Original subtitles

ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO A COUPLE OF SONGS

THAT WE'D LIKE TO DO ON THE SIDE OF...

GENTLE, SPEEDY ALKA-SELTZER INVITES YOU TO ENJOY A MINUTE WITH MINNIE.

HOW-DEE! I'M JUST SO PROUD TO BE HERE...

WELL, IT'S JUNE CARTER!

1, 2, 3, 4.

♪ COME AND LISTEN TO MY STORY ♪

♪ IF YOU WILL, I'M GONNA TELL ♪

♪ ABOUT A GANG OF FELLERS FROM DOWN AT NASHVILLE... ♪

BY THE EARLY 1960s, FOR MOST FANS,

THE CENTER OF COUNTRY MUSIC WAS FIRMLY LOCATED ON FIFTH AVENUE

IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE, WHERE EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT,

RADIO STATION WSM BEAMED OUT THE GRAND OLE OPRY,

BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE STAGE

OF THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM.

♪ FIRST I'LL START WITH OLD RED FOLEY ♪

♪ DOIN' THE "CHATTANOOGA SHOE" ♪

♪ WE CAN'T FORGET HANK WILLIAMS ♪

♪ WITH THEM GOOD OLD "LOVESICK BLUES" ♪

♪ IT'S TIME FOR ROY ACUFF TO GO TO MEMPHIS ON HIS TRAIN... ♪

THE SURVEYS SAID THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON DROVE

650 MILES, ONE WAY, TO COME TO NASHVILLE

TO COME TO THE GRAND OLE OPRY.

PEOPLE THAT CAME, YOU COULD TELL, THEY WERE WORKING PEOPLE.

THE LINES WOULD GO DOWN FIFTH AVENUE AND AROUND DOWN BROADWAY

AND... AND LITERALLY, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WOULD BE IN LINE

TO GET A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS.

♪ ...ERNEST TUBB'S NUMBER

♪ "TWO WRONGS WON'T MAKE A RIGHT" ♪

♪ AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY EV'RY SATURDAY NIGHT ♪

♪

ALL OF ITS CHILDREN HAD COME

TO THE MOTHER CHURCH OF COUNTRY MUSIC.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A BADGE OF HONOR, THAT YOU HAD TO,

UH, BRING YOUR CULTURE WITH YOU TO THE TABLE.

THAT'S WHY BOB WILLS AND HIS GUYS BROUGHT US WESTERN MUSIC;

THAT'S WHY HANK WILLIAMS BROUGHT THE SOUTH WITH HIM, FROM HONKY-TONKS.

JOHNNY CASH BROUGHT THE BLACK LAND DIRT OF ARKANSAS.

BILL MONROE BROUGHT MUSIC OUT OF KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS MUSIC.

WILLIE NELSON BROUGHT HIS POETRY FROM TEXAS.

PATSY CLINE BROUGHT HER HEARTACHE FROM VIRGINIA.

I MEAN, IT... IT WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL PARADE

OF SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF AMERICA

THAT BROUGHT THEIR HEARTS AND THEIR SOULS

AND THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND IT GAVE US A GREAT ERA IN COUNTRY MUSIC.

♪ ...RIGHT AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY EV'RY SATURDAY NIGHT ♪

♪ YOUR WORLD WAS SO DIFFERENT ♪

♪ FROM MINE, DON'T YOU SEE? AND WE... ♪

DURING THE MID-1960s, THE UNITED STATES FOUND ITSELF

IN THE MIDST OF PROFOUND CULTURAL CHANGE

AND STUBBORN RESISTANCE TO IT;

TORN BETWEEN PEACEFUL PROTESTS AND SENSELESS VIOLENCE;

HOPEFUL IDEALISM AND ANGRY DESPAIR.

♪ ...WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE ♪

♪ YOUR WORLD... ♪

ALL OF IT WOULD BE

REFLECTED IN COUNTRY MUSIC.

♪ ...THINGS SWEET AND GOOD... ♪

A YOUNG MOTHER FROM THE HOLLERS OF KENTUCKY

WOULD STAND UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN WITH UNCOMMON BLUNTNESS

AND PAVE THE WAY FOR OTHER WOMEN ARTISTS TO DO THE SAME.

A MISSISSIPPI SHARECROPPER'S SON WITH BIG DREAMS WOULD FULFILL

THEM, WHEN PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE QUALITY OF HIS VOICE

INSTEAD OF THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN.

TWO DESCENDANTS OF THE DEPRESSION AND THE DUST BOWL

WOULD TURN BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA,

INTO A MUSICAL MECCA OF ITS OWN.

AND A DARK-EYED, DEEP-VOICED TROUBADOUR

FROM DYESS, ARKANSAS, WOULD SOMEHOW EMBODY

NEARLY EVERYTHING THE SIXTIES CAME TO STAND FOR:

HEEDLESS SELF-DESTRUCTION AND A CONCERN FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE;

AN EAGERNESS TO EXPERIMENT WITH NEW IDEAS,

AND A YEARNING FOR OLD-FASHIONED PERSONAL REDEMPTION.

♪ ...WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE ♪

♪ I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE, MAN, I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE, MAN... ♪

COUNTRY RECORDS, IN THOSE DAYS,

DID NOT SELL ENOUGH COPIES FOR THE ARTIST

TO REALLY MAKE A LIVING JUST OFF OF THEIR RECORDS.

WHERE YOU BEEN, HANK?

♪ BEEN TO RENO, CHICAGO, FARGO ♪

♪ MINNESOTA, BUFFALO, TORONTO, WINSLOW, SARASOTA... ♪

SO THE ARTIST HAD TO GET IN THE STATION WAGON,

OR, LATER ON, THE BUSES,

AND TAKE THEIR MUSIC OUT TO THE HINTERLANDS.

WE WOULD TAKE A TOUCH OF HOME TO THESE PEOPLE.

WE WOULD TAKE THEIR MUSIC TO THEM.

♪ ...BOSTON, CHARLESTON, DAYTON, LOUISIANA, WASHINGTON, HOUSTON... ♪

IT TOOK THEM BACK TO SOMETHING THAT WAS FAMILIAR

TO THEM, SOMETHING THAT THEY LOVED...

♪ ...I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE, MAN... ♪

SOMETHING THAT THEY HAD GOTTEN AWAY FROM.

♪ I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE ♪

♪ LOST LIKE A GRAIN OF SAND UPON THE SANDS OF TIME... ♪

I WORKED FRONTIER RANCH.

I WORKED HILLBILLY PARK,

PONDEROSA PARK,

FIREMEN FESTIVALS, BEAN SOUP FESTIVAL... YOU NAME IT.

WE... YOU KNOW, WE'D WORK 'EM ALL.

AND THEY WOULD BRING THE KIDS FROM BABIES ON UP.

♪ I'LL BE GONE... ♪

SO IT... IT WAS ALL A BIG FAMILY.

I REMEMBER, AT SUNSET PARK IN WEST GROVE,

PENNSYLVANIA, WE WOULD DO 3 SHOWS ON A SUNDAY.

AND A WEEK BEFORE, I'D GET A LETTER FROM SOMEBODY,

"WELL, NOW, WE'RE BRINGING HAM AND POTATO SALAD AND"...

HA HA HA! "CHOCOLATE PIE AND ICED TEA.

"NOW WE EXPECT YOU BOYS TO COME OVER AND EAT WITH US NOW

BEFORE THE SHOW, BETWEEN THE SHOWS."

YOU COULD GAIN A LOT OF WEIGHT PLAYING THOSE PARKS.

HA HA HA!

THE INDUSTRY WAS TRULY BUILT ONE HANDSHAKE

AT A TIME, ONE AUTOGRAPH AT A TIME.

ERNEST TUBB WAS ONE OF THOSE LEGENDARY EXAMPLES.

HE WOULD SIT ON THE EDGE OF A STAGE IN A FOLDING CHAIR

AND SIGN POPCORN BOXES TILL THE VERY LAST SOUL WAS GONE.

THE WORD WAS, "THOSE PEOPLE PUT US UP HERE."

ONCE THEY ACCEPT YOU AS PART OF THEIR FAMILY,

THEY'RE THERE FOR LIFE.

YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANOTHER HIT RECORD, BUT YOU ALREADY

MADE ENOUGH THAT THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE, AND THEY LIKE YOU.

I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYBODY GOING UP TO, UH, FRANK SINATRA

AND PATTING HIM ON THE BACK AND SAY, "HOW YOU DOIN', FRANK?"

I MEAN, YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT.

I HAD A WOMAN UP IN WISCONSIN,

SHE CAME TO A FESTIVAL I WAS SINGING AT, AND SHE LEANED

OVER THE AUTOGRAPH TABLE AND SHE SAID, "I LOVE YOUR MUSIC.

I LISTEN TO IT EVERY DAY ON MY VICTROLA."

AND THAT JUST MEANT THE WORLD TO ME.

I MEAN, SHE MEANT IT WITH ALL OF HER HEART.

THE GUYS TELL ME, "YOU GOT ME THROUGH VIETNAM,"

OR THE WOMEN TELL ME, "I HAD A ROUGH MARRIAGE,

AND I'D PLAY YOUR MUSIC AND I COULD GO ANOTHER DAY."

AND I THINK, "WELL, NOW, THAT'S... THAT'S WHAT I'M LIVING FOR.

THAT'S MY CALL. THAT'S MY REASON."

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT IN THE BACKWOODS OF MISSISSIPPI

TO SEE THOSE TEXAS TROUBADOURS GETTING OFF THAT BUS,

LOOKING LIKE STARS.

♪ I'D LIKE TO BE IN CHARLIE'S SHOES... ♪

MATCHING PINK SUITS WITH PURPLE PIPING.

THE HATS, THE BELTS, THE GUITAR STRAPS,

AND WHEN ERNEST GOT OFF THE BUS, HE WAS WEARING A PINSTRIPE SUIT

AND A WHITE HAT AND A WHITE SHIRT AND... AND A RED SCARF,

AND HE LOOKED 50 FEET TALL TO ME.

MANY OF THE STARS GOT THEIR FLASHY CLOTHES

FROM NUDIE COHN'S SHOP IN HOLLYWOOD,

WHERE MANUEL CUEVAS WAS THE HEAD TAILOR,

WORKING ON DESIGNS THE ARTISTS SUGGESTED.

I HAD PEOPLE, FRIENDS, THAT WERE KINGS IN THE COUNTRY MUSIC.

♪ ...WALKIN' BACK AND FORTH... ♪

MARTY ROBBINS, HE SAYS,

"NOW, I WANT YOU TO MAKE ME SOME BUTTERFLIES

AND I WANT YOU TO MAKE ME FLOWERS, I WANT TO MAKE..."

OK. HEH HEH HEH!

♪ ...THESE NIGHTS IN CHARLIE'S SHOES... ♪

PORTER WAGONER INSISTED THAT HIS SUIT

BE FESTOONED WITH WAGONS AND WAGON WHEELS.

JIMMY C. NEWMAN CALLED HIMSELF "THE ALLIGATOR MAN"

AND WANTED HIS COSTUME TO REFLECT IT.

ONE OF HANK SNOW'S FAVORITE OUTFITS FEATURED

TURTLES AND FROGS.

♪ ...BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE... ♪

I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT AN ENTERTAINER SHOULD LOOK UNIQUE.

I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT PEOPLE BUY TICKETS FOR.

I DON'T THINK THEY BUY A TICKET TO SEE THEIR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR.

BUT, AS FAR AS THEM BEING COMFORTABLE, THEY WERE HEAVY.

OH, MY GOODNESS. YOU GET OUT ON A... ON A SUMMER STAGE

AT A FAIRGROUNDS IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST, IN THE DAYTIME,

YOU'RE WEARING ONE OF THOSE THINGS, YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE

10 POUNDS WHILE YOU'RE OUT THERE TRYING TO SING.

FOR MOST PERFORMERS, THE LONG MILES

AND CEASELESS TRAVEL WERE SIMPLY A FACT OF LIFE.

GET IN AND OUT OF AIRPLANES;

IN AND OUT OF BUSES; IN AND OUT OF HOTELS;

EATING ON THE ROAD... IT IS A JOB.

SO, ONE THAT WE LOVE, BUT FOR ANYBODY WHO THINKS IT'S

ALL GLAMOUR AND IT'S ALL THIS, YOU GO DO THAT SHOW

AND GET THROUGH AT 10:00 AND THEN SLEEP FOR ABOUT 600 MILES

AT 80 MILES AN HOUR AND GET UP AND DO A 2:00 MATINEE

IN THE MIDDLE OF IOWA, WHEN... YOU KNOW, IN THE SUMMER, WHEN IT'S 105.

THE GUYS IN THE BAND MAKE A JOKE.

HE SAYS, "WE DON'T GET PAID FOR PLAYING.

WE GET PAID FOR RIDING." HEH HEH HEH!

AND THERE WASN'T ANY INTERSTATES IN THEM DAYS.

I THINK THEY HAD THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE,

AND IT WAS ALL BEAT UP. IT... IT WAS... GET ON THAT THING,

YOU KNOW, YOU COULD CHURN BUTTER ON THAT DAMN THING.

LET'S WELCOME JOHNNY CASH!

♪

♪ DON'T CALL MY... ♪

BY 1964,

JOHNNY CASH WAS HEADLINING TOURS THAT PLAYED

TO PACKED AUDITORIUMS IN MAJOR CITIES,

NOT BUCOLIC COUNTRY MUSIC PARKS.

HIS SHOWS FEATURED A GOSPEL QUARTET FROM VIRGINIA

CALLED THE STATLER BROTHERS; CARL PERKINS,

CASH'S OLD FRIEND FROM HIS ROCKABILLY YEARS;

AND MAYBELLE CARTER AND HER 3 DAUGHTERS,

HELEN, ANITA, AND JUNE.

CASH ALSO ASKED MANUEL CUEVAS TO MAKE HIS OUTFITS,

BUT HE DIDN'T WANT FLASHY RHINESTONES

AND DESIGNS ON HIS SUITS.

HE DRESSED ONLY IN BLACK,

AND THOUGH HE WAS BILLED AS A COUNTRY SINGER,

CASH WAS FASCINATED WITH ALL FORMS OF AMERICAN MUSIC.

I'VE NEVER KNOWN A GUY THAT KNEW AS MANY SONGS AS HE DID.

HE KNEW EVERY OLD GOSPEL SONG. HE KNEW EVERY OLD POP SONG.

HE... HE TAUGHT US A SONG... WE PUT IT ON AN ALBUM ONE TIME...

A OLD INK SPOTS SONG THAT WE'D NEVER HEARD,

AND HE TAUGHT US THE LYRICS TO IT.

HE WOULD CARRY A RECORD PLAYER AND STACKS OF RECORDS WITH HIM ON TOUR,

AND WE'D SIT IN ROOMS AT NIGHT AND HE'D PLAY ALL THESE OLD FOLK SONGS.

HE WAS INTO EVERY FIELD

AND KNEW EVERY SONG THAT HAD EVER BEEN WRITTEN.

♪ IF I WAS ON SOME FOGGY MOUNTAIN TOP... ♪

CASH'S NEWEST INTEREST CENTERED

ON THE FOLK MUSIC REVIVAL, EMANATING FROM NEW YORK CITY'S

GREENWICH VILLAGE AND FOCUSING NOT ONLY ON OLD,

TRADITIONAL TUNES, BUT ALSO ON NEWLY WRITTEN,

HIGHLY PERSONAL LYRICS AND SONGS OF SOCIAL PROTEST.

♪ OH, WHAT DID YOU SEE, MY BLUE-EYED SON? ♪

AT ITS FOREFRONT WAS A PROLIFIC YOUNG SONGWRITER

FROM HIBBING, MINNESOTA... BOB DYLAN.

♪ I SAW A NEWBORN BABY WITH WILD WOLVES ALL AROUND IT... ♪

CASH SENT HIM A FAN LETTER

AND GOT ONE BACK IN RETURN,

ALONG WITH AN INVITATION TO APPEAR WITH DYLAN

AT THE 1964 NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL.

♪ ...BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE, I WALK THE LINE ♪

THEY WERE ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER.

HE LOVED BOB, AND BOB LOVED HIM.

BOB SAID THAT WHEN HE FIRST HEARD "I WALK THE LINE"

ON THE RADIO THAT IT WAS A VOICE

THAT SOUNDED LIKE IT CAME FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE EARTH.

WHEN YOU SING IT, I'LL SING IN HARMONY.

THERE'S THIS MOMENT

WHERE DAD AND BOB WERE AT A PIANO.

THEY'RE SINGING "I STILL MISS SOMEONE, ONE OF MY DAD'S SONGS.

♪

♪ I WONDER IF SHE'S SORRY... ♪

AND BOB KNOWS IT BETTER THAN DAD.

♪ ...SO UNDONE ♪

♪

HE AND DYLAN WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT EACH OTHER

AND THE GREENWICH VILLAGE FOLK TRADITION.

♪ ...AND I STILL MISS SOMEONE ♪

THE MELODY CHANGED, TOO, DOESN'T IT, A LITTLE BIT?

YEAH, I CHANGED THE MELODY. I CAN'T...

ANOTHER FOLK SINGER IN GREENWICH VILLAGE

ALSO CAUGHT CASH'S ATTENTION.

♪ IRA HAYES ♪

♪ CALL HIM DRUNKEN IRA HAYES ♪

♪ HE WON'T ANSWER ANYMORE... ♪

PETER LA FARGE'S SONG "THE BALLAD OF IRA HAYES"

TOLD THE STORY OF A PIMA INDIAN WHO HAD BEEN ONE OF THE MARINES

WHO HOISTED THE FLAG AT IWO JIMA.

AFTER THE WAR, HAYES HAD DESCENDED INTO ALCOHOLISM

AND DIED ALONG A LONELY ROAD ON HIS ARIZONA RESERVATION.

AND HE STARTED TAKING PETER TO SHOWS

AND PUTTING HIM ONSTAGE TO SING "IRA HAYES."

AND THE AUDIENCES DIDN'T CARE,

AND DAD WAS FURIOUS AND DISAPPOINTED.

HE WAS TRYING SO HARD. "LISTEN TO THIS GUY.

IT'S SO IMPORTANT."

UNDETERRED, CASH DECIDED TO RECORD

AN ENTIRE ALBUM, "BITTER TEARS," DEDICATED

TO THE NATION'S TROUBLED HISTORY WITH NATIVE AMERICANS.

♪ CALL HIM DRUNKEN IRA HAYES ♪

♪ HE WON'T ANSWER ANYMORE ♪

♪ NOT THE WHISKEY-DRINKIN' INDIAN ♪

♪ OR THE MARINE THAT WENT TO WAR... ♪

WHEN RADIO STATIONS WOULDN'T PLAY IT,

HE TOOK OUT A FULL-PAGE AD IN "BILLBOARD"

WITH AN OPEN LETTER TO DEEJAYS AND STATION MANAGERS.

"WHERE ARE YOUR GUTS?" IT ASKED.

♪ ...'BOUT A BRAVE YOUNG INDIAN YOU SHOULD REMEMBER WELL ♪

♪ FROM THE TRIBE OF THE PIMA INDIAN... ♪

CASH NOW ADDED BENEFIT CONCERTS ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS

TO HIS SCHEDULE, INCLUDING PINE RIDGE IN SOUTH DAKOTA,

WHERE HE VISITED THE SITE OF THE WOUNDED KNEE MASSACRE OF 1890.

♪ THERE THEY BATTLED UP IWO JIMA'S HILL ♪

♪ 250 MEN ♪

♪ BUT ONLY 27 LIVED TO FIGHT BACK DOWN AGAIN ♪

♪ AND WHEN THAT FIGHT WAS OVER AND WHEN OLD GLORY RAISED ♪

♪ AMONG THE MEN TO HOLD IT HIGH WAS THE INDIAN, IRA HAYES ♪

♪ CALL HIM DRUNKEN IRA HAYES ♪

♪ HE WON'T ANSWER ANYMORE... ♪

MY BECOMING A GREAT FAN OF HIS WAS SOLIDIFIED

WHEN I FOUND, IN THE FOLK BINS AT MY LOCAL RECORD STORE,

AN ALBUM CALLED "BITTER TEARS," WHICH JOHNNY CASH DID,

TALKING ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

SO IT WAS LIKE, "OH, HE'S ONE OF US."

HEH HEH! HE... HE'S A "FOLKIE," TOO.

♪ ...AND HIS GHOST IS LYING THIRSTY IN THE DITCH WHERE IRA DIED ♪

MEANWHILE, CASH'S PERSONAL LIFE WAS IN SHAMBLES.

HIS CONSTANT TOURING CONTINUED TO STRAIN HIS 10-YEAR MARRIAGE

TO HIS WIFE VIVIAN, THE MOTHER OF THEIR 4 DAUGHTERS.

SHE NOW SUSPECTED, CORRECTLY, THAT HE WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR

WITH JUNE CARTER, WHO TRAVELED WITH CASH

AS PART OF HIS PACKAGE SHOWS.

BUT HIS BASS PLAYER AND CLOSE FRIEND MARSHALL GRANT

WAS EVEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS DRUG USE.

MARSHALL NEVER TOOK A DRINK OR A DRUG HIS WHOLE LIFE.

HE FELT TREMENDOUSLY PROTECTIVE OF DAD.

HE AND JUNE, DURING THE TIME THE CARTER FAMILY WAS ON THE ROAD WITH HIM,

THEY WOULD FLUSH PILLS, FIND... GO IN HIS ROOM,

FIND HIS PILLS, FLUSH 'EM, UM,

DO EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO GET HIM FROM POINT "A" TO POINT "B"

AND SHOW UP FOR THE SHOWS AND NOT BE HIGH.

THE ADDICTION CAUSED CASH TO LOSE WEIGHT,

HOLLOWED OUT HIS CHEEKS, MADE HIM FIDGETY AND JUMPY.

APPEARING ON PETE SEEGER'S TELEVISION SHOW

WITH JUNE CARTER, HE SQUIRMED AND ROCKED IN HIS CHAIR,

UNCOMFORTABLY FUSSED WITH HIS HAIR AND SCRATCHED HIS NECK,

NERVOUSLY LIT AND RE-LIT A SERIES OF CIGARETTES,

EVEN ENDED THE SHOW WITH HIS SHOES OFF.

TAKE SOME SHOES OFF.

ON TOUR IN EL PASO, CASH WAS ARRESTED

FOR POSSESSION OF MORE THAN 1,000 AMPHETAMINES.

A PICTURE OF HIM LEAVING THE COURTHOUSE,

WITH VIVIAN BY HIS SIDE, MADE NATIONAL NEWS.

SHE WAS SO HUMILIATED.

SHE WAS SUCH A PRIVATE PERSON,

AND ALL OF HER FRIENDS KNEW.

MY MOTHER IS VERY EXOTIC-LOOKING

AND HER PEOPLE WERE ITALIAN,

AND THE KU KLUX KLAN JUMPED ON THIS PICTURE

AND SAID THAT MY DAD WAS MARRIED TO A BLACK WOMAN

AND STARTED A FIRESTORM.

THE NATIONAL STATES RIGHTS PARTY IN BIRMINGHAM,

ALABAMA, REPRINTED THE PHOTO IN ITS NEWSLETTER, SAYING,

"MONEY FROM THE SALE OF RECORDS GOES TO SCUM LIKE JOHNNY CASH

TO KEEP THEM SUPPLIED WITH DOPE AND NEGRO WOMEN."

IT REFERRED TO HIS CHILDREN

AS "MONGRELIZED"

AND CALLED FOR A BOYCOTT

OF HIS SHOWS AND RECORDS.

CASH'S MANAGER MOUNTED A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN

THAT EARNED HIS ARTIST SOME SYMPATHY IN THE PRESS,

BUT NOTHING HE OR ANYONE ELSE COULD DO

SEEMED ABLE TO KEEP CASH AWAY FROM HIS DRUGS.

OUT ON THE ROAD, SHOWS WERE CANCELLED, PROMOTERS SUED HIM.

IN NASHVILLE, THE PHOTOGRAPHER LES LEVERETT SHOWED UP

TO CAPTURE ONE OF HIS RECORDING SESSIONS.

CASH ARRIVED 3 HOURS LATE.

HE KICKED HIS BOOTS OFF, AND IN HIS, UH, BLACK SOCK FEET,

SAT THERE ON THAT STOOL,

CARRIED IT OVER TO THE WALL,

LEANED HIS HEAD AGAINST THE WALL WITH A PAD AND A PENCIL,

AND STARTED WRITING A SONG. HA HA!

HE'S PAYING FOR THIS SESSION; THAT'S COMING OUT OF HIS ROYALTY.

INSTEAD OF DOING IT 3 WEEKS AGO AND BRINGING IT WITH HIM,

HE'S WRITING A SONG.

♪ WERE YOU THERE... ♪

AND AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY ONE NIGHT, HE ENDED HIS SET

BY SMASHING ALL THE FOOTLIGHTS WITH HIS MICROPHONE STAND.

THE MANAGERS TOLD HIM HE WAS NO LONGER WELCOME

AT THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM.

♪ ...MY LORD... ♪

IN 1966, VIVIAN FILED FOR DIVORCE.

THAT SAME YEAR, JUNE CARTER DIVORCED HER SECOND HUSBAND,

AND THOUGH SHE LOVED JOHNNY CASH, TURNED DOWN

HIS REPEATED REQUESTS THAT THEY GET MARRIED.

HE SEEMED TOO INTENT ON DESTROYING HIMSELF.

♪ TREMBLE ♪

GENE? YEAH, ROD?

HAVE ANY SPOT IN YOUR BAND FOR ROGER MILLER, THE FIDDLE PLAYER?

I DON'T KNOW. WE COULD GIVE IT A TRY.

HEY, ROGER, COME ON IN HERE, WILL YOU, PLEASE? AHEM.

WELL, THERE'S THE FIDDLE.

I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER PART THAT GOES WITH IT.

YEAH, THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BOW.

I DON'T USUALLY COME PREPARED,

BUT LET'S SEE. JUST HAPPEN...

RIGHT IN THERE WHERE I KEEP MY WATERMELON, YES.

HE CAME UP TO ME ONE NIGHT AT A... A CONCERT AND HE SAID,

"LORENZO"... THAT'S WHAT HE CALLED ME... HE SAID, "LORENZO."

I SAID, "WHAT?" HE SAID, "DID YOU EVER NOTICE

HOW MUCH WEIGHT A CHICKEN CAN GAIN AND NEVER SHOW IT IN THE FACE?"

SOMETHING LIKE...

I WAS IN THE WRONG KEY, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

ROGER HAD A GREAT COUNTRY SOUL DEEP DOWN INSIDE HIM.

HE HAD LIVED, HE'D BEEN HURT.

HE HAD BEEN ABANDONED, OF... OF A SORT, IN HIS CHILDHOOD,

AND HE HAD A LOT OF SCARS, AND HE COVERED UP THOSE SCARS

ONE BY WRITING SONGS, LIKE "INVITATION TO THE BLUES"

AND "WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE,"

AND THEN BY WRITING "DANG ME" AND "DO WACKA DOO"

AND "YOU CAN'T ROLLER SKATE IN A BUFFALO HERD."

♪

ROGER MILLER, FROM AN IMPOVERISHED FAMILY

IN OKLAHOMA, HAD COME TO NASHVILLE AS A FIDDLER

AND WORKED FOR A TIME AS A HOTEL BELLHOP.

HE WAS NOW AN ESTABLISHED SONGWRITER, WHOSE LIGHTNING WIT

AND MANIC SENSE OF HUMOR ENDEARED HIM TO EVERYONE HE MET.

BUT HIS DREAM OF BECOMING A MAJOR SINGING STAR

IN HIS OWN RIGHT HAD NEVER MATERIALIZED;

4 DIFFERENT LABELS HAD DROPPED HIM

IN 6 YEARS BECAUSE OF WEAK RECORD SALES.

♪ YOUR WORLD WAS SO DIFFERENT... ♪

DESPITE HIS HEAVY USE OF AMPHETAMINES, MILLER...

UNLIKE JOHNNY CASH... NEVER LET IT KEEP HIM

FROM SHOWING UP TO PERFORM.

"HOW LONG CAN HE STAY UP?" ONE CONCERT PROMOTER ASKED HIS TOUR MANAGER.

"I DON'T KNOW," THE MAN ANSWERED.

"I'VE ONLY BEEN WITH HIM A YEAR AND HALF.

I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG HE WAS UP BEFORE THEN."

I THINK IT'S A WELL-KNOWN FACT

THAT ROGER MILLER WAS THE "KING OF PILL TAKERS."

ROGER SAID, "YOU GOT TO BE CAREFUL

WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR CHANGE AND WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR PILLS."

HE SAID, "THE OTHER NIGHT I GOT CONFUSED,

AND 'FORE I KNEW IT, I'D TAKEN 35 CENTS."

HA HA HA!

IN EARLY 1964,

MILLER HAD GIVEN UP AND DECIDED TO LEAVE FOR HOLLYWOOD,

WHERE HE HOPED TO FIND WORK AS A COMIC ON TELEVISION.

BUT HE WAS BROKE AND NEEDED MONEY FOR THE MOVE.

AS A FAVOR, HIS PRODUCER ARRANGED TO PAY HIM

$100 A SONG IF HE'D COME IN FOR TWO DAYS OF RECORDING.

MILLER SHOWED UP WITH MORE THAN A DOZEN OF THE SILLIER SONGS HE HAD WRITTEN.

ONE OF THEM WAS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A MARRIED MAN

WHO SPENDS ALL OF HIS MONEY BUYING DRINKS FOR HIS FRIENDS.

♪ B-B-B-B-B-BU-BU-BUM ♪

♪ WELL, HERE I SIT HIGH, GETTIN' IDEAS ♪

♪ AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A FOOL WOULD LIVE LIKE THIS ♪

♪ OUT ALL NIGHT AND RUNNIN' WILD ♪

♪ WOMAN SITTIN' HOME WITH A MONTH-OLD CHILD ♪

♪ DANG ME, DANG ME ♪

♪ THEY OUGHTA TAKE A ROPE AND HANG ME ♪

♪ HIGH FROM THE HIGHEST TREE ♪

♪ WOMAN, WOULD YOU WEEP FOR ME? ♪

♪ B-B-B-B-B-BU-BU-BUM... ♪

REFLECTING HIS LOW EXPECTATIONS

FOR THE ALBUM, MILLER NAMED IT "ROGER AND OUT"

AND LEFT FOR CALIFORNIA.

YEAH!

THERE, HE WAS CUTTING RADIO ADS FOR $50 EACH

WHEN HE HEARD "DANG ME" ON HIS CAR RADIO.

IT WAS TAKING OFF ACROSS THE NATION.

♪ ...THEY OUGHTA TAKE A ROPE AND HANG ME... ♪

HE WAS A STAR AT LAST.

MILLER WAS INVITED BACK TO NASHVILLE

TO RECORD A FOLLOW-UP ALBUM.

FROM IT CAME AN EVEN BIGGER HIT.

♪ TRAILERS FOR SALE OR RENT ♪

♪ ROOMS TO LET, 50 CENTS ♪

♪ NO PHONE, NO POOL, NO PETS ♪

♪ I AIN'T GOT NO CIGARETTES ♪

♪ AH, BUT TWO HOURS OF PUSHIN' BROOM ♪

♪ BUYS AN 8-BY-12, 4-BIT ROOM ♪

♪ I'M A MAN OF MEANS BY NO MEANS ♪

♪ KING OF THE ROAD... ♪

"KING OF THE ROAD" ROSE TO NUMBER 3

ON "BILLBOARDS” POP CHARTS.

IN ENGLAND, IT KNOCKED THE BEATLES' "TICKET TO RIDE"

FROM ITS PERCH AS NUMBER ONE.

♪ I AIN'T GOT NO CIGARETTES, AH... ♪

HE WON 5 GRAMMY AWARDS IN 1964,

6 IN 1965.

ROGER MILLER WOULD GO ON TO HAVE HIS OWN NETWORK TELEVISION SHOW,

OPEN UP A "KING OF THE ROAD" MOTOR INN,

WRITE SONGS FOR A BROADWAY MUSICAL

AND A WALT DISNEY MOVIE,

TRAVEL TO PERFORMANCES IN A PRIVATE JET.

AND WHENEVER HE VISITED NASHVILLE, HE MADE A POINT

OF STAYING AT THE MOST EXPENSIVE SUITE

AT THE ANDREW JACKSON HOTEL,

WHERE HE HAD ONCE WORKED AS A BELLHOP.

♪

♪ NASHVILLE CATS PLAY CLEAN AS COUNTRY WATER... ♪

BY THE MID-1960s,

NASHVILLE WAS HOME TO MORE THAN 250 MUSIC PUBLISHERS.

TWO DOZEN RECORD COMPANIES HAD OFFICES IN TOWN.

COUNTRY MUSIC HAD BECOME A $100 MILLION BUSINESS,

EMPLOYING 5,000 PEOPLE.

♪ WELL, THERE'S THIRTEEN HUNDRED AND 52 GUITAR PICKERS IN NASHVILLE... ♪

AMONG THE BUSIEST WERE THE MUSICIANS WHO BACKED UP THE SINGING STARS

DURING RECORDING SESSIONS IN THE STUDIOS ON MUSIC ROW.

THEY WERE ALL VIRTUOSOS ON THE INSTRUMENTS THEY PLAYED.

EACH 3-HOUR SESSION WAS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A USABLE TAKE

ON 3 OR 4 SONGS, WHOSE ARRANGEMENTS WERE

USUALLY IMPROVISED COLLABORATIVELY ON THE SPOT.

CHARLIE McCOY: THE WAY A TYPICAL NASHVILLE SESSION WORKS,

WHEN YOU'RE CALLED FOR A SESSION, THERE'S NO PREPARATION.

WHEN YOU HIT THE DOOR, YOU HEAR THE SONG FOR THE FIRST TIME.

PRODUCERS DREW FROM A CORE GROUP OF SESSION MUSICIANS.

THEY WERE CALLED THE "A-TEAM."

IT INCLUDED THE PIANO PLAYERS FLOYD CRAMER

AND HARGUS "PIG" ROBBINS,

WHO HAD BEEN BLIND SINCE AGE 4.

BUDDY HARMAN PLAYED THE DRUMS.

ON BASS, BOB MOORE WOULD TAKE PART IN 18,000 SESSIONS,

MORE THAN 50,000 SONGS.

PETE DRAKE MASTERED THE INTRICACIES OF THE PEDAL STEEL.

SO DID LLOYD GREEN.

AMONG THE TOP GUITARISTS WERE GRADY MARTIN,

HANK GARLAND, JERRY KENNEDY,

RAY EDENTON, VELMA SMITH,

AND HAROLD BRADLEY, WHO WOULD BECOME

THE MOST-RECORDED GUITARIST IN MUSIC HISTORY.

McCOY: I WAS CALLED TO PLAY ON "ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL" WITH JOHNNY CASH.

ALWAYS BEEN A FIDDLE TUNE, AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW

TO KIND OF GET THE SAME MOOD.

ON THE CHORUS PART, THE FIDDLE ALWAYS GOES

INTO THAT RECOGNIZABLE, UH, TRAIN LITTLE THING.

SO I DECIDED TO TRY TO REPLICATE THAT.

CHARLIE McCOY WAS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS HARMONICA,

BUT HE COULD PLAY ALMOST ANY INSTRUMENT.

I PLAY A LITTLE SAX, A LITTLE TRUMPET.

TRUMPET ON "RAINY DAY WOMEN #12 AND 35" BY BOB DYLAN;

BARITONE SAX ON "PRETTY WOMAN," ROY ORBISON;

'COURSE, I PLAYED BASS ON 3 DYLAN ALBUMS;

JEANNIE SEELY, "DON'T TOUCH ME";

CHARLIE RICH, "MOHAIR SAM";

PLAYED ORGAN ON "EASY LOVING," FREDDY HART;

PLAYED VIBES AND BELLS ON "BLUE VELVET," BOBBY VINTON;

BUT MORE HARMONICA THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

McCOY: OH, AND, UH, ALSO THE TUNING GUITAR

ON "DETROIT CITY," BOBBY BARE.

♪

♪ I WANT TO GO HOME... ♪

THE ANITA KERR SINGERS OR THE JORDANAIRES,

A GOSPEL QUARTET, PROVIDED HARMONY IN THE BACKGROUND.

IN ONE YEAR ALONE, THE JORDANAIRES SANG

ON HITS THAT SOLD MORE THAN 33 MILLION COPIES.

♪ ...I WENT TO SLEEP IN DETROIT... ♪

A TYPICAL WEEK FOR A MEMBER OF THE A-TEAM WAS

15 TO 20 SESSIONS, EACH LASTING 3 HOURS:

10 A.M. TO 1 P.M.,

2:00 TO 5:00, 6:00 TO 9:00,

AND 10 P.M. TO 1 A.M.

McCOY: CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR.

THE SONG AND THE ARTIST ARE THE PICTURE, WE'RE THE FRAME.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ANYTHING WE CAN DO

TO MAKE THIS SONG BETTER.

MOST OF THE TIME, LESS IS BETTER.

THE GUY THAT REALLY SET ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WAS

THE GREAT GUITARIST GRADY MARTIN,

WHO WAS THE SESSION LEADER FOR ALL OF OWEN BRADLEY'S SESSIONS.

I'M 21 YEARS OLD. I'M LIVING MY DREAM.

I'M PLAYING WITH THE NASHVILLE MUSICIANS, I'M PLAYING WITH

BIG COUNTRY MUSIC STARS, AND I WAS FEELING MY OATS.

AND ONE DAY, WE'RE ON A SESSION, AND HE SAID,

"YOU'RE PLAYING TOO MUCH."

HE SAID, "YOU LISTEN TO THE LYRICS.

"IF YOU CAN'T HEAR AND UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD,

YOU'RE PLAYING TOO MUCH."

WE CUT A LOT OF BRILLIANT STUFF.

WE CUT A LOT OF JUNK STUFF, TOO.

I MEAN... I MEAN, TO BE HONEST, IT... YOU CAN'T CUT 4 SONGS

EVERY 3 HOURS AND DO 3 AND 4 SESSIONS A... A DAY AND YEAR IN

AND YEAR OUT, AND NOT HAVE A LOT OF DISASTERS.

IT WAS AN ASSEMBLY-LINE PROCESS, BUT WHEN THE MAGICAL MOMENTS

HAPPENED, THEY REALLY WERE MAGICAL.

♪ LAST NIGHT I WENT... ♪

IN THEIR STUDIOS ON MUSIC ROW,

OWEN BRADLEY AND CHET ATKINS HAD BEEN SMOOTHING OUT

COUNTRY MUSIC'S ROUGHER EDGES FOR YEARS...

WHAT WAS CALLED THE NASHVILLE SOUND.

IT WAS POPULAR AND ALSO CONTROVERSIAL.

AND THE HARD-HITTING, HARD-NOSED, HONKY-TONK SOUNDS

OF THE FIFTIES AND EARLY SIXTIES SEEMED TO GIVE WAY

TO MORE OF A VELVET-GLOVE TOUCH.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS FORWARD-THINKING;

A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

♪ ...I WANT TO GO HOME... ♪

THE NASHVILLE SOUND...

YOU CAN'T SAY NASHVILLE SOUND.

IT'S GOT TO BE SOUNDS. IT'S GOT TO BE PLURAL.

IF WE HAD JUST ONE SOUND,

WE WOULD HAVE BEEN GONE A LONG TIME AGO.

ON MUSIC ROW, THE MUSICIANS PLAYED

BEHIND THE SCENES; AT THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM,

THEY PERFORMED IN FRONT OF LIVE AUDIENCES.

EVERY SATURDAY, BETWEEN 6:30 AND MIDNIGHT,

MORE THAN 40 DIFFERENT ACTS WERE USHERED ON AND OFF THE STAGE.

OVER THE AIRWAVES, IT ALL SOUNDED ORDERLY;

IN PERSON, IT WAS ORGANIZED MAYHEM.

♪ FROM THE GREAT ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE WIDE PACIFIC SHORES ♪

♪ FROM THE QUEEN OF FLOWING MOUNTAIN ♪

♪ TO THE SOUTH BELL BY THE SHORE... ♪

THERE WERE 287,000 PEOPLE ON STAGE.

I MEAN, IT LOOKED LIKE THE CHARIOT RACE IN "BEN-HUR."

♪ ... THE WABASH CANNONBALL ♪

AT THE CENTER OF ALL THE FRENETIC ACTIVITY

STOOD THE MAN WHO HAD JOINED THE OPRY BACK IN 1938...

ROY ACUFF.

HE WAS NOW IN HIS MID-60s,

AND HIS DAYS OF RECORDING BIG HITS WERE BEHIND HIM,

BUT WITHIN NASHVILLE'S COUNTRY MUSIC FAMILY,

ROY ACUFF WAS KING.

HE BECAME THE FACE OF THE OPRY.

HE REALLY WAS PROBABLY

THE BIGGEST NAME ATTACHED TO COUNTRY MUSIC.

THIS GUY CAME IN AND SAID, "MR. ACUFF, CAN I HAVE AN AUTOGRAPH?"

AND HE'S, "SURE," YOU KNOW, AND HE'S WRITING HIS NAME.

THE GUY SAID, "BOY, I BET YOU WISH YOU HAD A DOLLAR FOR EVERY

ONE OF THOSE YOU'VE SIGNED," AND HE GOES, "OH, I DO"...

HANDED HIM BACK HIS PIECE OF PAPER.

♪ ...BE REMEMBERED ROUND THE COURTS... ♪

ON RARE OCCASIONS, THE FELLA THAT SOLD THE TICKETS

WOULD HAVE TOO MUCH TO DRINK, AND HE'D OVERSELL THE HOUSE.

WELL, IF WE OVERSOLD THE HOUSE, WE'D JUST RAISE THE BACKDROPS

AND RUN THESE PEOPLE ONTO THE STAGE AND LET 'EM STAND ON THE STAGE,

AND WE COULD GET 200 OR 300 PEOPLE ON THE STAGE.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE BACKS OF THE ARTISTS, BUT THE ARTISTS

HAVE ALL GOT TO WALK AROUND 'EM AND WALK THROUGH 'EM,

AND THEY WERE, LIKE, IN HOG HEAVEN TO BE ON STAGE AT THE OPRY.

♪ ...THROUGH THE JUNGLES ON THE WABASH CANNONBALL ♪

YEAH.

TOUR BUSES NOW ROAMED SOME OF NASHVILLE'S FINER NEIGHBORHOODS,

JAMMED WITH OUTSIDERS EAGER TO SEE THE HOMES

OF THEIR FAVORITE RHINESTONE-CLAD STARS,

LIKE WEBB PIERCE, WHO HAD A GIANT,

GUITAR-SHAPED SWIMMING POOL IN HIS YARD

AND SOLD MASON JARS OF HIS POOL WATER FOR ONE DOLLAR.

MANY OF NASHVILLE'S UPPER-CLASS CITIZENS... WHO, FOR YEARS,

HAD LOOKED DOWN THEIR NOSES AT THE OPRY, ITS MUSIC,

ITS STARS, AND THE KIND OF PEOPLE IT ATTRACTED... FEARED

THAT THE "ATHENS OF THE SOUTH," AS THEY CALLED THEIR TOWN,

WAS BEING RUINED FOREVER.

YOU KNOW, THE ARISTOCRACY OF NASHVILLE,

THEY DIDN'T WANT NASHVILLE TO BE "MUSIC CITY U.S.A."

WE DON'T WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR HILLBILLY MUSIC, YOU KNOW?

SOME OF THEM WOULD TRAVEL TO EUROPE; WHEN THEY'D SAY, "WHERE ARE YOU FROM?"

"NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE." "OH, THE GRAND OLE OPRY?"

AND THEY'D SAY, "OH, HOLY SHIT," YOU KNOW,

"THAT COUNTRY MU... HILLBILLY MUSIC FOLLOWING US ALL OVER THE WORLD."

ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO TRIED TO REPAIR RELATIONS

BETWEEN THE TWO CULTURES IN TOWN

WAS SARAH OPHELIA CANNON.

SHE LIVED IN ONE OF NASHVILLE'S MOST EXCLUSIVE NEIGHBORHOODS,

RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION.

SARAH OPHELIA CANNON WAS ALSO KNOWN AS MINNIE PEARL...

HOW-DEE!

HOW-DEE!

AS MUCH A FIXTURE ON THE RYMAN STAGE AS ROY ACUFF

AND EVEN MORE BELOVED.

SHE WAS REALLY A VERY SOPHISTICATED LADY.

SHE... SHE BELONGED TO A BRIDGE CLUB.

SHE PLAYED TENNIS OVER HERE AT BELLE MEADE WITH 4 OR 5 OTHER LADIES,

AND SHE COULD JUST PUT THAT HAT ON

AND SHE COULD BE "COUSIN MINNIE PEARL,"

OR SHE COULD TAKE IT OFF AND BE OPHELIA CANNON.

MARGARET ANN ROBINSON, WHOSE FAMILY OWNED WSM

AND THE GRAND OLE OPRY, OFTEN ENLISTED HER

TO RAISE MONEY FROM THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR HIGH-BROW CAUSES.

NASHVILLE WAS CELEBRATING AN ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWN.

AND SO I WENT OUT TO SARAH'S ONE MORNING TO TALK TO HER

ABOUT HER PART IN THIS THING, IN THIS CITY-WIDE CELEBRATION.

IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CONVERSATION, SHE SAID, "OOP, WE GOT TO GO.

FOLLOW ME TO THE MAILBOX." AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES,

SARAH, CAN'T YOU WAIT TILL WE... I LEAVE TO GET THE MAIL?" "MM-MMM."

SO WE WALKED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND COMING AROUND THE HILL,

I COULD SEE ONE OF THE SIGHTSEEING BUSES IN NASHVILLE.

THEY STOPPED AT HER MAILBOX LIKE THEY ALWAYS DID

AND OPENED THE DOOR, AND SHE CLIMBED ON THE BUS.

AND SHE'D SAY, "HOW-DEE! I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU!"

THOSE PEOPLE IN THE BUS WOULD GO HOME AND THEY'D SAY, "WE MET MINNIE PEARL."

THEN SHE WAS SARAH CANNON AGAIN, AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE'D GO EAT FOR LUNCH

OR WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO IN THIS NASHVILLE CELEBRATION.

EVENTUALLY, THE CITY SURRENDERED,

PUTTING UP SIGNS READING "WELCOME TO NASHVILLE,

HOME OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY, MUSIC CITY U.S.A.,"

THOUGH THE OLD SIGNS WELCOMING VISITORS

TO THE "ATHENS OF THE SOUTH" REMAINED IN PLACE, TOO.

WE FINALLY RECONCILED THAT, AND YOU KNOW HOW WE DID IT?

YOU FOLLOW THE MONEY, YOU KNOW?

ONCE THEY'D FIND OUT THAT THESE HILLBILLIES ARE MAKING,

YOU KNOW, A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS A NIGHT SINGING THROUGH THEIR NOSE

AND PLAYING THE GUITAR, "WELL, WE'LL HAVE THEM OUT TO LUNCH, YOU KNOW,

TO HELP OUT WITH OUR CHARITY, YOU KNOW?"

2,000 MILES WEST OF NASHVILLE,

IN CALIFORNIA'S SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY,

A DIFFERENT KIND OF COUNTRY MUSIC...

UNAFRAID OF ITS ROUGH EDGES... WAS COMING OUT

OF THE SMOKY DANCE HALLS IN BAKERSFIELD.

THERE WAS NIGHT LIFE LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE.

THERE WAS 25 BEER JOINTS WITH A BAND IN EVERY ONE OF THEM.

SOME BARS PLAYED MUSIC 24 HOURS A DAY.

IT WAS ONE BIG CARNIVAL.

IF YOU WERE TO BRING SOMEBODY BACK FROM THE DEAD THAT LIVED AT THAT TIME,

TURN 'EM LOOSE OVER RIGHT NOW, THEY'D BE IN JAIL IN AN HOUR.

THE MUSIC BEING PLAYED CAME TO BE CALLED

THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND.

TO ME, THERE WAS ALWAYS A SHARP EDGE

ON CALIFORNIA COUNTRY MUSIC, THAT... THAT RIM SHOT,

WE CALL IT, ON THE DRUMS, ALMOST; TO ME, IT WAS LIKE

FIRING A GUN, WHERE, UH, IN NASHVILLE, THE SONG WAS...

THE... THE SOUND WAS BECOMING MORE POLISHED.

AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL WAS

BUCK OWENS AND HIS BUCKAROOS.

ALVIS EDGAR OWENS JR.

WAS BORN TO A FAMILY OF SHARECROPPERS IN 1929

IN NORTH TEXAS, JUST ACROSS THE RED RIVER FROM OKLAHOMA.

BEFORE HE WAS 4, HE ADOPTED THE NICKNAME "BUCK"

AFTER A MULE HE ADMIRED.

RUINED BY THE DUST BOWL, IN 1937

HIS DESPERATE FAMILY STRUCK OUT FOR CALIFORNIA,

BUT THEY ONLY MADE IT AS FAR AS MESA, ARIZONA,

WHERE THEY TOOK WHATEVER FARM JOBS THEY COULD FIND.

"WHEN I GET BIG," OWENS REMEMBERED THINKING,

"I'M NOT GOING TO GO TO BED HUNGRY

AND I'M NOT GOING TO WEAR HAND-ME-DOWN CLOTHES."

HE QUIT SCHOOL IN NINTH GRADE IN ORDER TO WORK:

WASHING CARS, PICKING ORANGES,

AND PLAYING GUITAR IN LOCAL HONKY-TONKS.

BY 1951,

OWENS HAD MOVED TO BAKERSFIELD,

PERFORMING AT ONE OF ITS ROWDY DANCE HALLS

WITH THE ORANGE BLOSSOM PLAYBOYS AND SITTING IN

AS A SESSION GUITARIST IN LOS ANGELES

AT CAPITOL RECORDS.

BUT OWENS' AMBITION WAS TO BE A RECORDING STAR,

AND HE BEGAN DEVELOPING A SOUND OF HIS OWN.

♪ YOU'VE BEEN FOOLIN' ROUND ON ME RIGHT FROM THE START... ♪

HE FASHIONED IT FOR A.M. RADIO,

EVEN DID PLAYBACKS IN THE STUDIO ON CAR SPEAKERS,

WITH LESS BASS; HIGHER, CLEANER-SOUNDING

FENDER TELECASTER ELECTRIC GUITARS;

PEDAL STEEL; AND A DANCEABLE BEAT.

♪ ...FOOL AROUND WITH ME... ♪

THE MELODIES AND LYRICS WERE SIMPLE,

SO THAT ANY BAR BAND COULD PLAY THEM EASILY.

I WAS AN A.M. RADIO KID, AND I USED TO FLIP THROUGH THE STATIONS

AND I WOULD STOP WHEN I HEARD A SONG I LIKED.

I REMEMBER HEARING A BUCK OWENS SONG AND JUST BEING BLOWN AWAY

BY IT 'CAUSE HE CAME OUT OF THE RADIO SO DIFFERENT.

BUCK CAME OUT WITH ALL THE BRIGHTNESS AND NO BASS, JUST ALL TREBLE GUITAR.

HE HAD A WAY OF JUST MAKING ME WANT TO TURN THE RADIO UP.

♪ I KNOW THAT ♪

♪ YOU'VE BEEN FOOLIN' ROUND ON ME RIGHT FROM THE... ♪

BUCK CAME IN WITH A RAW,

WORK CAMP, TOM JOAD GLARE.

YOU SEE IT. YOU SEE IT THROUGH THE SMILE.

BUCK DID THINGS THAT WERE AS BOLD, OR BOLDER,

THAN ANYBODY EVER IN THE HISTORY OF COUNTRY MUSIC.

IT WAS NOT A SINGER'S APPROACH;

IT WAS AN INSTRUMENTALIST'S APPROACH,

AND HE ALSO SANG WITH THAT KIND OF STACCATO.

HE WOULD COUNT THE SONG IN SOMETIMES WITH HIS LYRIC,

"TIGER BY THE TAIL" BEING THE PRIMARY EXAMPLE.

♪ I'VE... GOT... A ♪

THAT'S 1, 2, 3.

♪ TIGER BY THE TAIL, IT'S PLAIN TO SEE ♪

♪ I WON'T BE MUCH WHEN YOU GET THROUGH WITH ME ♪

THAT'S THAT.

♪ WELL, I'M A-LOSIN' WEIGHT AND A-TURNIN' MIGHTY PALE... ♪

WITH ITS UNABASHED TWANG...

AND DON RICH PLAYING GUITAR AND ADDING HARMONY...

THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND WAS THE OPPOSITE

OF THE NASHVILLE SOUND, WHICH OWENS CALLED,

"SOFT, EASY, SWEET RECORDINGS,

"AND THEN THEY POUR A GALLON OF MAPLE SYRUP OVER IT.

"I ALWAYS WANTED TO SOUND LIKE A LOCOMOTIVE COMIN'

RIGHT THROUGH THE FRONT ROOM," HE SAID.

FANS RESPONDED TO HIS HARD-CORE APPROACH.

ON ONE RECORD, BOTH THE "A" AND "B" SIDES TRADED PLACES

AT NUMBER ONE ON THE COUNTRY CHARTS.

SO THAT NO ONE COULD MISTAKE WHERE HE STOOD,

HE PUBLISHED A PLEDGE IN NASHVILLE'S "MUSIC CITY NEWS":

"I SHALL SING NO SONG THAT IS NOT A COUNTRY SONG," HE WROTE.

"I SHALL MAKE NO RECORD THAT IS NOT A COUNTRY RECORD.

"I REFUSE TO BE KNOWN AS ANYTHING BUT A COUNTRY SINGER.

"I AM PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH COUNTRY MUSIC.

"COUNTRY MUSIC AND COUNTRY MUSIC FANS

"HAVE MADE ME WHAT I AM TODAY.

AND I SHALL NOT FORGET IT."

AND BUCK HAD A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER,

AND IT'S IRONIC BECAUSE HE DIDN'T REALLY WRITE ABOUT THAT IN HIS MUSIC.

BUCK WAS VERY EFFERVESCENT IN HIS MUSIC.

AND IT'S A WAY FOR HIM TO COPE, I THINK, WITH WHAT HE

HAD TO DEAL WITH GROWING UP, SO IT'S ALWAYS THERE

IN THE TENSION, UNDERNEATH THE EXPOSED PART OF HIS SONGS AND SONGWRITING.

♪ LOOKS LIKE I'VE GOT A TIGER BY THE TAIL ♪

WHEN THE BEATLES BEGAN DOMINATING THE AMERICAN AIRWAVES,

MOST PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY MUSIC INDUSTRY

VIEWED THEM AS MOP-HAIRED INTERLOPERS.

BUCK OWENS BECAME AN OUTSPOKEN SUPPORTER...

"I LIKED THEIR MUSIC AND THEIR ATTITUDE,

REFUSING TO LET ANYBODY PUSH THEM AROUND," HE SAID,

THOUGH "I WAS STILL OLD-FASHIONED ENOUGH NOT TO LIKE THEIR HAIR."

♪ ...NATURALLY ♪

♪ WELL, I'LL BET YOU I'M A-GONNA BE A BIG STAR ♪

♪ I MIGHT WIN AN OSCAR, YOU CAN NEVER TELL... ♪

AS IT TURNED OUT, THE BEATLES WERE COUNTRY MUSIC FANS THEMSELVES.

GEORGE HARRISON'S INITIAL INTEREST IN GUITARS WAS PROMPTED

BY LISTENING TO HIS FATHER'S JIMMIE RODGERS RECORDS,

AND CHET ATKINS WAS HIS HERO.

AS A TEENAGER, JOHN LENNON SANG

HANK WILLIAMS' "HONKY TONK BLUES"

AROUND HIS HOME IN LIVERPOOL.

YOUNG PAUL MCCARTNEY LIKED MARTY ROBBINS,

AND DRUMMER RINGO STARR CITED GENE AUTRY,

THE SINGING COWBOY HE HAD SEEN IN THE MOVIES AT AGE 8,

AS "THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MUSICAL FORCE IN MY LIFE."

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. AND NOW WE'D LIKE TO DO SOMETHING WE DON'T OFTEN DO...

GIVE SOMEONE A CHANCE TO SING WHO DOESN'T OFTEN SING,

AND HERE HE IS, ALL OUT OF KEY AND NERVOUS, SINGING "ACT NATURALLY"... RINGO.

WHEN THE BEATLES WERE RECORDING A NEW ALBUM

AND WANTED A SONG FOR RINGO TO SING,

HE SUGGESTED "ACT NATURALLY,"

WHICH HAD BEEN BUCK OWENS' FIRST NUMBER-ONE HIT.

♪ WE'LL MAKE A FILM ABOUT A MAN THAT'S SAD AND LONELY ♪

♪ AND ALL I GOT TO DO IS ACT NATURALLY ♪

♪ WELL, I BET YOU I'M GONNA BE A BIG STAR ♪

♪ WIN AN OSCAR, YOU CAN NEVER TELL... ♪

THEY RELEASED IT ON THE FLIP SIDE OF "YESTERDAY."

♪ AND ALL I GOT TO DO IS ACT NATURALLY ♪

HEY!

OWENS LOVED IT.

ON TOUR, HE AND THE BUCKAROOS INCORPORATED A COMEDY ROUTINE

INTO THEIR ACT, DONNING BEATLES WIGS AND PLAYING THEIR SONGS,

AND HIS OWN RECORDS BENEFITED FROM THE EXPOSURE.

"I STARTED DEVELOPING A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE

OF YOUNG PEOPLE," HE LATER RECALLED.

"I GUESS THEY FIGURED, IF THE BEATLES RECORDED ONE

OF MY HITS, THEN I MUST BE ALL RIGHT."

♪ WELL, I LIKE MY LOVIN' DONE COUNTRY STYLE ♪

♪ AND THIS LITTLE GIRL WOULD WALK A COUNTRY MILE... ♪

LORETTA LYNN, I DON'T THINK SHE GETS ENOUGH CREDIT AS A SONGWRITER.

♪ ...I SAID A COUNTRY BOY... ♪

I WENT AND SANG ON A SONG WITH HER,

AND THE SUGGESTION CAME THAT WE MIGHT WRITE A COUPLE OF THINGS TOGETHER.

LORETTA COMES IN, AND SHE'S JUST ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL.

SHE CAME IN WITH A BOX FILE; IT SAID "SONGS" ON IT,

AND SHE TIPPED IT OUT ONTO THE TABLE AND IT'S FRAGMENTS OF PAPER,

BACKS OF OLD SHOPPING LISTS, A CARDBOARD BOX

FROM A BOX OF UNDERWEAR WITH LYRICS WRITTEN ON THEM.

SOMETIMES THEY'RE JUST A LINE LONG; THEY'RE JUST IDEAS.

AND A PIECE OF PAPER SAYS, UM, "THANK GOD FOR JESUS."

I SAID, "IS THAT A SONG TITLE?" SHE SAID, "WELL, IT IS NOW."

♪ ...IF YOUR EYES ARE ON ME... ♪

WHEN I WAS RECORDING WITH LORETTA ONCE, SHE WANTED TO DO A SONG TOGETHER.

IT WAS CALLED "PORTLAND, OREGON," AND... AND SHE WAS TELLING ME

WHAT THE LINES WERE, AND WE WERE GOING TO SING IT TOGETHER IN A ROOM.

SHE SAYS, UM, "OK, SO THEN, JACK, YOU SING, UH,

'NEXT DAY WE KNEW LAST NIGHT GOT DRUNK, BUT WE'D LOVED ENOUGH FOR THE BOTH OF US.'"

I SAID, "HOLD ON. WHAT... WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

YOU SAID, 'NEXT DAY, WE KNEW LAST NIGHT GOT DRUNK.'"

I KEPT SAYING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN; SHE WAS JUST SITTING THERE, WAITING FOR ME TO GET IT.

"NEXT DAY, WE KNEW LAST NIGHT GOT DRUNK?

YOU MEAN, 'LAST NIGHT, WE GOT DRUNK'?"

"NO, NO, NO." SHE'S LIKE, "LAST NIGHT GOT DRUNK."

"I'M SORRY, LOR... I DON'T GET IT, LORETTA," YOU KNOW.

"'NEXT DAY WE KNEW LAST NIGHT GOT DRUNK.' I'M BLAMING IT ON THE NIGHT.

IT'S THE NIGHT THAT GOT DRUNK, NOT US. THAT'S WHY WE DID WHAT WE DID."

WELL, LIKE, I JUST... YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T BELIEVE HOW... HOW BRILLIANTLY INTRICATE

SHE HAS GONE INTO THE METAPHOR OF THE STORY AND NOT EVEN MENTIONING IT.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON THE SONG TOGETHER, AND I... IT'S LIKE, SHE GOES, "YEAH,

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT?" HA HA!

I JUST DIDN'T THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT THAT FAR IN YOUR BRAIN

AND NOT EVEN TALKED ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW?

I WAS BROUGHT TO TEARS. I... I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, MAN.

♪ I JUST CAN'T GET IT THROUGH MY HEAD... ♪

BY 1965, LORETTA LYNN HAD BEEN IN NASHVILLE

FOR 5 YEARS, CUTTING RECORDS FOR THE DECCA LABEL

AS THE "DECCA DOLL FROM KENTUCKY,"

TOURING CONSTANTLY, AND HOPING FOR A BREAKTHROUGH.

HER PRODUCER, OWEN BRADLEY, REALIZED

THAT SOMETHING DIFFERENT WAS NEEDED, AND IT WOULDN'T BE FOUND

IN THE NASHVILLE SOUND HE AND CHET ATKINS

HAD BEEN PUSHING OTHER ARTISTS TO ADOPT.

THERE WAS, HE BELIEVED, NOTHING SMOOTH

AND POLISHED ABOUT LORETTA LYNN.

WHEN WE FIRST RECORDED LORETTA,

I WENT INTO THE CONTROL ROOM AND I TOLD MY BROTHER, I SAID,

"WHATEVER'S IN THAT WOMAN'S HEART COMES OUT OF HER MOUTH."

BRADLEY ENCOURAGED HER TO RETURN TO THE WAY

SHE HAD FIRST STARTED, WRITING HER OWN MATERIAL,

JUST AS SHE HAD DONE AS A TEENAGE WIFE,

MAKING UP SONGS TO ENTERTAIN HER 4 CHILDREN.

♪ ...OVER YOU ♪

OWEN SAID I WAS ONE OF THE BEST WRITERS THAT WALKED INTO NASHVILLE.

HE SAID, "YOU," UM, "WRITE YOUR NEXT RECORD.

"NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, IT'S GOING TO BE A HIT BECAUSE THE TIMES ARE CHANGING,"

AND SAID, "YOU'RE OUT THERE WORKING AND YOU SEE THE CHANGES,

SO YOU WRITE ABOUT IT," SO WE DID THAT.

SHE TURNED TO THEMES DRAWN FROM THE EXPERIENCES

OF WOMEN LIKE HERSELF, INCLUDING HER OWN TURBULENT MARRIAGE.

IN 1966, SHE CAME OUT

WITH "YOU AIN'T WOMAN ENOUGH TO TAKE MY MAN."

♪ YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA TAKE HIM ♪

♪ OH, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ♪

♪ 'CAUSE YOU AIN'T WOMAN ENOUGH ♪

♪ TO TAKE MY MAN ♪

YOU DON'T WRITE ABOUT FANTASIES; YOU WRITE

ABOUT LIFE AND TRUE LOVE

AND WHAT WAS GOING ON THAT DAY.

THAT'S THE WAY I DID IT.

JUST LIFE. I MEAN, THE SONGS ARE JUST LIFE.

IT'S... I'VE SEEN IT, OR I'VE LIVED IT,

AND I NEVER WOULD TELL MY HUSBAND WHICH ONE IT WAS.

♪ AND YOU AIN'T WOMAN ENOUGH TO TAKE MY MAN ♪

IT WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER SONG

FROM A WIFE'S PERSPECTIVE, ONLY THIS TIME AIMED

AT A HUSBAND WHO STUMBLES HOME DRUNK,

EXPECTING SEX.

♪ YOU THOUGHT THAT I'D BE WAITING UP WHEN YOU CAME HOME LAST NIGHT ♪

♪ YOU'D BEEN OUT WITH ALL THE BOYS AND YOU ENDED UP HALF TIGHT ♪

♪ LIQUOR AND LOVE, IT JUST DON'T MIX, LEAVE THE BOTTLE OR ME BEHIND ♪

♪ AND DON'T COME HOME A-DRINKIN' WITH LOVIN' ON YOUR MIND ♪

THAT'S HOW IT GOES.

♪ NO, DON'T COME HOME A-DRINKIN'... ♪

THE SAME YEAR THAT THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN

WAS FOUNDED AND THE YEAR THE PHRASE "WOMEN'S LIBERATION"

WAS FIRST USED, "DON'T COME HOME A-DRINKIN' WITH LOVIN' ON YOUR MIND"

BECAME LORETTA LYNN'S FIRST NUMBER-ONE HIT.

SHE DIDN'T CONSIDER HERSELF PART OF ANY MOVEMENT,

NOR DID HER GROWING LEGIONS OF FEMALE COUNTRY MUSIC FANS,

BUT THEY BELIEVED THAT AT LAST, SOMEONE WAS SPEAKING FOR THEM.

THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING.

THEY JUST KNEW THAT I WAS GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING, TOO.

♪ ...AND MANY A NIGHT I'VE LAID AWAKE AND CRIED HERE ALL ALONE... ♪

THEY JUST BOUGHT THE RECORD AND SEE THEIR HUSBAND COMING, PUT IT ON AND TURN IT UP.

HA HA! THAT'S WHAT THEY DID.

♪ ...SO DON'T COME HOME A-DRINKIN' ♪

♪ WITH LOVIN' ON YOUR MIND ♪

THESE WERE SOME SONGS THAT PEOPLE WEREN'T WRITING,

AND CERTAINLY NO WOMAN WAS WRITING SONGS LIKE THAT.

NOBODY IN ROCK AND ROLL WAS SINGING THOSE IDEAS.

♪ ...ON THE TOWN AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN FIND... ♪

THERE'S NOTHING MORE FEMINIST THAN THAT.

IT'S REAL. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE, SPOUSAL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM,

AND, UH, A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO HER OWN BODY AND HER OWN RIGHTS.

I MEAN, THOSE ARE HEAVY-DUTY TOPICS YOU THREW TOGETHER IN THAT NOVEL LITTLE SONG.

PRETTY INCREDIBLE.

AND SHE HAD MORE TO SAY IN HER OWN FEISTY, UNFILTERED WAY.

HER MOST CONTROVERSIAL SONG FOCUSED ON A WIFE WHO FEELS

LIKE A HEN IN A BROODER HOUSE, CONFINED TO AN EXISTENCE

OF HAVING ONE CHILD AFTER ANOTHER.

♪ ALL THESE YEARS I'VE STAYED AT HOME

♪ WHILE YOU HAD ALL YOUR FUN ♪

♪ AND EVERY YEAR THAT'S GONE BY ♪

♪ ANOTHER BABY'S COME ♪

♪ THERE'S GONNA BE SOME CHANGES MADE ♪

♪ RIGHT HERE ON NURSERY HILL ♪

♪ YOU'VE SET THIS CHICKEN YOUR LAST TIME ♪

♪ 'CAUSE NOW I'VE GOT THE PILL ♪

DECCA WAS WORRIED ENOUGH ABOUT THE SONG'S TOPIC,

SUNG BY A MOTHER OF NOW 6.

IT HELD BACK "THE PILLS” RELEASE FOR TWO YEARS,

AND WHEN IT DID COME OUT, A NUMBER OF COUNTRY STATIONS

REFUSED TO PLAY IT UNTIL PUBLICITY ABOUT THE BOYCOTT...

AND DEMANDS FROM HER FEMALE FANS...

MADE IT A TOP-5 COUNTRY HIT

AND CROSSED IT OVER TO THE POP CHARTS.

I SAW THIS PICTURE OF LORETTA.

SHE HAD A WHITE TELECASTER,

AND SHE HAD ON HER SHORT FRINGE SKIRT AND HER COWBOY BOOTS,

YOU KNOW, SINGING "THE PILL." I THOUGHT, "OH, MAN."

THAT WAS RAD... SHE WAS RADICAL.

SHE WAS A BADASS.

IT WAS HAPPENING TO EVERYBODY,

BUT NOBODY WOULD WRITE ABOUT IT.

THEY THOUGHT THEY'D INSULT PEOPLE.

WELL, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE LIVING THAT KIND OF LIFE.

AND WHEN "THE PILL" COME OUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAD "THE PILL,"

EVERYBODY WOULD LOOK AT ME LIKE, "ANOTHER DIRTY SONG."

IT WASN'T DIRTY.

EVERYBODY WENT OUT AND BOUGHT IT.

AND, IN FACT, IF THEY'D HAVE HAD THE PILL OUT WHEN I WAS HAVING KIDS,

I'D HAVE ATE 'EM LIKE POPCORN.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'D GOT THE MONEY TO BUY 'EM, BUT I MIGHT HAVE HAD TO STEAL 'EM.

BUT HER BIGGEST SUCCESS CAME FROM A SONG

THAT SIMPLY RECOUNTED HER HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

IN BUTCHER HOLLER, KENTUCKY.

♪ WELL, I WAS BORN A COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER ♪

♪ IN A CABIN, ON A HILL IN BUTCHER HOLLER ♪

♪ WE WERE POOR, BUT WE HAD LOVE ♪

♪ THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT DADDY MADE SURE OF ♪

♪ HE SHOVELED COAL TO MAKE A POOR MAN'S DOLLAR... ♪

I STUDIED "COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER" LIKE IT WAS A TEXTBOOK.

IT'S A ROSETTA STONE.

IT GOES BACK TO BLUEGRASS AND MOUNTAIN MUSIC

AND COUNTRY MUSIC AND MODERN COUNTRY.

REBA McENTlRE: LORETTA LYNN IS HONESTY, BLUNTNESS.

SHE'LL SAY ANYTHING. THERE'S NO FILTER.

SHE REMINDS ME OF MAMA A LOT.

UH, SHE'S A STRONG-WILLED WOMAN AND IS A SURVIVOR.

♪ WELL, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE WAY BACK THEN... ♪

IF YOU WRITE THE TRUTH AND YOU'RE WRITING THE SONG,

AND YOU'RE WRITING, SETTING HERE WRITING ABOUT YOUR LIFE,

IT'S GOING TO BE COUNTRY. IT'LL BE COUNTRY...

'CAUSE YOU'RE WRITING WHAT'S HAPPENING,

AND THAT'S ALL A GOOD SONG IS.

♪ ...EXCEPT THE MEMORIES OF A COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER ♪

♪ WE SHALL OVERCOME ♪

♪ WE SHALL OVERCOME ♪

♪ WE SHALL OVERCOME SOMEDAY... ♪

BY THE MID-1960s,

THE LONG STRUGGLE BY AFRICAN AMERICANS

TO END LEGALIZED DISCRIMINATION IN THE SOUTH

WAS FINALLY PRODUCING VICTORIES.

SCHOOLS COULD NO LONGER BE SEGREGATED.

THE HARD-WON CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

BANNED EMPLOYERS AND PUBLIC PLACES

FROM DENYING THEM JOBS OR PROVIDING THEM EQUAL ACCESS

TO EVERYTHING FROM DRINKING FOUNTAINS

TO SEATS IN CAFETERIAS OR ON A BUS.

AND IN 1965, PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON

SIGNED A BILL OVERRIDING STATE LAWS

MEANT TO KEEP BLACK PEOPLE FROM EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE.

THAT FALL, IN NASHVILLE,

A 31-YEAR-OLD FROM SLEDGE, MISSISSIPPI

WITH A DEEP, RESONANT VOICE

ENTERED A STUDIO TO RECORD

SOME COUNTRY SONGS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

HIS NAME WAS CHARLEY PRIDE.

MY DAD USED TO SAY, NOW, "PRIDE.

JUST THINK ABOUT THE NAME ITSELF."

HE SAID, "WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, YOU WANT TO TRY

TO DO IT GOOD AND DO IT QUICK."

♪ SO I FEEL SO BLUE SOMETIMES I WANNA DIE ♪

THE REASON HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT IN COUNTRY MUSIC

WAS BECAUSE OF HIS VOICE.

YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY, IT DIDN'T MATTER

WHAT THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN WAS

'CAUSE HIS MUSIC WAS WAY TOO GOOD.

HE WAS BORN IN 1934,

THE FOURTH OF 11 CHILDREN IN A SHARECROPPER'S FAMILY

THAT LIVED IN A 3-ROOM SHOTGUN SHACK

IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA.

I GREW UP AND WALKED 4 MILES TO SCHOOL,

4 MILES BACK, THAT KIND OF THING.

BUT THE WHITES HAD A BUS.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A BUS.

I'M WALKING TO SCHOOL, I WALKED WAY OVER TO THE SIDE

'CAUSE THEY HAD POTHOLES AND IT WAS A GRAVEL ROAD.

IF YOU'RE WALKING TOO CLOSE AND THE BUS GO BY,

AND ...IT WENT... WATER ALL OVER ME, SEE?

PLUS THE KIDS SAID, "HEY, NIGGER. HEY..."

YOU KNOW, GIVING... TAUNTIN' YOU AND THAT SORT OF THING.

I ALWAYS WANTED BE SOMEWHERE AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT

THAN PICKING COTTON BESIDE MY DAD.

I USED TO SIT ON THE PORCH AND I'D LOOK UP AT THE CLOUDS.

AND I SAID, "BOY, I'D BE... TO FLOAT ON THEM CLOUDS."

AND I'D THINK OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS LITTLE.

I DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT IT WOULD BE.

SO WHEN I SAW JACKIE ROBINSON GO TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES, I SAID,

"THERE'S MY OUT OF THE COTTON FIELD."

HIS ABILITY AS A PITCHER LANDED HIM A SPOT

ON THE MEMPHIS RED SOX IN THE NEGRO LEAGUE

WHEN PRIDE WAS STILL A TEENAGER.

HE LATER MOVED TO HELENA, MONTANA,

WHERE HE PLAYED ON A MINOR LEAGUE TEAM

AND WORKED IN A SMELTING PLANT.

BUT HE HAD ALSO GROWN UP LISTENING TO THE GRAND OLE OPRY,

ADMIRING HANK WILLIAMS, AND IN MONTANA,

HE BEGAN PERFORMING IN A LOCAL BAR.

PASSING THROUGH TOWN, OPRY STARS RED FOLEY AND RED SOVINE

HEARD HIM SINGING WILLIAMS' "LOVESICK BLUES,"

AND WERE IMPRESSED ENOUGH TO ENCOURAGE HIM TO TRY NASHVILLE.

PRIDE SHOWED UP IN MUSIC CITY, WHERE HE CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF

COWBOY JACK CLEMENT,

THE MAVERICK PRODUCER AND SONGWRITER.

I THOUGHT COUNTRY MUSIC WAS

GETTING A LITTLE STALE AT THAT TIME.

AND I THOUGHT IT NEEDED SOME... KICK IN THE BUTT.

OR SOMETHING.

AND A FRIEND OF MINE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT THIS, UH,

"NEGRO" THAT WAS A GREAT COUNTRY SINGER.

IF ANY PRODUCER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ON

A BLACK KID, IT WAS JACK

'CAUSE JACK LIKED TO BE DIFFERENT.

AND JACK WASN'T AFRAID OF ANYTHING.

WELL, I HEARD HIM SING AND HE WAS GREAT.

AND I CAME BACK AND I SAID, "LET'S GET HIM IN HERE

AND RECORD HIM."

MEANWHILE, PRIDE'S MANAGER STARTED MAKING

INTRODUCTIONS TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS,

PEOPLE WHO COULD MAKE PRIDE'S LIFE EASY

OR VERY DIFFICULT.

♪ ...THINGS GO FOR YOU TODAY? ♪

HE SAID, "NOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE

SOME PEOPLE IN NASHVILLE THAT YOU'VE GOT TO GET BY."

I SAID, "OK."

AND THE FIRST NAME HE NAMED WAS FARON YOUNG.

AND HE SAID, "FARON'S JUST SUBJECT TO...

"WALK UP TO YOU AND SAY, 'YOU'RE THAT N-WORD

THAT'S TRYING TO SING MUSIC.'"

FARON, BEING ONE OF THE MOST OUTSPOKEN,

CONTROVERSIAL PEOPLE IN NASHVILLE...

♪ WELL, I SEE THAT YOU'RE STILL HERE ♪

PEOPLE LISTENED TO FARON. PEOPLE RESPECTED FARON.

PEOPLE WERE AFRAID OF FARON.

I SAID, "LET'S GO FIND HIM." "HUH?"

I SAID, "MIGHT AS WELL GET IT OVER WITH RIGHT NOW."

THEY TRACKED DOWN FARON YOUNG

AT ONE OF HIS FAVORITE CLUBS.

"FARON, I WANT YOU TO MEET CHARLEY PRIDE."

HIS SHOULDERS WENT LIKE THAT.

I SAID, "UH-OH, HERE IT COMES."

HE GOT UP AND HE SAYS, "CHARLEY PRIDE,

YOU SING A FINE SONG."

I SAID, "FARON, YOU DO YOURSELF."

BUT HE WOULD SING ONE, AND I WOULD SING ONE.

HE WOULD SING ONE, AND I WOULD SING ONE.

AND, FINALLY, HE SAID, "WELL, I'LL BE.

"WHO WOULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT I'M SITTING HERE

SINGING WITH A JIG AND DON'T MIND."

BUT MOST OF THE LABELS IN NASHVILLE

WEREN'T INTERESTED IN SIGNING HIM.

THEN, CHET ATKINS TOOK THE TAPES TO HIS BOSSES AT RCA...

WAITING UNTIL THEY LIKED WHAT THEY HEARD

BEFORE SHOWING THEM A PHOTOGRAPH OF PRIDE.

THEY DECIDED TO RELEASE HIS EARLY SINGLES

WITHOUT MAKING ANY MENTION OF PRIDE'S RACE.

MANY OF THE RADIO DISC JOCKEYS... AND THE PEOPLE LISTENING...

ASSUMED HE WAS JUST ANOTHER WHITE, SOUTHERN COUNTRY SINGER.

I WAS EMCEEING A SHOW IN DETROIT.

WE HAD ABOUT 18,000 PEOPLE, AND WHEN I WENT OUT, I SAID,

"HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE ARE FROM THE SOUTH?

FIRST, SECOND, THIRD GENERATION?"

MOST OF THE HANDS WENT UP.

PRIDE WAS ABOUT THE THIRD ACT ON.

SO I GAVE HIM A BIG BUILDUP, BEING THERE FROM

"DOWN IN MISSISSIPPI," AND ALL OF THAT.

AND "I HOPE YOU'LL GIVE HIM A BIG DETROIT WELCOME.

COUNTRY CHARLEY PRIDE."

WELL, THIS IS EXACTLY THE WAY IT WENT.

"YEAH!"

IT STOPPED.

LIKE TURNING DOWN A... A VOLUME.

YOU COULD DROP A PIN.

I SAID, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

"I REALIZE IT'S KIND OF UNIQUE,

"ME COMING OUT HERE ON A COUNTRY MUSIC SHOW

WEARING THIS PERMANENT TAN."

THE MINUTE I SAID THAT, A BIG APPLAUSE.

SO I GUESS THEY SAID, "WELL,

LET'S SIT BACK, SEE WHAT HE GOT TO OFFER."

♪

♪ I THOUGHT I HAD SEEN PRETTY GIRLS IN MY TIME ♪

♪ BUT THAT WAS BEFORE I MET YOU ♪

♪ I NEVER SAW ONE THAT I WANTED FOR MINE ♪

♪ BUT THAT WAS BEFORE I MET YOU ♪

♪ I THOUGHT... ♪

BUT ONCE THEY SAW ME SING AND HEARD ME SING,

THEY DIDN'T SAY THIS, BUT "I DON'T CARE IF HE'S GREEN.

I LIKE HIS SINGING."

BUT AT A CONVENTION IN NASHVILLE,

A VISITING DISC JOCKEY TOLD FARON YOUNG

THAT WHEN THEY LEARNED CHARLEY PRIDE WAS BLACK,

THE STATION DECIDED TO STOP PLAYING HIS RECORDS.

YOUNG SET THE MAN STRAIGHT.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH, YOU GO BACK THERE

"AND TELL THAT SON OF A BITCH THAT MANAGES YOUR STATION

IF HE TAKES CHARLEY PRIDE OFF, TAKE ALL MY RECORDS OFF."

WHEN HIS SINGLE, "JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME,"

REACHED NUMBER 10 ON THE COUNTRY CHARTS,

CHARLEY PRIDE'S CAREER WAS LAUNCHED,

THOUGH, FOR A WHILE, HIS LABEL WAS STILL SKITTISH

ABOUT WHICH SONGS HE RECORDED... ESPECIALLY LOVE SONGS.

THEY TURNED DOWN HIS REQUEST TO SING CURLY PUTMAN'S

"GREEN, GREEN GRASS OF HOME."

♪ DOWN THE ROAD I LOOK ♪

♪ AND THERE COMES MARY, HAIR OF GOLD ♪

"HAIR OF GOLD"?

♪ AND LIPS LIKE CHERRIES ♪

"HAIR OF GOLD"?

DID THAT GET YOU GOOD ENOUGH?

THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST... THAT ONE LINE

MIGHT JUST WOULD HURT THE... "LOOK WHO HE'S SINGING TO."

THERE AIN'T GOT THAT MANY "HAIR OF GOLDS"

THAT'S HIS COLOR.

RIGHT?

BUT HIS BIGGEST HIT, "KISS AN ANGEL GOOD MORNING,"

SPENT 5 WEEKS AT THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS

AND CROSSED OVER TO THE POP MARKETS.

♪ OLD FRIENDS ON THE STREET ♪

♪ THEY WONDER HOW DOES A MAN GET TO BE THIS WAY ♪

HE WOULD BECOME THE FIRST BLACK MEMBER

OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY

SINCE DEFORD BAILEY DECADES EARLIER;

THE FIRST BLACK ARTIST TO HAVE A NUMBER-ONE COUNTRY RECORD;

AND THE FIRST ARTIST OF ANY COLOR

TO WIN THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION'S

MALE VOCALIST AWARD TWO YEARS IN A ROW.

TIMES WERE CHANGING.

OTHER AWARDS WOULD FOLLOW.

THE NOMINEE FOR THE BEST COUNTRY VOCAL...

I WAS GIVING THE AWARD OUT.

THEY TOLD ME IF CHARLEY WINS, STEP BACK ONE STEP.

AND THE WINNER IS "CHARLEY PRIDE

YEAH. SINGS HEART SONGS" BY CHARLEY PRIDE.

SO I HUGGED HIM.

♪ THE SECRET OF A HAPPINESS ♪

♪ BUT SOME OF THEM... ♪

YOU CAN'T LET PEOPLE TELL YOU WHERE TO STAND AND WHAT TO SAY.

OR I NEVER COULD.

♪ THE SECRET I'M SPEAKING OF ♪

CHARLEY PRIDE WOULD GO ON TO HAVE

29 NUMBER-ONE COUNTRY HITS AND 12 GOLD ALBUMS,

BE INDUCTED INTO THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME,

AND REMAIN A LIFELONG FRIEND OF FARON YOUNG.

WE WENT INTO THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME TOGETHER.

FARON YOUNG, ONE OF MY BEST, BEST FRIENDS THERE EVER WAS.

♪ ...DEVIL WHEN YOU GET BACK HOME ♪

THE THING ABOUT DEFORD BAILEY, RAY CHARLES,

AND CHARLEY PRIDE, THE 2 OR 3 BLACK PEOPLE

WHO WERE KNOWN TO BE IN COUNTRY MUSIC,

THEY WERE ACCEPTED.

THE MUSICIANS ACCEPTED THEM AT A TIME

WHEN THE CULTURE DID NOT ACCEPT.

THERE'S A TRUTH IN THE MUSIC.

AND IT'S TOO BAD THAT WE, AS A CULTURE,

HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT TRUTH.

THAT'S THE SHAME OF IT.

THE ART TELLS MORE OF THE TALE OF US COMING TOGETHER.

♪ A CANVAS COVERED CABIN ♪

♪ IN A CROWDED LABOR CAMP ♪

♪ STAND OUT IN THIS MEMORY I REVIVED ♪

♪ 'CAUSE MY DADDY RAISED A FAMILY THERE ♪

♪ WITH TWO HARD-WORKING HANDS ♪

♪ AND TRIED TO FEED MY MAMA'S HUNGRY EYES ♪

THE HUMAN BEING HAS A HISTORY OF BEING AWFUL CRUEL

TO SOME... SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

"OKIE" WAS NOT A... NOT A GOOD WORD, YOU KNOW?

THEY WERE TALKED DOWN TO AND LOOKED DOWN ON,

AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING COMPARABLE

TO THE WAY THAT THEY TREATED THE BLACKS.

WHEN MERLE RONALD HAGGARD WAS BORN IN 1937,

HIS FAMILY HAD ALREADY BEEN LIVING

NEAR BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA FOR 3 YEARS...

HAVING FLED OKLAHOMA AFTER A FIRE DESTROYED THEIR FARM

DURING THE DEPRESSION.

THEY WERE STILL LOOKED DOWN UPON AS "OKIES."

♪ ...HAD THE LUXURIES SHE WANTED ♪

HAGGARD'S FATHER HAD FOUND WORK ON THE RAILROAD,

BUT THEY NEEDED A PERMANENT PLACE TO LIVE.

THERE WAS A LADY NAMED "MISS BONA,"

WHO OWNED A... A LOT WITH A BOXCAR SETTING ON IT,

REFRIGERATOR CAR, AND SHE SAID, UH...

"IF YOU HAVE A MIND TO BE A HARD ENOUGH WORKER,

YOU COULD PROBABLY MAKE THIS INTO A PRETTY NICE HOME,"

SHE SAID, "BUT I NEVER HEARD OF AN OKIE THAT WOULD WORK."

AND MY DAD TOOK A LITTLE OFFENSE TO THAT AND HE SAID,

"WELL, MA'AM, I NEVER HEARD OF ONE THAT WOULDN'T WORK."

HAGGARD WAS ONLY 9 YEARS OLD

WHEN HIS FATHER DIED FROM A STROKE.

"SOMETHING," HE SAID LATER, "WENT OUT OF THE WORLD

THAT I WAS NEVER ABLE TO REPLACE."

TO FILL THE GAP, HIS MOTHER ENCOURAGED MERLE'S

BUDDING INTEREST IN MUSIC,

HOPING IT WOULD KEEP HIM OUT OF TROUBLE.

IT DIDN'T.

HE RAN AWAY FOR A WHILE AT AGE 10

BY HOPPING A FREIGHT TRAIN,

THEN RAN AWAY AGAIN AT 14,

HITCHHIKING ALL THE WAY TO TEXAS AND BACK.

HIS FRESHMAN YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL,

HE SHOWED UP A TOTAL OF 10 DAYS.

♪ 10 YEARS AGO ♪

BUT HE LISTENED ENDLESSLY

TO THE JIMMIE RODGERS RECORDS HIS MOTHER BOUGHT HIM;

SNEAKED OFF TO SEE BOB WILLS PERFORM;

TOOK IN LOCAL CONCERTS BY THE MADDOX BROTHERS AND ROSE

AND HIS PERSONAL HERO, LEFTY FRIZZELL,

WHO LET HIM COME ONSTAGE AT AGE 16

AND DO AN UNCANNY IMITATION OF THE HONKY-TONK STAR.

"LEFTY," HE SAID, "GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO DREAM."

HAGGARD SPENT MOST OF HIS TEENAGE YEARS

RUNNING FROM THE LAW.

HE WAS CONSTANTLY ARRESTED FOR TRUANCY...

AND JUST AS CONSTANTLY ESCAPING FROM JUVENILE DETENTION CENTERS.

MARRIED AT AGE 17, HE STARTED SELLING STOLEN SCRAP IRON,

GOT CAUGHT, AND WAS JAILED, ONLY TO ESCAPE AGAIN.

SOMEBODY WAS ALWAYS AFTER ME, SEEMED LIKE.

I ESCAPED 17 TIMES FROM DIFFERENT PLACES IN CALIFORNIA.

I WAS, UH, BONNIE AND CLYDE ALL ROLLED INTO ONE,

JUST RUNNING FROM THE LAW, DOING TIME WHEN THEY'D CATCH ME.

IN 1957, THE POLICE BROUGHT HIM IN

FOR A MINOR BURGLARY.

THIS TIME, BASED ON HIS RAP SHEET OF ESCAPES,

MORE THAN THE SEVERITY OF ANY OF HIS CRIMES,

HE WAS SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN SAN QUENTIN,

A MAXIMUM-SECURITY PRISON.

NO ONE HAD ESCAPED FROM IT IN 8 YEARS.

MERLE HAGGARD BECAME PRISONER NUMBER A-45200,

CONFINED WITH SEVERAL THOUSAND OF CALIFORNIA'S

MOST HARDENED CRIMINALS, SOME OF THEM ON DEATH ROW.

HE WAS 20 YEARS OLD AND INTENT AS EVER ON BREAKING OUT.

AN INMATE EVERYONE CALLED RABBIT

INVITED HAGGARD TO JOIN IN ON AN ESCAPE HE WAS PLOTTING,

BUT AT THE LAST MINUTE ADVISED THE YOUNG MAN

NOT TO TAKE PART IN THE DANGEROUS PLAN.

"YOU CAN SING AND WRITE SONGS," HE TOLD HAGGARD.

"YOU CAN BE SOMEBODY SOMEDAY."

IT WAS A BIG DECISION TO NOT GO.

BUT IT WAS KIND OF NEAT TO KNOW THAT

I COULD GET OUT OF THERE IF I WANTED TO.

HAGGARD TOOK THE ADVICE.

RABBIT'S ESCAPE WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR A TIME.

BUT DURING HIS RECAPTURE, HE KILLED A POLICEMAN,

WAS BROUGHT BACK TO SAN QUENTIN,

AND LATER EXECUTED.

SAN QUENTIN.

SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME THERE.

THERE WAS A TIME WHERE I... I CAME TO THE FORK IN THE ROAD

AND TOOK IT, YOU MIGHT SAY.

AND I KIND OF STARTED BACK IN THE OTHER DIRECTION,

TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF MYSELF

RATHER THAN TO DIG MYSELF IN A DEEPER HOLE.

♪ GROWING UP TO RIDE ♪

♪ ON A FREIGHT TRAIN LEAVING TOWN ♪

♪ NOT KNOWING WHERE I'M BOUND... ♪

HAGGARD DECIDED THAT HIS ONLY WAY OUT

WAS TO BECOME A MODEL PRISONER.

HE VOLUNTEERED FOR THE TOUGHEST JOB, IN THE TEXTILE MILL,

AND PLAYED IN THE PRISON BAND.

ONE NEW YEAR'S DAY, HE ATTENDED A CONCERT FOR THE INMATES.

THE PERFORMER WAS JOHNNY CASH,

AND HAGGARD BECAME INSPIRED THAT

SOMEDAY HE, TOO, MIGHT BE A STAR.

♪ I TURNED 21 IN PRISON ♪

"I WOULD HAVE BEEN A CAREER CRIMINAL

AND DIED YOUNG," HE REMEMBERED, "IF MUSIC HADN'T SAVED ME."

♪ MAMA TRIED, MAMA TRIED TO RAISE ME BETTER ♪

HIS WIFE HAD STOPPED VISITING, EVEN WRITING,

BUT HIS MOTHER NEVER GAVE UP ON HIM.

WE'VE ALL GOT A MAMA.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF THEM TRIED.

MY MOTHER WAS A CHRISTIAN LADY, RAISED ME IN A CHURCH.

SHE LIVED WHAT SHE BELIEVED IN.

BUT SHE WAS NEVER TOO GOOD TO COME AND SEE ME IN SAN QUENTIN.

RODE A GREYHOUND BUS UP THERE

EVERY TIME SHE COULD AFFORD TO COME.

AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE, AM THE ONLY ONE,

IN OUR WHOLE FAMILY TO HAVE EVER BEEN TO JAIL.

SO SHE HAD A LOT OF GUFF FROM

THE REST OF THE FAMILY, I'M SURE.

AND, UH, IT WAS GOOD WHEN I STARTED GETTING POPULAR

BECAUSE SHE KIND OF GOT BACK AT THEM.

PAROLED AFTER 2 1/2 YEARS,

HE RETURNED TO BAKERSFIELD

AND TOOK A DAY JOB DIGGING DITCHES.

7 NIGHTS A WEEK, HE PLAYED MUSIC IN THE CITY'S HONKY-TONKS:

THE HIGH POCKETS, RAINBOW GARDENS, THE LUCKY SPOT.

HE TOURED BRIEFLY WITH BUCK OWENS,

PLAYING BASS WITH THE BUCKAROOS.

IN 1965, HE MARRIED THE SINGER BONNIE OWENS,

BUCK'S FORMER WIFE, AND RECORDED DUETS WITH HER.

THEN HAGGARD'S SOLO CAREER

STARTED PICKING UP STEAM ON ITS OWN.

SOME OF THE SONGS HE WROTE...

"SWINGING DOORS" AND "THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN"...

WERE CLASSIC HONKY-TONK TUNES WITH A BAKERSFIELD SOUND.

BUT INCREASINGLY, HE TURNED TO THEMES

REFLECTING HIS OWN EXPERIENCES:

"SING ME BACK HOME," DRAWN FROM HIS TIME IN PRISON;

"MAMA TRIED," ABOUT HIS RECKLESS YOUNGER YEARS;

AND "HUNGRY EYES," ABOUT GROWING UP POOR.

PEOPLE STARTED CALLING HIM THE POET OF THE COMMON MAN.

THE SONG THAT CAPTURES THAT PART OF AMERICAN HISTORY

AND AMERICAN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY, BY MERLE, TO ME,

IS "MAMA'S HUNGRY EYES."

♪ A CANVAS-COVERED CABIN IN A CROWDED LABOR CAMP ♪

♪ STAND OUT IN THIS OLD MEMORY I REVIVE ♪

♪ 'CAUSE MY DADDY RAISED A FAMILY THERE ♪

♪ WITH TWO HARD-WORKING HANDS ♪

♪ AND TRIED TO FILL MY MAMA'S HUNGRY EYES ♪

IN THE SECOND VERSE OF THAT SONG, HE SINGS ABOUT IT,

"ANOTHER CLASS OF PEOPLE KEPT US SOMEWHERE JUST BELOW.

ONE MORE REASON FOR MY MAMA'S HUNGRY EYES."

HE SANG THAT FOR BUCK AND BUCK'S FAMILY,

THE MADDOX BROTHERS, AND ALL THOSE UNNAMED

"OKIES" AND "ARKIES" AND TEXANS.

MERLE HAGGARD IS ONE OF THE GREATEST POETS EVER

IN AMERICAN MUSIC, INDEPENDENT OF... OF GENRE.

DURING A 3-YEAR STRETCH IN THE LATE 1960s,

HE PUT OUT A NUMBER-ONE HIT EVERY 4 MONTHS.

THE FIRST THING WE NOTICED ABOUT HIM, WELL,

HE... HE WAS HOLLYWOOD HANDSOME.

I HAD GIRLS STOP ME ON THE STREET

ASKING ME HOW TO MEET MERLE HAGGARD.

STEWARDESSES ON AIRPLANES SAID, "YOU KNOW MERLE HAGGARD?"

HE WAS HANDSOME, HE COULD SING,

AND HE COULD WRITE.

HE... HE WAS THE TOTAL PACKAGE.

♪ ...BEER IN A TAVERN ♪

♪ SING A LITTLE BIT OF THESE WORKIN' MAN BLUES ♪

FOR ME, COUNTRY MUSIC WAS DEAD.

I HAD SPENT MY EARLY TIME, IN THE SIXTIES,

LISTENING TO MOTOWN.

I THOUGHT THAT STUFF THEY WERE DOING AT MOTOWN...

"PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE" AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF...

MAN, WHAT DO YOU MEAN COUNTRY MUSIC?

♪ I'LL DRINK A LITTLE BEER THAT EVENING ♪

THEN, ONE NIGHT, IN ATLANTA,

I WAS UP LATE WITH A RADIO

AND HEARD A SONG BY MERLE HAGGARD...

♪ SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT LEAVING ♪

AND I THINK FOR ME, JUST

MERLE HAGGARD, ALL BY HIMSELF, SAVED COUNTRY MUSIC.

"WELL, WHAT IS COUNTRY MUSIC?"

I WOULD SAY, "OK, JUST GET ANY MERLE HAGGARD RECORD.

"YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH ONE.

"JUST DROP THE NEEDLE ON ANY TRACK

"AND THIS WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA.

AND... AND YOU CAN TAKE IT FROM THERE."

♪ TODAY I STARTED LOVING YOU AGAIN ♪

BONNIE AND I HAD BEEN ON TOUR

FOR 93 STRAIGHT DAYS WITHOUT A BREAK.

♪ I'M RIGHT BACK WHERE I'VE REALLY ALWAYS BEEN ♪

WE WERE IN THE L.A. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

AND I TOLD HER, "TODAY, I STARTED LOVING YOU AGAIN."

♪ JUST LONG ENOUGH ♪

"HAD TIME TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT."

AND THAT'S WHERE IT CAME FROM.

♪ THEN TODAY, I STARTED LOVING YOU... ♪

IT'S A CIRCLE.

A CIRCLE OF WORDS THAT SURROUND A SUBJECT,

BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT.

♪ WHAT A FOOL I WAS ♪

IT'S BEEN RECORDED ALMOST... ALMOST 500 TIMES

BY SOME OF THE GREATER ARTISTS IN THE BUSINESS,

SO I'M AWFULLY PROUD OF THAT COPYRIGHT.

"I FELT LIKE I WAS ON A ROLL," HAGGARD RECALLED,

"BUT I COULDN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN

"TO MY LITTLE, GROWING PUBLIC IF THEY FOUND OUT

"I WAS A SAN QUENTIN GRADUATE.

MAMA EVEN SUGGESTED I CHANGE MY NAME."

HE DECIDED TO STICK WITH HAGGARD.

"IT WAS MY DADDY'S," HE SAID, "AND IT'S MINE."

MY FAVORITE SONG OF MERLE'S IS

"HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER."

IT'S CHRONICLING A FAMILY WHO'S BROKEN APART.

AND, IN THIS CASE, IT'S NOT

THE FATHER WHO'S LEFT, IT'S THE MOTHER WHO LEFT.

AND THE FATHER'S LEFT THERE TO HOLD THE FAMILY TOGETHER.

♪ HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER AIN'T NO EASY THING TO DO ♪

♪ WHEN IT COMES TO RAISING CHILDREN ♪

♪ IT'S A JOB MEANT FOR TWO ♪

♪ ALICE, PLEASE BELIEVE ME, I CAN'T GO ON AND ON ♪

♪ HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER WITH YOU GONE ♪

HE SINGS, "TODAY WAS ANGIE'S BIRTHDAY.

IT MUST HAVE SLIPPED YOUR MIND."

MERLE'S GOOD.

HE SAYS, "I TRIED TWICE TO CALL YOU..."

"WITH NO ANSWER EITHER TIME.

"BUT THE POSTMAN BROUGHT A PACKAGE

I MAILED SOME DAYS AGO."

"I SIGNED IT 'LOVE FROM MAMA, ' SO ANGIE WOULDN'T KNOW."

YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING MORE ABOUT MERLE HAGGARD.

♪

♪ IF I TALK TO HIM ♪

♪ I TAKE HIM BACK AGAIN ♪

♪ SO IF HE CALLS, PLEASE TELL HIM I'M NOT HOME ♪

McENTlRE: THOSE DAYS, MEN WERE THE HEADLINERS.

MEN WERE SELLING THE RECORDS,

AND WOMEN WERE THE OPENING ACTS,

AND WOMEN WERE KIND OF LIKE "THE GIRL SINGER IN THE BAND."

THE "TOKEN" GIRL SINGER. AND THAT WAS A TRUTH.

BUT SOME WOMEN CHANGED SOME THINGS,

AND THAT'S GOOD.

OTHER FEMALE ARTISTS WERE FOLLOWING

IN LORETTA LYNN'S WAKE.

♪ YES, IF I TALK TO HIM, I TAKE HIM... ♪

CONNIE SMITH HAD GROWN UP IN OHIO,

PAINFULLY SHY BUT POSSESSING

AN EXTRAORDINARILY POWERFUL VOICE.

BILL ANDERSON HEARD IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1963

AT THE FRONTIER RANCH MUSIC PARK OUTSIDE COLUMBUS,

WHEN SHE WAS 22 AND TAKING PART IN A TALENT CONTEST

THAT HE WAS ASKED TO JUDGE.

I REMEMBER I HAD A... A LEGAL PAD

AND A PEN THEY GAVE ME TO SIT DOWN

AND MAKE NOTES, YOU KNOW, OF ALL THE PEOPLE.

AND I SAW 2 OR 3 PEOPLE COME OUT ONSTAGE AND THEY WERE GOOD.

YOU KNOW, THERE WASN'T ANY BAD PERFORMERS ON THE STAGE.

BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, I LOOKED UP

AND HERE CAME THIS LITTLE, BITTY GIRL

WITH A GUITAR AS BIG OR BIGGER THAN SHE WAS

AND A LITTLE HOMEMADE DRESS, LITTLE WHITE DRESS;

BEAUTIFUL, LONG, BLONDE HAIR AND I THOUGHT,

"THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL, LITTLE GIRL."

AND SHE STARTED SINGING.

I ACTUALLY THOUGHT SHE WAS PANTOMIMING A RECORD.

I HAD NEVER HEARD A VOICE THAT BIG

COME OUT OF SOMEBODY THAT SMALL.

I THOUGHT, "GOODNESS GRACIOUS."

THE TALENT CONTEST WAS OVER WHEN SHE OPENED HER MOUTH.

♪ WHEN YOU FOUND SOMEBODY NEW, I THOUGHT I... ♪

ANDERSON PERSUADED SMITH

TO COME TO NASHVILLE IN 1964,

WHERE SHE RECORDED A SONG HE HAD WRITTEN ENTITLED "ONCE A DAY,"

AND SHE APPEARED ON ERNEST TUBB'S MIDNITE JAMBOREE.

HE TOOK ME THROUGH TOOTSIE'S

AND TOOK ME TO THE RECORD SHOP, AND I GOT TO MEET

GRANT TURNER, ERNEST TUBB, AND THIS LITTLE LADY,

LITTLE, PREGNANT LADY SITTING BACKSTAGE,

SENT HER HUSBAND UP, SAID, "DOO, GO GET CONNIE.

I WANT TO MEET HER."

AND LORETTA WAS SITTING BACK THERE.

IT WAS JUST RIGHT BEFORE SHE HAD THE TWINS.

AND, UH, DOO TOOK ME BACK AND I GOT TO MEET LORETTA.

AND SHE TOLD ME, SHE SAID, "NOW, PATSY DID THIS FOR ME

AND I'M GOING TO DO IT FOR YOU."

AND SHE TOLD ME WHAT TO EXPECT OUT OF NASHVILLE,

WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR AND WHO TO WATCH FOR, AND ALL THAT.

AND, UH, SO, WE BECAME FRIENDS THE VERY FIRST DAY WE MET.

♪ ONCE A DAY EVERY DAY ALL DAY LONG ♪

MY MOTHER'S FAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY SINGER

WAS CONNIE SMITH.

MY MAMA LOVED THE POWER IN CONNIE'S VOICE

AND THE AUTHENTICITY OF HER SINGING.

AND WE HAD A RECORD AT OUR HOUSE CALLED

"MISS SMITH GOES TO NASHVILLE."

I'D SET IT UP ON THE STEREO AND I'D PASS BY IT

AND LOOK AT IT, AND IT WAS LIKE

LOOKING AT THE "MONA LISA" OR SOMETHING.

I THOUGHT, "THAT'S THE PRETTIEST GIRL I'VE EVER SEEN."

AND ONE DAY, OUR LOCAL ANNOUNCER ANNOUNCED THAT MISS CONNIE SMITH

WAS GOING TO BE THE GUEST STAR ON THE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOW

AT THE CHOCTAW INDIAN FAIR IN PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI.

I WENT BLAZING THROUGH THE HOUSE TO TELL MAMA.

SO MY MOTHER, MY SISTER JENNIFER, AND I

WENT TO SEE CONNIE AT THE CHOCTAW INDIAN FAIR,

ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD.

AND WHEN SHE STEPPED OUT ONSTAGE,

SHE WAS BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL,

WEARING A BLUE SPARKLE DRESS.

AND I GOT MY PICTURE MADE WITH HER THAT NIGHT,

ME AND MY SISTER DID.

I GOT HER AUTOGRAPH.

AND SHE DIDN'T REALLY NOTICE ME.

ON THE WAY OUT OF THE GRANDSTAND,

I SAW HER GO SIT DOWN IN, IN A STATION WAGON.

I SAID, "MAMA, CAN I BORROW YOUR CAMERA?"

AND MAMA LOANED ME HER CAMERA, SO I WENT OVER THERE.

"MISS SMITH, CAN I TAKE YOUR PICTURE?"

AND I STUCK IT RIGHT UP IN HER FACE AND TOOK HER PICTURE.

♪ ALL DAY LONG... ♪

SHE STILL DIDN'T NOTICE ME.

BUT, ON THE WAY HOME THAT NIGHT,

I DECLARED THAT I WAS GOING TO MARRY CONNIE SMITH ONE DAY.

AND, UM, 25 YEARS LATER, I DID.

♪ YOUR HAND IS LIKE A TORCH ♪

♪ EACH TIME YOU TOUCH ME ♪

IN THE SIXTIES IS WHEN THERE WERE A FEW OF US

WHO WERE COMING INTO IT TOTALLY ON OUR OWN.

WE WERE JUST STARTING TO STAND UP

A LITTLE BIT FOR OURSELVES.

JEANNIE SEELY WAS A SONGWRITER,

BUT SHE SANG, TOO... IN A SOULFUL VOICE

THAT LANDED HER A CONTRACT WITH MONUMENT RECORDS.

IN 1966, SHE CAME OUT WITH "DON'T TOUCH ME,"

THAT ROSE TO NUMBER TWO ON THE CHARTS

AND WON SEELY A GRAMMY AWARD.

MY SONG, "DON'T TOUCH ME," UM,

WHEN YOU THINK WHAT IT SAYS, IT'S...

SHE'S ASSUMING THE RESPONSIBILITY

EARLY IN THE RELATIONSHIP.

SHE'S NOT GOING TO BE SWEPT OFF.

SHE'S SAYING, RIGHT NOW, "JUST DON'T EVEN TOUCH ME

IF YOU DON'T LOVE ME," YOU KNOW?

"THIS IS HOW I'M FEELING, BUT IF THIS ISN'T GOING,

THEN DON'T GIVE ME SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY."

INVITED TO APPEAR ON THE GRAND OLE OPRY,

SHE SHOCKED THE MANAGEMENT WHEN SHE WALKED ONSTAGE

WEARING A MINI-SKIRT.

IT WASN'T EVEN A REAL MINI-MINI.

IT WAS KIND OF A SORT OF MINI,

BUT IT WAS SHORTER THAN WHAT THEY WERE USED TO.

SO MR. DEVINE CALLED ME INTO HIS OFFICE

TO TALK TO ME ABOUT IT AND I DIDN'T, AT FIRST,

REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS ALLUDING TO.

I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A SET RULE,

AND THEY COULDN'T SHOW ME WHERE THERE WAS ANY.

FINALLY, I SAID, "OK, THIS IS WHAT AMERICA IS WEARING

"AND I'LL MAKE YOU A DEAL.

"I WON'T WEAR A MINISKIRT IN THE BACK DOOR

IF YOU DON'T LET ANYBODY WEAR ONE IN THE FRONT DOOR."

AND HE WAS LIKE, "OK."

AND THEN... I LOVE THIS LINE... HE SAID, "OK, WELL,

JUST TRY TO HOLD IT DOWN."

HOW DO YOU HOLD DOWN A MINISKIRT?

THEY SAY, "HERE'S A CUTE LITTLE GIRL,

GOT ON A PRETTY, LITTLE OUTFIT."

NOW COMES OUR BEAUTIFUL, LITTLE LADY

THAT WE'RE SO PROUD OF HERE AT RANCH PARTY.

OUR LITTLE, TEENAGE SWEETHEART.

RIGHT NOW, IT'S TIME FOR US TO MEET

THE PRETTY, LITTLE LADY.

I THINK I'LL GO RIGHT BACK OVER HERE

AND VISIT WITH MY GOOD FRIEND ERNEST TUBB

AND SEE IF I CAN'T FIND OUT WHO THIS LOVELY, YOUNG LADY IS.

IT'S ALWAYS A DELIGHT TO SEE THIS PRETTY THING BACK.

THE PRETTY, LITTLE LADY.

LITTLE LADY.

RIGHT NOW, IT'S CALLS... IT'S TIME TO CALL ON

OUR LITTLE GIRL SINGER MISS JEANNIE SEELY.

"COME ON AND PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER

AND MAKE HER FEEL WELCOME."

THE CONNOTATION BEING, "SHE ISN'T WELCOME,

JUST MAKE HER FEEL THAT WAY."

IN 1967, ANOTHER

"PRETTY, LITTLE GIRL" CAME ON THE SCENE.

HERE'S A LITTLE GAL THAT I KNOW YOU'RE

GOING TO REALLY LEARN TO LOVE, BECAUSE SHE'S A FINE SINGER

AND ONE OF THE FINEST LITTLE GALS THAT I'VE EVER MET.

LET'S GIVE HER A GREAT, BIG WELCOME AS SHE SINGS A SONG

THAT SHE HAD A BIG HIT ON, CALLED "DUMB BLONDE."

SHE AIN'T NO DUMB BLONDE, THOUGH:

PRETTY MISS DOLLY PARTON! COME ON!

♪ DON'T TRY TO CRY YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS ♪

♪ DON'T TRY TO LIE OR I'LL CATCH YOU IN IT... ♪

HER VOICE WAS SPELLBINDING.

♪ ...SORRY FOR YOU ♪

WHAT I THINK PEOPLE ARE DRAWN TO THE MOST

IS IT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE WHERE SHE'S FROM, YOU KNOW?

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'D THINK

EAST TENNESSEE IS SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE.

AND THEN, ON TOP OF THAT VOICE,

YOU HAVE ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGWRITERS IN HISTORY.

SHE WAS 21 YEARS OLD,

BUT HAD BEEN PREPARING ALL HER LIFE FOR HER BIG CHANCE.

I GREW UP IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

OF EAST TENNESSEE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF GOSPEL MUSIC, COUNTRY GOSPEL.

THERE WAS A LOT OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC

AND A LOT OF JUST PURE, OLD, COUNTRY MUSIC, YOU KNOW,

JUST SIT AROUND WHERE YOU JUST PLAYED THE GUITAR AND A BANJO

AND AUTOHARP, DULCIMER, KIND OF "FOLK," JUST MOUNTAIN FOLK.

MY MOTHER'S PEOPLE WERE VERY MUSICAL.

THEY ALL PLAYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

AND WE WERE THE FAMILY THAT ALWAYS WOULD SING AT FUNERALS

OR WEDDINGS AND ALL THE SHINDIGS.

THE FOURTH OF 12 CHILDREN, DOLLY REBECCA PARTON

WAS BORN IN A ONE-ROOM CABIN

WITHOUT ELECTRICITY, RUNNING WATER,

OR INDOOR PLUMBING.

THE DOCTOR WHO DELIVERED HER WAS PAID WITH

A SACK OF CORNMEAL FOR HIS SERVICES.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ELECTRICITY,

AND WE HAD A BATTERY RADIO.

MY DADDY USED TO WANT TO LISTEN TO THE GRAND OLE OPRY, AND SO

WE USED TO HAVE TO GO OUT

AND POUR WATER ON THE GROUND WIRE

AND IT WOULD WHISTLE IN AND OUT.

FROM THE TIME SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL,

SHE WAS VIVACIOUS, PRECOCIOUS, AND AMBITIOUS.

SHE STARTED WRITING SONGS AT AGE 5...

HER FIRST ONE, "LITTLE TINY TASSELTOP,"

WAS INSPIRED BY THE DOLL HER FATHER HAD MADE FOR HER

OUT OF A CORNCOB.

GRADE-SCHOOL TEACHERS RECOGNIZED HER REMARKABLE ABILITY

AT MEMORIZING ALMOST ANYTHING.

BY THE TIME SHE WAS 10, SHE WAS MAKING $20 A WEEK

APPEARING ON A KNOXVILLE TELEVISION SHOW,

THOUGH NONE OF HER FAMILY COULD WATCH IT

SINCE THEY DIDN'T HAVE A TV SET AT HOME.

I WAS ON TELEVISION BEFORE WE EVER OWNED ONE.

BASED ON THE MONEY THAT I WAS GETTING FROM A SHOW CALLED

"THE CAS WALKER SHOW" IN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE,

I BOUGHT THE FIRST TELEVISION WE EVER HAD IN OUR FAMILY.

AS A TEENAGER, SHE RECORDED A FEW SONGS

IN THE MOLD OF ROCKABILLY STAR BRENDA LEE

AND SET HER SIGHTS ON NASHVILLE.

IN 1964, THE DAY AFTER BECOMING THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY

TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL,

PARTON PACKED A CARDBOARD SUITCASE,

BOARDED A BUS, AND HEADED FOR MUSIC CITY.

THERE, SHE WORKED PART-TIME AS A WAITRESS AND RECEPTIONIST,

AND AUDITIONED FOR RALPH EMERY'S

EARLY-MORNING LOCAL TELEVISION SHOW.

♪ IN THE WINK OF AN EYE MY SOUL IS TURNIN'... ♪

WELL, I HAD A DREAM.

AND I HAD, UM, A TALENT, I THOUGHT.

AND I REALLY BELIEVED THAT IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

SHE SANG A GEORGE JONES SONG CALLED

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE MY BABY" AND JUST KILLED US.

I MEAN, FROM DAY ONE, SHE WASN'T NERVOUS.

IT WAS LIKE SHE'D BEEN DOING IT 100 YEARS.

SHE CAME IN AND SHE KILLED US.

SOON, SHE WAS THE NEW WOMAN STAR ON PORTER WAGONER'S

HUGELY POPULAR, NATIONALLY SYNDICATED TELEVISION SHOW.

WAGONER TOOK HER WITH HIM ON TOUR

MORE THAN 200 NIGHTS A YEAR;

RECORDED A SERIES OF DUETS WITH HER;

AND HELPED GET HER A RECORD DEAL WITH RCA.

BUT WAGONER COULD ALSO BE CONTROLLING AND DOMINEERING,

INSISTING ON OVERSEEING EVERY ASPECT OF HER CAREER.

PARTON BRISTLED AT THE DOUBLE STANDARD,

AS HER SELF-WRITTEN HIT, "JUST BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN,"

MADE PERFECTLY CLEAR.

♪ AND I'M SORRY THAT I'M NOT THE WOMAN ♪

♪ YOU THOUGHT I'D BE ♪

PORTER THOUGHT HE WAS JUST FINDING

ANOTHER GIRL TO FIT THAT SPOT.

ANYWAY, I WENT IN WITH A WHOLE... A WHOLE BARREL OF STUFF.

YOU KNOW, I WAS A WHOLE BALL OF WAX,

AND PORTER WASN'T USED TO THAT,

SO I HAD A MIND OF MY OWN, TOO.

AND I WASN'T JUST GOING TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO

OR JUST BE THAT AND NOTHING ELSE.

A LONG, LONG TIME.

WELL, I HOPE TO BE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE'RE MIGHTY GLAD TO HAVE YOU. MISS DOLLY PARTON.

SING THE RECORDS.

I HAVEN'T CALLED YOU OUT YET.

WAIT JUST A MINUTE THERE, KIDDO.

UH, AND WE'VE HAD A...

♪ IT WAS THE THIRD OF JUNE ♪

♪ ANOTHER SLEEPY, DUSTY DELTA DAY ♪

♪ I WAS OUT CHOPPING COTTON AND MY BROTHER WAS BALING HAY ♪

♪ AND AT DINNERTIME, WE STOPPED AND WALKED ♪

♪ BACK TO THE HOUSE TO EAT ♪

♪ AND MAMA HOLLERED OUT THE BACK DOOR, Y'ALL ♪

♪ REMEMBER TO WIPE YOUR FEET ♪

♪ AND THEN SHE SAID, I GOT SOME NEWS THIS MORNIN' ♪

♪ FROM CHOCTAW RIDGE ♪

♪ TODAY, BILLIE JOE MacALLlSTER ♪

♪ JUMPED OFF THE TALLAHATCHIE BRIDGE ♪

IN 1967, A SONG ABOUT A MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE

AT A BRIDGE IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA

SWEPT THE AIRWAVES, DOING EVEN BETTER

ON THE POP AND RHYTHM AND BLUES CHARTS

THAN ON COUNTRY CHARTS.

"ODE TO BILLIE JOE" WAS WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY BOBBIE GENTRY,

WHO HAD BEEN BORN IN CHICKASAW COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

BEFORE GOING ON TO STUDY PHILOSOPHY AT UCLA

AND MUSIC AT THE LOS ANGELES CONSERVATORY.

SHE WAS WORKING IN LAS VEGAS...

AS A SECRETARY AND NIGHTTIME SHOWGIRL...

WHEN SHE RECORDED HER SONG.

IT WON 3 GRAMMY AWARDS AND SOLD 3 MILLION COPIES.

THE MOTHER SAYING,

"YOU WIPE YOUR FEET WHEN YOU COME IN THE DOOR";

THE FATHER SAYING, "OH, THAT BOY NEVER HAD ANY SENSE.

PASS THE BLACK-EYED PEAS";

THE BROTHER SAYING, "DIDN'T I JUST SEE HIM

UP AT THE SAW MILL?"

AND "WE WENT TO THE PICTURE SHOW WITH HIM."

AND THEN THE MAMA SAYING, "WHY AREN'T YOU EATING?

WHAT'S WRONG?"

AND THEN THE LAST VERSE, WHERE SHE SAYS,

"I SPENT A LOT OF TIME PICKING FLOWERS UP ON THE RIDGE

AND THROWING THEM INTO THE WATER."

AND YOU THINK, "THAT WAS HER UP THERE."

♪ AND SHE AND BILLIE JOE WAS THROWING SOMETHING ♪

♪ OFF THE TALLAHATCHIE BRIDGE ♪

THEY WERE THROWING SOMETHING OFF THE BRIDGE.

THE MYSTERY AT THE HEART OF IT.

WHAT DID THEY THROW OFF THE BRIDGE?

THE GIRL FROM HARPER VALLEY, MISS JEANNIE C. RILEY.

IN 1968, A SINGER NAMED JEANNIE C. RILEY

HAD PHENOMENAL SUCCESS WITH A SONG THAT TOOK DIRECT AIM

AT SMALL-TOWN HYPOCRISY.

TOM T. HALL, THE SONGWRITER,

BASED IT ON SOMETHING HE REMEMBERED

FROM HIS HOMETOWN IN KENTUCKY.

♪ I WANNA TELL YOU ALL A STORY ♪

♪ 'BOUT A HARPER VALLEY WIDOWED WIFE ♪

AND SO I RECALLED AN INCIDENT

WHERE THIS LADY HAD GOTTEN A NOTE FROM THE PTA

AND SHE DIDN'T... WASN'T BUYING INTO

THIS ARISTOCRACY OF THIS COMMUNITY.

AND WHEN SHE GOT THIS NOTE SHE SHOULDN'T BE

BRINGING UP HER DAUGHTER THIS WAY,

WEARING MAKEUP AND EVERYTHING...

♪ ...MAMA GOT A NOTE HERE FROM THE HARPER VALLEY PTA ♪

SHE JUST MARCHED INTO THE MEETING AND TOLD THEM OFF.

♪ WELL, MR. HARPER COULDN'T BE HERE ♪

♪ 'CAUSE HE STAYED TOO LONG AT KELLY'S BAR AGAIN ♪

♪ AND IF YOU SMELL SHIRLEY THOMPSON'S BREATH ♪

♪ YOU'LL FIND SHE'S HAD A LITTLE NIP OF GIN ♪

♪ AND THEN YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO TELL ME ♪

♪ YOU THINK THAT AS A MOTHER I'M NOT FIT ♪

♪ WELL, THIS IS JUST A LITTLE PEYTON PLACE ♪

♪ AND YOU'RE ALL HARPER VALLEY HYPOCRITES ♪

RILEY, WHO HAD GROWN UP

IN A DEEPLY RELIGIOUS FAMILY IN A TINY TOWN IN TEXAS,

HAD BEEN IN NASHVILLE FOR TWO YEARS...

EXPOSED TO EXECUTIVES WHO TRIED TO SEDUCE HER

AND DEEJAYS WHO GROPED HER AT CONVENTIONS.

"I WAS MAD AT THE WHOLE WORLD," SHE REMEMBERED.

"I STOOD CLOSE TO THE MIC AND LET IT ALL POUR OUT,

SASSING EVERYTHING I HATED."

THE SONG STRUCK A CHORD, RISING TO NUMBER ONE

ON BOTH THE COUNTRY AND POP CHARTS,

AND SELLING 7 MILLION COPIES.

WHEN IT WON "SINGLE OF THE YEAR"

AT THE 1968 COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARDS,

RILEY PLANNED TO WEAR A FLOOR-LENGTH DRESS

TO THE CEREMONIES... ONLY TO FIND THE DRESS HAD BEEN CUT SHORT

BY HER RECORD PRODUCER, EAGER FOR HER TO APPEAR

IN A MINI-SKIRT AND GO-GO BOOTS.

THANK YOU.

MISS JUNE CARTER.

MY MOM COULD DO IT ALL.

SHE WOULD TELL YOU ANYTHING.

AND ONE NIGHT I WAS ONSTAGE WORKING WITH THEM,

AND MY AUNT ANITA AND HELEN AND I,

WE TIMED MAMA TALKING BETWEEN SONGS

AND SHE TALKED FOR 17 MINUTES.

HELEN FINALLY SAID, "JUNE, THESE PEOPLE

MIGHT WANT TO HEAR US SING."

BY 1968, JUNE CARTER WAS NOT YET 40 YEARS OLD.

AS A MEMBER OF THE "FIRST FAMILY OF COUNTRY MUSIC,"

SHE HAD ALREADY SPENT 3 DECADES IN THE BUSINESS.

NOW WITH HER MOTHER AND TWO SISTERS,

SHE TOURED REGULARLY WITH JOHNNY CASH.

♪ WELL, SHE'S MY BABY WHEN I'M IN NEED ♪

JUNE WAS DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH HIM,

BUT CASH'S ADDICTION TO AMPHETAMINES

WAS THREATENING HIS CAREER; HE HADN'T RECORDED

A NUMBER-ONE RECORD IN 4 YEARS,

AND HE FAILED TO SHOW UP FOR

HALF OF HIS CONCERTS ON THE ROAD.

SHE FEARED WORSE WAS IN STORE.

EVEN AS CHILDREN, WE KNEW

THAT THEY HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL.

AND MOM WAS SAYING, "IF HE DIDN'T HAVE ME OUT HERE,

HE'D BE DEAD."

SHE REALLY FELT LIKE THAT IF SHE WASN'T OUT ON THE ROAD WITH HIM,

KIND OF WATCHING WHAT WAS GOING ON,

TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, THAT HE WOULD, UM,

MESS... GET TOO MESSED UP, AND MIGHT BE GONE LIKE HANK.

THAT'S WHAT MAMA SAID... "I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HIM

LIKE I LOST HANK."

NO ONE SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO GET CASH TO QUIT.

ARRESTED FOR PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS IN GEORGIA,

HE SPENT A NIGHT IN JAIL, BUT WAS RELEASED THE NEXT DAY

BECAUSE THE JUDGE'S WIFE WAS A BIG FAN.

"YOU WANNA KILL YOURSELF," THE JUDGE TOLD HIM,

"I'M GONNA GIVE YOU YOUR GOD-GIVEN RIGHT

TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT, SO TAKE YOUR PILLS AND GO."

MAYBELLE CARTER TRIED KINDNESS,

JUST AS SHE HAD DONE WITH HANK WILLIAMS.

GRANDMA WOULD GET THAT LITTLE CUP OF COFFEE

AND SHE'D SIT THERE AND SHE'D PLAY CARDS AND SMOKE CIGARETTES

AND TALK AND LAUGH AND GIGGLE AND TELL JOKES ALL NIGHT LONG.

WELL, THAT WAS FINE WITH JOHN,

SO HE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT PLACE TO LAND.

FINALLY, JUNE GAVE HIM AN ULTIMATUM:

IF HE WANTED HER TO MARRY HIM,

HE HAD TO GET PROFESSIONAL HELP TO FIGHT HIS DRUG HABIT.

A DOCTOR WAS BROUGHT IN, AND FOR WEEKS,

HE AND JUNE AND HER PARENTS KEPT

CONSTANT WATCH OVER CASH AT HIS HOUSE NEAR NASHVILLE...

TAKING AWAY ANY PILLS HE MANAGED TO HIDE

AND BLOCKING ANYONE ELSE FROM SHOWING UP WITH FRESH SUPPLIES.

WHEN HE MADE THAT DECISION

TO REALLY, REALLY GET STRAIGHT, THEY, UH,

THEY REALLY SURROUNDED HIM AND SAT OUT THERE AT HIS HOUSE,

MAMA AND GRANDMA AND GRANDDADDY.

THIS WAS THE CONDITION OF, "IF WE'RE GETTING MARRIED,

"IF WE'RE GOING TO EVER BE TOGETHER,

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE AROUND MY DAUGHTERS.

"AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE A FAMILY "WITH YOUR DAUGHTERS,

ALL OF US TOGETHER, YOU HAVE GOT TO GET CLEANED UP."

♪ I'M SO LONESOME ♪

♪ I COULD CRY ♪

BY EARLY 1968, CASH WAS CLEAN ENOUGH

AND READY TO MAKE A NEW ALBUM.

♪ ALL OF THIS WAS MEANINGLESS ♪

♪ 'CAUSE HAPPINESS IS YOU ♪

REDEMPTION THEMES PLAYED OUT IN

MY DAD'S LIFE AND HIS CAREER OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

♪ NO MORE CHASING MOONBEAMS ♪

EVERY SHOW, EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE, THERE WAS THIS, UM,

A STRUGGLE AND A SEARCH FOR REDEMPTION.

THE SAME GUY WHO SANG, "I SHOT A MAN IN RENO

JUST TO WATCH HIM DIE," SANG,

"WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?"

IN THE SAME SHOW.

CASH'S IDEA WAS TO RECORD A LIVE PERFORMANCE

AT A PRISON, SOMETHING HE HAD WANTED TO DO EVER SINCE

HIS FIRST PRISON CONCERT BACK IN THE 1950s.

HE SETTLED ON THE PLACE THAT HAD INSPIRED

ONE OF HIS BIGGEST HITS... AND NOW THE PLACE HE HOPED

WOULD REVIVE HIS CAREER... FOLSOM PRISON IN CALIFORNIA.

ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1968,

CASH ARRIVED AT THE PRISON.

WITH HIM WERE THE TENNESSEE THREE:

CARL PERKINS, THE STATLER BROTHERS,

AND JUNE CARTER.

INSIDE, 3,000 INMATES GATHERED IN THE HUGE PRISON CAFETERIA,

SEATED AT TABLES BOLTED TO THE FLOOR,

WHILE GUARDS WITH SHOTGUNS

WATCHED FROM A SAFE PERCH ABOVE IT ALL.

♪ STEP ON MY BLUE SUEDE SHOES ♪

CARL PERKINS WARMED THEM UP

WITH HIS EARLY ROCKABILLY HIT,

"BLUE SUEDE SHOES;"

THEN THE STATLER BROTHERS PERFORMED "FLOWERS ON THE WALL,"

WHILE CASH WAITED JUST OFFSTAGE FOR HIS TURN.

"I KNEW THIS WAS IT," HE LATER REMEMBERED,

"MY CHANCE TO MAKE UP FOR ALL THE TIMES I HAD MESSED UP."

OK, WE'RE READY TO DO THE RECORD SESSION.

YOU READY?

WHEN HIS TIME CAME, CASH OPENED HIS ACT

IN A NEW WAY.

- OK. YOU READY? - WE'RE READY.

HE SIMPLY INTRODUCED HIMSELF...

HELLO. I'M JOHNNY CASH.

AND LAUNCHED INTO "FOLSOM PRISON BLUES."

♪ I HEAR THE TRAIN A-COMIN' ♪

♪ IT'S ROLLIN' ROUND THE BEND ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T SEEN THE SUNSHINE ♪

♪ SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHEN ♪

♪ I'M STUCK IN FOLSOM PRISON ♪

♪ AND TIME KEEPS DRAGGIN' ON ♪

THE CONVICTS LOVED IT.

♪ BUT THAT TRAIN KEEPS A-ROLLIN' ♪

♪ ON DOWN TO SAN ANTONE ♪

AND "THEIR RESPONSE," MARSHALL GRANT SAID,

"INSPIRED US TO PERFORM EVERY SONG

BETTER THAN WE HAD EVER DONE IT BEFORE."

♪ BUT I SHOT A MAN IN RENO JUST TO WATCH HIM DIE ♪

WHOO!

♪ WHEN I HEAR THAT WHISTLE BLOWIN' ♪

MY FATHER HAD NEVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY,

BUT YOU COULDN'T HARDLY TELL A CONVICT THAT.

THEY TOOK HIM IN AS ONE OF THEIR OWN

BECAUSE HE ACCEPTED THEM, HE APPRECIATED THEM.

AND HE HAD THAT MAGIC ONSTAGE THAT CONNECTED WITH THE PEOPLE.

♪ AFTER 7 YEARS BEHIND THESE BARS TOGETHER ♪

DURING HIS TWO CONCERTS THAT DAY,

CASH SEEMED TO BE SINGING DIRECTLY TO EACH PRISONER,

CHOOSING SONGS THAT TOUCHED ON LONELINESS AND CONFINEMENT,

BAD LUCK AND BAD CHOICES,

AS WELL AS IRREPRESSIBLE REBELLION...

SOMETIMES MIXING IN A LITTLE PROFANE BANTER WITH THE AUDIENCE

AND TAUNTS AT THE WARDEN.

♪ ...OF MOTHER IF YOU WILL ♪

♪ LET'S GO ON DOWN TO JACKSON ♪

WHEN JUNE CARTER JOINED HIM ONSTAGE,

THE MEN WENT WILD.

♪ GO PLAY YOUR HAND, YOU BIG-TALKIN' MAN ♪

♪ MAKE A BIG FOOL OF YOURSELF ♪

♪ YEAH, GO TO JACKSON; GO COMB YOUR HAIR! ♪

♪ INSIDE THE WALLS OF PRISON ♪

BUT THE BIGGEST RESPONSE CAME AT THE END,

WHEN CASH SANG "GREYSTONE CHAPEL,"

WHICH HAD BEEN WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE FOLSOM INMATES,

GLEN SHERLEY, WHO WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT ROW.

♪ GREYSTONE CHAPEL HERE AT FOLSOM ♪

CASH AND HIS MUSICIANS HAD ONLY

LEARNED THE SONG A DAY EARLIER,

BUT HE HAD INSISTED ON USING IT AS THE SHOW'S FINALE

BECAUSE IT DEALT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF REDEMPTION

FOR EVEN THE MOST HARDENED SINNER.

♪ THE SOUL OF MANY LOST MEN ♪

THAT SPRING, COLUMBIA RELEASED

THE FOLSOM PRISON ALBUM TO RAVE REVIEWS.

COMMENTATORS FROM EVERY STYLE OF MUSIC NOW SAW IN HIM

SOMETHING THEY ALL COULD AGREE UPON.

"TALK ABOUT MAGICAL MYSTERY TOURS,"

THE "VILLAGE VOICE" SAID,

"CASH'S VOICE IS AS THICK AND GRITTY AS EVER,

"BUT FILLED WITH THE KIND OF EMOTIONALISM

YOU SELDOM FIND IN ROCK."

THE "NEW YORK TIMES" CALLED HIS PERFORMANCE

"SOUL MUSIC OF A RARE KIND."

JAZZ CRITIC NAT HENTOFF PROCLAIMED,

"THERE'S NO HEMMING JOHNNY CASH INTO ANY ONE CATEGORY."

AND "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE,

THE BIBLE OF THE EMERGING YOUTH COUNTERCULTURE,

PORTRAYED HIM AS AN IMPORTANT ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT REBEL

IN THE TRADITION OF ELVIS PRESLEY AND BOB DYLAN.

COUNTRY FANS PUSHED CASH'S "FOLSOM PRISON BLUES"

TO NUMBER ONE ON THEIR CHARTS,

AND THE ALBUM WOULD REMAIN ON THE POP CHARTS

FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, SELLING MORE THAN

3 MILLION COPIES IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE.

♪ ALL OF THIS WAS... ♪

JOHNNY CASH HAD BECOME A SUPERSTAR.

♪ HAPPINESS IS YOU ♪

♪ NO MORE... ♪

ONE MONTH AFTER THE FOLSOM PRISON CONCERT,

IN FEBRUARY OF 1968, HE PROPOSED TO JUNE CARTER

IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE IN CANADA.

THIS TIME, SHE ACCEPTED.

IT WAS, HE WROTE IN A NOTE TO HIMSELF,

"THE BEST YEAR OF MY 36 YEARS OF LIFE."

♪ LONELINESS IS EMPTINESS ♪

♪ BUT HAPPINESS IS YOU ♪

BUT 1968... ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE

AND TURBULENT YEARS IN AMERICAN HISTORY...

HAD ONLY JUST BEGUN.

♪ AND HAPPINESS IS YOU ♪

♪

♪ HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER ♪

♪ AIN'T NO EASY THING TO DO ♪

♪ WHEN IT COMES TO RAISIN' CHILDREN ♪

♪ IT'S A JOB MEANT FOR TWO ♪

♪ ALICE, PLEASE BELIEVE ME ♪

♪ I CAN'T GO ON AND ON ♪

♪ HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER ♪

♪ WITH YOU GONE ♪

♪ TODAY WAS ANGIE'S BIRTHDAY ♪

♪ I GUESS IT SLIPPED YOUR MIND ♪

♪ I TRIED TWICE TO CALL YOU ♪

♪ BUT NO ANSWER EITHER TIME ♪

♪ BUT THE POSTMAN BROUGHT A PRESENT ♪

♪ I MAILED SOME DAYS AGO ♪

♪ I JUST SIGNED IT "LOVE FROM MAMA" ♪

♪ SO ANGIE WOULDN'T KNOW ♪

♪ HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER ♪

♪ AIN'T NO EASY THING TO DO ♪

♪ WHEN IT COMES TO RAISIN' CHILDREN ♪

♪ IT'S A JOB MEANT FOR TWO ♪

♪ ALICE, PLEASE BELIEVE ME ♪

♪ I CAN'T GO ON AND ON ♪

♪ HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER ♪

♪ WITH YOU GONE ♪

♪ ALICE, PLEASE BELIEVE ME ♪

♪ I CAN'T GO ON AND ON ♪

♪ HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER ♪

♪ WITH YOU GONE ♪