10 Things I Learned from Ken Burns' Country Music Documentary

[@wendywatching]

I loved the documentary so, so, so much. One notable thing: In decades past, record companies and producers stuck with an artist even if they didn't sell. From 1962-72, Willie Nelson made 14 records. Many of them didn't chart at all. Other artists had similar career experiences. You would never, in a million years, see something like that today. The best thing about the documentary was being reminded of musicians I hadn't thought about in years. Out of all the songs featured, the one that got stuck in my head was "Streets of Bakersfield". Such a fun song/duet! I'd totally forgotten how much I appreciate Buck Owens.

[@fivecitydirttracker4776]

As someone who is a native California. Buck is still in my CD player on a regular basis. Marty Robbins and Dwight not to mention Dylan are also regularly played. ✌🌅

[@terrybrinson7659]

I really appreciate Buck Owens more than ever

[@Banjo362]

I got the it on DVD for my birthday, my favorite is disc one where they talk about rural folk music old time music like banjos and fiddle roots music. I love Old Time Music.

[@cheriflounory64]

Usually when people ask me what kind of music I like, my answer is "I like almost anything...except country." I honestly can't say that anymore. At first my interest in this documentary was strictly as a music lover wanting to understand something I didn't. It grew into something way more. I loved that he delved into the history of how much of a mish mash of sounds Country came from. I have a whole new respect for Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson in particular. One of the most important things I learned, was that I actually know, and like more country music than I realized. Having grown up in 70's/80's rural, predominantly white mid-Michigan, the radio station played more country music than anything else, but at the time I just considered it music. I wasn't thinking about the differences between what I was hearing from Kenny Rogers and Eagles. It was all just music. I also learned, some of the older stuff I like, because it just sounded good. The voices, the mixture of sounds, and some of the most heartbreaking lyrics...we can all relate to one song or another. Now when I'm asked, "What kind of music do you like", I can honestly say "Music"!

[@michellecrist653]

Yeah for a fellow Michigander. I grew up with Country 24/7 from my mom and my gram!

[@uppastdawn7627]

I highly recommend getting into Hank Williams (Sr.) in addition to the others you mention.

[@philaphobic]

*Mid michigan high five*

[@MeadeSkeltonMusic]

I'm the opposite. Country is the only genre that really matters , IMO. That and Mozart.

[@rongrantga]

I watched it from start to finish. I've read criticisms about omissions but nowhere does it say complete history of country music. A new audience has been exposed via PBS. Good job Ken Burns.

[@Kat22Kit]

The documentary was so good! I watched the whole thing with my mother & grandmother. I knew a lot already about country music being raised on it but there was so much to learn. And it was fun to here my family’s stories through the decades about what they loved and remembered.

[@JCIJB]

Pretty happy he covered my favorite, Townes Van Zandt. Man is a genius.

[@brianc9374]

I don't like country much, but that guy is great

[@e1ochai]

Now I have to see it knowing he's in it.

[@michaelfox9510]

Thanks for this. I also really loved Ken Burns' doc series - but I'm coming at it from sort of the opposite perspective as you. I'm an old-time and bluegrass fiddler who mostly plays with alt-folk acts and singer-songwriters. I think sometimes my community can be guilty of snobbery and a tendency to look down on Nashville and commercialized country, and think only the older stuff is "authentic" - and seeing the later episodes helped me see how much great music I missed out on by not taking country music seriously. I think Marty Stewart said some things I really appreciated like that "of course the music is always changing, but there's also always going to be something calling us back to our roots." There are all these recordings that I was tempted to not take seriously by George Jones and Loretta Lynn and Dwight Yokum - and I was amazed to learn how much musical excellence went into the songwriting and recording. So I'm really grateful for Ken Burns to push me out of my prejudices and open up my ears to a really rich musical universe.

[@rockpaperscissors82]

Kristofferson was a renaissance man: a janitor, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, an Airborne Ranger helicopter pilot, a boxer, an actor, and a country music star. And for what it's worth, my favorite album featuring his songs is Waylon Jennings' The Taker/Tulsa from 1971. It has four Kristofferson compositions.

[@9989Wolverine]

Kristofferson completed ranger school, which is a leadership course. He was not an army ranger.

[@rockpaperscissors82]

@@9989Wolverine I was just quoting from Kristofferson's official website where the bio says that he was an "Airborne Ranger helicopter pilot."

[@robertcampbell8070]

@@9989Wolverine He also wouldn't be Airborne unless he completed jump school, so I think he was more of a helicopter pilot that finished Ranger school.

[@9989Wolverine]

@@robertcampbell8070 if he was given orders to an airborne unit he would be airborne but completing airborne school just gives you a pin to wear on your uniform

[@robertcampbell8070]

@@9989Wolverine Nope, sorry. That's not how it works. If you don't jump, you aren't Airborne. You're just a leg who was lucky enough to get posted to a good unit.

[@daleminton6822]

Johnny Cash and June Carter owned a house in Virginia near where The Carter Family lived. I would see them occasionally at the grocery store. They were the most gracious people, it must have taken them hours to do their shopping because they stopped and talked to everyone, they were so beloved as are all of the Carters. My nephew is engaged to one of Sarah and AP Carter's great great granddaughters. Also being from Southwest Virginia many people from here migrated to Eastern Kentucky in the 1800's so through genealogy research I've learned that I share common ancestors with Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn, and Chris Stapleton.

[@robfab5204]

What city or town in Southwest Virginia

[@daleminton6822]

Near Bristol in a little community called Gate City.

[@63DW89A]

@arthur wiebe Dale Minton is telling the truth. The "Carter Fold" is located on the south side of the Clinch Mountains, near a little community named "Hiltons". Gate City is located on the North side of the Clinch Mountains, and Weber City is immediately on the South side with Hiltons a bit to the East, travelling towards Bristol. Moccasin Gap, thru the Clinch Mountains, allows direct travel between Gate City and Weber City on U.S. 23. The Warrior's Path of the Cherokee and Shawnee, traveled thru Moccasin Gap, all the way down the Powell Valley, thru Cumberland Gap into the Kentucky hunting grounds. Daniel Boone's Wilderness Road followed the Warrior's Path. It is an area of stunning natural beauty.

[@juanitadaleslusher9338]

What a cool story about Johnny and June!

[@appalachianqueen8369]

arthur wiebe I will vouch for Dale Minton. Those of us who have deep roots in Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, East Tennessee , Southern West Virginia and Western North Carolina have common ancestry and it is not unusual to find that despite having different last names, different birth places within the region, etc, we can find a common ancestor or two a few generations back. I am probably related to Dale, Patty Loveless whose birth last name is Ramey, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam and Ralph Stanley. We are descendants of the first immigrants to America who thrived and became part of the migration of people who eventually populated the entire US. With a few hours of ancestry research, we can connect the dots and dispel your doubts.

[@DanielOrme]

Ken Burns is such a master storyteller. He recounts these immense decades-spanning stories, yet always finds the most compelling details. For example, I never knew that Roger Miller, then just an obscure Nashville songwriter, joined the search for Patsy Cline's plane and was the one who first spotted the wreckage. Or that Mother Maybelle Carter was the one to bring Chet Atkins to Nashville, standing off all the established guitarists who tried to keep him out for fear he would take away their jobs (which he did! :) ) Or how, when The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band came to Nashville to record what would become the classic album "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," it was Maybelle's early agreement to join them that would convince the other old-time stars to also participate. Or how "Poncho and Lefty" made its way from Townes Van Zandt through Emmylou Harris to Willie & Merle. It's like a great multi-generation novel with an enormous cast of characters that remain connected.

[@briank7399]

Yes that was sad PT 2 and 3 were downers dealing with the deaths of HANK Sr. and PATSY although I knew this the way they were told in each of those episodes and how they ended it with their deaths left me shock and sad as if I was hearing it for the first time

[@samuelbaldwin7856]

The thing I learned that shocked me the most was how young Patsy Cline was when she died. I had NO idea she was that young. She sounded so mature that I assumed she had to have been mid-40’s maybe when “Crazy” came out. Crazy that Willie Nelson wrote it! Never knew all these connections existed! So amazing!

[@samanthab1923]

Everyone looked older than they were back then. Everyone's parents look 30 in their yearbooks.

[@MeadeSkeltonMusic]

@@samanthab1923 some high school kids today look 35.

[@samanthab1923]

Sad 😭 but true.

[@paxamoamicus]

My grandpa produced some of the biggest names in bluegrass in the 70’s. They were playing a show in Roanoke and the sound system at the venue was down. Merle Haggard saved the day by loaning them his semi full of speakers. I always think of my grandpas story when I think of Merle haggard.

[@paxamoamicus]

arthur wiebe it’s not though. If you look up Rebel Records. My grandpa, Charles Freeland, was one of the founders. It produced Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, The Country Gentleman, etc. He had other labels too through the years,that is beside the point though. The band was Bluegrass 45, a band out of Japan that my grandpa brought over and toured the states with.

[@katycrawford8101]

no one: grady: NEXT 👏🏻 THING 👏🏻

[@darren.cooper]

I actually found your channel because of the Ken Burns doc and have watched a lot of your videos since then. Great stuff, man. Keep it up!!

[@colinhaines9369]

Marty Stuart said it perfectly when he said as far as guitar players, there’s Maybelle Carter and then everyone else.

[@HeyThatsInteresting97]

Colin Haines this. And sara carter for singing

[@Doug_M]

If you leave out Roy Clark, Glen Campbell, and Jerry Reed.

[@goodun2974]

@@Doug_M , those 3 reached their peak years later.

[@Doug_M]

@@goodun2974 Roy Clark had been playing since the 50's though most casual country fans only know him from Hee-Haw. Glen Campbell was part of the Wrecking Crew, studio musicians out of California. They were two of the greatest guitarists of country music, and probably any other genre.

[@goodun2974]

@@Doug_M , not arguing those facts, but Mother Maybelle predates them by 20 years. Have you seen the ZBBC documentary Lost Highway? I highly recommend it.

[@neffzilla]

I just finished episode 2. What I was happily surprised to learn so far is just how much women, and African Americans influenced early country music. I think that's really cool. It was also cool that so many artists joined the war effort in WW2.

[@elc1960]

If my mother had been alive when it was released, she would have bought a copy of the DVD set of the Country Music doc. I know for certain she wouldn't have missed a second of the PBS broadcast.

[@angelocatapang6054]

early,early country and western music from around the 1900s through the 1950s.very rock n roll.proto rock n roll.rock n roll at large wouldn't obviously exist without folk,jazz,blues and of course country.

[@WillGreenComedy]

I found it interesting how the country music's early growth was so tied with the explosion of radio, and how the conglomeration of radio recently has narrowed it's scope. (or at least the scope of what makes it on country radio)

[@Darthrckus66]

Now we need a sequel covering the truck driving craze that led to Smoky and the Bandit. A flirtation with disco country in the early 70's. And the influence of Crystal Gayle, Eddie Rabbit and Kenny Rogers on Country Pop.

[@goodun2974]

David Ellefson, Most of us are trying to forget those aberrations.

[@michelledavidson8190]

Love Kenny Rogers, I love all kinds of country music from 1950's-2019.

[@timscherrer9924]

I wrote a book about the CB era: Crashed the Gate Doing Ninety-Eight. You can google the book and I also have a KZbin that’s an hour on it. Search on the title and it pops up.

[@michelledavidson8190]

@@timscherrer9924 what's the CB era.

[@michelledavidson8190]

@@goodun2974 I'd rather that era than some of today's country music, such as bro country.

[@MiJukie]

I was surprised to find out that Shel Silverstein wrote a couple of my favorite songs like A Boy Named Sue

[@samanthab1923]

Chrystal Hernandez Yeah right that was something.

[@goforbroke28]

Oh My! When my coworker told me if I had seen or watching the Ken Burns about Country Music, I kinda said oh yeah I'll watch... Then one night at work I looked for it and that was the beginning of my road down memory lane. I was born in Southern Mexico, my Mother, siblings and I came in 1968 to the USA, don't worry we came legally lol. After 3 yrs We went back to visit in December, as We left the L.A. subs, going into the desert no more FM, just AM and that's when I 1st heard old Country, many many songs I never knew the singer or who was playing. But thanks to this mini series, I now have a Hank Williams on my pandora. One song stood out more then any... Hey Good Looking. And like you I never linked June Carter to the Carter Family lol, then the DOH moment, slap on the face! LOL

[@lancer8158]

Learned that “Johnny” from Devil Went Down to Georgia was Fiddling John Carson

[@bigfootreal43]

Alex_R.A.Rick .... Check my new country album out on my profile and SoundCloud

[@sharonthreeton7590]

I have lived and breathed Country Music my whole 70 years. I loved the early history that I had never heard before. I was four when Hank Sr died and in high school when Patsy Cline died. Before Hank I was not educated about the earlier years.. That was so interesting! One of the best things I learned is that my impression of Faron Young was way off. Never judge a book by the cover lesson learned once more in my life. I loved his voice but had never bought any of his records because I thought him to be like a smart aleck with the short man syndrome and a hot headed temper. I may also be correct, but I learned he also had a kind side and generous with his support of the first black man, Charlie Pride, to sing country music. Also his lending Willie Nelson $500 instead of letting Willie sell the rights to his song , which when the royalty check came it, Willie paid him back with a big ole kiss on his lips! I have enjoyed every minute of the show and may just have to watch again in case I missed something!!!!! P.S. I stopped listening to Country Radio because Country Music is not aired any more! I listen to more Americana Music, EmiSunshine is the future of Real Country Music at 15 years old and writing her own songs. Please take a listen to her. She lead me to appreciate artist like Tyler Childers, Chris Knight, Jason Isbell, Matt Woods, Chris Stapleton, Cody Jinks, Stirgil Simpson,etc. There are so many awesome entertainers not on Country Radio.

[@windycitykitty]

I enjoy EmiSunshine, too. Her singing led me to seek out and discover Jimmy Rogers music several years ago, all of the Blue Yodel songs. Through that, I discovered Rex Griffin...and so on. Prior to that, my Country Music knowledge began with the music of Ol’ Hank, which my mother sang to us kids while playing the ukulele. I did not discover that they were Hank Williams songs until I was in my 40s, and mom had passed. I felt as though I had stumbled upon a treasure chest of riches!

[@sharonthreeton7590]

@@windycitykitty It is amazing to hear someone else who was lead to these treasures that happened so long ago by a little 9 year old girl from East Tennessee singing her heart out in a Sweetwater Flea Market ! Blue Yodel #6 was her first viral video and just to look at her now at 15 . She is sticking to her roots and writing some awesome songs!

[@thomasknash]

The biggest thing I learned from it was 1) the origin of the Americana genre, and 2) what "killed" country music (record companies wanting to only put out huge money makers, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 made radio monopolies where they all play the same playlist).

[@NikkiCox81]

O.M.G. my grandmother and her siblings LOVED Jimmie Rogers. Her sister learned to yodel because they loved him so much. They also loved Gene Autry. I have unfair disdain for country music (mostly pre-80s) because they were so relentless about their love for country and western music (their words). Slowly, slowly I'm overcoming that because as an Alabamian and a southerner I feel like I should at least appreciate classic country music more.

[@chriscoulthard7282]

I learnt so much from this great series. Ken Burns is a terrific documentary film maker. Ps Jason And The Scorchers have been the greatest country rock band of the last thirty years. Just my opinion of course.

[@hondah35]

When I was young my grandpa pretty much wore out various 8-track tapes of Marty Robbins. A talented musician with a wonderful voice.

[@jimward1586]

Being from a 'Holler" in Va, I have pretty well all ways known about the S.W. Va gifts to country music. As a young child in the 50's I was exposed to the "Grand Ole Opry" as my father listened to it every Saturday. I collect old radios, so I still listen to WSM on an old AM radio that was made in the early 50's. I really dislike the sound of modern country music, the 50's and 60's had the best music no doubt. But as was pointed out in the videos,wait a few years, it will come back to what you like. I enjoy the videos very much, kudos to Ken Burns.

[@Etatdesiege1979]

For the last week I have found myself singing to myself “I Saw the Light” and weeping at the same time. I have sang to my 3 year old “You are My Sunshine”. I am so glad that I have been exposed to this music, more like this “chorus” of voices from the people of the Unites States.

[@johnwilliams2768]

We should recognize the BBC documentary Lost Highway covered much of this history some years ago.

[@MelkayeS]

It's on youtube too

[@Jamakaya1]

It's great but not anywhere near this comprehensive -- 16 and a half hours!

[@oldmcdonald9582]

yes it did but it didnt have this narrator. not sure who it is but iv heard him before on kens docs and i love to hear him talk. peter coyote did some of his docs

[@JasonHalversonjaydog]

like you said, it seems to cycle every 20-25 years or so. first in the early 60's with patsy cline and strings and orchestral sound then again in the late 70's with the urban cowboy sound then randy travis and them taking it back in the mid 80's and again now turning more pop in the 2010s til now with traditional country making a comeback

[@JohnLee-ue6gy]

Yeah, I don't know if country ever got 'less country' than The Bellamy Brothers and Eddie Rabbitt, and even that was decent to listen to. And they aren't 'not country' in a way that makes them some other genre [unless whatever Jimmy Buffett does is a genre], just that they were the evolution of country for that time period.

[@slappy8941]

Country is shit and will always be shit because of the Trashville system.

[@k33k32]

Kristopherson being a Rhodes Scholar blew my mind! And it was great to get Rhiannon Giddens input - she's an enormous talent and super smart. I think Country music tends to pretend to be anti-intellectual; but it definitely benefits from people who bring a great deal of thought and a full understanding of their history to the art.

[@HeyThatsInteresting97]

And the song that Rosanne Cash sang for her dad when he was dying was The Winding Stream by the Original Carter family, and she mentioned that he came up in the world listening to the carters, and went out listening to them

[@IH1256MAN]

For the most part I liked the documentary. I was however surprised/disappointed that there were literally like 15 seconds mentioned about Conway Twitty and that was only dealing with the duets with Loretta Lynn. The man had 55 #1s throughout the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. I felt that maybe a little more could have been said about him because he really kinda pushed the envelope with his provocative music. And I'm not saying this because you think I'm his #1 fan....I have many others I like more than him..but I thought he sould have more said about him. Off my soapbox now....lol

[@thomaswelcomer8443]

There were a few who dominated in their time. Don Williams. Charlie Rich. To name a couple that were passing thoughts. This documentary isn't meant to be all-encompassing. Its meant more to be thought provoking. Makes you want to know more.....right?

[@hd-xc2lz]

@@thomaswelcomer8443 Agreed. I'm sure the cutting room floor is covered in the many more minutes so many viewers wish were devoted to their favorite country star. A documentary still has to tell a somewhat shaped story, no one wants to watch the encyclopedic version.

[@samanthab1923]

Mark Larson my son who is 22 mentioned this. What about Twitty City?

[@nicolemcatee4857]

Mark Larson I read something about there was some disputes over his estate at the time this was made and so they weren’t able to use much footage of him.

[@samanthab1923]

I did see a show about wills awhile back and Conway's was a mess. The adult children were all suing the much younger wife.

[@carlathedestructor2454]

It was a really good music doc. I was interested by how the quack who transplanted goat glands into men created Mexican border blaster radio and spread country music farther than ever before.

[@blueduck444]

I had grown up listening to "Outlaw" country but never knew the origins of the term until watching the documentary. Very cool story. I find it ironic that Willie Nelson had arguably his biggest hit as a writer on "Crazy" using the Nashville sound and yet he had to move out of Nashville and back to Texas and his roots to find real success. Also need to thank Ken Burns for showing us non Texans the origins of ZZTops "Heard it on the X"

[@katiev9494]

I LOVE Ken Burns documentaries. They’re always fantastic and I can’t wait to watch this one.

[@LadyTylerBioRodriguez]

I loved every minute of this documentary and I was kinda so so on country music as a genre outside of a few artists. Not anymore, I love it. I'm so glad they spotlighted Maybelle Carter, she doesn't get near enough recognition as the mother of country and being just an all around awesome lady.

[@bjcarew]

Country: Portraits of an American Sound (2015) on prime video, is a great documentary too

[@mattstanley8944]

I am a hard rock -new wave music lover and musician . However , I grew up hearing the outlaw movement and what I now know is the Bakersfield sound around our house in rural Missouri . The last couple of years I’ve been coming back to that music and have been watching your videos . I thought about you and your whole point of view on the current state of country music ( a lot )during the film . Thanks for telling us how it made you rethink a bit about your views . It was also nice to have someone separate the different styles of country music along with examples !!! I love Marty Stuart , Dwight Yoakum and Travis Tritt ! I was glad to see them in the film . I once met Billy Bob Thornton... he called me over because I was wearing a Johnny Cash shirt . He asked “ what is your favorite Johnny Cash song”? I replied “Sunday Morning coming down “. He said “ You know .. Johnny didn’t write that “! I said “ yes I know , Kris Kristofferson did and Johnny sang the hell out of it “! He just smiled and raised his glass! Then we just talked about country music for 30-40 minutes! It was great ! Thanks for the video !

[@2packs4sure]

I learned that the number 1 hitmaker in the 50's right in the thick of the Elvis onslaught and a guy who had a solid decade as the king of country music was allotted a full 5 seconds, just enough to pronounce his name twice. Webb Pierce,,,,,, hmmm,,, maybe it was 3 seconds......

[@heatherpollock2370]

My husband and I loved the documentary. We both came away with a deeper appreciation for country music but also the different artists themselves. It was 16 hours well spent! 😊

[@BeauJeffers]

I was disappointed that George Strait got so little attention, he was and is far more prolific than he is given credit. Johnny Cash is great no one disputes that but for crying out loud it's been done and it's honestly not that interesting any more. Just my thoughts, again a great channel.

[@katiev9494]

Shad DeGiorgis dang, I hadn’t watch it yet, but was really hoping GS would get the attention he deserves. He has a HUGE reach.

[@BeauJeffers]

katiev9494 GS has over 60 number 1 hits, more than anyone in any genre of music and I think you will agree once you watch it. With that said, this is a must watch for anybody who loves "real" country music

[@BeauJeffers]

J Mit I didn't think he had 60 number ones, but the documentary said 60 so I went with that number, I stand corrected. Agreed Conway and many others did not get enough coverage, but that's my point. Cash is super cool, their were a lot of guys and gals that were super cool that didn't get their due is all I'm saying.

[@AndrewVOdom]

Supposedly it was supposed to end by 1996 although he broke that for Johnny Cash. Many ‘60’s & 70s acts were overlooked or barely touched on (way too much on Emmylou) so I’m less concerned by the rush through the ‘90s... Great documentary, overall!

[@Jamakaya1]

Nice roundup and impressions. I loved it and was glad to see my girl Emmylou get credit for her long commitment to country music. Burns and his staff took years to make this doc. The sound mixing of the music and interviews and narration was superb!

[@SnowManson]

Have been looking forward to this video just so that it can inspire more people to watch the documentary if they haven't seen it. Was very good and even someone that doesn't like classic country would still enjoy it. With that said, here is what stood out to me the most. 1. Not only was the Carter family from a rural area of VA but from a place so bleak it was literally called "Poor Valley". This was a recurring theme throughout, almost all the trailblazers came from very rough beginnings. Dolly being on TV as a kid and her family having no way to see it because they were too poor to own a TV but also didn't even have power. 2. Was glad to learn about performers I had virtually no knowledge of like Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, etc. At the same time it showed how bluegrass has been pushed aside into it's own genre when the smoother "Nashville Sound" came along which is too bad since the banjo and fiddle sound so great when modern stars incorporate it in their music. 3. The background on WSM was great, basically the Opry was created to sell insurance. Also found it funny how the upper-class in Nashville was so opposed to the hillbilly influence and the name Opry came about from WSM trolling them back in the day. 4. Weird to see how radio played such a huge role in growing country music and now seeing what a mess it has become. Listening to SiriusXM's "The Highway" which I assume probably has the largest audience of a country music station but also has some of the absolute worst music programming. Easily the most popular song right now on that station is the Kane Brown/Marshmello song. They have also started hyping the Justin Bieber/Dan + Shay song. Thankfully Willie's Roadhouse, Outlaw and Bluegrass Junction are great. Great video Grady, appreciate all the effort put into your videos.

[@CCRoxtar]

I watched all 8 episodes of the series. It aired posthumously for some interviewees like Little Jimmy Dickens, Jean Shepherd & Merle Haggard; I'm glad their perspectives could be captured on video before they died. I was happy that the series spotlighted Waylon's masterpiece Dreaming My Dreams, listening to which was one of my earliest memories. Besides Waylon & Willie, I grew up listening to myriad artists who couldn't be mentioned: Deborah Allen, the Bellamy Brothers, John Conlee, Earl Thomas Conley, the Forester Sisters, Janie Fricke, Vern Gosdin, Charly McClain & Mel McDaniel. Shortly after the KB series ended I watched a PBS program about Nashville's Music Row narrated by Pam Tillis. Kathy Mattea was interviewed for both programs, but the Music Row program also had interviewees like the Bellamys & Ray Stevens. Music Row was originally intended to be a welcoming atmosphere to newcomers, but over decades that atmosphere deteriorates as new buildings replace old ones.

[@number2xtreme]

Nice! Just hit my mind yesterday that'd I'd like to hear your take on the new Ken Burns doc and here you drop a video on it🤠

[@tedfox4070]

Your insight into this great series is very good. I also learned a lot from this film as I had many misconceptions. I was also impressed with how many of the stars struggled out of poverty then had difficulty with success. The one thing I either missed or wasn't explained was the fact fifty years ago when I was young it was called Country and Western, now it is just Country. Was that a decision or just evolution. Thanks

[@Spodeboy]

Emmylou Harris was one of those that brought back some traditional country music.

[@debrafrieary5469]

Great recap Grady. I was glued to the TV watching this documentary. I learned alot too & plan to watch again sometime. I have been listening to country music since and enjoying it! I have enjoyed many of Ken Burns documentaries. Thanks for your enthusiasm and for sharing your thoughts.

[@alanatwood1243]

In 1978 I was 16 and a huge Jimmy Page rock guitar fan. One Sunday afternoon I was watching He-Haw, sneering at how uncool the show was...then Roy Clark and Jerry Reed stepped on stage. I’ll just say I got schooled that afternoon. Ask ANY guitar player. Roy and Jerry are guitar gods. They were shredding guitar before Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen ever picked up a guitar...and Eddie, Steve and Yngwie acknowledge that fact.

[@maxnorton1209]

Aside from everything else I loved about the whole thing, this gave me a real appreciation for Marty Stewart. I must admit, until I saw what encyclopedic knowledge of the history of Country Music, its performers, musicians, and songwriters, and how amazing his own story was, I just dismissed as "the guy with the hair, who toured with Travis Tritt". Pleasantly surprised. He is also now in the same esteemed place of Ken Burns' documentary historian/spokespeople/storytellers as Shelby Foote (Civil War) and Buck O'Neil (Baseball), among others.

[@kshafer22]

Totally agree!!

[@briank7399]

Me too He was a fan boy who played in the bands and with it's stars he loved as a boy , married the country music star he was crushing on as a boy full circle like many in country music

[@samanthab1923]

And saved all that memorabilia.

[@mr.rogers9849]

Thanks for doing this. I freaking loved the Ken Burns series so I am really glad you made a video on it.

[@crusincamry]

Definitely ditch the hand clap bumper.

[@audraberry4941]

I loved your disclaimer in the beginning, but I totally Lol'd and face palmed when you admitted not knowing June was one of "those" Carters. 🤭❤ I haven't finished the series yet (we've been streaming it on the PBS app as life/time allows) but I've loved what I've seen so far. As far as your criticism of the music, keep at it Grady! There's a lot of us out here that agree with you, and like you said, the criticism itself is just another part of country music. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Keep on keeping on!

[@hyperspacehub0115]

My favorite episode is “don’t get above your raisin” because it was just awesome. It was also very emotional at some points, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s my favorite episode.

[@SnowManson]

Christopher Moskosky definitely had the best title. Had not heard that expression before.

[@Mark2756042]

I had mixed feelings on the final episode. The 90s was such a transformative decade for country music where its commercial success exploded beyond what anybody imagined possible....yet Burns glossed over many of the era's most successful emissaries like Alan Jackson and Brooks and Dunn....instead dedicating about a quarter of the episode to the post-commercial years of Johnny Cash and the death of Bill Monroe? I can sort of see it from a narrative standpoint--and Burns clearly wasn't a fan of the more pop-centered acts--but I felt he fell short in a couple of segments in identifying the artists that dominated their respective eras.

[@SF-op5ix]

I learned to not get above my raisin 😂

[@joshlangston8169]

A couple of things: 1. Thanks so much for this video. Love watching you and hearing you opinions and you constantly expose me to new country music. 2. Please dont do the clapping anymore. Its annoying. 3. Do you have any control over the ads? They seem to cut your videos at the least opportune moments. Really annoying.

[@mdunn4555]

I loved this documentary which was very surprising for me, I never considered myself a country music fan. However as I watched so many of these musicians and great songs I was singing along with them and that I was a huge fan. I always loved Bluegrass and Appalachian music, that is the music of my DNA. I did know the history of the Carters and Johnny Cash because even us "rockers" loved Johnny Cash. What warmed me most was how interconnected we are all, country, rock, bluegrass, blues it is who we all are as humans.

[@elanewriter9655]

Loved Kens Burns country Music he did a great job!

[@mkmapp01]

First off kudos to the another Virginian. I was raised in Virginia Beach but my dad was from Tennessee and mom from Virginia. I love all Ken Burns docs. He spends so much time on getting the facts. My favorite so far has got to be the Country Music one. I grew up with my father singing Hank, Roger Miller, Buck Owens and so many more. We watched Hee Haw every Saturday night. Look their making fun of themselves. I have a diverse love of music. I love Led Zeppelin, Skynyrd, Son House, most of the old country and even Jack White. Music if it's good, good to you, it speaks to the soul.

[@strigoviro5785]

Hey fellow Virginian! What an excellent and eloquent commentary. Great insights and observations. 🙂

[@GRANTKEEL]

I found out about it around episode 5, so thanks for letting us know it’s on their website so I can catch up on the other episodes!

[@Lunia2004]

I hadn’t heard Long Black Veil since I was a kid. It’s now on my play list (and now stuck in my head forever )

[@michaelinthebathroom7560]

I'm sixteen and it's been one of my favorite songs. I first heard it listening to a bluegrass station with my dad during a hurricane in the late 2000s. Loved the song since then.

[@secolerice]

Mick Jagger did a version of it with The Chieftains. I thought it was an Irish tune until this documentary!

[@TexasArmyVet]

Man this was a great documentary. People have been fighting about what is and isn’t country music since the beginning. Man how dare you not know about June Carter Cash....j/k man. Keep doing what you are doing brother!

[@cliffordholloway6291]

Glad you got Jimmie Rogers as being the early rock star of country music. Being from Meridian Mississippi I grew up with him and the festival. Also Marty Stuart is from just up the road. Thanks for your thoughts.

[@ORflycaster]

I still haven't seen the film yet, but visited with my folks after they watched each episode, and they loved it. I can't wait to watch it too.

[@bruscifer]

I loved it too! I just wish they had spent a little more time on George Strait. Not sure why they didn't.

[@robertmoore2049]

Or Alan Jackson…

[@davesmith7283]

Not a big country fan but great series. Love the outlaw years in part 7. Would like to have seen a few more parts to bring it up to current times to show where country is today.

[@chrisw2963]

I'm not a huge Country fan but I watched it because I've enjoyed Ken Burns' previous documentaries. What surprised me the most was that the Grand Ole Opry and the station it broadcast on were basically created to help sell insurance.

[@darrknight1971]

Hey Grady! Man I loved it! So many things I didn't know and a lot that I did. This coming from an African American who has always loved cpuntry! Ken Burns docs are a part of American history! Simply awesome. Hooked from the word go! Thanks for your thoughta. O waa waiting for your reaction.

[@itsdavew5766]

Your DISCLAIMER is spot on by the way - I have loved Country since the mid-70s....but my brain just doesn't work in a way where I can recall facts from decades ago. Even my favourite artists....I wouldn't be able to tell you all their songs and lyrics and every band member they ever had. Wish I could....but I just can't! So people who seem to gloat about knowing EVERYTHING and looking down on those that don't know it all.

[@Mark2756042]

I agreed with most of your points about the film and especially appreciate your humbled epiphany from the final point. I'm not a fan of most of the country music of the past decade but I try not to get caught up in criticisms connected to the evolving sound. While I may not like the infusion of hip-hop into so much of modern country, I don't think it's my place to refer to it as not being country any more than John Denver's critics in 1975 referred to his music as not country. With that said, there's a vapidness and emptiness lyrically to this decade's country music that is harder for me to excuse....and you lost me when you compared this decade's country music to that of the 80s. Clearly Burns wasn't a fan of the "urban cowboy" era. I grew up on it and am fond of the sound despite being nontraditional. But ultimately, the lyrics and arguably the soul were there. Can anybody point to a country lyric from the 80s as dumb or offensive as "the girls 'round here they all deserve a whistle....shaking that sugar sweet as Dixie crystal"? The 2010s was a beast in its own league in the pantheon of country music history not because of how pop-centered it got but because of how empty it was.....and I'd be curious to hear a compelling argument disputing that.

[@carlathedestructor2454]

You wrote was I was thinking but worded in a much better way. The lyrics I 've heard from this era of country don't have heart. And no story songs as far as I can tell either.

[@shawnuel]

Loved hearing from Holly Williams about her grandfather. She is an EXTREMELY good artist herself.

[@goodun2974]

As for the *instrumentation* of country and bluegrass, fiddles, mandolins, and banjos did get a basic back-story in the documentary, but that other mainstay of country music, the various forms of *steel* guitar ---- including Dobros and other "resonator" guitars, the early acoustic lap steel guitar styles that started in Hawaii, the fact that the VERY FIRST electric guitars were lap steel guitars, and how they evolved to include string-pulling, pitch- shifting pedals ---- all of this got left out. A quick synopsis for those who might not know: lap-style slide guitar evolved in Hawaii on acoustic instruments, and the 1906 Worlds Fair brought Hawaiian musicians to the mainland US, and caused a national sensation, to the point where almost any guitar bought via mail order for several decades afterward automatically came with a slide bar and a conversion nut for raising the strings higher. Standard acoustic guitars, however, weren't loud enough to be heard over the horn section in the popular jazz bands of the 20s, and a trio of Czechoslovakian brothers named Dopyera came up with the idea of putting thin aluminum cones, like speaker cones, inside guitars as a form of mechanical acoustic amplification, and these guitars ---- some with round necks, some designed for laying flat on the lap ---- actually had metal bodies as well. Their National Guitar Company faced internal squabbling and a hostile takeover, and then the Depression hit; two of the Doperya brothers left to form the Do-Bro company, putting metal cones inside woodbody guitars with flat necks so they'd rest comfortably in the players lap, and these became de rigeur for many country and bluegrass bands. Meanwhile, Adolfo Rickenbacher was experimenting with solid body electric guitar designs for lap-style slide playing, one made of molded Bakelite plastic, and another made of aluminum that was shaped a bit like a banjo or a frying pan......guess which nickname name stuck!? During WWII, electronic amplification technology underwent enormous improvement, and after the war electric lap steel guitars grew in popularity, and around 1948 or 49, several players ( I forget who) were experimenting with pitch-shifting mechanisms and dual necks, with as many as 10 strings per neck.

[@sraiken]

Good job. Agree with what you said. I wish I had a signed Ken Burns poster. Love the film, bought the DVD set to pass to my sons.

[@Jamakaya1]

Gotta say again the sound mixing of the music and interviews and narration was awesome! Their sound team better win some Emmy Awards!

[@HeyThatsInteresting97]

Never heard of this channel but so happy to see someone covering this. I just finished it it was my favorite by Ken. I’m actually going to be making a presentation like this one so I’m really excited to see this

[@marthabixler1606]

Bob Dylan recorded 3 albums in Nashville because that's where all the best musicians were

[@brooklynanderson1025]

Okay, there are more important things in this video, but Grady. You thought Walk The Line was boring? Haha

[@jugsmcflugs4954]

You should do a video series on your favorite songs from each decade or like from each influential artist or like from each style of country music. It would be interesting

[@theeverything9768]

Thanks for the review Grady! (I like your disclaimer too)

[@Indigo810]

I love anything done by Ken Burns so I was very excited about this documentary. I learned so much about country music with this. I never liked country until I discovered Blake Shelton when I saw his video She Wouldn’t Be Gone. I’ve since fallen into country.

[@brianfrederick9799]

It's funny to think about what was too pop for country music 40 years ago and is totally considered country nowadays. Glen Campbell comes to mind. Let's not forget the drums weren't considered a country music instrument once upon a time.

[@anajoy87]

I loved this documentary! My great-grandparents on my dad's side (who were also named Smith - from Smith Mountain) lived at the time outside of Woodlawn, WV - only 15 miles away from the original Carter family! Those hillbilly roots are still in my family! Also after watching the first two episodes, it made me realize to a greater extent the importance for the characters in 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou' to get to the radio station competition.

[@lizabethjovh13]

I absolutely loved the docuseries, have thought about watching it again soon. The facts that I learned and was shocked by was 1. Shel Silverstein (Author of The Giving Tree) wrote A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash and was a cartoonist for Play boy 2. Reba performed Crazy by Patsy Cline as the closing song. Then that night after the concert her crew passed in a plane crash (same way Patsy passed.)

[@HeyThatsInteresting97]

I was there with you about June Carter!!! And I also saw walk the line in my teens and didn’t really get it! Dude you’re great

[@tahoemike5828]

I really enjoyed the film. My favorite that they didn't get to is Alison Krauss. I also wish it had come a little further toward modern times and talked about the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?", its soundtrack, and the concert film, "Down From The Mountain," that accompanied it. That was a huge moment in introducing Bluegrass and Country to a new generation. It helped show this ol' Deadhead that there is so much more happening now than the country pop that I've never cared for.

[@Etatdesiege1979]

Tahoe Mike “As I went down to the river to pray/ Studying about that good ol’ way/ And who shall wear the starry crown? Good lord show me the way.

[@frankspence8723]

Don't say "NEXT THING" on your future videos. Just keepin' it real. Great channel!

[@tomuchcamoflauge]

Your June Carter epiphany was like me when I realized Crystal Gayle was Loretta Lynn's baby sister

[@christinexjuly]

For the record, I actually enjoyed the clapping and found it very energizing and exciting! Am I the only one? Maybe that's the millennial in me! Of course, I enjoyed this documentary thoroughly and binged the whole thing like there was no tomorrow. I've heard all these names before, but never really knew how they were connected to each other through time. Suddenly everything fits together! I was thinking about doing a similar video, but you beat me to it! Perhaps I still might... we shall see!

[@Island-Girl]

Yes, you're the only one who actually enjoyed the clapping. LOL

[@jerryscriven1281]

Been a country fan all my life so documentary felt very personal and a joy to watch. I laughed for the fun and interesting parts and teared for all the pain that underpins so much of the history.

[@TMats100]

Good show, Grady. You took the wind from my sails with your last take-away, that there has always been controversy in Country Music about what IS and what ISN’T Country. Along the same lines, I knew that Chet Atkins was effectively the “Mayor of Nashville” for a period of time and I understand he was one of those most responsible for making Nashville “Music City.” I didn’t know that he steered the move to the “Nashville Sound” that was also controversial to Country Music Fans and other entertainers in Country. One final thing. Minnie Pearl. How fascinating to find out that she was Nashville high society, active in philanthropy and other community events, but she put on her costume and became the woman from Butcher Holler.

[@johnstoops943]

Butcher Holler was Loretta Lynn's home growing up.. Minnie Pearl created stories about "Grinder's Switch". I suspect Minnie's monologues about Grinder's Switch inspired "Lake Woebegone"

[@TMats100]

@@johnstoops943 Of course you’re right, John; I don’t know what I was thinking

[@charliejohnson1937]

I hope the line "Play that Carter Scratch" makes it into some Country songs soon

[@sofiadougherty6430]

A fantastic documentary! Very engaging & I have a new appreciation of Country Music💕

[@angiehawkins8289]

I loved the little piece about Minnie Pearl. I didn't know she was a college educated comedienne.

[@cos2mer2]

LOVED the doc! Thanks for your vid....much appreciated.

[@jennastorr4832]

I have the book and it was fun to learn about the history of country music

[@matthewgudikunst7908]

The moment that surprised me was that Vince Gill was in Pure Prairie League for a few years.

[@clashfan2875]

Me too!

[@goodun2974]

I live in fear of being stuck in an elevator with "Amy" playing repeatedly.....

[@clashfan2875]

@@goodun2974 Dammit! Now it's stuck in my head on a loop....thanks.