Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? by Charles Hirshberg, Mark Zwonitzer (2002, Hardcover, Illustrated)

With an eye for biographical detail and just the right helping of the vernacular, documentary filmmaker Mark Zwonitzer and Charles Hirshberg (the author of biographies of Elvis Presley and the Beatles) tell the historically important and fascinating story of the Carter family and their music. From the original 1927 recordings of A.P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter, through the 1940s and 1950s tours of "Mother" Maybelle and her daughters, to the marriage of June Carter and Johnny Cash, the history of this family of country musicians and their legacy unfolds through well-written prose. Highlights of the book include a chapter on the importance of the Original Carter Family's broadcasts on the titanic Mexico/U.S. border radio station XERA and the authors' material on the roots of some of the songs found, reworked, and newly composed by A.P. Carter songs that link modern country music to the traditional folk music of the 19th century. This is not, however, a thorough study of the individual songs themselves. Through the many anecdotes and quotations, garnered from interviews with surviving family members and from study of previously published material, the Carters and their associates come across as real people perhaps the book's greatest contribution. Zwonitzer writes with flair, weaving anecdotes into a compelling study that will intrigue historians and music lovers alike. Highly recommended.