Watermelon Wine: 
The Spirit of Country Music

Frye Gaillard

By writing of various subjects - the country "outlaws" led by Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams, Jr.; how feminism was changing the music; Johnny Cash's way of inspiring new songwriters; and, ominously, the increasing influence of Southern rock - Gaillard presents a big, honest, and at times prescient picture of a genre in transition, as much influenced by the times as vice versa. --John Grooms, Creative Loafing


Originally published 25 years ago, Watermelon Wine was praised for its honest, unsentimental examination of the compassion as well as the passion behind authentic country music. Author Frye Gaillard looked at the commercialization of the Grand Ole Opry; the tradition-minded rebels such as Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, and Tompall Glaser; the growing divide between country and folk music; how Johnny Cash inspired new songwriters and new ideas; how the changing relationships between men and women were affecting the music; the role of God and gospel; and Southern rock’s increasing influence.

A quarter-century later, the essays in the book seem prophetic and in many cases have become even more relevant. A new introduction by Nashville music journalist Peter Cooper and a new afterword by the author update the book’s themes and show what has happened to its personalities.

about the author
Frye Gaillard is an award-winning journalist and author of books on Southern culture and history. A native of Mobile, Alabama, he lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.