Country stars in recent years have expanded their world from music to books as many of them have become authors in various subjects. They have written about their own life stories, cooking, exercising, and more.
Today is National Book Lover’s Day. It is an unofficial holiday observed to encourage people to celebrate reading. And since many of your favorite shows may not be returning to the air in the fall due to the writers and actors strikes, it’s a great time to pick up a few new books!
For decades, country stars have written their stories, some in song lyrics, others in books. Loretta Lynn penned her life story Coal Miner’s Daughter in the 1970s, and the book was adapted into an Oscar-winning movie starring Sissy Spacek as Lynn. Other country legends like Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Randy Travis, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and many more have put pen to paper to write books. Even more country legends have had books written about them, including Hank Williams and Merle Haggard.
Countless books have been written about country music, the Grand Ole Opry, and the stars that have made country music internationally known. There was even a book written in 2016 about country stars’ hairstyles over the years.
You can also find The Encyclopedia of Country Music (1998), with nearly 1,300 complete and alphabetical entries putting eight decades of country music at readers’ fingertips. It extends from the earliest ’20s recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to the ’90s chart-topping albums of LeAnn Rimes and Garth Brooks. And as of last year (2022), readers can now read the story of Black Country Music which is the first book on Black country music by a Black writer Francesca Royster. She uncovers the Black performers and fans, including herself, who are exploring the pleasures and possibilities of the genre.
As we celebrate books today, we gathered nine books by country superstars that they have written in the last couple of years.
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