Country Music (miniseries)

Burns announced the miniseries in January 2014, with a projected airdate in 2018. Burns cited his ongoing work on other documentary projects as having affected progress on the series.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/ken-burns-to-ask-what-is-country-music-in-new-doc-246052/ |title=Ken Burns to Ask 'What Is Country Music?' in New Doc |last=Grow |first=Kory |date=January 21, 2014 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 15, 2019}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/country-music-ken-burns-pbs-whyy-20190915.html |title=What is country music? It's a complicated question, and Ken Burns has a 16-hour answer |last=DeLuca |first=Dan |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en-US |access-date=2019-09-15}} Writer Dayton Duncan explained that the goal of the series was to demonstrate that country music "isn't and never was just one type of music. It was always this amalgam of American music and it sprang from a lot of very different roots and then, as it grew, it sprouted many different branches, but they're all connected." Burns filmed a total of 175 hours of interviews with 101 artists and other personalities for the series; some were recorded as early as 2012, and some of the interviewees (such as Little Jimmy Dickens, Roy Clark, Ralph Stanley, and Merle Haggard) died over the course of production.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/ken-burns-country-music-pbs-interview-884209/ |title=Ken Burns: Inside the Filmmaker's Epic 'Country Music' Series |last=Freeman |first=Jon |date=September 13, 2019 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 15, 2019}}

The miniseries premiered in the US on September 15, 2019, as a series of eight two-hour episodes. As a prelude to the premiere, Burns hosted a concert special filmed at the Ryman Auditorium, featuring Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, and Marty Stuart among others, which aired September 8, 2019.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/ken-burns-country-music-documentary-premiere-date-live-concert-788307/ |title=Ken Burns' 'Country Music' Documentary Gets Premiere Date, Live Concert |last=Betts |first=Stephen L. |date=February 1, 2019 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 15, 2019}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/810848/whats-on-tv-saturday-september-7-sunday-september-8/ |title=Worth Watching: Steve Kroft '60 Minutes' Retrospective, Newhart & Valerie Harper Marathons, 'Live at Ryman' Concert |website=TV Insider |language=en-US |access-date=2019-09-15}}

A completely reedited version produced in conjunction with BBC Four, consisting of 9 50-minute episodes, began airing in the UK on November 22, 2019.

The TV series presented country music from its earliest stars, such as the Carter Family, and Jimmie Rodgers, followed by influential singers of the likes of Hank Williams, through to notable acts of the second half of the 20th century such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, finishing in the 1990s. A five-CD soundtrack album of selected highlights of songs featured in the show, Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns, was released. The five-CD box-set was released on August 30, 2019, before the show aired, followed by two-CD, two-LP and digital versions released on September 13.{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/ken-burns-country-music-documentary-soundtrack-847764/ |title=Ken Burns' 'Country Music' Series to Release Massive Soundtrack |first= Stephen L. |last=Betts |work=Rolling Stone |date=June 13, 2019}} It reached No. 1 on Billboard's Soundtrack Album Sales chart.{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/soundtrack-sales/2019-10-12 |title= Soundtrack Albums Sales|date=October 12, 2019|work=Billboard }} It has sold 39,100 copies in the United States as of March 2020.{{cite web |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2020/03/44165-top-10-country-albums-pure-sales-chart-march-9-2020|title=Top 10 Country Albums Pure Sales Chart: March 9, 2020 |work=RoughStock|first=Matt |last=Bjorke |date= March 10, 2020 |access-date=March 22, 2020 }}

In support of the release of the miniseries, Bank of America produced a video of the song "Wagon Wheel", featuring a collection of musicians from across the United States, with the tag line "Nothing connects the country like country."{{Cite web|url=https://about.bankofamerica.com/en-us/ken-burns/storytelling-with-ken-burns-country-music.html|title = Ken Burns's Country Music: Sharing America's Story Through Song}}Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/12O94Wu2szc Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200412184420/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12O94Wu2szc&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12O94Wu2szc| title = Country Connection: Country Music Artists Sing "Wagon Wheel" | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

The film was released through PBS in the United States on Blu-ray disc and DVD on September 17, 2019.{{cite web |title=Country Music Blu-ray |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Country-Music-Blu-ray/243727/ |website=Blu-ray.com |access-date=December 11, 2019}}

The series debuted at No. 6 on the Music Video Sales chart the week of September 28, 2019, climbing to No. 1 the following week, staying at the top position for eleven consecutive weeks.{{Cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/music-video/2019-12-14 |title=Music Video Sales Chart |website=Billboard Chart |date=December 14, 2019 |language=en |access-date=December 11, 2019 }}

The 8-disc DVD/Blu-ray release of the documentary series also includes interviews from a large number of outtakes made by Burns during the production of the film. The biographical outtakes by various artists are featured on the special features of each of the three disc in the DVD release of the miniseries.

{{Infobox album

| name = Country Music - A Film by Ken Burns (The Soundtrack)

| type = Soundtrack

| artist = Various

| cover =

| alt =

| caption = Same title card from a television series

| released = August 30, 2019 (5-disc edition)
September 13, 2019 (2-disc edition)

| genre = Soundtrack, Country music

| length = 307 minutes (5 discs)
131 minutes (2 discs)

| label = Legacy Recordings

| producer = Various

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}{{Track listing

| all_writing =

| title1 = Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Bye and Bye)

| length1 = 3:08

| total_length =

| writing_width = 53%

| headline = 5-disc edition{{Cite web|date=2019-06-13|title=Legacy Recordings Set to Release COUNTRY MUSIC - A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) in Multiple Formats|url=https://legacyrecordings.com/2019/06/13/legacy-recordings-set-to-release-country-music-a-film-by-ken-burns-the-soundtrack-in-multiple-formats/|access-date=2021-02-15|website=Legacy Recordings|language=en-US}}

| title2 = Blue Yodel No. 8 (Mule Skinner Blues)

| title3 = Barbara Allen

| length2 = 2:58

| length3 = 2:33

| title4 = I'll Fly Away

| length4 = 2:24

| extra_column = Performer(s)

| extra1 = The Carter Family

| extra2 = Jimmie Rodgers

| extra3 = Bradley Kincaid

| extra4 = James and Martha Carson

}}

{{Episode table |overall= |title= |titleR={{cite web |title=Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/ |website=PBS}} |airdate= |viewers= |country=US |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=1

| Title=The Rub (beginnings to 1933)

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2019|09|15}}

| ShortSummary=Early performers Fiddlin' John Carson and Uncle Dave Macon, the genre's roots in folk and Southern gospel, the formation of both WSM and the Grand Ole Opry, and Ralph Peer and the genre's first stars - the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.{{Cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/ken-burns-on-the-origins-of-country-music-1838092177 |title=Ken Burns on the origins of Country Music |last=Shoemaker |first=Allison |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-US |access-date=2019-09-16}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/episode-1-the-rub-beginnings-1933 |title=Episode 1: "The Rub" (Beginnings – 1933) |first=Ken |last=Burns |website=Country Music |access-date=13 December 2019}}

| Viewers=

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=2

| Title=Hard Times (1933-1945)

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2019|09|16}}

| ShortSummary=Roy Acuff and Nashville's increasing role in the genre, singing cowboy acts such as Gene Autry, the western swing of Bob Wills, Dust Bowl refugee acts such as the Maddox Brothers and Rose and Woody Guthrie, the ASCAP boycott, and World War II.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/episode-2-hard-times-1933-1945 |title=Episode 2: "Hard Times" (1933 – 1945) |first=Ken |last=Burns |website=Country Music |access-date=13 December 2019}}

| Viewers=

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=3

| Title=The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2019|09|17}}

| ShortSummary=Bluegrass and honky-tonk emerge; Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs pioneer the former, while Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzell, and Hank Williams exemplify the latter and Williams becomes country music's biggest star.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/episode-3-the-hillbilly-shakespeare-1945-1953 |title=Episode 3: "The Hillbilly Shakespeare" (1945 – 1953) |first=Ken |last=Burns |website=Country Music |access-date=13 December 2019}}

| Viewers=

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=4

| Title=I Can't Stop Loving You (1953-1963)

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2019|09|18}}

| ShortSummary=The heyday of rockabilly, the career launches of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, the birth of Music Row and influx of new songwriters, and the dominance of the Nashville sound typified by Patsy Cline.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/episode-4-i-cant-stop-loving-you-1953-1963 |title=Episode 4: "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1953 – 1963) |first=Ken |last=Burns |website=Country Music |access-date=13 December 2019}}

| Viewers=

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=5

| Title=The Sons and Daughters of America (1964-1968)

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2019|09|22}}

| ShortSummary=Buck Owens ushers in the Bakersfield sound, Loretta Lynn and Charley Pride bring new viewpoints to a changing landscape, Merle Haggard emerges as the genre's great songwriting star, and Johnny Cash descends into self-destruction but returns artistically and personally triumphant.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/episode-5-the-sons-and-daughters-of-america-1964-1968 |title=Episode 5: "The Sons and Daughters of America" (1964 – 1968) |first=Ken |last=Burns |website=Country Music |access-date=13 December 2019}}

| Viewers=

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=6

| Title=Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (1968-1972)

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2019|09|23}}

| ShortSummary=As the industry and its audience react to the great social upheavals of the time, George Jones and Tammy Wynette emerge as great stars, and the Nashville songwriting scene is changed by the arrival of writers from outside the genre such as Kris Kristofferson.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/episode-6-will-the-circle-be-unbroken-1968-1972 |title=Episode 6: "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" (1968 – 1972) |first=Ken |last=Burns |website=Country Music |access-date=13 December 2019}}

| Viewers=

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=7

| Title=Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973-1983)

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2019|09|24}}

| ShortSummary="Outlaw" artists Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings gain unprecedented artistic control of their careers, and the genre's identity broadens, with Dolly Parton and others achieving crossover success while artists from outside its conventions such as Emmylou Harris arrive.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/episode-7-are-you-sure-hank-done-it-this-way-1973-1983 |title=Episode 7: "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" (1973 – 1983) |first=Ken |last=Burns |website=Country Music |access-date=13 December 2019}}

| Viewers=

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=8

| Title=Don't Get Above Your Raisin' (1984-1996)

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2019|09|25}}

| ShortSummary=Artists like Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yoakam steer the genre back to its more traditional elements, Garth Brooks achieves levels of success unmatched by any previous country artist, and Johnny Cash ends his career with a series of unexpected but well-received albums.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/episode-8-dont-get-above-your-raisin-1984-1996 |title=Episode 8: "Don't Get Above Your Raisin'" (1984 – 1996) |first=Ken |last=Burns |website=Country Music |access-date=13 December 2019}}

| Viewers=

}}

}}

Country Music has received generally positive reviews from television critics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/09/15/ken-burns-country-music-review-critics/2338047001/|title='Country Music' reviews: What critics are saying about Ken Burns' new documentary|last=Leimkuehler|first=Matthew|date=September 15, 2019|website=The Tennessean|language=en|access-date=2020-04-04}} Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes gave the series an 84% fresh rating, based on 22 reviews. The aggregator consensus states the series "an expansive—if not always deep—history of the genre as seen through Ken Burns' expert eye, Country Music works as both a crash course for new listeners and a refresher for old-timers."{{cite web |title=Country Music: Season 1 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/country_music/s01 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=13 December 2019}}

David Cantwell of The New Yorker wrote, "What the documentary gets right overwhelms the caveats. Burns' chief takeaway from his immersion in the genre is spot on: country music is not, and has never been, static."{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/ken-burns-delightful-country-music-gets-the-big-things-mostly-right|title=Ken Burns's Delightful "Country Music" Gets the Big Things Mostly Right|last=Cantwell|first=David|date=September 15, 2019|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en|access-date=2020-04-04}} David Fear of Rolling Stone wrote, "Most of all, this epic, essential survey (which premieres on September 15th) is both a history lesson of an American art form and 20th century U.S.A. itself. Like Burns' 2001 deep dive Jazz, it puts the music's cultural and geographic roots front and center."{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-reviews/country-music-review-ken-burns-884039/|title='Country Music' Review: Ken Burns' Epic, Essential Look at an American Artform|last=Fear|first=David|date=2019-09-14|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-09}} Will Hermes of Rolling Stone wrote, "The most ambitious, culturally resonant music documentary ever made."{{Cite magazine|last=Hermes|first=Will|date=2019-08-30|title=How Ken Burns Connected Every Dot of Country Music's Rich History in New Film|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ken-burns-country-music-history-doc-878470/|access-date=2020-07-07|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}

Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote, "Country Music makes it plain that the story of the genre is merely a pocket version of the story of the American musical experiment writ large: Everyone trying on poses and costumes, borrowing wildly at every turn, pointing fingers at others trying similar things, and, as soon as things become complacent, agitating for something new."{{Cite news|last=Caramanica|first=Jon|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/arts/television/ken-burns-country-music.html|title=Ken Burns's 'Country Music' Traces the Genre's Victories, and Reveals Its Blind Spots|date=2019-09-12|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-03-09|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} Ken Tucker of NPR wrote, "In Country Music, Burns goes wide, not deep; it's rare for any musical excerpt to last more than 20 seconds, making it impossible for a singer to make an impression on a viewer unfamiliar with his or her work. This time around, Burns has traveled down Hank Williams' 'Lost Highway' with a busted GPS." Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Country Music is a wide subject that Burns painstakingly brushes through. But there's not enough paint for that picture. You're going to see the canvas and the blotches. If you know that going in, it helps."{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/country-music-review-1239697|title='Country Music': TV Review|last=Goodman|first=Tim|date=September 15, 2019|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en|access-date=2020-04-04}}

John Anderson of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "Ken Burns' eight-part, 16-hour series paints tells an expansive, inclusive story of the narrative-driven music."{{Cite news|last=Anderson|first=John|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/country-music-review-a-documentary-makes-a-complex-genre-sing-11568233280|title='Country Music' Review: A Documentary Makes a Complex Genre Sing|date=2019-09-11|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=2020-04-04|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}} Caroline Framke of Variety wrote, "The new docuseries is reverent and exhaustive in its attempt to summarize almost a century of American music."{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/reviews/ken-burns-country-music-review-pbs-1203331384/|title=TV Review: Ken Burns' 'Country Music'|last=Framke|first=Caroline|date=2019-09-12|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2020-04-04}} Hank Stuever of The Washington Post wrote, "Burns delivers an enlightening, educational and often emotionally stirring account of country's essential evolution (still in progress), from traditional immigrant and church songs heard in the misty mountain hollers to a powerful, Nashville-centric industry that grew to favor predictable hits over authentic origins. I cried three times while making my way through it, moved by the music but also by the common thread of suffering that travels through those who create it."{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/ken-burnss-country-music-is-full-of-high-praise-and-heartbreak-but-short-on-analysis/2019/09/12/1cad6dfe-cc44-11e9-a4f3-c081a126de70_story.html|title=Ken Burns's 'Country Music' is full of high praise and heartbreak, but short on analysis|last=Stuever|first=Hank|date=September 12, 2019|work=The Washington Post|access-date=2020-03-09}}

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|tt9708550}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVOZl671ssY Official Extended Trailer]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_7gcq5AYrg PBS NewsHour Interview]

{{Ken Burns}}

Category:Films directed by Ken Burns

Category:Documentary films about country music and musicians

Category:2019 American television series debuts

Category:2019 American television series endings