Original version

BBC Four

BBC 4

Fay Gibson

Mark Cooper

Kings of Country

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Music: Country

BBC Four logo

08/09/2005

BBC Four - Kings of Country

Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash.

Profiles of the six most influential male country stars of the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s - Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash.

Profile of the six most influential male country stars of the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s, with the help of a blistering soundtrack and rare archive performances that show these men created a blueprint for songwriting that is as resonant today as it was then. 

These are the stories of men who weren't afraid to be cowboys in a rapidly changing world. Hank Williams, who battled with his wife and addictions before dying a superstar at 29; 'Gentleman' Jim Reeves, the crooner in cardigans killed in a plane crash; Willie Nelson, the outlaw who rewrote the country rulebook; George Jones, whose life of heartache and booze is like a classic country song; the fugitive Merle Haggard who swapped his crowbar for a guitar after seeing Johnny Cash at San Quentin prison; and the king of kings himself - Johnny Cash. The surviving kings themselves join family members and close friends in giving rare insights into the rise to fame of these country greats, while admirers such as Billy Connolly, Jack White, LeAnn Rimes, Lauren Laverne and Elvis Costello pay tribute to the men who changed music for good.

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Kings of Country

Contributors

Genres

Formats

BBC Four

About BBC Four