18 books every country music fan needs to read

The book accompaniment to Ken Burns's epic "Country Music" documentary, this whopping tome will take readers all the way from country music's origins in the homes of the American South to its present-day mainstream success. 

This 2015 memoir from icon Willie Nelson offers pretty much everything you need to know about the Texas-born singer and his wild ride through country music history, from Abbott, Texas to Music Row. 

There are few songwriters who are as prolific, and accomplished, as Dolly Parton. "Songteller" is a look back at Parton's lyrics, packed with true stories from her colorful life as one of country music's most influential artists. 

From "The Gambler" to "Islands In The Stream," this 2012 memoir from the late Kenny Rogers details his five decades in the entertainment business. It's a perfect book for anyone who loves Rogers's music, and anyone who wants to know more about his contributions to the genre. 

It's perhaps an unlikely origin for some of country music's most iconic songs, but Robert E. Price thoroughly explains how artists like Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, and Jean Shepard helped make the Bakersfield sound a staple of the genre. 

In an era when female artists have struggled to secure the same industry support of their male counterparts, women in country have still managed to make their mark. "Her Country" is an exploration of that experience, from the '90s, when women ruled the airwaves, to 2021, when fewer than 10 percent of songs on country radio are recorded by women. 

Known as the "Mother Church" of country music, there are few stages as hallowed as the circle in the center of the Grand Ole Opry. This book from Colin Escott tells the history of the Opry, and the artists who helped make it a Nashville icon. 

There are many stories and legends surrounding Waylon Jennings and his contributions to country music, and "Waylon: An Autobiography' offers readers the opportunity to hear those tales from the man himself. 

Believed by many country music fans to be the most authoritative early history of the genre, "Country Music U.S.A." is both a great place to start for country newcomers, and a book for those who consider themselves amateur honky-tonk historians. 

Even if you aren't totally familiar with the Louvin Brothers and their iconic harmonies, "Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers" is one of those stories that any country music enthusiast has to read. 

Heartbreak, tragedy, and triumph are common themes in country music, often inspired by personal experiences. Readers will find those aplenty in "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone," a book that tells the story of country music's legendary Carter family. 

Class, gender, race, sexual identity, and culture collide in this 2014 book by Nadine Hubbs, which explores the politics and influences surrounding country music, especially as it relates to the genre's perception in American popular culture. 

In the 1970s, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and other artists were disillusioned at the demands of major record labels in Nashville, and thus began the "outlaw" era. This book written by Michael Streissguth explores why outlaw country happened, its outsized influence in the genre, and how it endures today. 

Country music pioneer Charley Pride tells his own story in this 1994 memoir, which details his story as he grows from a poor kid in Sledge, Mississippi to becoming one of country music's brightest stars, and one of its few major Black artists. 

Loretta Lynn's best-selling autobiography of her upbringing in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky was made into the iconic film of the same name, starring Sissy Spacek. Even if you've seen the movie, Lynn's worth reading in her own words. 

Faith, music, and struggles with substance abuse are at the center of this 2003 Johnny Cash autobiography, which is both a story of his life and love story with June Carter Cash, along with offering plenty of historical context on his role in shaping country music. 

Though most wouldn't consider Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, and Gram Parsons country music icons, there's no denying that these artists took heavy influence from the genre. This book delves into how these revolutionary artists helped bring a little twang to the world of rock n' roll. 

From his early recordings in the 1950s to that time he rode his lawn mower to the liquor store, few people have lived a life as storied as George Jones. Known as "The Possum," and "No-Show Jones," this autobiography tells the tale of one of the genre's most beloved artists — and talented vocalists — in his own words.