Dreaming Out Loud: Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Wade Hayes, And The Changing Face Of Nashville

by Bruce Feiler

Country music has exploded across the U.S. and undergone a sweeping revolution, transforming the once ridiculed world of Nashville into an unlikely focal point of American pop culture. Bruce Feiler was granted unprecedented access to the private moments of the revolution. Here is the acclaimed report: a chronicle of the genre's biggest stars as they change the face of American music. From the historic stage of the Grand Ole Opry to the dim light of a recording studio, here is a ruggedly authentic behind the scenes tour that takes you places outsiders have never been allowed to go. Part social history, part backstage pass, this penetrating and graceful book presents the most comprehensive portraits yet painted of Garth Brooks and Wynonna Judd-two of the most celebrated artists of our times-as well as a touching picture of Wade Hayes, a young man who hopes to follow them to the exalted heights of one of America's richest traditions: the world of country music.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

BRUCE FEILER is one of America’s most popular voices on contemporary life. He is the author of six consecutive New York Times bestsellers; the presenter of two prime-time series on PBS; and the inspiration for the drama COUNCIL OF DADS on NBC. Bruce’s two TED Talks have been viewed more than two million times. Employing a firsthand approach to his work, Bruce is known for living the experiences he writes about. His work combines timeless wisdom with timely knowledge turned into practical, positive messages that allow people to live with more meaning, passion, and joy. His new book, LIFE IS IN THE TRANSITIONS: Mastering Change at Any Age, describes his journey across America, collecting hundreds of life stories, exploring how we can navigate the growing number of life transitions with greater purpose and skill.

For more than a decade, Bruce has explored the intersection of families, relationships, health, and happiness. His book THE SECRETS OF HAPPY FAMILIES collects best practices from some of the country’s most creative minds. The book was featured on World News, GMA, and TODAY and excerpted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Parade. THE COUNCIL OF DADS describes how, faced with one of life’s greatest challenges, he asked six friends to support his young daughters. The book was profiled in PEOPLE, USA Today, and Time and was the subject of a CNN documentary hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Since 2001, Bruce has been one of the country’s preeminent thinkers about the role of spirituality in contemporary life. WALKING THE BIBLE describes his 10,000-mile journey retracing the Five Books of Moses through the desert. (“An instant classic,” Washington Post). The book spent a year and a half on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into fifteen languages.

ABRAHAM recounts his search for the shared ancestor of the monotheistic religions. (“Exquisitely written,” Boston Globe). WHERE GOD WAS BORN describes his trek visiting biblical sites throughout Israel, Iraq, and Iran. (“Bruce Feiler is a real-life Indiana Jones,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution). AMERICA’S PROPHET is the groundbreaking story of the influence of Moses on American history. THE FIRST LOVE STORY is a journey across four continents exploring how Adam and Eve shaped our deepest feelings about relationships. (“A miraculous thing—the literary equivalent of breathing new life into a figure of clay,” New York Times Book Review; “Feiler’s best work yet,” Publishers Weekly).

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Bruce lives in Brooklyn with wife, Linda Rottenberg, and their identical twin daughters.

Reviews

[Sparkie Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth look at the music commodity of Nashville. This is a must read for anyone thinking of moving to Nashville to be the next big thing. Dreaming Out Loud details the wheels that spin the music. Being a Nashville artist is not about art, but really about plying the radio stations to add the projected single to their playlists. It's about having a great song and the best advertising and marketing budget with an artist willing to work long days and following the rules to schmoozing to work the numbers game. Nashville is referred to as the Ten Year Town. There is no such thing as overnight success and even with the success the Judds had they were both broke due to bad business and trusting that others had their best interests in mind. Garth Brooks degrees in marketing and advertising helped him to be business savvy but even he had to walk away after disagreements in how to continue his success.

[Rob Harvilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several years earlier, country music seemed poised to become the dominant form of popular music in America, with an artistic breadth and an audience reach that were not only unrivaled, but also seemingly limitless. Now those ambitions definitely seemed inflated. There is clearly a ceiling on Nashville's appeal. Though its fan base is now national and increasingly international, and though its sound and message have become mainstream, country is still the voice of a set of beliefs and feelings that are rooted in a particular sense of American longing that not everyone experiences. It's not the longing for freedom or rebellion that characterizes much of American culture, most notably rock 'n' roll. Nor is the the frustrated yearning for escape and self-expression that characterizes many forms of African-American music, from blues to hip-hop. Instead, it's a yearning for security, for comfort, for family, for happiness, and especially, in our rootless society, for rootedness.

[Leila Cohan-Miccio · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Anthony hadn't recommended this 90s country history so enthusiastically, I would definitely have put it down when the author reminisces about making love to the sounds of a Garth Brooks CD. I'm glad I didn't, though - the stories were good enough to overlook the slight preciousness of the writing.

[Joe Vess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly interesting and riveting despite my lack of interest in the subject matter. Probably most fascinating was the discussion of country's evolution, and the corresponding evolution of the relationship between the fans and the musicians, that was probably most revelatory for me.

[Diane Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I lived in the Nashville area in the late 1990's and grew up listening to country music, so I thought I would enjoy this book. Unfortunately I found the book very confusing. I enjoyed parts but as a whole I wouldn't recommend the book.

[Heather Lockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book for its glimpse of the Nashville music scene in the 1990s. It's starting to look like history now, but it's a good read--especially for its examination of how "country" music has migrated, with America, to the suburbs. The description of what used to be called "Fan Fair" is great.

[Lani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for Garth Brooks, so I enjoyed the parts about him. The other 2 artists profiled didn't hold my interest much, but the writing is gossipy and enjoyable. In general, this hearkened back to a period of my life when I followed country music, and I went and downloaded a Garth Brooks album.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book detailing the country music scene. Only furthers the truth that entertainers are selling a product no matter how sincere they might seem.

[ShanLandis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out my review...http://shannonsbookbag.blogspot.com/2...

[Tim Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it was pretty good. Some insight into the country music industry and some of it's significant players in the 90's