Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Michael Frank Miles received B.A. and M.A. degrees from Michigan State University. He lives in Evanston, Illinois. Since retiring as a teacher at Evanston Township High School, he has written several books, Perspectives in Black and White being his first, originally published in 2008. A year later came the follow-up, Perspectives in Black and White Book Two: Connecting White Culture with the Black Experience. His third book is a collection of short biographies called The Music That Defined A Century. He has two adult children and three granddaughters. Read More
The Music That Defined A Century
March 2023
Trade paperback
$20.00
Stories about music and musicians from 1909-1999. Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Pop, Country, Folk, Rock
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Michael Frank Miles
Author
Summary
It’s all here, the glorious music of the 20th century. From Gershwin
and Cole Porter to the Beatles and Stevie Wonder, from Fats Waller and
Bob Dylan to Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley, and more, a sampling
of sixty-eight biographical profiles presented in “The Music That Defined
a Century.”
From blues, pop, country, folk, and rock ‘n’ roll, the music epitomizes
the cultural changes that have taken place through two world wars, a
devastating depression, Asian wars, and the civil rights protests of the 1960s.
Songs in part are reflected from the Black perspective, such as Black,
Brown and Beige, Strange Fruit, A Change is Gonna Come, Mississippi Goddamn,
Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud. Songs written by white artists are
oftentimes from the Broadway stage and pop tunes, but numerous examples
deal with songs of protest, such as This Land Is Your Land, Where Are You Now
My Son, The Times They Are A-Changin‘ and Hallelujah.
For many readers, particularly the younger generation, they may be
entering uncharted territory, but shouldn’t they become familiar with some
of the true icons of the century? Perhaps even those of recent vintage are
vaguely known, if at all, including Stephen Sondheim, Aretha Franklin,
Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, and Ray Charles.
All these musicians contributed mightily to the world scene, of which
some will be revered in a way similar to how we regard Bach, Mozart, and
Beethoven two centuries following their ascension to ever-lasting world fame.