Country Music
Country Music
Country Music
Documentary
76
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Overview
Explore the history of a uniquely American art form: country music. From its deep and tangled roots in ballads, blues and hymns performed in small settings, to its worldwide popularity, learn how country music evolved over the course of the 20th century, as it eventually emerged to become America’s music.
Status: Ended
First Air Date: 2019-09-15
Runtime: 1h 57m
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
Top Cast
Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote
Narrator
Official Videos
Country Music by Ken Burns: Trailer | BBC Trailers
Country Music by Ken Burns: Trailer | BBC Trailers
Official Extended Trailer
Official Extended Trailer
Charlie Daniels Meets Itzhak Perlman
Charlie Daniels Meets Itzhak Perlman
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Marty Stuart on the Mystery of Songwriting
Marty Stuart on the Mystery of Songwriting
Rosanne Cash Reflects on ‘Walk the Line’
Rosanne Cash Reflects on ‘Walk the Line’
Marty Stuart on The Mother Church of Country Music
Marty Stuart on The Mother Church of Country Music
Episodes - Season 1
The Rub (Beginnings -1933)
The Rub (Beginnings -1933)
Episode 1
See how what was first called “hillbilly music” reaches new audiences through phonographs and radio, and launches the careers of country music's first big stars, the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.
Hard Times (1933 -1945)
Hard Times (1933 -1945)
Episode 2
Watch as Nashville becomes the heart of the country music industry. The genre grows in popularity during the Great Depression and World War II as America falls in love with singing cowboys, Texas Swing and the Grand Ole Opry's Roy Acuff.
The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945 -1953)
The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945 -1953)
Episode 3
See how the bluegrass sound spreads in post-war America, and meet honky-tonk star Hank Williams, whose songs of surprisingly emotional depth are derived from his troubled and tragically short life.
I Can't Stop Loving You (1953 -1963)
I Can't Stop Loving You (1953 -1963)
Episode 4
Travel to Memphis, where Sun Studios artists Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley usher in the era of rockabilly. Ray Charles crosses America's racial divide by recording a country album. Patsy Cline shows off Music City's smooth new Nashville Sound.
The Sons and Daughters of America (1964 -1968)
The Sons and Daughters of America (1964 -1968)
Episode 5
See how country music reflects a changing America, with Loretta Lynn speaking to women everywhere, Merle Haggard becoming "The Poet of the Common Man" and audiences looking beyond race to embrace Charley Pride.
Will The Circle Be Unbroken? (1968 -1972)
Will The Circle Be Unbroken? (1968 -1972)
Episode 6
Learn how country music responds to a nation divided by the Vietnam War, as Army captain turned songwriter Kris Kristofferson sets a new lyrical standard, and artists like Bob Dylan and the Byrds find a recording home in Nashville.
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973 -1983)
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973 -1983)
Episode 7
Witness a vibrant era in country music, with Dolly Parton finding mainstream success; Hank Williams, Jr. and Rosanne Cash emerging from their famous fathers' shadows; and Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings launching the “Outlaw” movement.
Don't Get Above Your Raisin (1984 -1996)
Don't Get Above Your Raisin (1984 -1996)
Episode 8
Learn how “New Traditionalists” like George Strait, Randy Travis and the Judds help country music stay true to its roots. Witness both the rise of superstar Garth Brooks and the return of an aging Johnny Cash to the industry he helped create.
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