Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio (NelsonFree)

Can a band comprised of six very talented but very different musicians make a difference with their music?

What made it possible for Diamond Rio to weather the storms inherent in the fickle world of fame and fortune and go more than two decades without a single lineup change? Any reader in search of transparency and a behind-the-scenes look into the life of the band as a unit as well as the individual lives of the players and singers will be well satisfied. Can true loyalty exist within the competitive, seemingly unforgiving music industry? In Beautiful Mess Marty Roe, Dan Truman, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, Gene Johnson, and Dana Williams each has an entire chapter devoted to his personal and professional life. The book’s tone is a welcome rarity—not written from one player’s perspective, but from all six as they “meet in the middle.” Beautiful Mess is a wild ride from the edge of disaster and a little-known secret to an ongoing heart-warming revival.

Diamond Rio are Dana Williams, Marty Roe, Gene Johnson, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, and Dan Truman. Since their first release more than ten years ago, Diamond Rio has had more than 20 top ten hits and sold more than 6 million albums. Based in Nashville, Tennessee the group has won and been nominated for every major country music award.