Country Music by Ken Burns

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BBC Four HD

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Music: Country

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

Hear the remarkable stories of the people and places behind a truly American art form.

Explore the history of country music – from its roots in ballads, hymns and the blues to its mainstream popularity – and meet the unforgettable characters and storytellers who made it America’s music.

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 twentieth century. The series, directed by Ken Burns, features never-before-seen footage and photographs, plus interviews with more than 80 country music artists. No-one has told the story this way before.

Series 1

BBC Four

Ken Burns

Country Music by Ken Burns: Series 1: The Sons and Daughters of America (1964-1968)

The Sons and Daughters of America (1964-1968)

BBC Four - Country Music by Ken Burns, Series 1, The Sons and Daughters of America (1964-1968)

How new country artists like Loretta Lynn and Charley Pride reflected a changing America.

How country music reflected a changing America. Loretta Lynn spoke to women everywhere, Merle Haggard became the 'Poet of the Common Man' and audiences looked beyond race to embrace Charley Pride.

The mid to late 60s were a time of cultural upheaval and country, as much as other genres of music, reflected the profound changes in American society. 

Loretta Lynn wrote and performed songs that spoke to women everywhere, Charley Pride rose to stardom, when people responded to his voice instead of the colour of his skin, and Merle Haggard left prison to become the ‘Poet of the Common Man’. 

Johnny Cash’s life and career descended into the chaos of addiction, but he found salvation thanks to the intervention of June Carter and a landmark album.

Country Music by Ken Burns: Series 1

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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. The series, directed by Ken Burns, features never-before-seen footage and photographs, plus interviews with more than 80 country music artists. No-one has told the story this way before.

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Country Music by Ken Burns

Series 1

The Sons and Daughters of America (1964-1968)

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