Country Music by Ken Burns

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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: Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1968-1972)

Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1968-1972)

BBC Four - Country Music by Ken Burns, Series 1, Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1968-1972)

How artists were drawn to Nashville during a tumultuous period - the Vietnam War.

How country music responded to a nation divided by the Vietnam War. Army captain-turned-songwriter Kris Kristofferson set a new lyrical standard while Johnny Cash returned to the Ryman Auditorium.

As the Vietnam War intensified, America became more and more divided and country music was not immune. Kris Kristofferson, a former Rhodes scholar and army captain, reinvented himself as a writer whose lyricism set a new standard for country songs. And a hippie band from California, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, arrived in Nashville to create a landmark album that bridged the gap between generations. 

In 1969, Johnny Cash made a triumphant return to the Ryman Auditorium, a venue that had kicked him out years earlier for breaking the footlights. To celebrate, he brought an eclectic range of guests with him from folk, pop, and jazz as well as country music.

Also profiled, the tormented early lives but uplifting careers of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, later known as 'Mr and Mrs Country Music'.

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

Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1968-1972)

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