The Road South: A Memoir

As a five-year-old in Home-wood, Alabama, Shelley Stewart watched his father kill his mother with an axe. Two years later, Stewart escaped the care of abusive relatives, making a living as a stable hand. A stint in the army led to electroshock treatments for trying to integrate whites-only dances. But despite numerous setbacks, he never gave up his will to succeed. Eventually, odd jobs at radio stations laid the foundation for a 50-year career in broadcasting.

As an African-American radio personality, Stewart reached out to Jim Crow Alabama, using music to integrate his audience. Along the way, he helped launch the careers of such legends as Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and Gladys Knight. Instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement, he publicized the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A remarkable witness to and participant in the momentous social changes of the last three decades, Stewart, now a successful businessman and community leader, shares his courageous personal story that shows the indomitable strength of the human spirit.

Author: Shelley Stewart
Publisher: Warner Books
Published: 01/10/2002
Pages: 344
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.44lbs
Size: 9.17h x 6.31w x 1.11d
ISBN: 9780446530279

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2002 pg. 722
Publishers Weekly 06/10/2002 pg. 52
BookPage 07/01/2002 pg. 20
Booklist 07/01/2002 pg. 1813
Library Journal 08/01/2002 pg. 111
Library Journal 08/12/2002