Devil's Music, Holy Rollers and Hillbillies: How America Gave Birth to Rock and Roll

by James A. Cosby

Rock music today is universal and its popular history is well known. Yet few know how and why it really came about. Taking a fresh look at events long overlooked or misunderstood, this book tells how some of the most disenfranchised people in a free and prosperous nation strove to make themselves heard--and changed the world. Describing the genesis of rock and roll, the author covers everything from its deep roots in the Mississippi Delta, from slavery to key early figures, like deejay "Daddy-O" Dewey Phillips and gospel star Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and the influence of so-called "holy rollers" of the Pentecostal church who became crucial performers--Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, American History

264 pages, Paperback

Published June 6, 2016

Reviews

[Jay Gabler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fair and concise description of the roots of rock and roll — short on colorful stories, and long on cultural context. I reviewed Devil's Music, Holy Rollers and Hillbillies for The Current.

[David James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather unfocused book, and not one that breaks any new ground (the author rather annoyingly seems to think he’s the first person to connect all the dots between country, blues and gospel in the formation of rock ‘n’ roll), but it has its moments. The chapter on Elvis Presley and his complex and self-contradictory legacy is both insightful and surprisingly sensitive to the troubled man buried beneath the myth. The chapter on the influence of Pentecostalism is also quite good. There are other worthwhile patches, but there is also a lot of rambling prose that never quite finds its point. A mixed bag.

[Eldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled across this book when touring the Sun Records museum in Memphis. It is encyclopedic in the history of the emergence of rock and roll and is a great reference tool, especially with the extensive footnotes. It has the best-balanced description of Elvis, who he was and what he meant and did not mean, that I have ever read. Read it slowly and use the internet to discover and listen to songs referenced in the book that you may have never heard before.

[Chris Wallbruch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable and I learned a lot.

[James Mayo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Get a proofreader and a fact checker! I wish I had written done the typos and fact errors (though I can recall the errors with “led” and “lead.” Also, Tupelo is NOT in the delta. The chapter on Elvis did nothing much to advance the thesis. It seemed much like filler to me.

[James A. Cosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some reviews:

Featured at legendary Sun Studio in Memphis and at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"provides an illuminating and intriguing look at how the genre became a cultural touchstone" -Kirkus Reviews

"immediately readable, entertaining, and historically accurate exploration of the origins of rock and roll....[Cosby] also understands how to appeal to an academic audience appreciating careful, thoughtfully structured, and documented research..." —The Journal of American Culture

"...you can read a hundred histories of early rock and roll, and still not understand exactly how the spark of a century was generated. History can be messy, but is there any way to tell the story concisely? James A. Cosby does a more than creditable job of that in his new book" --Minnesota Public Radio, The Current (*Rock Book Club Selection)

"'Devil's Music, Holy Rollers and Hillbillies' is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community, college, and university library American Music History collections." —Midwest Book Review (*Reviewer's Choice)

"The narrative jumps around in time, trying to draw straight lines from one artist to another before doubling back....like any good needlework, the image that gradually emerges from the stitches is impressive and richly detailed." —AFROPUNK.com

[Steve Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the hard work and passion Cosby put into this project. While the book lacks world-class scholarship or singular-and-exceptional voice and perspective (lyrically inspiring prose, elegant turning of a phrase, etc), it's an easy, informative read that, if nothing else, helps act as an entry point into further exploration of how America's peculiar culture spawned the awesomeness that was rock 'n' roll in its heyday (and whose legacy is still very much with us and hopefully always will be).

[Chip Rickard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book about all the musical influences that evolved into rock and roll. I would have liked to have seen him write more about how the blues influenced British artists and how they, in turn, influenced modern day rock.

[Chris Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

No new information that I did not know, but very informative and well written.