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Hugh Laurie's Blues Changes

Hugh Laurie's Blues Changes: Episode 2: Rock 'n' Roll

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Episode 2

Episode 2: Rock 'n' Roll

Rock 'n' Roll

BBC Radio 2 - Hugh Laurie's Blues Changes, Rock 'n' Roll

Hugh Laurie on how the blues influenced rock 'n' roll, with Elvis, Springsteen and more.

Hugh Laurie looks at how the blues influenced the world of rock 'n' roll, with music from Elvis, Springsteen and more. Plus he plays his own version of the classic 'Mystery Train'.

Actor, comedian and musician Hugh Laurie presents this new series in which he examines the ways in which the blues has influenced all the types of popular music that we listen to today.

Each week he'll be playing a song with his acclaimed Copper Bottom Band and using that as a starting point from which to explore the permutations and permeations of the music that he loves.

This week, Hugh plays and sings "Mystery Train" and traces its roots back to an Elizabethan folk ballad and an early 20th century country song before looking at how its influenced the world of rock'n'roll, with music from Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Lonnie Donegan, Led Zeppelin and more.

Hugh Laurie is an English actor, comedian, writer, musician and director. He first became known as one half of the Fry and Laurie double act, along with his friend and comedy partner Stephen Fry, whom he joined in the cast of A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster from 1985 to 1999.

From 2004 to 2012, he played Dr. Gregory House, the protagonist of House, for which he received two Golden Globe awards, two Screen Actors Guild awards, and six Emmy nominations. He has been listed in the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records as the highest paid actor ever in a television drama, earning Â£250,000 ($409,000) per episode in House, and for being the most watched leading man on television.

Acting aside, he is an accomplished pianist, leading the Copper Bottom Band in a smorgasbord of traditional jazz and blues which has so far resulted in two critically acclaimed albums and a series of sell-out world tours.

This is his first series for Radio 2.

Amazing music. Played by an amazing line up.

Radio 2: Amazing music. Played by an amazing line-up. The home of great music, entertainment and documentaries

Music: Jazz & Blues: Blues

Hugh Laurie examines the way in which the blues has influenced pop music

Hugh Laurie examines the way in which the blues has influenced all the types of popular music that we listen to today.

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