Willman, Chris 1961(?)–

PERSONAL: Born c. 1961.

ADDRESSES: Home—Los Angeles, CA. Office—c/o Entertainment Weekly, Time Warner Inc., One Time Warner Center, New York, NY 10019-8016.

CAREER: Writer. Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, senior writer for Entertainment Weekly. Appearances on major television networks, including VH1, CNN, and MTV.

WRITINGS:

Rednecks & Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music, New Press (New York, NY), 2005.

Also contributor to Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Newsday, and other periodicals.

SIDELIGHTS: Chris Willman penned Rednecks & Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music following an explosive clash of American politics and pop culture. In 2003 the lead singer of the popular country band the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, announced to a London audience that she was ashamed to share her home state of Texas with President George W. Bush. The comment incited CD-smashing gatherings all over America, and most radio disc jockeys refused to play any of the Dixie Chicks' songs. Maines was especially ostracized for her views. Willman wrote a cover story on the event, which motivated the author to investigate the relationship between country music and politics even further—particularly, the correlation between country music and Republicanism. Willman conducted interviews with and compiled profiles on some of the biggest names in country music, including Toby Keith, Steve Earle, Travis Tritt, Brooks & Dunn, and more. One contributor to Publishers Weekly felt that Rednecks & Bluenecks is "overlong," but also described it as "entertaining," and reported: "Most fascinating are the moments when Willman gets the artists to let down their guard." One Kirkus Reviews contributor thought the book was "full of surprises," and wrote, "Willman's stroll through the minefields is engaging."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 1, 2005, Mike Tribby, review of Rednecks & Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music, p. 23.

Entertainment Weekly, November 18, 2005, Gilbert Cruz, "From Our Staff," p. 143.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2005, review of Rednecks & Bluenecks, p. 1018.

Mother Jones, November, 2005, Dave Gilson, review of Rednecks & Bluenecks, p. 84.

Publishers Weekly, September 5, 2005, review of Rednecks & Bluenecks, p. 46.