| Title | : | Aint No Grave: The Life and Legacy of Brother Claude Ely |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0981734227 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780981734224 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 345 |
| Publication | : | First published December 1, 2010 |
Few people, however, knew the details of his childhood, military service and years of hard toil in the coal fields of southwestern Virginia. What Ely was known for was his brilliance as a preacher and his songwriting gifts. Through the enormous popularity of songs like "There Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down," Brother Claude Ely bequeathed a musical and spiritual influence that continues to resonate throughout the Appalachians and in gospel music today.
Authored by Ely's great-nephew Macel Ely, "Ain't No Grave: The Life and Legacy of Brother Claude Ely" is an oral biography composed from recorded interviews with more than 1,000 people in the Appalachian Mountains who knew Brother Claude Ely. An accompanying CD collects two recordings of "There Ain't No Grave" alongside other songs and sermons.
With CD (Audio
Aint No Grave: The Life and Legacy of Brother Claude Ely Reviews
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This book was an interesting biography of an important figure in Appalachian--and American--culture of the mid 20th-century. Some of the pictures of minor people mentioned or interviewed in only one paragraph seemed a trifle unnecessary, but that's a judgment call. I was disappointed in the chapter discussing Ely's influence on early rock-n-roll and country artists--the editing suddenly got much worse, with paragraphs that repeated information clumsily, misplaced commas, missing words, etc. It almost felt like his agent told him "Quick! Write about his influence on Elvis and Johnny Cash!" and he dashed it off without having as much time to polish it. Still, the book is solid overall and I'm excited that the author is coming to give a talk at my town library later this month!
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Interesting look at this particular legend in music and religion. Not the most concise or well-written book (as the author concedes that he's not a writer by trade), it surprised me as more of a transcribed oral history project than a traditional biography. I found myself skimming after awhile, but I'm still glad to have context and backstory for this artist I've come to appreciate.
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Discovered this book and Bro Claude Ely on NPR -- of course. I really want to listen to the accompanying cd. May 5 2011.
