Features Performances by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Rhiannon Giddens, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Ketch Secor, Ricky Skaggs,
Marty Stuart, Asleep at the Wheel, Holly Williams and Dwight Yoakam
Country Music, A Film By Ken Burns to Premiere Sunday, Sept. 15 on PBS
Country music fans are invited to tune in on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 7-9 p.m. CDT for “Country Music: Live at the Ryman, A Concert Celebrating the Film by Ken Burns.” The concert, which was hosted by Burns and filmed in March of 2019, features many of the artists who appear in the upcoming documentary, Country Music, A Film By Ken Burns premiering Sunday, Sept. 15, on PBS.
The concert explores country’s roots while also highlighting the diversity of musical styles and artists that fall under the country music label. Paying tribute to the genre’s eclectic, layered history, “Country Music: Live at the Ryman” provides viewers with a taste of everything from western swing and bluegrass to honkytonk and cowboy music.
In addition to live performances of iconic country songs, select clips from the film were highlighted throughout the evening. The event was produced by Opry Entertainment and Florentine Films and made possible thanks to the support from Bank of America.
“Country Music: Live at the Ryman” will also stream on station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and PBS apps beginning at 7 p.m. on Sept. 8.
After viewing the live concert event, Rolling Stone reported the evening was full of “remarkable performances.” Highlights include Vince Gill’s “breathtaking” and “sublime” cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor and Rhiannon Giddens’ “scorching” performance of “Ruby (Are You Mad at Your Man).”
Billboard noted that Holly Williams “breathed life into” her grandfather Hank Williams Sr.’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” Viewers can also look forward to “a rousing rendition” of country’s unofficial national anthem, The Carter Family’s “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” The concert’s full set list is below.
Set List:
“Ruby, Are You Mad at Your Man” – Rhiannon Giddens and Ketch Secor
“In the Jailhouse Now” – Ketch Secor
“Tumbling Tumbleweeds” – Riders in the Sky
“New San Antonio Rose” – Asleep at the Wheel
“Uncle Pen” – Marty Stuart and Ricky Skaggs
“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” – Holly Williams
“Orange Blossom Special” – Marty Stuart
“Crazy” – Rhiannon Giddens
“Hungry Eyes” – Dwight Yoakam
“Streets of Bakersfield” – Dwight Yoakam and Dierks Bentley
“Coal Miner’s Daughter” – Kathy Mattea
“Sunday Morning Coming Down” – Larry Gatlin
“Pancho & Lefty” – Rodney Crowell
“Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” – Dierks Bentley
“I Will Always Love You” – Vince Gill
“Don’t Get Above Your Raisin'” – Ricky Skaggs
“I Still Miss Someone” – Rosanne Cash
“Will the Circle Be Unbroken” – Full Cast
Country Music, the eight-part, 16-hour documentary, directed by Burns, written by Dayton Duncan, and produced by Duncan, Burns and Julie Dunfey, premieres on PBS Sunday, Sept. 15, and airs nightly through Wednesday, Sept. 18, and again on Sunday, Sept. 22 through Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. CDT each night. The episodes will stream on station-branded PBS platforms for a limited time. PBS Passport members will be able to stream the entire series for a period of six months beginning Sunday, Sept. 15.
Opry Entertainment along with Belmont University, will host a viewing party in celebration of Country Music from 5 – 9 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Grand Ole Opry House. In addition to a screening of part one of the documentary, the evening includes a pre-event reception and program, and a special 30-minute performance from Grand Ole Opry members Old Crow Medicine Show.
Tickets for this special event are available to the public for $75 at opry.com/kenburns.
About Ryman Auditorium
A National Historic Landmark, Ryman Auditorium was built as a tabernacle by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892, served as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74 and was completely renovated in 1994. The Ryman is open for tours during the day and at night offers a wide variety of entertainment performances, just as it has for over 125 years. The venue was voted the 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Pollstar Theatre of the Year and recently took home its sixth consecutive CMA Venue of the Year Award. Ryman Auditorium is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a Nashville-based REIT that also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, Ole Red and 650 AM WSM. For more information, visit ryman.com.
About Opry Entertainment Group
Rooted in the unparalleled country music history of the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Entertainment Group produces multi-platform entertainment
About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.