A native of Hamilton, Ohio, Randy McNutt began his career as an independent record producer. Later he worked as an award-winning newspaper and magazine writer. He has written (and contributed to) twenty books on music, politics, writing, and history. They include the travel narrative "Guitar Towns: A Journey to the Crossroads of Rock 'n' Roll," for which he traveled to Bakersfield, Norfolk, Memphis, New Orleans and other old music capitals to search for the ghosts of the American record business. Since the 1990s, McNutt has written several books about his home state, all of which remain in print. His most recent is "Ohio Civil War Tales," a collection of mostly little-known stories of the war written with his wife, Cheryl Bauer. Are you interested in older independent record companies, music business characters, and vintage recordings? Read Randy's blog at www.homeofthehits.blogspot.com.