# (Ken Burns) Country Music Documentary **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317 "2019-09-16T15:26:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/61 "2019-09-23T18:00:22Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > To be exact, we’re at mid-1968. Glen Campbell will host his variety show for the first time in the summer of 1968. Tammy Wynette comes out with “Stand By Your Man.” \* Hee-Haw\* comes along a year later, along with Johnny Cash’s TV variety show and Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee.” > > Country music is about to get its 15 minutes of fame. I have watched all eight episodes, they are available online. There was no additional coverage in the later episodes, just that few second mention. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/62 "2019-09-23T18:18:38Z")
PSA: You can watch all eight episodes here: > **[Country Music | PBS](https://www.pbs.org/show/country-music/)** > > Hear the remarkable stories of the people and places behind a true American art form. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/63 "2019-09-23T19:45:11Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Yeah > I couldn’t done without Jack White going on and on. Sure you like Loretta and all, but really your contribution to Country Music was a foot note, at best. > And his hair was extremely stoopid! I think the purpose of including Jack White was to make Marty Stuart’s hair seem downright pedestrian by comparison. Heh, when typing that I accidently wrote “Jack Black” at first, and that would have been a more interesting person to include. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/64 "2019-09-23T19:46:07Z")
Dwight Yoakam got me teary eyed last night when he started crying quoting Merle Haggard’s lyrics. And I loved how 12 year old Marty Stuart said he was going to marry 29 year old Connie Smith, and he wound up doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/65 "2019-09-23T20:15:32Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Yeah > I couldn’t done without Jack White going on and on. Sure you like Loretta and all, but really your contribution to Country Music was a foot note, at best. > And his hair was extremely stoopid! What was wrong with his hair? I thought he looked surprisingly well groomed. It was short and combed. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/66 "2019-09-24T00:03:58Z")
> [@Periwinkle](#): > > PSA: You can watch all eight episodes here: > > [Country Music | PBS](https://www.pbs.org/show/country-music/episodes/season/1/) Heh, was on the same site this morning and it gave the impression they wouldn’t be available until they aired. But if you go ahead and click on the videos, it’ll go ahead an play now. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/67 "2019-09-24T02:31:00Z")
I knew almost nothing about Kris Kristofferson. What a brilliant lyricist, I’ve just been going through his songbook and videos. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/68 "2019-09-24T02:36:50Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > What was wrong with his hair? I thought he looked surprisingly well groomed. It was short and combed. It was brushed straight up and obviously gelled to stay. It was at least 4inches up. Stoopid, IMHO. ```auto Yep Kris Kristofferson is the dang bomb. No way around it. ``` ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/69 "2019-09-24T03:53:42Z")
Yeah, but Kristofferson usually sang like he didn’t have any confidence in his voice, and it showed. It’s sad, because he really did have a good voice when he was young. Nice set up for Willie’s return to Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/70 "2019-09-24T04:03:28Z")
Kris as a singer wasn’t the best. And I think he never really wrote for himself. When he was with ‘The Highwaymen’ he sang great, IMO. And I’m sorry, I know he’s an Icon and all, but Willie just creeps me out. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/71 "2019-09-24T17:30:54Z")
The Kristofferson piece was very moving. I never realized what an amazing lyricist he was. I enjoyed the _Me and Bobby McGhee_ story. I also learned for the first time, thanks to Wikipedia, that his full name is Kristoffer Kristofferson. I thought it was a nice setup for George Jones and Tammi Wynette. I have a good feeling about those two! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/72 "2019-09-24T20:35:37Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > It’s kind of cool how close Elvis and Johnny Cash were. And the impersonations were quite amusing, as was the moniker “The Shaky Kid”. I knew a man who worked on the Johnny Cash TV show as a sound/electronics guy. He told me he was called in to work one day, even though he was on vacation. He refused, telling his boss that he was getting married the next day and going on his honeymoon. The boss offered him triple pay because it was an “important show”, so in he went, but not happily. He was kneeling on the floor, hooking up cables when he heard someone walk up behind him, and a familiar voice said “I heard that you came in on your day off to do this for me and I appreciate it.” When he turned around, he was looking up at Elvis. Elvis then said “I also hear you’re getting married, so here’s a little somethin’ for your honeymoon,” and handed him several hundred dollars. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/73 "2019-09-24T20:42:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I knew a man who worked on the Johnny Cash TV show as a sound/electronics guy. He told me he was called in to work one day, even though he was on vacation. He refused, telling his boss that he was getting married the next day and going on his honeymoon. The boss offered him triple pay because it was an “important show”, so in he went, but not happily. > > He was kneeling on the floor, hooking up cables when he heard someone walk up behind him, and a familiar voice said “I heard that you came in on your day off to do this for me and I appreciate it.” When he turned around, he was looking up at Elvis. Elvis then said “I also hear you’re getting married, so here’s a little somethin’ for your honeymoon,” and handed him several hundred dollars. That’s a damned cool story 🆒. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/74 "2019-09-24T20:49:02Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > That’s a damned cool story 🆒. Yeah, he also roomed with Ronnie Milsap for awhile (who isn’t totally blind, apparently). He said the guy was a real hound in those days, always bringing women back to the room. He said that he came home once and discovered that Ronnie had used his pillow as a bit of hip support for his latest sexual liaison, so he told him not to do that again because, you know, disgusting. He came home a few nights later and found the same mess, so he picked Milsap up (this guy is 6’8" and around 325), carried him outside, and tossed him into the pool from the second story walkway. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/75 "2019-09-24T21:00:42Z")
I had heard a couple Kristofferson songs and thought they were nothing special. But Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are distinctive singers, but not brilliant ones. Hank Williams and Paul Simon are great lyricists and, to my ears, better singers. Many country stars have exceptional voices. I just bought a CD of Kristofferson’s best. They are all duets, and, frankly, better off for that. Looking forward to more episodes. Willie Nelson is a bit jazzy, but no Django. Marsalis seems a little out of place, but his perspective gives some contrast, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/76 "2019-09-24T21:55:20Z")
Anyone else get a kick out of Maybelle Carter liking One Toke Over the Line, even though she didn’t know what a toke was? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/77 "2019-09-25T00:25:14Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > Anyone else get a kick out of Maybelle Carter liking One Toke Over the Line, even though she didn’t know what a toke was? [Mother Maybelle wasn’t the only one!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tdmaEhMHE) ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/78 "2019-09-25T01:08:14Z")
For a guy I get choked up pretty easy, but it’s always something random. When Kathy Mattea was talking about her uncle that always told her he’d be watching for her on “Hee Haw” and then she got on it and got to do a “Salute!” to her home town…I teared up a little. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/79 "2019-09-25T02:37:17Z")
The way Burns is tying it all together, bringing the whole story in a full circle is amazing. Good show! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317/80 "2019-09-25T02:50:48Z")
Since I don’t listen to country music per se it was difficult to follow. But it is very well done and fascinating to watch. I love music and this has been a very satisfying documentary. It could be the world standard of documentaries going forward. I will never be able to listen Hank Williams JR’s Family Tradition again without smiling. Often when it’s played in bars there’s a crowd participation element to it. Now I know the meaning behind the song. Ken Burns brought to light all the behind the scenes mentoring that went on. A lot of good stories that will warm your heart. I loved the music award announcement of John Denver which the announcer set on fire before reading. I never realized Willey Nelson started Austin City Limits on PBS. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-burns-country-music-documentary/840317.md?page=5)