What did the Fire think about Sunday night's segment? I'm wondering where George Jones is, as I thought he'd have been mentioned last night. I find if odd that June Carter is getting so much mention, when she was the worst singer of all the Carter family, and especially couldn't hold a light to her sister Anita. I suppose it's because of her connection to Johnny Cash.
Anyway, we're into the time period that I'll probably lose some interest, as I didn't care much for the music that was produced after the mid-70's. I also found it odd that Jim Reeves, who had one of Country music's best voices, and whose career was cut short with his death in the plane crash, has not been talked about. Yet, they have constantly let us know that Blacks were discriminated against during this time period.
They should let Burn make a series about blacks in America, and slavery. I would not have to watch, and he could finally get it all out of his system.
I agree. I'm not politically correct, and I'll get that out of the way. I believe if you're going to tell the story of something, you need to stick to facts, and not inject your perspective into it.
In the history of country music, there has only been ONE Black artist that has had any success whatsoever, and that is Charley Pride, who got quite a bit of air time last night. I like Charley Pride's music, always have, and consider him to be a good singer, in addition to a great person. But, in the big scope of things, he doesn't crack the top 25, maybe even the top 50, of the greatest and best country singers. While I have no doubt that some of the White country singers were influenced by some degree or another by Black musicians, the fact is that most were not, and did what they did on their own. Yet, Burns would have us believe that Blacks deserve just as much credit for the roots of country music as anyone else does, and cannot resist including them....despite the fact that history shows us that it was Whites that made country music what it is today, not anyone else.
I have lived in a part of the country that has a large population of Blacks. I've worked with them, and lived around them all my life. I cannot recall ever seeing one of them playing a country song. Jazz, blues, hip-hop, rock and roll, and rap.........yes, and to that list I'll add gospel. Countless times I've been a gas pump, and had a car driven by a Black person pull up with the radio so loud that you could hear it in the next county, and not one single time was there a country song being played. Yet, Burns would have us believe that they like country music just like the rest of us. I don't believe that is true.
What did the Fire think about Sunday night's segment? I'm wondering where George Jones is, as I thought he'd have been mentioned last night. I find if odd that June Carter is getting so much mention, when she was the worst singer of all the Carter family, and especially couldn't hold a light to her sister Anita. I suppose it's because of her connection to Johnny Cash.
Anyway, we're into the time period that I'll probably lose some interest, as I didn't care much for the music that was produced after the mid-70's. I also found it odd that Jim Reeves, who had one of Country music's best voices, and whose career was cut short with his death in the plane crash, has not been talked about. Yet, they have constantly let us know that Blacks were discriminated against during this time period.
It's easy to see where PBS's priorities lie.
Those are good questions regarding Jim Reeves and George Jones. Jim was mentioned in the previous segment to last night but it was not extensive at all and I agree with you regarding his voice. He was a superb singer and was lost entirely too early. The absence of George Jones is a complete mystery. I'm going to withhold comment until I see the entire documentary, in case he is brought in later.
They barely mentioned Jim Reeves in episode 4 when leading up to the "Nashville Sound"
One thing to consider is he was also a big star in South Africa! There’s your reason!
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
Well, there you go. Jim Reeves a big star in the racist country South Africa, so, he is written out of Ken Burns history. Same thing Mao and Stalin did, same thing ISIS did when they blew up those ancient Buddhist statues. Ken Burns is a good socialist, he provides history, with a strong blend of politics.
They barely mentioned Jim Reeves in episode 4 when leading up to the "Nashville Sound"
One thing to consider is he was also a big star in South Africa! There’s your reason!
There has to be a reason. Jim Reeves was one of country music's stars in the 60's, and for him not to be mentioned anymore than he was, was a huge thing to me. Same way with Johnny Horton, as I don't recall seeing him on there, and he was a great singer, who's career was also cut way too short.
Burns is pretty much picking and choosing who he wants to, and for some reason, leaving out some very important artists.
I’ve heard that for years Johnny Horton was mis-associated with the Ku Klux Klan. All of which is said to be totally without basis and untrue.
I believe it was a result of his song "Johnny Reb" and a rather colorful Louisiana singing who went by the name of "Johnny Rebel". Some may have heard of this character. People being people made the association.
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
"In the history of country music, there has only been ONE Black artist that has had any success whatsoever, and that is Charley Pride, who got quite a bit of air time last night. I like Charley Pride's music, always have, and consider him to be a good singer, in addition to a great person. But, in the big scope of things, he doesn't crack the top 25...
I have lived in a part of the country that has a large population of Blacks.... Yet, Burns would have us believe that they like country music just like the rest of us. I don't believe that is true."
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That is a good bit of analysis jamesjr. Yes Charley Pride was a great performer. I love "Anybody Going to San Antone" in part because I drove to San Antonio about 600 times in the Big Rig I always had to sing that song out there on I 10. A unique voice. Oh, if you are singing country, you have to say "San Antone." If you say "San Antonio" you are a nerd. A city dweller.
I remember, in summer of 1968 I was working as a brick mason helper with a group of redneck brick masons in Atlanta. Played country all day long, and played it very loud, on the transistor radio. And that song came on, and Woodrow said to me "Hey kid did you know that guy is a ni**ger?" I thought he was kidding, I was not much of a fan of country when I was in high school.
Yes he was a great singer but certainly not in the top 10. And I have spent a lot of time also around blacks. That is a good way to analyze it, never heard a black person playing country on the radio.
Being a star of PBS, Burns has to be a raging Lib, and he is cramming his Lib politics down your throat, if you watch his documentary.
I am far from an expert on country but I listen to Willies Road House on Sirius quite a bit. I do hear Ray Charles on there quite a bit so obviously he was a pretty big influence on country, but other than him, who else? Nobody?
Charley Pride had a great voice. Nobody else sounded like him.
I don't care if Charley Pride is green, or purple, or yellow.......he was a great country singer, and he sang many songs that I liked. But, it was a slap in the face to such artists like Jim Reeves, Johnny Horton, Hank Locklin, the Wilburn Brothers, Stonewall Jackson, Sonny James, and a number of others, who were never mentioned, or else were barely mentioned. Meanwhile, a lot of time was devoted to Pride, reminding us how he was often called a niqqer.
That has been the focus of Burns......constantly reminding the listener that in order to tell the history of country music, he must also tell the story of the Black folks. He reminds me of when Obama said "you didn't build that," meaning that one certain segment of the population shouldn't be given credit for something, instead everyone should.
