Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times, by Ralph Stanley and Eddie Dean. Avery, 2009.
Ralph Stanley was part of the Stanley Brothers until his brother Carter died in the 1960s; then he performed without him for many years. His style is a country style, related to bluegrass, but heavily influenced by the vocal traditions he grew up with. He had a surprise revival with his rendition of “O Death” in the film “O Brother Where Art Thou?”, and toured almost until his death in 2016.
His autobiography is told in a clear, folksy way; you feel like you’re sitting in the room with him. It’s mostly a chronological story, but not completely. You go away with a feeling for a man who missed his brother so much, and found unexpected success late in life.