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In a state widely considered ground zero for civil rights struggles, Huntsville became an unlikely venue for racial reconciliation. Huntsville's recently formed NASA station drew new residents from throughout the country, and across the world, to the Rocket City. This influx of fresh perspectives informed the city's youth. Soon, dozens of vibrant rock bands and soul groups, characteristic of the era but unique in Alabama, were formed. Set against the bitter backdrop of segregation, Huntsville musicians--black and white--found common ground in rock and soul music. Whether playing to desegregated audiences, in desegregated bands or both, Huntsville musicians were boldly moving forward, ushering in a new era. Through interviews with these musicians, local author Jane DeNeefe recounts this unique and important chapter in Huntsville's history.

For years, "Riverboat John" Ferguson has captivated audiences the world over as a guitar pickin', song singin', storytellin' original. Now, for the first time ever, you can take home Riverboat's strolling song and story act in this collection of boyhood hijinks, long lost traditions and unmistakable southern charm. Born on the blue-collar banks of the Tennessee River in Huntsville, Alabama, Ferguson's homespun memories are sure to resonate with anyone who remembers life in the 1950s. Read about the time he took a wrong turn and drove his first pickup truck into the Elk River, his first--disastrous--attempt at eating barbeque chicken with silverware, the day television came to town, the time he "left home on a train" and so many more. So settle in, kick up your feet and enjoy this one-of-a-kind glimpse into Huntsville in the 1950s from the man heralded by The New York Times as "a true American minstrel." Just don't say nothin' bad about Gene Autry!