Ben's Country Music Show Week of the 19th August 2024 - Country Music in the UK, Historical Perspectives

This special edition explores country music’s history and its reception in the UK. The first hour features highlights from Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary, with commentary from Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan, and Julie Dunny on the genre’s storytelling traditions and the central role of women in its development. The second hour draws from Ben’s university dissertation, tracing British engagement with country music—from the early chart success of Jim Reeves and Roger Miller in the 1960s to the resurgence driven by festivals, social media, and homegrown acts like The Shires and Ward Thomas. The episode reflects on pivotal moments such as the closure of CMT Europe in 1998 and the establishment of the International Festival of Country and Western Music at Wembley. Music from Buck Owens, Loretta Lynn, Shania Twain, Patty Loveless, and Lady Antebellum accompanies this retrospective, offering insight into the evolving transatlantic relationship with country music.

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