Category: Music Publisher: River Oaks Publishing
ISBN-10: 1887714472
Pages: 278
Copyright: September, 1999
ISBN-13: 9781887714471
The story exemplifies how the music of Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newberry and the like changed the face of country music and made it more palitable to a Non-country crowd.
NASHVILLE 1968. John Ryan Stone, ex-army officer, ex-teacher, ex-husband and wannabe songwriter has been pushing his music for three years with no success. Down and out, his luck changes when he is invited to audition his songs for Don Hendrickson, one of Nashville's top producers. Although he is a reluctant performer, the raw earthiness of his voice and his sensual lyrics suggest a new direction in country music.
Stone is suddenly catapulted into a whirlwind of cutting demos, and making career plans that he has little say in. Soon he is flying to New York to sign a contract with Trayhorn International, a recording giant making its first foray into Nashville music. At Trayhorn he meets Kate Belden, a beautiful and focused promotion manager who is assigned to direct his career. What he doesn't know is that Trayhorn is infused with members of the Tedesco Crime Family, which is trying to take over the company and targets the rising star as the key to that end. All too soon, John Ryan and Kate find themselves enmeshed in the dark side of the music business involving bribery, threats, counterfeit records, cut-out schemes, and murder.
Professional Reviews
Nothin' Left to Lose
Carl T. Smith is a writer who seemingly effortlessly gives gracious attention to detail, and he has the creative ability to reproduce a scene with few words that are succinct and smooth. His description and dialogue-complete with dialects-are on the mark for accuracy and lyricism. Everyone will find someone they have known in this book. The reader begins a relationship with John Ryan Stone from the very beginning and is hooked. He is easy to identify with. The books' intrigue and romance is for everyone who strives to make it in life. Every page has a quotable line. Definitely film material. "Nothin' Left to Lose" is the product of a true observer who lives life too the fullest and accepts the memorable adventures it offers. It is not a country music book, but a book about life with a memorable score.
You've Got Nothin' to Lose
If you want to read a book by an author that writes like he probably talks, grab a copy! Not too many authors would even attempt Smith's style of writing. No King or Koontz filler or fantasy. And ultimately, more fact than fiction. "Nothin' Left to Lose" is a must read for any music lover and mafia dissident!
Nothin' Left to Lose!
Nothin' Left to Lose gets an A+. Carl Smith writes in the true Southern tradition. As the Charleston, SC Post and Courier reviewer, John Lyons said--and his review lead me to this book--"Nothin' left to Lose is a southern work through and through". Filled with facile wit and intelligence wrapped a good story, Smith has created a spellbinder. The author's knowledge of the music business, the mob and the struggles one must go through to achieve any kind of sucess could only come from an insider. At times I chuckled and at times I teared-up. The book has everything from suspense, wild and crazy characters that tear your heart out to a romance that is to die for. A great read!
