Dr Katherine Williams‘ co-edited volume The Cambridge Companion to the Singer-Songwriter was published in late February. This book explains the historical contexts, musical analyses, and theoretical frameworks of the singer-songwriter tradition.
Divided into five parts, the book explores the tradition in the context of issues including authenticity, gender, queer studies, musical analysis and performance. Leadbelly, Dolly Parton, Billy Joel, Nick Drake, & Kanye West are among the artists discussed.
Katherine’s own chapter is entitled: ‘Changing openness and tolerance towards LGBTQ singer-songwriters’, and offers an in-depth exploration of the music and social roles of Elton John, k. d. lang and Rufus Wainwright.