Real Men Don't Sing: Crooning In American Culture

"How did popular music get from Point A to Justin Bieber? DePaul University professor Allison McCracken fills in a key piece of the puzzle with this research-rich, intriguing account of how microphone-assisted heartthrobs won over American ears in the early 20th century. Grounded in the story of the first vocalizing pop idol, Rudy Vallee, McCracken’s book shows how shifting technologies, changing attitudes about sex and a new, female-driven fan culture fed pop’s “intimate aesthetic,” which prevails to this day. A chapter on Adam Lambert and Glee brings the story into this century."