Souled American: How Black Music Transformed White Culture

by Kevin Phinney

From Jim Crow to Eminem, white culture has been transformed
by black music. To be so influenced by the boundless
imagination of a race brought to America in chains sets
up a fascinating irony, and Souled American , an ambitious
and comprehensive look at race relations as seen through
the prism of music, examines that irony fearlessly—with
illuminating results. Tracing a direct line from plantation field
hollers to gangsta rap, author Kevin Phinney explains how
blacks and whites exist in a constant tug-of-war as they
create, re-create, and claim each phase of popular music.
Meticulously researched, the book includes dozens of exclusive
celebrity interviews that reveal the day-to-day struggles
and triumphs of sharing the limelight. Unique, intriguing,
Souled American should be required reading for every
American interested in music, in history,
or in healing our country’s troubled
race relations.



• Combines social history and pop culture
to reveal how jazz, blues, soul, country,
and hip-hop have developed


• Includes interviews with Ray Charles,
Willie Nelson, B. B. King, David Byrne,
Sly Stone, Donna Summer, Bonnie Raitt,
and dozens more


• Confronts questions of race and finds
meaningful answers


• Ideal for Black History Month

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[Ms W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. W: I've often wanted to take the UT or TSU 'History of Rock n' Roll' courses, but haven't squeezed it into the schedule or the budget yet...this book went a long way toward getting me started on that study on my own. One time local KGSR DJ, Kevin Phinney, writes a rich and well researched account of the origins and influences of everything from the 'Chitlin Circuit' to the earliest uses of 'sampling' in the development of rock 'n roll.

[Tim Basuino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding overview of the history of black music in America, and, as the name applies, how it affects everything else. It was indeed a good read that moved along smoothly. Yes, it could have used a bit more editing to cut down on repetitiveness, but it would be recommended for somebody trying to get their feet wet.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book originally for a CORE capstone course on Post-WWII Youth Culture. In practice, the course became a music appreciation course (my professor is a lover of jazz and a noted music critic); still, the course was fun and we were exposed to a lot of music and film I otherwise would never have seen.

Anyway, a lot of the material dealt with the musical debt (and certainly many others...) due to black culture by white. An enjoyable, informative page-turner, but I kept wondering if the author proved his thesis, as did another reviewer. Personally, I think "How Black Music Transformed White Culture" is an overreach; "...Transformed White Music"; "...Influenced White Culture"; and/or even "On Black and White Musical & Cultural Exchange" would be more accurate. To be clear, I fully understand and acknowledge the African and African-American origins of American music, but no culture or subculture exists in a vacuum. It just seems a little too sociologically simplistic overall.

[Sam Orndorff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am extra white and I love black music. I hoped for a much stronger central thesis to support the subtitle but was no less entertained by the album review-style prose. There are enough interesting historical nuggets to keep you reading, especially if you love US social history. And it's definitely worth a read if you love Americana ("Roots") and Jazz. The author paints an inconclusive yet effective exposition on the centuries of white theft of black tradition. The concluding chapters were disappointing, the author has a dangerously superficial (CNN style) understanding of the rich breadth of hip hop. I was also troubled by his usage of the term "wigga" [The word is racist. If white youth who act black are wiggers then what are black youth who act black??]. There probably exists a more authoritative text on this topic but I found it hard to put this one down despite that.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting outlook on how African Americans transformed white culture with music during and after slavery.

[Yasheve · Rating 1 out of 5]

nope