Hank Thompson My Side of Life,Used

NEW BOOK CHRONICLES COLORFUL CAREER OF COUNTRYMUSIC LEGEND They call me Mr. HonkyTonk, the King of Western Swing, sings Country Music Hall of Famer Hank Thompson at the beginning of one of his nearly 800 recorded songs. And while some might construe that line as a musical boast, anyone familiar with the stellar career of hardwoodfloor hero Thompson knows better. From the late 1940s until his 2007 death, Hank Thompson was a countrymusic star of the first magnitude, a man who brought his combination of intelligent, honest lyrics and sophisticated, bigbandinfluenced dance music to legions of fans across the nation and the world, selling some 60 million records and influencing performers ranging from Bob Dylan to George Strait. Now, Hank s longtime friend Warren Kice has crafted My Side of Life, a biographical work as warm, frank, and honest as the entertainer himself. Fully sanctioned by Thompson who spent well over two years working with Kice on the book and Thompson s wife, Ann, My Side of Life engagingly recounts the story of the honkytonk superstar, beginning with his first performance on the stage of his grade school in Waco, Texas, and extending to the very end of his life, when he was still in high demand as both a recording artist and live performer. Along the way are professional highlights like the gigantic 1952 hit Wild Side of Life, one of the bestselling country singles of all time (and the song that gave the book its name); Hank s groundbreaking success in Las Vegas, which led to his recording the firstever live album by a country artist; and his 1989 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In addition to Wild Side of Life, Hank Thompson gave the world such enduring numbers as A Six Pack to Go, Humpty Dumpty Heart, and The Older the Violin (The Sweeter the Music), just three of his 79 national hits. Thompson, in fact, started putting singles on the Billboard country charts in the 40s and didn t quit until the 80s. (Reportedly, the only other artist to have nationally charted singles in five consecutive decades is Frank Sinatra, a man as unique to his genre as Thompson is to country.) The story of Thompson s music, while undeniably compelling, is far from all there is to My Side of Life. There s also a deeply personal element to the book, as Kice reveals behindthescenes stories about Thompson and the members of his Brazos Valley Boys band, as well as such famed countrymusic contemporaries as Hank Snow, Faron Young, Merle Travis, Tex Ritter, and Hank Williams. My Side of Life doesn't shy away from the racy side of the music business, and those who thought freelove groupies and mindnumbing overindulgence first showed up in the 60s rockmusic scene will find the tales of the Brazos Valley Boys Invitation Only Fun and Games Unwinding Parties instructive, if not downright shocking. Like the rest of My Side of Life, though, those tales are told from an insider's point of view, never with meanness and always in good humor, as though the reader were backstage after a show, sharing a round or two with Thompson and Kice, laughing and listening to the stories flow. In an astounding musical career that spanned parts of seven decades, Hank Thompson made thousands upon thousands of fans, all of whom will treasure My Side of Life. But anyone interested in the classic countrymusic era, or the inner workings of show business, will also find My Side of Life to be a compelling read. It s a book that s honest, warm, and real like Hank Thompson himself, whose immortal baritone voice and unique take on life resonate through every page.