What do you think?
Rate this book
Highways and Heartaches: How Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Children of the New South Saved the Soul of Country Music
In this enlightening and entertaining book, experience the evolution of country music, from the rural routes of 1970s Appalachia to the 1980s country music boom that paved the way for modern Americana. In a dim clearing off a county road in Kentucky sits a sagging outdoor stage buried in moss and dead leaves. It used to be the centerpiece of carnival-like Sunday afternoons where local guitarists, fiddlers and mandolin players hammered out old mountain ballads and legends from the dawn of country music performed their classic hits. Most of the musicians who showed up have long since passed, but Nashville stars Ricky Skaggs and Marty Stuart survive. They were barely teenagers in the early 1970s when they visited this stage in the care of legends Ralph Stanley and Lester Flatt, respectively. Skaggs and Stuart followed their bosses to dozens of stages throughout Appalachia and deeper into the American southland. They were the children, absorbing the wondrous music and strange dramas around them as they became innovators and living symbols of country music.
Highways and Heartaches takes readers on the rural circuit Skaggs and Stuart traveled, where an acoustic sound first assembled by masters such as Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, and Mother Maybelle Carter ruled the day. The young men were heirs to a bluegrass tradition transmitted to them early in life. One part mountain soul and another African American–influenced rhythm, the music they received was alternately celebrated and neglected in the more than fifty years after the two met in 1971, but since then it has never stopped evolving and influencing the wider American culture thanks to Skaggs and Stuart and other actors in this book, such as Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, Keith Whitley, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt. Riveting portraits of Johnny Cash, Ralph Stanley, Lester Flatt and other heartland-born figures emerge, too.
Molded by forces in postwar southern culture such as racial conflict, fringe politics, evangelicalism, growing federal government influence, and stubborn patterns of Appalachian living and thinking, Skaggs and Stuart injected the spirit of bluegrass into their hard-wrought experiments in mainstream country music later in life, fueling the profitability and credibility of the fabled genre. Skaggs’s new traditionalism of the 1980s, integrating mountain instruments with elements of contemporary country music, created a new sound for the masses and placed him in the vanguard of Nashville’s recording artists while Stuart embraced seminal influences and attitudes from the riches of American culture to produce a catalog of significant recordings.
Skaggs and Stuart’s friendship took years to jell, but their similar pathways reveal a shared dedication to the soul of country music and highlight the curious day-to-day experiences of two lads growing up on the demanding rural route in bluegrass culture. Their journeys—populated by grizzled mentors, fearsome undertows, and cultural upheaval—influenced their creativity and, ultimately, cut life-giving tributaries in the ungainly, eternal story of country music.
Highways and Heartaches takes readers on the rural circuit Skaggs and Stuart traveled, where an acoustic sound first assembled by masters such as Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, and Mother Maybelle Carter ruled the day. The young men were heirs to a bluegrass tradition transmitted to them early in life. One part mountain soul and another African American–influenced rhythm, the music they received was alternately celebrated and neglected in the more than fifty years after the two met in 1971, but since then it has never stopped evolving and influencing the wider American culture thanks to Skaggs and Stuart and other actors in this book, such as Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, Keith Whitley, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt. Riveting portraits of Johnny Cash, Ralph Stanley, Lester Flatt and other heartland-born figures emerge, too.
Molded by forces in postwar southern culture such as racial conflict, fringe politics, evangelicalism, growing federal government influence, and stubborn patterns of Appalachian living and thinking, Skaggs and Stuart injected the spirit of bluegrass into their hard-wrought experiments in mainstream country music later in life, fueling the profitability and credibility of the fabled genre. Skaggs’s new traditionalism of the 1980s, integrating mountain instruments with elements of contemporary country music, created a new sound for the masses and placed him in the vanguard of Nashville’s recording artists while Stuart embraced seminal influences and attitudes from the riches of American culture to produce a catalog of significant recordings.
Skaggs and Stuart’s friendship took years to jell, but their similar pathways reveal a shared dedication to the soul of country music and highlight the curious day-to-day experiences of two lads growing up on the demanding rural route in bluegrass culture. Their journeys—populated by grizzled mentors, fearsome undertows, and cultural upheaval—influenced their creativity and, ultimately, cut life-giving tributaries in the ungainly, eternal story of country music.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published August 8, 2023
11 people are currently reading
1615 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 21, 2023
I wanted to read this book because, although it says "country" music, it is a history of bluegrass music and I grew up with it. My Dad played both guitar and banjo and every Friday night at our home people would gather, pull out the instruments and songbooks and sing and play both country and bluegrass tunes. They called these picking session "hootenannys". Now one of my brothers plays banjo in a bluegrass band.
It was fun to read about Ricky Scaggs and Marty Stuart playing from the time they were young boys. They were mentored by the legends of bluegrass music: Lester Flatt mentored Stuart while Earl Scruggs mentored Scaggs. The book described how the music grew and changed over time and the huge parts played by both Studart and Skaggs.
I was amazed at how fluidly the musicians picked up and played at the drop of a hat with another band and seemed to fit right in. Also, I was surprised at some of the rock artists these bluegrass stars ended up working with at times. I loved reading about Skaggs' great relationship with Emmylou Harris and how what he learned while playing in her 'Hot Band' helped in his music production skills.
A good book for anyone who loves music to read. It provides a perspective of how country/bluegrass music grew and matured and changed over time and yet the roots are still there forever.
Thanks to Hachette Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 8, 2023.
It was fun to read about Ricky Scaggs and Marty Stuart playing from the time they were young boys. They were mentored by the legends of bluegrass music: Lester Flatt mentored Stuart while Earl Scruggs mentored Scaggs. The book described how the music grew and changed over time and the huge parts played by both Studart and Skaggs.
I was amazed at how fluidly the musicians picked up and played at the drop of a hat with another band and seemed to fit right in. Also, I was surprised at some of the rock artists these bluegrass stars ended up working with at times. I loved reading about Skaggs' great relationship with Emmylou Harris and how what he learned while playing in her 'Hot Band' helped in his music production skills.
A good book for anyone who loves music to read. It provides a perspective of how country/bluegrass music grew and matured and changed over time and yet the roots are still there forever.
Thanks to Hachette Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 8, 2023.
November 14, 2024
An important chronicle of two even more important musicians and swirling changes that massed around them.
January 3, 2024
A fairly interesting book. It's a topic that is of great interest to me about two artists that I enjoy very much. I would really like to see the author tackle a full biography on Stuart. His story was of particular interest to me.
October 26, 2023
This book came recommended by a friend who likes a lot of the same books I like, and I’ve enjoyed other books from this author so maybe I went in with too high of expectations here. There is good content within this book, but it’s not consistent and made for a tough read. The engaging parts felt far too brief- I wanted elaboration on them- and the superfluous information interrupted it constantly.
My main issues:
The civil right era history belongs in this book, but man.. it was presented in a very disjointed way, and it was a slog to get through. It was both long winded and superficial, as it really only included on the incidents/struggles that are very well known.
There were many instances where the author named people involved in the story, but never explained how they fit in. And yes, you can name drop in well known individuals without much explanation, but even someone with a pretty vast knowledge of country music probably isn’t going to know who the heck someone who played guitar on a single tour with a known artist is, or understand why they/their words were included.
There was a large dose of “ew, pop country” throughout, and while criticism of pop country at the time is fair, the running down of pop country as a whole always rubs me the wrong way. It comes across as pretentious. Traditional isn’t always better even if we like it more, it’s just different.
Lastly… Ricky Skaggs seems intent on the destruction of his legacy in recent years, and while “what’s Marty doing now” got extensive coverage, what Ricky Skaggs has been up to when left to his own devices only got a couple sentences. Trump supporting conservative is putting it far too mildly, would have liked to see discussion of him, you know, saying all Jewish people are going to hell, or maybe some of the homophobic things that have come out of his mouth? Or how his concerts have become primarily about him preaching to a crowd? He seems to have very little interest in the “soul” of music these days, and I am without a doubt that Mr. Skaggs judges all of the current, liberally minded Americana musicians as totally hell bound, even if he did contribute to building the genre.
This is a pretty negative review, but again, there was good content within, and it was at times very engaging and entertaining, that’s what kept me going on it. Ultimately though, I wouldn’t recommend this one, except to a reader who is absolutely obsessed with the era and knows all the players, and who also knows next to nothing about the history of the era. It would be a great read for that person.
My main issues:
The civil right era history belongs in this book, but man.. it was presented in a very disjointed way, and it was a slog to get through. It was both long winded and superficial, as it really only included on the incidents/struggles that are very well known.
There were many instances where the author named people involved in the story, but never explained how they fit in. And yes, you can name drop in well known individuals without much explanation, but even someone with a pretty vast knowledge of country music probably isn’t going to know who the heck someone who played guitar on a single tour with a known artist is, or understand why they/their words were included.
There was a large dose of “ew, pop country” throughout, and while criticism of pop country at the time is fair, the running down of pop country as a whole always rubs me the wrong way. It comes across as pretentious. Traditional isn’t always better even if we like it more, it’s just different.
Lastly… Ricky Skaggs seems intent on the destruction of his legacy in recent years, and while “what’s Marty doing now” got extensive coverage, what Ricky Skaggs has been up to when left to his own devices only got a couple sentences. Trump supporting conservative is putting it far too mildly, would have liked to see discussion of him, you know, saying all Jewish people are going to hell, or maybe some of the homophobic things that have come out of his mouth? Or how his concerts have become primarily about him preaching to a crowd? He seems to have very little interest in the “soul” of music these days, and I am without a doubt that Mr. Skaggs judges all of the current, liberally minded Americana musicians as totally hell bound, even if he did contribute to building the genre.
This is a pretty negative review, but again, there was good content within, and it was at times very engaging and entertaining, that’s what kept me going on it. Ultimately though, I wouldn’t recommend this one, except to a reader who is absolutely obsessed with the era and knows all the players, and who also knows next to nothing about the history of the era. It would be a great read for that person.
February 17, 2023
Highways and Heartaches by Michael Streissguth is a fascinating look at both a specific era in country music as well as one of its many influences: bluegrass.
I listen to a little of everything but neither country nor bluegrass has ever been my primary genres. The country I like I tend to like a lot, and bluegrass is a form I prefer live to recorded. I have thoroughly enjoyed every bluegrass festival I have attended but had no desire to purchase albums. So I am coming to this with a knowledge of the names and a very small understanding of where they came from, in other words, not a fan but definitely a lot of respect.
I really enjoyed reading about the circuits these musicians traveled on their way to country stardom. My preference, as far as the two in the book title, has always been Stuart. I come away from this book with a better appreciation of both, as well as the many others mentioned. This is a book that is enriched by taking the time to look up music and videos. Reading about something is great, but also seeing/hearing it makes a world of difference.
Like any genre, what came before influences what comes after, whether through paying homage or working against some aspects. When we are talking about the intersection of two genres, there is a bit of crosspollination taking place, an adding or subtracting or even a substitution. Reading about the context within which such expression takes place is both fun and educational. That combination also leads to a better appreciation of the musicians and the music.
While bluegrass and country fans will be especially interested, I can easily recommend this to music lovers in general. Particularly if you supplement the book with audio and video you look up. If you like some of the peripheral people in this story (for me that includes Ronstadt) it will allow you to see them in a new light as well.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I listen to a little of everything but neither country nor bluegrass has ever been my primary genres. The country I like I tend to like a lot, and bluegrass is a form I prefer live to recorded. I have thoroughly enjoyed every bluegrass festival I have attended but had no desire to purchase albums. So I am coming to this with a knowledge of the names and a very small understanding of where they came from, in other words, not a fan but definitely a lot of respect.
I really enjoyed reading about the circuits these musicians traveled on their way to country stardom. My preference, as far as the two in the book title, has always been Stuart. I come away from this book with a better appreciation of both, as well as the many others mentioned. This is a book that is enriched by taking the time to look up music and videos. Reading about something is great, but also seeing/hearing it makes a world of difference.
Like any genre, what came before influences what comes after, whether through paying homage or working against some aspects. When we are talking about the intersection of two genres, there is a bit of crosspollination taking place, an adding or subtracting or even a substitution. Reading about the context within which such expression takes place is both fun and educational. That combination also leads to a better appreciation of the musicians and the music.
While bluegrass and country fans will be especially interested, I can easily recommend this to music lovers in general. Particularly if you supplement the book with audio and video you look up. If you like some of the peripheral people in this story (for me that includes Ronstadt) it will allow you to see them in a new light as well.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
August 14, 2023
This was an interesting book about Marty Stewart and Rickett's Skaggs. And how they traveled to these different places to play music. When they started out playing with all these famous bluegrass. People at different shows and different roadsides.. And showed how hard it was for their families to let them go. But they were very young at the time. And it was interesting because I learned a lot about how they form the bands and stuff like that.. I learned a lot about how they formed different bands through their career. And how they got to California and I I Emily And Graham parson also Influence them in music as well. Johnny cash also helped them along as well he left and played with them. Martin stuart started very young and he could play many different instruments. Ricky skaggs was the one who wrote a lot of the music for his band and he also played many different insurance as well. I couldn't imagine playing all these hawking talks and driving all these hours. Some of them were rejected to pills and alcohol. I like the title because it was also a hard day for them as well.. You learned a lot about this music. The backgrounds and how country music was changing from classic country to more of a modern rock type in the 70s and eighplease..
Read
April 4, 2023I was a big fan of Marty Stuart as a teenager and this goes back into the history of him first performing bluegrass with the likes of Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Rodney Crowell, and Emmylou Harris. These singers who performed country in the 80's and 90's is a big part of my childhood and I was impressed this book gave a shoutout to Pam Tillis, my most favorite country music artist of all time.
This book also addressed racial tension in the South and how long it took to have justice served for three murdered black men. I am glad the family and community got closure.
I found it interesting that Marty Stuart also supports the Indian community, he is an all around good man and I hope all of their music and legacies live on as the country music of today becomes more "pop" every year. This is the good music, the music I line danced to as a teen and have good childhood memories. Bluegrass is what started it all and this was a very interesting book. I received an advance copy for my honest review.
This book also addressed racial tension in the South and how long it took to have justice served for three murdered black men. I am glad the family and community got closure.
I found it interesting that Marty Stuart also supports the Indian community, he is an all around good man and I hope all of their music and legacies live on as the country music of today becomes more "pop" every year. This is the good music, the music I line danced to as a teen and have good childhood memories. Bluegrass is what started it all and this was a very interesting book. I received an advance copy for my honest review.
September 25, 2023
No matter how much I think about music, there is always more to learn. Streissguth takes a deep dive into the careers of Skaggs, Stuart, and others to paint a picture of dedicated musicians who carried forth the traditions of Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, and Flatt & Scruggs. Through the reading, I discovered new music to listen to that is fresh today as when it was produced: one being J.D. Crow & the New South release from 1975, and another Stuart’s Busy Bee Cafe released in 1982. I am grateful to have learned even more about the music I love.
October 20, 2023
Very detailed, with in-depth interviews of the people that were actually there.
But a bit on the dry side, almost more of a timeline. I like more personal motivation, how/why decisions were made than just when this happened, then this happened.
There are some underlying details, but it's a bit heavy on just the calendar for my tastes.
But a bit on the dry side, almost more of a timeline. I like more personal motivation, how/why decisions were made than just when this happened, then this happened.
There are some underlying details, but it's a bit heavy on just the calendar for my tastes.
December 12, 2023
Enjoyable for a casual bluegrass fan, would probably be even more meaningful for somebody who knows the sound and people well. So many names and groups referenced in the book, that the detail bogs down the narrative at times, and I found the connection between Stuart and Skaggs a bit tenuous for the basis of the book. All that said, the evolution of the genre, its connections to country music, and the relationships between the musicians make this a worthwhile read.
December 10, 2023
This was an interesting look at the roles Marty Stuart and Ricky Skaggs played in keep bluegrass and old time music alive. This biography follows both men and their heroes and others in their lives and musical worlds. It was interesting and made me like Skaggs less than I already did but like Stuart more than I did.
June 17, 2023
Very interesting book about these two great musicians. Lots of good stories from their travels.
Thanks for the free book.
Thanks for the free book.
August 29, 2023
Highways and Heartaches is filled with numerous stories about country music legends. If you enjoy the history of country music and its singers, this is the book for you.
August 7, 2025
A book full of information about how several country music artist help save the soul of country music. A very enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews