PBS Previews: Country Music

(Rochester, NY) - This September, Ken Burns tells the story of Country Music. Catch a special preview of this exciting series before its premiere with PBS Previews: Country Music, airing on Monday, August 19, 2019 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV. Meet the filmmakers, go behind the scenes, and enjoy exclusive clips from the films.

From its deep and tangled roots in ballads, blues and hymns performed in small settings, to its worldwide popularity, Country Music explores how country music evolved over the course of the twentieth century. The eight-part 16-hour series, which premieres Monday, September 15 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV, 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.

Produced by Burns and his long-time collaborators Dayton Duncan and Julie Dunfey, the series chronicles country music’s early days, from southern Appalachia’s songs of struggle, heartbreak and faith to the rollicking Western swing of Texas, California’s honky-tonks and Nashville’s “Grand Ole Opry.” The film follows the evolution of country music over the course of the 20^th century as it eventually emerges to become “America’s music.” 

Country Music explores crucial questions –– “What is country music?” and “Where did it come from?”–– while focusing on the biographies of the fascinating trailblazers who created and shaped it — from the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe and Bob Wills to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks and many more — as well as the times in which they lived. Much like the music itself, the film tells unforgettable stories of hardships and joys shared by everyday people. 

Courtesy of PBS