Four-time Grammy winner Marty Stuart is known for his time on stage, in the public eye, in front of the camera. But few know that Stuart has as sharp an eye for a stunning photograph as he does for a hit song.

At the age of 11, Marty Stuart snapped his first photograph, a backstage picture of legendary singer Connie Smith. It was the first of decades of photographs Stuart would take documenting the history of America, country music, its performers, and its remarkable memorabilia. A touring musician with the likes of Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash since he was just 12 years old, Stuart had unprecedented access to a world few see.

Across this revolutionary photography and history experience of nearly 400 photos, country music's renaissance man Marty Sutart opens the vaults of his studio and his private collection of more than 20,000 items of memorabilia. A born storyteller and host of XM Radio's "Marty Stuart's American Odyssy," Stuart recalls nearly an hour of eye-opening, heart-warming, often hilarious stories behind the photos, included on one audio CD.

In this unique book-and-CD pariing, Stuart's enhanced CD--available only with this book--also includes the first release of the song and video of "Dark Bird," his triburte to Johnny Cash. --from jacket cover