Country Music by Ken Burns

Original version

BBC Four

BBC 4

Documentaries

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 HD

Ken Burns

Country Music by Ken Burns: Series 1: The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)

The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)

BBC Four - Country Music by Ken Burns, Series 1, The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)

The country stars of post-war America, including the Hillbilly Shakespeare, Hank Williams.

How the bluegrass sound spread in post-war America. Honky-tonk star Hank Williams wrote songs of surprising emotional depth, derived from his troubled and tragically short life.

As country music adapted to the cultural changes of post-war society, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs transformed traditional string band music into something more syncopated - bluegrass. 

Out of the bars and juke joints came a new sound  - honky-tonk - with electric guitars and songs about drinking, cheating and heartbreak. Its biggest star was Hank Williams, a singer who wrote songs of surprising emotional depth, derived from his troubled and tragically short life.

Country Music by Ken Burns: Series 1

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.

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.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Country Music by Ken Burns

Series 1

The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC Four

About BBC Four