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Series 1: 6. Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1968-1972)
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. \n\nIn 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.\n\nAlso profiled, the tormented early lives but uplifting careers of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, later known as 'Mr and Mrs Country Music'.
Source: BBC 4
Most recent episodes of Country Music by Ken Burns
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Most popular episodes of Country Music by Ken Burns
Country Music By Ken Burns
Series 1: 4. I Can't Stop Loving You (1953-1963)
In Memphis, the confluence of blues and hillbilly music at Sun Studios gave birth to rockabilly, the precursor of rock and roll. Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash were at the forefr ...
08-03-2024
BBC 4
Country Music By Ken Burns
Series 1: 7. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973-1983)
The 1970s and early 1980s saw country music entering a vibrant era of new voices and attitudes. Dolly Parton made the crossover to mainstream success and became the most famous ...
10-03-2024
BBC 4
Country Music By Ken Burns
Series 1: 8. Music Will Get Through (1973-1983)
Though no longer heard on country radio for much of the 1970s and early 1980s, bluegrass still had a strong core of avid fans. Marty Stuart toured with Lester Flatt and sometime ...
10-03-2024
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Country Music By Ken Burns
Series 1: 9. Don't Get Above Your Raisin' (1984-1996)
As country music’s popularity rocketed, the genre questioned whether it could stay true to its roots. The success of ‘New Traditionalists’ like Reba McEntire a ...
10-03-2024
BBC 4
Country Music By Ken Burns
Series 1: 1. The Rub (beginnings-1933)
After centuries of percolating in the American South, what was first called hillbilly music began to reach more people through the new technologies of phonographs and radio. The ...
07-03-2024
BBC 4
Country Music By Ken Burns
Series 1: 2. Hard Times (1933-1945)
During the Great Depression and World War II, country music thrived and reached bigger audiences. Bob Wills adapted jazz's big band sound to create Texas swing, and Grand Ole Op ...
07-03-2024
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Country Music By Ken Burns
Series 1: 3. The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)
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 sy ...
08-03-2024
BBC 4
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Series 1: 5. The Sons And Daughters Of America (1964-1968)
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. \n\nLoretta Lynn wrote an ...
09-03-2024
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Country Music By Ken Burns
Series 1: 6. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (1968-1972)
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 h ...
09-03-2024
BBC 4