Created Equal: Detroiter’s new memoir details Black roots of country music
Alice Randall joined the show to discuss the intersecting history of Black music and country music in America, and how growing up in Detroit influenced her songwriting.
"My Black Country," is the latest book from Detroit author and songwriter Alice Randall, released April 9, 2024.
Detroit music and the people who make it are often associated with soulful, funky and bluesy sounds. But very rarely is country ever mentioned.
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Just before the dawn of Motown in 1959 in Detroit, Alice Randall was born. She grew up to have a long and successful career as a songwriter for some of the biggest American country artists. That story — rich with struggle and nuance and joy — is the subject of her latest book, “My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Present, and Future.” It’s a fascinating look at the profound but ignored overlap between the history of Black music and country music in America.
Randall joined Created Equal on Monday to discuss that intersection and how growing up in Detroit influenced her songwriting.
“I was born in Detroit, Alabama because the part of Detroit that I was born in and raised in was straight out of Alabama, and so is country, ” Randall said.
Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.
Guest:
- Alice Randall is a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning songwriter, educator and food activist.
Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.
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