Press
A downloadable press kit including author biography, book summaries, awards, and high-resolution images is available here.
Preston is available for talks, lectures and interviews for print, radio, tv, film, and podcasts.
For inquires about Before Elvis and the forthcoming Harlem Underworld contact
Da CapoPress
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
(212)364-1100
For general inquiries, contact
The Bresnick-Weil Agency
115 W. 29th St., Third Floor, New York, NY 10001
(631) 324-1177
Pull Quotes
Preston Lauterbach has long since made a place for himself as the most valuable chronicler of African-American music as a fulcrum and a center of American culture. But here, with astonishingly detailed and serpentine storytelling, with no road of intellectual inquiry ever closed, he has outdone himself. And with humor, the cool eye of a hanging judge, and the flair of a dancer, he has lifted his ongoing argument to the realm of Mark Twain, Damon Runyon, Chester Himes, and Percival Everett.
Greil Marcus, author of "Mystery Train," "Lipstick Traces," and "Folk Music"
Lauterbach spins the tale with enormous vitality and it’s terribly fun to read. He masterfully explains the complex logistics of the entertainment industry, and studs the book with fascinating, little-known characters. . . . The reader will finish with an overwhelming urge to turn up the volume.
Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe
Mr. Lauterbach uncovers a story as sensational as any day-glo circuit-show poster...The era's hepcat lingo ('ork' for orchestra, 'ofay' for 'white') and hard-boiled, noir ambience give Mr. Lauterbach a tune he can carry....the book is at heart a well-researched valentine to a lost world of seedy con men, promoters and club owners, the power brokers and hustlers who made the 'circuitry spark.
Eddie Dean, Wall Street Journal
Lauterbach's writing is as energetic as a Little Richard song (a performer who started on the chitlin' circuit and crossed over to national fame).... a rocking read and a deserving tribute to the people and places who were the foundations of rock and roll.
Publishers Weekly
Lauterbach writes with a rhythm and pace that matches the very music and lives he covers, bringing an overlooked American landscape into brilliant focus.
The Washington Post
Lauterbach's writing features meticulously researched, compellingly written accounts of hidden American subcultures.
The Boston Globe
Lauterbach combines terrific firsthand reportage with deep historical research to offer a groundbreaking account.
Penguin Random House Editorial
Meticulously researched and presented... history that gives indigenous American music its mass.
All About Jazz
Remarkable... he handles history with an antidote for respectable mainstream culture which also means that it is honest.
Creative Loafing
Downloadable Assets
Availability
Book Awards and Critical Honors
Wall Street Journal Book of the Year for The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll
NPR Book of the Year for The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll
The Boston Globe Book of the Year for The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll
Rolling Stone Best Music Book for Brother Robert: Growing Up with Robert Johnson co-authored with Annye C. Anderson
Kirkus Reviews Best Music Book for Brother Robert: Growing Up with Robert Johnson
New York Times Notable Book for Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers
Award Winning Book Distinction for Beale Street Dynasty: Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of MemphisLiving Blues Magazine | Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King is awarded
Best Blues Book of the Year, For Before Elvis, By Living Blues Magazine global critics' poll for its indispensable profiling of Black roots-music trailblazers.
New York Times Book Review Editors Choice for Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers
Finalist for the ARSC Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research for Before Elvis by the Association of Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) (Best History category)
Finalist for the ARSC Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research for Spirit of the Century: Our Own Story co-authored with The Blind Boys of Alabama by the Association of Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) (Best History category)
The Onion AV Club Best Music Book Selection for The Chitlin Circuit and the Road to Rock n Roll
The Intercept Featured Historical Work for Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers
Word Magazine Music Book of the Year for The Chitlin Circuit and the Road to Rock n Roll
Newsweek Featured Culture Selection for Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers
The New Yorker Recommended History Selection for Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers
Academic and Institutional Fellowships
Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Fellow supporting historical work
Rhodes College Visiting Scholar in Memphis, Tennessee
Selected Video, TV, and Radio
Preston was interviewed, and used as a voiceover for HBO’s Elvis documentary “The Searcher”
Preston was interviewed extensively and featured in the PBS documentary The Picture Taker about photographer Ernest Withers.
Book Nook (WYSO) | A featured broadcast discussion detailing the incredible story of the secret networks of Black nightclubs, southern strolls, and entertainment pioneers that built the foundation of rock 'n' roll. Listen on Spotify. [1]
The Intercept | Journalist Alice Speri hosts a deep-dive podcast feature with author Preston Lauterbach unpacking the shocking double life of civil rights icon Ernest Withers and his secret ties to the FBI. Listen at The Intercept. [1]
Tim Riley (Rock History Feature) | Music critic Tim Riley interviews Preston Lauterbach about his book Before Elvis, mapping out the foundational African American musicians, like Big Mama Thornton and Arthur Crudup, who shaped the king of rock 'n' roll. Read and listen at Tim Riley Author.
TCBCast: An Unofficial Elvis Presley Fan Podcast | Author Preston Lauterbach joins the podcast for an extensive, in-depth discussion about his book Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King, geeking out over Memphis music history and centering the foundational Black artists who shaped rock 'n' roll. Listen at TCBCast
Rooted | Preston Lauterbach is Giving the Gold and the Glory to the Artists who Created Rock and Roll. An hour-long feature discussion breaking down his book Before Elvis, exploring the immense artistic legacy and structural hardships of Black musicians like Big Mama Thornton and Arthur Crudup. Listen at Apple Podcasts.
Last Fair Deal: The Robert Johnson Podcast | Co-hosts Elijah Wald and Preston Lauterbach break down the mythologies, life, and enduring music of blues icon Robert Johnson. The series features a rotation of special history guests, including legendary music writer Peter Guralnick and Johnson's surviving family. Listen at Apple Podcasts.
Rockin' the Suburbs | Host Patrick Foster features an in-depth literary overview of Preston Lauterbach's The Chitlin Circuit and the Road to Rock and Roll. The episode tracks the historical significance of the segregated 1930s–1950s Southern venue network that birthed modern popular music. Listen at Spotify.
NPR World Cafe | Preston Lauterbach on World Cafe
An author interview exploring the underground network of segregation-era Black music venues and vice, tracing how the traveling circuit laid the groundwork for rock and roll as an American cultural institution.
NPR (Weekend Edition Saturday) | Scott Simon interviews author Preston Lauterbach regarding the dual life of celebrated civil rights photographer Ernest Withers, detailing how he documented crucial historic moments while simultaneously working as a paid FBI informant.
NPR (All Things Considered) | A featured broadcast interview highlighting the true, intimate story of blues legend Robert Johnson, featuring co-authors Annye C. Anderson and Preston Lauterbach discussing Brother Robert. Listen at NPR.
NPR (Code Switch) | Author Preston Lauterbach discusses the colloquial origins and cultural legacy of the "Chitlin' Circuit," exploring how Black artists built world-class entertainment hubs during segregation. Listen at NPR.
WKNO-TV / PBS | A Conversation with Preston Lauterbach A featured broadcast television interview with host Bard Cole exploring the book's deep dive into W.C. Handy, Boss Crump, and how the "Memphis Blues" shaped local political history. Watch at YouTube.
NYC Radio Live | Legendary gospel singers Rickie McKinnie of The Blind Boys of Alabama and author Preston Lauterbach sit down for a broadcasted conversation exploring Southern roots music, historical archiving, and the evolution of the blues tradition. Listen at Podchaser.
WKNO FM (NPR for the Mid-South) | "Counterpoint" feature interview tracking the rise of the South's first Black millionaire, Robert Church. Listen at WKNO FM.
WVXU (Cincinnati Public Radio / NPR) | Featured broadcast interview focusing on the vivid history of sex, song, and power in early Memphis. Listen at WVXU.
WTJU 91.1 FM | "Walkin' Blues" specialty program guest feature covering the deep musical and cultural roots of the historic strip. Listen at WTJU.