Ken Burns has decided to give the world of country music an in-depth look. The PBS documentary maker has chosen Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson as subjects for his new documentary.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new series is examining the roots of country music. This isn’t the first time Burns has chosen to investigate American music as a topic for his work. In 2001, Burns released Jazz, a documentary series that aired on PBS. Ken Burns has won Emmy Awards and been nominated for two Academy Awards.
In 2012, Burns traveled to France for a screening, The Central Park Five. He told Variety, “We’re just here to enjoy introducing the film. We’ve got a lot of interest in it, and I think PBS is incredibly excited about it, but there’s no rush. Cannes is the Grand Canyon of cinema in that there are so many layers here.”
Burns has been known to find many layers when looking back in time. Projects he is developing for PBS include documentaries about the Roosevelts, Jackie Robinson, and Vietnam.
Burns’ country music project will air in 2018.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
