Starting Sunday, September 15th, country music lovers are going to be able to experience an incredible event. "Country Music, A Film By Ken Burns" premieres on Panhandle PBS, spanning 8 nights and 16 hours total. From those who have seen previews of the documentary, they say this is like nothing they have seen before. One person even told me that he was in a room full of country music radio programmers, probably some of the biggest country music critics you can find, and even they were brought to tears. You can watch an extended trailer by clicking the picture above.

Explore the history of a uniquely American art form: country music. From its deep and tangled roots in ballads, blues and hymns performed in small settings, to its worldwide popularity, learn how country music evolved over the course of the 20th century, as it eventually emerged to become America’s music. Country Music features never-before-seen footage and photographs, plus interviews with more than 80 country music artists. The eight-part 16-hour series is directed and produced by Ken Burns; written and produced by Dayton Duncan; and produced by Julie Dunfey.

Country Music explores questions –– such as “What is country music?” and “Where did it come from?“–– while focusing on the biographies of the fascinating characters who created and shaped it — from the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Bob Wills to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks and many more — as well as the times in which they lived. Much like the music itself, the film tells unforgettable stories of hardships and joys shared by everyday people. No one has told the story this way before.

The 8 night series kicks off September 15th at 7pm central on Panhandle PBS and PBS stations all across the country.

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