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.
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Music Played
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Hank Williams
Honky Tonkin'
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Bill Monroe
Bluegrass Special (Album Version)
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Hank Williams
Six More Miles (To The Graveyard)
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Hank Williams
Wealth Won't Save Your Soul
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Hank Williams
Move It On Over
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Roy Acuff
Wabash Cannonball
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Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
It's Mighty Dark To Travel
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Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
Bluegrass Breakdown
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Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
Mansions For Me
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Hank Williams
(Last Night) I Heard You Crying In Your Sleep
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Hank Williams, The Drifting Cowboys
I Saw The Light
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Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys, Hank Williams, The Drifting Cowboys
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Single Version)
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Hank Williams
Long Gone Lonesome Blues
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Hank Williams
You Win Again
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Hank Williams
I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
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Hank Williams
Lost Highway
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Hank Williams
Your Cheatin' Heart
Credit
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Director | Ken Burns |