Rodney Crowell and John Paul White

Rodney Crowell first gained widespread recognition as a leader of country's new traditionalist movement in the mid-'80s, though he was a figure with roots and ambitions extending far beyond the movement's perimeter. Fusing the sensibility of the Texas singer/songwriter community with a sound that honored country's past but added a rock & roll punch, Crowell's first success was as a writer and a sideman, spending three years as part of Emmylou Harris & the Hot Band and penning a handful of tunes for the vocalist. Crowell produced several fine albums for Rosanne Cash (they were ...