Color Me Country: A Celebration of Black Women Who Shaped Country Music

In 2020, Linda Martell, the first Black woman to play on the legendary Grand Ole Opry, celebrated the fifty-year anniversary of her debut album. That record, Color Me Country, marked a vital milestone for generations of Black and brown female musicians. Mining a bounty of stories and packed with resources, this collective tribute to artists like Martell--who have defiantly loved a genre that didn't always love them back--pairs nearly twenty mini-biographies with playful portraits in full color by Rhiannon Giddens, a musical legend in her own right. Each profile is a love letter to pioneers in country, Americana, and roots music who set the stage--or grace it today--with guts and soul. From the trailblazing Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who braved racism and sexism to infuse gospel with the blues, to "Queen of Rock" Tina Turner; from Odetta, the Voice of the Civil Rights Movement, to the heady vocals of Valerie June; from the Pointer Sisters to Our Native Daughters, Color Me Country challenges stereotypes to inspire young readers, especially Black or brown girls with a dream, to lift their voices high. Turn the book jacket over for a coloring sheet!