Cocaine and Rhinestones

"Superb. . . . A work of cultural anthropology with an uncommon sweep. The book isnt just about Jones and Wynette; its the story of the worlds they came from, and the world they made." -- Allison Stewart * <I>Washington Post</I> * "Have you been waiting for the one book that details the towering achievements and cringe-making catastrophes of the couple known as the King and Queen of Country Music? Were you also hoping for entire chapters on pinball machines, bullfighting, drag shows and the evolution of cowboy bootsas well as the poetry of William Blake and the exploits of Buffalo Bill? Look no further than Tyler Mahan Coes Cocaine and Rhinestones. . . . A beautiful, barmy book." -- David Kirby * <I>The Wall Street Journal</I> * "Coe brings the perspective of an industry insider and a scholarly attention to detail to the genre that molded him. . . . Fans of country music can now saddle up with Cocaine and Rhinestones for a ride through the shadowy past of shady recording-biz hawks, pinball addicts, and honky-tonk performers who were willing to risk everything for fame." -- Jim Beaugez * <I>Garden & Gun</I> * A gifted storyteller with vast cultural knowledge, Coe has given readers not just a map, but a true treasure. * <I>Kirkus Reviews</I> * [Tyler] is both a storyteller and a tenacious reporter, and he cuts through myth and hype in order to find truth and beauty and danger and other things that are at the heart of this music. He doesnt glad-hand or favor trade. Hes after the real deal and wont stop until he lands on it, until he conveys it to all of us in ways that havent been approached in the past. His shows enormous success is proof that country musics characters and history have relevance today. -- Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Tyler Mahan Coe is the host, writer, and producer of the podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music. Within a year of debut the programs first season rose from country fan favorite to international phenomenon, becoming the #1 music podcast on Apples charts in the US and UK simultaneously. The show remains an independent, one-man operation. A former touring guitarist, Tyler lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Wayne White is an artist, art director, illustrator, and puppeteer. Born and raised in Chattanooga, Wayne has used his memories of the South to create inspired works for film, television, and the fine art world. He has worked as an illustrator for The New York Times, Raw Magazine, and the Village Voice, and in 1986 became a designer for the hit television show Pee-wees Playhouse, where his work won three Emmys. He also worked in the music video industry, winning Billboard and MTV Music Video Awards as an art director for seminal music videos including The Smashing Pumpkins Tonight, Tonight and Peter Gabriels Big Time. His life and career are the subjects of the book Maybe Now Ill Get the Respect I So Richly Deserve and the documentary Beauty Is Embarrassing. Wayne is married to cartoonist and writer Mimi Pond. They live in Los Angeles.