Good Time Charleys

by Roy Bainton

Before rock'n'roll, there was the blues and R&B. These joyful branches of music were the end product of almost three centuries of African-American struggle. Good Time Charleys tells a few of the often outrageous stories of the way black bluesmen and R&B stars were robbed of their royalties. It takes us back to the very roots of the blues, from the first slaves arriving in America, through the so-called 'emancipation' of the Civil War, and the ensuing 100+ years of struggle for equality and Civil Rights. Often tragic, sometimes hilarious, this story ultimately celebrates the triumph of a vibrant music which became the foundation of the rock'n'roll the world enjoys today.

238 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2011