Hell-Bent for Music: The Life of Pee Wee King

Rating:
Summary: No expose' no fireworks, just the simple truth
Review: Wade Hall has the common sense to let Pee Wee King tell his own story. And it puts the lie to all the scholarly, self-important, opinionated works that have popped up with Country music's popularity. Pee Wee is a Country boy -- from South Milwaukee's Polish district. He appeared on barn dances in the South, like Chicago, Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska. He played hardcore Country, like polkas, big-band sounds, hoedowns. He gave first breaks to Eddy Arnold, Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl. He doesn't brag, but tells the truth about his own accomplishments.

And if all this authenticity stuff compares the "business" of Nashville now to the nostalgic "hillbilly" past, Pee Wee lets us know it was a business then just as it is now -- and they did what they had to do to make money.

The more things change ...