The new (Fall 2019) documentary “Country Music” by renowned filmmaker Ken Burns is more than just the story of an industry. It’s the story of humanity written one note at a time. It captures country music’s ability to cross all kinds of divides—cultural, religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic. It gave me hope that we can overcome our differences and create a better world.
John and I enjoyed every minute of the series. It distilled 101 interviews, 700 hours of archival clips, and 100,000 still photos into a remarkably moving tapestry woven from so many different threads of history, culture, and humanity.
The quintessential American music is influenced by so many music traditions brought to it by Native Americans, African slaves, European pioneers, and more. Its history is intertwined inextricably with this country’s history and many hardships: its wars, the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, the Industrial Revolution, Prohibition, and more.
At its core, Country Music holds the hopes and fears, the celebrations and laments, the faith and despair of its people—universal themes that cross every cultural or socioeconomic divide you might want to construct.
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CLICK HERE for instructions on how to watch this series on public television (PBS):
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