A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race, and the Soul of America

Mahalia Jackson, James Brown, Diana Ross, the Righteous Brothers, the Jackson Five, Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin--since the early 60s, Black popular music has become increasingly intertwined with American culture, both drawing from it and shaping it. From Ray Charles to Ice Cube, Craig Werner draws lively character sketches of major musicians, intricately filling in the background historical events. From the inspirational soul music of the Civil Rights Movement and the Motown moment which aided and sped integration in its own way, to the angry "gangsta" rappers of today who dare to speak the uncensored truth, the songs are telling us the state of the world, and Werner helps train our ears to distinguish it. Emphasizing how musicians of all races have drawn on gospel, jazz, and the blues, A Change Is Gonna Come is a celebration of cultural tradition and an illustration of the way it can embrace us all.