr. Laird constructs a detailed and revealing account of the Louisiana Hayride from the honkytonk of Webb Pierce to the rock 'n' roll of Elvis Presley. In doing so she gives us something equally valuable: a study of Shreveport as a microcosm of change, not only in music but in the shifting landscape of race. --Tony Russell, author of Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942 Laird's ambitious agenda is to weave a coherent narrative linking the founding of Shreveport as a city to the show's musical styles and their impact on popular music. It left me wishing for similar treatments of other cultural institutions in country music's colorful history. --Jocelyn R. Neal, The Journal of Southern History Laird's interdisciplinary approach, combining analysis of musical sound, social history, interviews with Hayride alumni, and a wide selection of public and private sources should be praised for its valuable contribution to both the local history of northwest Louisiana and the roots of musical change in post-war America. --Notes Focusing on Shreveport's Louisiana Hayride, Laird (Agnes Scott College) deftly explores the historical connections between black and white music along the Red River. Including numerous illustrations, detailed notes, a discography, and an extensive bibliography, this book will be especially useful to those interested in southern musical history and popular culture. --Choice Laird's book is important in that it compiles stories, interviews and other writings from myriad sources into a single handy volume which should prove valuable to any researcher on KWKH or Hayride history...Prof. Laird gets high marks for interviewing so many Hayride alumni and for pulling together a number of significant sources into one book. --The Forum Deploying music and radio history and cultural geography, Dr. Laird constructs a detailed and revealing account of the Louisiana Hayride from the honkytonk of Webb Pierce to the rock 'n' roll of Elvis Presley. In doing so she gives us something equally valuable: a study of Shreveport as a microcosm of change, not only in music but in the shifting landscape of race. --Tony Russell, author of Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942 Louisiana Hayride presents a rich trove of new information about a much neglected chapter of American music. Shreveport was an important crucible for an amazing range of music, from gospel, to blues, to country, to rock and roll. Well written, skillfully researched, full of fresh insights, this book will become essential reading for anyone interested in the development of American vernacular music. For too many years, historians have seen Shreveport as a minor league venue for American music; this book makes clear that the locale was a Big Dog in the roiling brew of southern grassroots culture, and it restores Shreveport to its rightful place in the pantheon of popular music. -- Charles Wolfe, author of A Good Natures Riot, and Classic Country [Louisiana Hayride] not only closes a huge gap in American musical history, it does so in a manner that is often thought-provoking and engaging. --Nashville Scene Laird...shares solid research, fascinating facts and considerable insight into the history of the former Shreveport radio show. --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

a solid piece of work. It is punctuated with rare photographs Steve Morewood, Country Music People

"""Laird's ambitious agenda is to weave a coherent narrative linking the founding of Shreveport as a city to the show's musical styles and their impact on popular music. It left me wishing for similar treatments of other cultural institutions in country music's colorful history.""--Jocelyn R. Neal, The Journal of Southern History ""Laird's interdisciplinary approach, combining analysis of musical sound, social history, interviews with Hayride alumni, and a wide selection of public and private sources should be praised for its valuable contribution to both the local history of northwest Louisiana and the roots of musical change in post-war America.""--Notes ""Focusing on Shreveport's Louisiana Hayride, Laird (Agnes Scott College) deftly explores the historical connections between black and white music along the Red River. Including numerous illustrations, detailed notes, a discography, and an extensive bibliography, this book will be especially useful to those interested in southern musical history and popular culture.""--Choice ""Laird's book is important in that it compiles stories, interviews and other writings from myriad sources into a single handy volume which should prove valuable to any researcher on KWKH or Hayride history...Prof. Laird gets high marks for interviewing so many Hayride alumni and for pulling together a number of significant sources into one book.""--The Forum ""Louisiana Hayride presents a rich trove of new information about a much neglected chapter of American music. Shreveport was an important crucible for an amazing range of music, from gospel, to blues, to country, to rock and roll. Well written, skillfully researched, full of fresh insights, this book will become essential reading for anyone interested in the development of American vernacular music. For too many years, historians have seen Shreveport as a minor league venue for American music; this book makes clear that the locale was a Big Dog in the roiling brew of southern grassroots culture, and it restores Shreveport to its rightful place in the pantheon of popular music.""-- Charles Wolfe, author of A Good Natures Riot, and Classic Country ""Deploying music and radio history and cultural geography, Dr. Laird constructs a detailed and revealing account of the Louisiana Hayride from the honkytonk of Webb Pierce to the rock 'n' roll of Elvis Presley. In doing so she gives us something equally valuable: a study of Shreveport as a microcosm of change, not only in music but in the shifting landscape of race.""--Tony Russell, author of Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942 ""Laird's ambitious agenda is to weave a coherent narrative linking the founding of Shreveport as a city to the show's musical styles and their impact on popular music. It left me wishing for similar treatments of other cultural institutions in country music's colorful history.""--Jocelyn R. Neal, The Journal of Southern History ""Laird's interdisciplinary approach, combining analysis of musical sound, social history, interviews with Hayride alumni, and a wide selection of public and private sources should be praised for its valuable contribution to both the local history of northwest Louisiana and the roots of musical change in post-war America.""--Notes ""Focusing on Shreveport's Louisiana Hayride, Laird (Agnes Scott College) deftly explores the historical connections between black and white music along the Red River. Including numerous illustrations, detailed notes, a discography, and an extensive bibliography, this book will be especially useful to those interested in southern musical history and popular culture.""--Choice ""Laird's book is important in that it compiles stories, interviews and other writings from myriad sources into a single handy volume which should prove valuable to any researcher on KWKH or Hayride history...Prof. Laird gets high marks for interviewing so many Hayride alumni and for pulling together a number of significant sources into one book.""--The Forum ""Deploying music and radio history and cultural geography, Dr. Laird constructs a detailed and revealing account of the Louisiana Hayride from the honkytonk of Webb Pierce to the rock 'n' roll of Elvis Presley. In doing so she gives us something equally valuable: a study of Shreveport as a microcosm of change, not only in music but in the shifting landscape of race.""--Tony Russell, author of Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942 ""Louisiana Hayride presents a rich trove of new information about a much neglected chapter of American music. Shreveport was an important crucible for an amazing range of music, from gospel, to blues, to country, to rock and roll. Well written, skillfully researched, full of fresh insights, this book will become essential reading for anyone interested in the development of American vernacular music. For too many years, historians have seen Shreveport as a minor league venue for American music; this book makes clear that the locale was a Big Dog in the roiling brew of southern grassroots culture, and it restores Shreveport to its rightful place in the pantheon of popular music.""-- Charles Wolfe, author of A Good Natures Riot, and Classic Country ""[Louisiana Hayride] not only closes a huge gap in American musical history, it does so in a manner that is often thought-provoking and engaging.""--Nashville Scene ""Laird...shares solid research, fascinating facts and considerable insight into the history of the former Shreveport radio show.""--The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"

Author Information

Tracey E. W. Laird earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Music at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. She is a native of the Hayride's hometown of Shreveport, LA.

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