The American singer and guitarist Ramblin' Jack Elliott (1931- ) is a seminal figure in the folk music revivals of the United States and Great Britain. Declared an American treasure by former President Bill Clinton, Elliott has traveled and performed for more than 50 years, and his life and career neatly parallel the ascension of folk music's "renaissance" from the 1940s through the present day. Ramblin' Jack Elliott: The Never-Ending Highway is the first complete biography of this important figure in the history of folk music. Elliott's music and Beat-era sensibility influenced countless artists in the fields of folk, rock, and country and western music, and Hank Reineke provides the full story of Elliott's relationships and influences. Most notably, his associations with Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan are well-documented: Elliott is considered Guthrie's most famous protege and Elliott mentored Dylan in his early career. Reineke also recounts how Elliott's life intersected with Derroll Adams, Jack Kerouac and the Beats, Princess Margaret, James Dean, and scores of others. The book examines the full breadth of Elliott's career, discussing how the rough-edged cowboy singer survived in the music industry and eventually won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Recording and the prestigious National Medal of the Arts. In addition to the biography, Reineke has amassed the first exhaustive and comprehensive discography of albums from the singer's notable back-catalog (1955-2009), including nearly 60 LP and CD issues, many rare and sought-after 78rpm discs, EPs, and 45rpm recordings, as well as a number of contributions to compilations, soundtracks, festival recordings, and guest appearances. This impressive volume is rounded out with a bibliography, an index, and more than 30 photographs, making this a must-have for scholars and fans of American folk music.

About the Author
Hank Reineke served as a research consultant on Aiyana Elliott's award winning documentary film The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack. He has written about folk, blues, and country music for publications such as the Aquarian Arts Weekly, Soho Arts Weekly, Downtown, East Coast Rocker, Blues Revue, On The Tracks, ISIS, and The Bridge.

Reviews
Reineke, the research consult on Aiyana Elliott's award-winning film about her father, The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack, has written the definitive biography of musical legend Ramblin' Jack Elliott, covering many of the seminal events in the history of American folk music. From Elliott's life-changing experience at the World Championship Rodeo at Madison Square Garden, through his formative musical years and friendship with mentor Woody Guthrie, and into the present, Reineke describes the development and maturity of Ramblin' Jack's distinctive musical voice. Elliott's career will be a study in contrasts to the hip, ambitious Bob Dylan. It should come as a surprise to no one that Elliott's story takes some interesting twists and turns as he pursued his muse. He refused to follow trends, seemed at times to lack direction, and could be infuriatingly unreliable and distant to friends and family. Verdict: This fascinating study of a musical legend never fails to inform and entertain. Recommended for anyone interested in American folk music of the last half century. * Library Journal *
Thoroughly-researched biography. * Record Collector *
The author seems to have gathered every known fact, review and movement of Elliot in his long and illustrious career. . . . If and when Elliot gets to write his own take on his life, his task is made somewhat easier in that he only needs to cite one reference work for a detailed and accurate account of his life in music, and this is it. * fRoots *
Elliott's life, so expertly researched and elegantly described in Hank Reineke's authorative Ramblin' Jack Elliot: The Never-Ending Highway reads like that - always rumpled, never on time and just casually mixing with those he influenced on the sidelines or at a distance. -- Martin Jack Rosenblum, January, 2010


Awards
Winner of Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) 2010 Certificate of Merit for Best Research in Folk, Ethnic, or World Music.



Book Information
ISBN 9780810872561
Author Hank Reineke
Format Paperback
Page Count 434
Imprint Scarecrow Press
Publisher Scarecrow Press
Weight(grams) 685g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 155mm * 27mm