Night Train to Nashville

The Greatest Untold Story of Music City

De: Paula Blackman

Narrado por: Paula Blackman, Matt Richbourg

Set against the backdrop of Jim Crow, Night Train to Nashville takes listeners behind the curtain of one of music's greatest untold stories during the era of segregation and Civil Rights.

In another time and place, E. Gab Blackman and William Sousa "Sou" Bridgeforth might have been as close as brothers, but in 1950s Nashville they remained separated by the color of their skin. Gab, a visionary yet opportunistic radio executive, saw something no one else did: a vast and untapped market with the R&B scene exploding in Black clubs across the city. He defied his industry, culture, government, and even his own family to broadcast Black music to a national audience.

Sou, the popular kingpin of Black Nashville and a grandson of slaves, led this movement into the second half of the twentieth century as his New Era Club on the Black side of town exploded in the aftermath of this new radio airplay. As the popularity of Black R&B grew, integrated parties and underground concerts spread throughout the city, and this new scene faced a dangerous inflection point: Could a segregated society ever find true unity?

Taking place during one of the most tumultuous times in US history, Night Train to Nashville explores how one city, divided into two completely different and unequal communities, demonstrated the power of music to change the world.

A character list, timeline, and photos are included in the audiobook companion PDF download.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Paula Iacampo (P)2023 Harper Horizon

Awesome history

As an African American full time musician in the south (Nashville Tn) who has experienced many of the joys and challenges that are written about in this book, my heart is full and my motivation to impact the lives of others with the gift of music has been greatly enhanced. Has already made a huge impact on me personally.

Truly the greatest untold story of the birth of R&B

This fantastic, surprising and sometimes shocking recounting of the authors grandfather unwittingly creating change in 1946 Jim Crow Nashville and the rest of our country.
By broadcasting “race” music under the cover of night across the US , his desire to rescue WLAC radio from its threatened demise at the dawn of TV not only changed him in untold ways but I believe it changed us all. We need this story now. Loved it!

The Ride of Your Life

Night Train to Nashville is a wonderful fictionalized historical novel that brings to life a missing piece of the history of R&B. Bringing great, real characters to life, like Gabe, Sou and Haas, bring readers into this powerful story. It is funny, heartbreaking, and gritty. It is a work of art and powerful storytelling. Blackman’s recollection and storytelling, with Sou’s daughter’s assistance on telling the Bridgeforth-side of the story, is compelling and sometimes spellbinding.

The book brings to life two different, yet converging perspectives of life in Nashville in the mid 20th Century. It’s a must read for anyone who loves American historical fiction based on the lives of complex people on opposite sides of the color line but with shared values and more similarities than differences.

Thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook.

Stellar

This, and Blues People, by Leroy Jones is the most thoughtful and detailed book on R&B origins published in America, in my opinion. It’s suspect it was a labor of love with the purest intentions.

Nashville After Dark

This was a GREAT Book. I was born 1964 but I remember a lot of the people she spoke of from my father (who worked for Metro) & his friend who did as well. Now I would love to hear the untold stories of WVOL!!! Great Book I even purchased the hardback❤️👍👍