Description
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(as of Mar 16, 2025 03:42:28 UTC – Details)
Although known primarily as a country music star, Marty Stuart has been taking photographs of the people and places surrounding him since he first went on tour with bluegrass performer Lester Flatt at age twelve. His inspirations to do this include his own mother, Hilda Stuart, whom he watched document their family’s everyday life in Mississippi, bassist Milt Hinton’s photographs of fellow jazz artists, and Edward Curtis’s well-known images of Native Americans at the turn of the twentieth century. Stuart’s work ranges from intimate and often candid behind-the-scenes depictions of legendary musicians, to images that capture the eccentricities of characters from the back roads of America, to dignified portraits of members of the impoverished Lakota tribe in South Dakota, a people he was introduced to through his former father-in-law, Johnny Cash. Whatever the subject, Stuart is able to sensitively tease out something unexpected or hidden beneath the surface through a skillful awareness of timing and composition as well as a unique relationship with many of the subjects based on years of friendship and trust.
This book will present images from these three bodies of work: “Badlands,” on his time with the Lakota; “The Masters,” from his work with musicians like Bill Monroe, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Kitty Wells, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings; and “Blue Line Hot Shots.” As Stuart explains, “The newly built Interstate Highway System was at one time represented on our maps by the color red, while the two-lane highways and back roads of the nation were represented in blue. The back roads are where you’ll find some of the people that I admire, respect, and always keep an eye out for. … They are renegades … As Roger Miller once said, ‘These people flush to the beat of a different plumber.’ ”
The photographs are framed by an introduction by Stuart and a context-setting essay by photography historian Susan Edwards, executive director of the First Center for the Visual Arts. The book and accompanying exhibition at the First Center demonstrate that Marty Stuart is a master storyteller not only through his songs but also through his revealing and compelling photographs.
Excerpt
“When I first began traveling I loved the adventure of going from town to town and exploring what each place had to offer. Whenever possible, on the day of the show I walked the streets and back roads, gathering stories and songs from local folks. I studied everything from the different kinds of architecture that surrounded me to the majesty of the sunsets and how they affected the mood of the town I was in. That first season was filled with the joy of a new musical life taking flight. The applause, the spotlight, the sparkle of the fame, the freedom of ‘here today, go somewhere else tomorrow’ charmed me night after night, day after day, until show business found its mark and became a way of life. I enjoyed every minute of the dance. I still love those things, but most of all it’s the people that I’ve enjoyed along the way, namely the characters. The kind of characters who can be defined as American originals.”
–from the Introduction by Marty Stuart
Publisher : Vanderbilt University Press; Illustrated edition (July 4, 2014)
Language : English
Hardcover : 132 pages
ISBN-10 : 0826520170
ISBN-13 : 978-0826520173
Item Weight : 2.6 pounds
Dimensions : 11 x 0.75 x 10.5 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book’s photography great and beautiful. They describe it as a treasure of the pictorial history of country music, with an engaging collection of American images. Readers praise the talent of the artist as empathetic and one of America’s greatest performing artists.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
vee –
Beautiful book
Bought this as a gift for our son in law. He loves it! It was packaged well and came promptly and without any problems
Michael C –
My only complaint is that I wanted more!
There’s an old saying that has been attributed to many leaders, particularly a famous southern college football coach from a few decades ago who was nicknamed after a large animal he once wrestled: “People ask me why my team seems to get lucky so much. I tell them that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”Both in terms of his musical career and his photographic development nothing could describe Marty Stuart’s life any better. Yes, he was fortunate to be in some very right places at some very right times at a very young age. But those opportunities would have gone for naught had he not well prepared himself to take advantage of them when they were presented. Oh how well did he take advantage of those musical opportunities as well as those photographic ones! The rest of us are much the richer for it.One of the keys for any successful photographer of famous people and seminal events is access. But access alone isn’t enough. One must have the vision and the skill set (and the luck, sometimes) to turn that access into meaningful images that speak to us.One of my favorite examples of this is Neil Leifer’s iconic image of Muhammad Ali Standing over Sonny Liston. The only reason the 22 year old Leifer was on that side of the ring is because his boss at Sports Illustrated, Herb Scharfman (seen between Ali’s legs looking at the backside of Ali in the famous photo), pulled rank and chose to sit behind the judges table with most of the other press photographers at the fight. Leifer had also made a risky decision to use color slide film, which required either brighter light than what most boxing arenas provided or a longer exposure time than the ‘faster’ B&W film commonly used to shoot boxing at the time. Leifer had placed a flash unit above the ring prior to the match. But the technology of the day meant he could only take one shot at a time, instead of several shots in quick succession, with the help of the flash. When the moment happened right in front of him, years of preparation, a calculated gamble coupled with the skill to make it pay, and a bit of luck combined like a bolt of lightning. Liefer got a shot that many consider to be one of the best and some call it the greatest single sports photograph ever taken.There will never be another opportunity for someone to capture intimate photographs such as these of the icons of country music and bluegrass during the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, and beyond as well as to document the culture through which they moved. Marty Stuart was in the right place at the right time to do it. Thank goodness he was up for the challenge, saw the value of making such photographs, and has made them available for all of us to enjoy!
mike kilpatrick –
you can’t loose with this
This was for my moms birthday it brought tears of joy to her face. I also got her pilgrims,sinners,saints,and prophets highly highly recommended. I am not in to country music but I can say in research for these two idems I now have a new found respect for Marty Stuart and the legacy of country music.everything about this order was great product, price,shipment .
Coach G –
Better than described
I purchased this item as âusedâ.Yes, you take a chance, but it turned out to be in great shape.I am happy with my purchase.
Packer Fan –
You will not regret your purchase of this book
Excellent photography from a unique first person vantage point by one of America’s great performing artists. Mr. Stuart is both a gifted musician and photographer. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Fred –
A great collection of American images
While best known as a singer/songwriter, this book shows another side of Marty. With his touring and award shows etc, he is able to see a lot of the country and a lot of the stars and people that he met while he was out and about.
Jack Casey –
Stuart at his best
I love Marty Stuart’s work… His musicianship and his photography. He’s written a wonderful compendium on country music. I have the previous volume as well. As the cover shows, he’s got a great eye, great access and relationship affords visual outcomes not otherwise achieved. I highly recommend this piece and it came in a jiffy!
Kyle K –
Lovely collection of photos
Marty has a great eye for catching the unique essence of each person he photographs. Makes a great gift for any Marty Stuart fan, or any fan of classic photography. Great coffee table book!
Toots –
I bought this for my husband, he really likes it