Hayloft Gang

Chad Berry is the Goode Professor of Appalachian Studies and a professor of history at Berea College. He is the author of Southern Migrants, Northern Exiles and a coeditor of Studying Appalachian Studies: Making the Path by Walking.

“An interesting but complicated book. . . . I highly recommend it.”--Appalachian Heritage "Well written and informative.”--Dirty Linen"A valuable resource for those who want to understand how country music, rural imagery, and nostalgia permeated twentieth-century American life."--Joli Jensen, author of The Nashville Sound: Authenticity, Commercialization, and Country Music "The National Barn Dance's importance has long been underappreciated in the scholarship on country music, and The Hayloft Gang makes a vital contribution to be welcomed by academics and aficionados alike. A particularly strong group of authoritative voices on the history of country music, early radio broadcasting, and American culture."--Diane Pecknold, author of The Selling Sound: The Rise of the Country Music Industry

• Foreword Loyal Jones   vii Acknowledgments   xiIntroduction: Assessing the National Barn Dance Chad Berry   1 1. The Rise of Rural Rhythm Paul L. Tyler   19 2. Music of the Postwar Era Wayne W. Daniel   72 3. Chicago as Forgotten Country Music Mecca Lisa Krissoff Boehm   101 4. Early Broadcasting and Radio Audiences Susan Smulyan   119 5. Race and Rural Identity Michael T. Bertrand   130 6. Patriarchy and the Great Depression Kristine M. McCuscker   153 7. Cowboys in Chicago Don Cusic   168 8. The National Folk Festival Michael Ann Williams   187 Afterword Stephen Parry   199 Contributors   205Index   207