The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)
How the bluegrass sound spread in post-war America. Honky-tonk star Hank Williams wrote songs of surprising emotional depth, derived from his troubled and tragically short life.
As country music adapted to the cultural changes of post-war society, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs transformed traditional string band music into something more syncopated - bluegrass.
Out of the bars and juke joints came a new sound - honky-tonk - with electric guitars and songs about drinking, cheating and heartbreak. Its biggest star was Hank Williams, a singer who wrote songs of surprising emotional depth, derived from his troubled and tragically short life.
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:01Hank Williams
Honky Tonkin'
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00:04Bill Monroe
Bluegrass Special (Album Version)
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00:05Hank Williams
Six More Miles (To The Graveyard)
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00:06Hank Williams
Wealth Won't Save Your Soul
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00:13Hank Williams
Move It On Over
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00:15Roy Acuff
Wabash Cannonball
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00:17Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
It's Mighty Dark To Travel
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00:20Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
Bluegrass Breakdown
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00:21Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
Mansions For Me
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00:22Hank Williams
(Last Night) I Heard You Crying In Your Sleep
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00:25Hank Williams, The Drifting Cowboys
I Saw The Light
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00:31Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys, Hank Williams, The Drifting Cowboys
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Single Version)
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00:32Hank Williams
Long Gone Lonesome Blues
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00:39Hank Williams
You Win Again
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00:41Hank Williams
I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
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00:44Hank Williams
Lost Highway
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00:49Hank Williams
Your Cheatin' Heart
Credit
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Director | Ken Burns |