1. Don Cusic is the author of 28 books, most of them related to country music; they include biographies of performers like Eddy Arnold, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard and Gene Autry.
24 Facts About Don Cusic
1. 2.
Don Cusic is a special correspondent for Billboard magazine, a book reviewer for MusicRow magazine, and editor for trade magazines Record World and Cashbox.
3.
Don Cusic is a Curb Professor of Music Industry History at Belmont University in Nashville, where his former students include Brad Paisley and Chris Young.
4.
Don Cusic is a frequent contributor of liner notes for prominent recording artists and has contributed various encyclopedia entries, magazine articles, and book chapters.
5.
Don Cusic was born in the southern Maryland town of Leonardtown, the county seat of St Mary's County, and attended Chopticon High School.
6.
Don Cusic said he loved country music since he was a small boy and at age 16 he played country music in a local band.
7.
Don Cusic attended St Mary's College and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1972.
Related searches
Merle Haggard Roger Miller Eddy Arnold Gene Autry Brad Paisley Sandi Patty Reba McEntire Elvis Presley Randy Travis Willie Nelson Hank Williams Johnny Cash Skeeter Davis George Jones Dolly Parton Floyd Cramer Sonny James Sheb Wooley Bobby Bare Roy Drusky Jeannie Seely Chris LeDoux Melinda Doolittle 8.
Don Cusic had started there as a business major but changed to journalism.
9.
Don Cusic's "foot in the industry" was a reference to his landing a job in public relations in 1973 at the Country Music Association.
10.
Don Cusic eventually became country and gospel editor for two trade magazines, Record World and later Cashbox.
11.
Don Cusic became a book reviewer for MusicRow Magazine and a special correspondent for Billboard.
12.
Don Cusic accepted a faculty position at Middle Tennessee State University's Recording Industry Management Program in 1982 and in 1987 hosted a television show called "The Music Biz " as a part of the university's curriculum.
13.
Don Cusic's first book was a biography of Sandi Patty, a Christian music artist.
14.
Don Cusic subsequently wrote biographies of country artists Eddy Arnold, Roger Miller, Elvis Presley, Gene Autry, Riders in the Sky, Randy Travis and Reba McEntire.
15.
Don Cusic's 2008 book, Discovering Country Music, is a history of the genre as well as an overview of the industry.
16.
Don Cusic wrote biographical essays and edited books of the lyrics of Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.
17.
Don Cusic wrote The Beatles and Country Music, Baseball and Country Music, and Winston Churchill's Love of Music in addition to America and the American Recording Business, an overview of the recording industry.
18.
Don Cusic's book, Saved by Song: A History of Gospel and Christian Music, was one of the first historical overviews of contemporary Christian music.
19.
Don Cusic wrote liner notes on albums by Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Ray Stevens, Bobby Bare, Eddy Arnold, The Oak Ridge Boys, Sonny James, Gary Paxton, George Beverly Shea, Sheb Wooley, Floyd Cramer, Skeeter Davis, Roy Drusky and others.
20.
Don Cusic's songs have been recorded by Bobby Bare, Jeannie Seely, Chris LeDoux, Ray Stevens, Jim Ed Brown and others.
21.
Don Cusic produced the Bobby Bare Album, Darker Than Light and a collection of James Weldon Johnson songs performed by Melinda Doolittle.
22.
Don Cusic was a consultant on Ken Burns' documentary miniseries Country Music.
23.
Don Cusic is the founder of the Belmont Book Award, given annually for the best book on country music.
24.
Don Cusic is co-host of the conference and is editor of the International Country Music Journal.