Billy Bob Thornton

As if recovering from a raucous dream of the 1960s, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek arrived on 1970s American radio with a sound that echoed disenchanted hearts of young people everywhere. The three American boys had named their band after a country they’d watched and dreamt of from their London childhood Air Force base homes. What was this country? This new band? Classic and timeless, America embodied the dreams of a nation desperate to emerge from the desert and finally give their horse a name. Celebrating the band’s fiftieth anniversary, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell share stories of growing up, growing together, and growing older. Journalist Jude Warne weaves original interviews with Beckley, Bunnell, and many others into a dynamic cultural history of America, the band, and America, the nation. Reliving hits like “Ventura Highway,” “Tin Man,” and of course, “A Horse with No Name” from their 19 studio albums and incomparable live recordings, this book offers readers a new appreciation of what makes some music unforgettable and timeless. As America’s music stays in rhythm with the heartbeats of its millions of fans, new fans feel the draw of a familiar emotion. They’ve felt it before in their hearts and thanks to America, they can now hear it, share it, and sing along.

Marty Stuart’s tenth studio album, The Pilgrim, was released 1999. The risky and ambitious concept project—based on true events that transpired in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi—was a turning point in Marty’s unique artistry. While not a commercial success at the time, The Pilgrim represents a rediscovery of his roots and a creative rebirth that continues to reverberate today as we celebrate the album’s twentieth anniversary.From the art direction, to the eccentric narrative, to the participation of iconic performers such as Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, and Connie Smith, The Pilgrim somehow managed to connect with the deepest spirit of country music’s rich traditions while also breaking new ground. It’s impossible to understand Marty Stuart without understanding what led to The Pilgrim and how it has shaped who he is today as an uncompromising artist and an unflinching evangelist for pure country music. Presented here is a lushly illustrated coffee table book that's about much more than just one landmark album. It's about art, discovery, artistic integrity, and a vision that set Marty Stuart on a new path. Also included with the book is a CD of the original album and unreleased bonus material.

There is--and could only ever be--one Billy Bob Thornton: actor, musician, Academy Award-winning screenwriter, and accidental Hollywood badass. In The Billy Bob Tapes, he leads us into his Cave Full of Ghosts, spinning colorful tales of his modest (to say the least) Southern upbringing, his bizarre phobias (komoda dragons?), his life, his loves (including his marriage to fellow Oscar winner Angelina Jolie), and, of course, his movie career. Best of all, he's feeding these truly incredible stories and righteous philosophical rants through his close friend, Kinky Friedman--legendary country music star, bestselling author, would-be politician, and all-around bon vivant. Put these two iconoclasts together and you get a star's story that's actually an insightful pop culture manifesto--a hybrid offspring of Born Standing Up with Sh*t My Dad Says.

Sling Blade won the 1997 Academy Award for best original screenplay Karl has just been released from an asylum some twenty-five years after he committed a gruesome murder, returns to the town of his youth. His gentle manner and simple charm land him a job, and lead him into an unlikely friendship with a young boy and his widowed mother. But when the mother's abusive boyfriend appears, this simple man is thrust into a combustible situation that could have powerful, moving consequences for all.Billy Bob Thornton is one of Hollywood's most promising writer/directors, and Sling Blade was shown at the 1998 London Film Festival to great acclaim