“Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?” (1973 – 1983)

ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR "COUNTRY MUSIC" WAS PROVIDED BY THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY: THE BLAVATNIK FAMILY FOUNDATION, THE SCHWARTZ/REISMAN FOUNDATION, THE PFEIL FOUNDATION, DIANE AND HAL BRIERLEY, JOHN AND CATHERINE DEBS, THE FULLERTON FAMILY CHARITABLE FUND, BY THE PERRY AND DONNA GOLKIN FAMILY FOUNDATION, JAY ALIX AND UNA JACKMAN, MERCEDES T. BASS, AND FRED AND DONNA SEIGEL AND BY THESE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.

[BOB WILLIS AND HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS' "NEW SAN ANTONIO ROSE" PLAYING] WILLIS: OH, TEAR IT DOWN, MR. MAN.

TEAR IT DOWN NOW.

MAJOR FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY: THE ANNENBERG FOUNDATION; BY THE ARTHUR VINING DAVIS FOUNDATIONS, DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION; BY BELMONT UNIVERSITY, WHERE STUDENTS CAN STUDY MUSIC AND MUSIC BUSINESS IN THE HEART OF MUSIC CITY; BY THE SOUNDTRACK OF AMERICA-- MADE IN TENNESSEE-- TRAVEL INFORMATION AT TNVACATION.COM; BY THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY; BY ROSALIND P. WALTER; BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING; AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

♪ HEADING DOWN SOUTH TO THE LAND OF THE PINE ♪ ♪ THUMBING MY WAY INTO NORTH CAROLINE ♪ ♪ STARING UP THE ROAD, PRAY TO GOD I SEE HEADLIGHTS ♪ ♪ SO, ROCK ME, MAMA, LIKE A WAGON WHEEL ♪ ♪ ROCK ME, MAMA, ANY WAY YOU FEEL ♪ ♪ HEY, MAMA, ROCK ME ♪ [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] JOHNNY CASH: ♪ THEY GAVE HIM HIS ORDERS ♪ ♪ AT MONROE, VIRGINIA ♪ ♪ SAID, "STEVE, YOU'RE WAY BEHIND TIME ♪ ♪ "THIS IS NOT 38, THIS IS OL' 97 ♪ ♪ PUT HER INTO SPENCER ON TIME"... ♪ MAN: WHEN I WAS GROWING UP ON ROUTE 8, KOSCIUSKO ROAD, IN PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI, THE GULF, MOBILE, AND OHIO RAN RIGHT BEHIND OUR HOUSE.

AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRAIN WAS COMING THROUGH MY BEDROOM AT NIGHT AND I LOVED IT.

CASH: ♪ ..."WATCH OL' 97 ROLL" ♪ AND I USED TO DREAM ABOUT GETTING ON THAT TRAIN AND RIDING AND JUST GOING TO...

I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO NEW YORK, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO HOLLYWOOD, I WANTED TO GO TO NASHVILLE AND PLAY THAT KIND OF MUSIC THAT TOUCHED MY HEART.

CASH: ♪ ...IN THE WRECK WITH HIS HAND ON THE THROTTLE ♪ ♪ SCALDED TO DEATH BY THE STEAM ♪ [TRAIN'S WHISTLE BLOWS] [MANDOLIN PLAYING] NARRATOR: FROM THE TIME HE WAS A LITTLE BOY, GROWING UP IN MISSISSIPPI IN THE 1960s, MUSIC WAS A CENTRAL PART OF MARTY STUART'S LIFE.

HIS MOTHER HAD NAMED HIM AFTER HER FAVORITE COUNTRY SINGER, MARTY ROBBINS, AND GAVE HIM A COWBOY GUITAR WHEN HE WAS ONLY 3.

BY AGE 9, HE HAD MASTERED THE INSTRUMENT AND PERFORMED WHEREVER HE COULD.

THE FIRST RECORD YOUNG STUART EVER OWNED WAS BY HIS MUSICAL HERO JOHNNY CASH.

AFTER MEETING COUNTRY STAR CONNIE SMITH AT THE LOCAL FAIRGROUNDS WHEN HE WAS 11, HE VOWED TO HIS MAMA THAT HE WOULD MARRY HER SOMEDAY.

AT A DIFFERENT CONCERT, BILL MONROE IGNITED A PASSION FOR BLUEGRASS MUSIC AND THE MANDOLIN.

STUART: AND HE GAVE ME HIS MANDOLIN PICK.

HE SAID, "DO YOU WANT TO PLAY THE MANDOLIN, BOY?"

I SAID, "YES, SIR, JUST LIKE YOU."

HE SAID, "THIS RIGHT HERE WILL HELP YOU OUT."

AND I CARRIED THAT PICK TO SCHOOL WITH ME EVERY DAY LIKE IT WAS KRYPTONITE IN MY POCKET, OR SOMETHING.

I FELT SPECIAL BECAUSE I HAD SOMETHING IN MY POCKET THAT NOBODY ELSE HAD AND NOBODY ELSE KNEW ABOUT.

NARRATOR: STUART WAS SOON GOOD ENOUGH ON THE MANDOLIN TO IMPRESS A MEMBER OF LESTER FLATT'S BLUEGRASS BAND, WHO SUGGESTED THAT SOMEDAY THE BOY MIGHT TRAVEL WITH THEM.

THE CHANCE CAME IN 1972, WHEN HE WAS 13.

HE GOT PERMISSION FROM HIS PARENTS TO GO TO NASHVILLE AND TRY OUT FOR LESTER FLATT'S BAND.

THE ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT WAS THAT HE HAD TO TAKE A BUS, NOT THE TRAIN.

IT DROPPED HIM OFF IN DECAYING DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE, NOT FAR FROM THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM, AT TWO IN THE MORNING.

STUART: 2:00 IN THE MORNING, ON ANY NIGHT, AROUND THE RYMAN BACK IN THOSE DAYS WAS NOT THE PLACE TO BE.

I WALKED AROUND THE CORNER OF THE GREYHOUND STATION AND THERE WAS THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM.

THE BUILDING THAT I KNEW SO MUCH ABOUT.

AND IT WAS TIRED AND IT WAS WEARY.

THE PAINT WAS CRACKED AND SOME OF THE WINDOWS WERE OUT, BUT IT LOOKED BEAUTIFUL TO ME.

[MANDOLIN PLAYING] NARRATOR: WITHIN A WEEK, LESTER FLATT BROUGHT HIM ALONG TO PERFORM AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY.

STUART: WALKING INTO THE GRAND OLE OPRY WITH LESTER FLATT TOTING HIS GUITAR WAS LIKE WALKING INTO THE VATICAN WITH THE POPE.

IT WAS A BIG MOMENT.

IT WAS LIKE THAT OLD SCENE IN THE "WIZARD OF OZ" WHERE THE WORLD WENT FROM BLACK AND WHITE TO COLOR.

THAT'S WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME.

EVERYTHING I'D EVER DREAMED OF CAME TRUE WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD.

[MANDOLIN PLAYING] AND I PLAYED THE MANDOLIN, AND I WAS SO LITTLE, I HAD TO HOLD THE MANDOLIN WAY UP IN THE AIR LIKE I WAS SHOOTING BIRDS, OR SOMETHING.

AT THE END OF THE SONG, THE CROWD JUST KEPT APPLAUDING AND APPLAUDING AND APPLAUDING, AND I THOUGHT I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG, AND I LOOKED AT LESTER AND I SAID, "WHAT DO I DO?"

HE SAID, "DO IT AGAIN."

AND I KNEW I HAD FOUND A HOME.

AND I KNEW I WAS WHERE I BELONGED AND I WAS WHERE I WANTED TO BE.

MEN: ♪ WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE ♪ ♪ IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR SOUL?

♪ [CROWD CHEERING] ♪ HANK WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ AS LONG AS I CAN ♪ ♪ KEEP A LOT OF FRIENDS AROUND ME ♪ MAN: I THINK THERE'S A PARADOX THAT'S ALWAYS EXISTED IN COUNTRY MUSIC.

HOW MUCH CHANGE DO YOU EMBRACE?

AND HOW MUCH CHANGE CAN YOU MAKE WITHOUT COMPLETELY OBLITERATING WHAT YOU WERE AND WHERE YOU CAME FROM?

MAN 2: I DON'T LIKE FENCES BUILT AROUND MUSIC.

'CAUSE FENCES, SURE, THEY...

THEY KEEP THINGS OUT, BUT THEY ALSO, UH, THEY DON'T LET THINGS IN.

WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ ...STONED AT THE JUKEBOX... ♪ MAN: I THINK THE LINES ARE ONLY IMAGINARY AND THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT THEM THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THERE IN THE BEGINNING.

IT'S MUSIC, YOU KNOW?

YOU CAN'T SAY IT'S THIS, THAT, OR THE OTHER.

IT'S NOT A DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN.

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: FROM ITS BEGINNINGS, COUNTRY MUSIC HAD NEVER BEEN ONE STYLE.

LIKE ALL ART FORMS, IT HAD ALWAYS RESISTED BEING CONFINED WITHIN ARBITRARY BORDERS.

AND LIKE ALL ARTISTS, ITS BIGGEST STARS HAD ALWAYS PUSHED THOSE BOUNDARIES TO THEIR LIMITS.

WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ AND LORD, I LOVE THAT HURTIN' MUSIC ♪ ♪ 'CAUSE I AM HURTIN', TOO ♪ MALONE: AS FANS, WE MAY WANT THEM TO DO THE OLD STUFF.

WE'RE UNHAPPY QUITE OFTEN WHEN THEY-- WHEN THEY BRANCH OUT INTO SOMETHING NEW.

BUT MUSICIANS, THEY'RE INNOVATIVE.

THEY'RE EXPERIMENTAL.

THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING FRESH, SOMETHING NEW.

OF COURSE, THE QUESTION IS WHERE DOES IT END?

WHEN DOES IT CEASE TO BE COUNTRY WHEN THEY'VE MADE ALL THESE CHANGES?

♪ WAYLON JENNINGS: ♪ LORD, IT'S THE SAME OLD TUNE ♪ ♪ FIDDLE AND GUITAR ♪ ♪ WHERE DO WE TAKE IT FROM HERE?

♪ ♪ RHINESTONE SUITS AND NEW SHINY CARS ♪ ♪ IT'S BEEN THE SAME WAY FOR YEARS ♪ ♪ WE NEED A CHANGE ♪ NARRATOR: IN THE 1970s, DEFINING COUNTRY MUSIC WOULD BE DEBATED AS NEVER BEFORE.

BUT THAT ARGUMENT WOULD SPARK ONE OF ITS MOST VIBRANT ERAS-- MAKING ROOM FOR NEW VOICES AND NEW ATTITUDES.

AND OUT ON THE EDGES, WHERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC MEET AND MINGLE AND ART IS ALWAYS CREATED, COUNTRY MUSIC WOULD FIND A DRAMATICALLY LARGER AUDIENCE.

JENNINGS: ♪ I DON'T THINK HANK DONE IT THIS WAY ♪ NARRATOR: TWO WOMEN FROM NEARLY OPPOSITE BACKGROUNDS WOULD LEAD THE WAY.

ONE WOULD COME INTO HER OWN AS A WRITER AND SINGER OF SONGS DRAWN FROM HER IMPOVERISHED CHILDHOOD IN THE MOUNTAINS OF EAST TENNESSEE.

THE OTHER, FROM THE FOLK CLUBS OF THE EAST COAST, WOULD BECOME AN UNLIKELY CONVERT TO COUNTRY MUSIC-- AND, WITH HER ANGELIC VOICE, CONVERT MILLIONS MORE.

TWO MUSICAL OUTCASTS WOULD MAKE THEIR OWN RULES ABOUT WHAT IS AND WHAT ISN'T COUNTRY MUSIC.

ONE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE NASHVILLE TO FIND HIS TRUE VOICE IN TEXAS.

THE OTHER WOULD UPEND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARTISTS AND THEIR RECORD LABELS IN MUSIC CITY.

A MARRIED COUPLE, EACH POSSESSING A REMARKABLE VOICE, WOULD CREATE SOME OF COUNTRY MUSIC'S MOST ENDURING RECORDS WHILE SEEMINGLY LIVING OUT THEIR SONGS' TRAGIC LYRICS.

AND, AS A NEW GENERATION OF ARTISTS CAME OF AGE, TWO CHILDREN OF TWO MUSIC LEGENDS-- ONE, THE SON OF THE HILLBILLY SHAKESPEARE, THE OTHER, THE DAUGHTER OF THE MAN IN BLACK-- WOULD STRIKE OUT ON THEIR OWN AND PROVE, AS THEIR FATHERS DID, THAT COUNTRY MUSIC, THOUGH GROUNDED IN TRADITION, HAS ALWAYS BEEN MOVING FORWARD.

♪ ♪ TOM T. HALL: ♪ COUNTRY IS ♪ ♪ SITTIN' ON THE BACK PORCH ♪ ♪ LISTEN TO THE WHIPPOORWILLS ♪ ♪ LATE IN THE DAY ♪ NARRATOR: BY THE TIME YOUNG MARTY STUART DEBUTED ON THE GRAND OLE OPRY, THE DECISION HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE THAT THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM WAS NO LONGER SUITED FOR AN ATTRACTION DRAWING 400,000 VISITORS A YEAR.

THE FORMER TABERNACLE, OWNED BY THE NATIONAL LIFE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE COMPANY, WAS NOW MORE THAN 3/4 OF A CENTURY OLD.

HALL: ♪ KNOWIN' YOUR KIND ♪ MAN: AND THE STREET AROUND THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM AT THAT TIME WAS FULL OF HONKY-TONKS AND STREET WALKERS AND BEGGARS, AND THE FANS, THEY WERE ALL GETTING HIT OUT THERE WHILE THEY'RE WAITING IN LINE TO HOPEFULLY GET A TICKET.

AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY GOT VERY SENSITIVE AS TIME WENT ON.

AND IT WAS A--IT WAS REALLY A PR PROBLEM.

HALL: ♪ COUNTRY IS ♪ NARRATOR: FOR YEARS, OPRY MANAGER BUD WENDELL HAD BEEN FIELDING COMPLAINTS FROM THE PERFORMERS ABOUT THEIR CRAMPED WORKING CONDITIONS.

"MOST OF MY MEMORIES OF THE RYMAN," ROY ACUFF SAID, "ARE OF MISERY, SWEATING OUT THERE ON THE STAGE, THE AUDIENCE SUFFERING, TOO."

HALL: ♪ FIND OUT WHAT'S RIGHT ♪ NARRATOR: SUMMERS WERE THE WORST, WHEN TEMPERATURES INSIDE THE UN-AIR-CONDITIONED BRICK BUILDING ROSE TO 100 DEGREES AND HIGHER.

STUART: AND LESTER FLATT WENT TO BUD WENDELL AND SAID, "BUD, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AMONGST OURSELVES "AND WHY DON'T SOME OF US OLDER ARTISTS "GO IN AND PITCH IN AND MAYBE COME UP WITH "AN AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM, OR SOMETHING TO HELP OUT AROUND HERE A LITTLE BIT?"

BUD SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, I THINK, "UH, WELL, "WE'VE CHECKED INTO THAT, LESTER, AND IT'S A LITTLE OVER $2 MILLION."

AND LESTER SAID, "AIN'T AS HOT AS I THOUGHT."

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: WENDELL'S BOSSES DECIDED THE BEST SOLUTION WAS TO BUILD A NEW HOME FOR THE OPRY.

ON MORE THAN 300 ACRES OF LAND, 6 MILES UP THE CUMBERLAND RIVER FROM DOWNTOWN, THEY SPENT MORE THAN $65 MILLION TO BUILD AN ELABORATE THEME PARK, OPRYLAND USA; A SPRAWLING, 615-ROOM HOTEL; AND THE SPACIOUS GRAND OLE OPRY HOUSE, FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED, WITH COMFORTABLE SEATING FOR 4,400 PEOPLE, 12 DRESSING ROOMS FOR THE ARTISTS, AND A SEPARATE, STATE-OF-THE-ART TELEVISION STUDIO.

EVERYTHING WAS BRAND-NEW, EXCEPT FOR A CIRCLE OF OLD WOOD AT THE CENTER OF THE STAGE.

IT HAD COME FROM THE RYMAN.

ON FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1974, THE MOTHER CHURCH OF COUNTRY MUSIC HOSTED ITS FINAL GRAND OLE OPRY.

MAN: ♪ GOOD-BYE, DEAR, OLD RYMAN ♪ ANDERSON: I'LL NEVER FORGET THE LAST NIGHT AT THE RYMAN.

IT WAS ON A FRIDAY NIGHT.

AND WE WERE GOING TO OPEN AT THE OPRY HOUSE THE NEXT NIGHT, ON SATURDAY.

THERE WAS A FEELING THERE OF, UM, IT WAS LIKE A FEELING I'VE NEVER FELT AT THE OPRY BEFORE.

IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF SADNESS, A LOT OF SADNESS.

IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF JOY.

THERE WAS ANTICIPATION.

THERE WAS A FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.

"WELL, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

"ARE WE CUTTING OFF OUR NOSE TO SPITE OUR FACE HERE?

IS THIS REALLY WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE DOING?"

NARRATOR: BILL ANDERSON SANG HIS BIG HIT, "PO' FOLKS."

ROY ACUFF DID "WABASH CANNONBALL" BEFORE INTRODUCING HIS OLD FRIEND MINNIE PEARL.

AFTER 8 HALF-HOUR SEGMENTS OF THE OPRY, THE GRAND OLE GOSPEL SHOW TOOK OVER.

HANK SNOW WAS A FEATURED GUEST, AS WERE MOTHER MAYBELLE CARTER AND HER DAUGHTERS AND JOHNNY CASH.

THE LAST SONG PERFORMED LATE THAT EVENING WAS THE OLD CARTER FAMILY CLASSIC, "WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN."

LISTENING TO IT ALL WAS A YOUNG REPORTER FOR "THE NEW YORKER" MAGAZINE, WHO HAD COME TO THE RYMAN TO COVER THE EVENT.

GARRISON KEILLOR HAD GROWN UP IN MINNESOTA, 860 MILES AWAY, GLUED TO HIS FAMILY RADIO EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT TO HEAR THE MUSIC AND MINNIE PEARL'S STORIES FROM THE MAKE-BELIEVE TOWN OF GRINDER'S SWITCH.

ON THIS NIGHT, KEILLOR WORKED HIS WAY INTO THE BROADCAST ENGINEERS' BOOTH, LEANED AGAINST THE BACK WALL, AND CLOSED HIS EYES.

"IT WAS GOOD," HE WROTE, "TO LET THE OPRY GO OUT "THE SAME WAY IT HAD FIRST COME TO ME, THROUGH THE AIR IN THE DARK."

THE NEXT NIGHT, THE GRAND OLE OPRY DEBUTED FROM ITS BRAND-NEW HOME IN THE SUBURBS.

♪ FROM THE GREAT ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE WIDE PACIFIC SHORE... ♪ ANDERSON: I GET GOOSE BUMPS EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT NOW, AS THEY PROJECTED A FILM OF ROY ACUFF SINGING "THE WABASH CANNONBALL" FROM BACK IN THE FORTIES.

AND THEY'RE SHOWING THIS ON THE SCREEN IN THE NEW OPRY HOUSE.

♪ ...ON THE WABASH CANNONBALL ♪ ANDERSON: AND IT'S JUST QUIET AS A MOUSE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THAT SCREEN BEGINS TO LIFT AND THERE'S ROY ACUFF... ♪ ...ST. LOUIS AND CHICAGO BY THE WAY ♪ ♪ FROM THE HILLS OF MINNESOTA ♪ ♪ WHERE THE RIPPLING WATERS FALL... ♪ AND THEY'RE SINGING THE SAME SONG.

IT NEVER MISSED A BEAT.

IT WAS FROM THE OLD FILM IN THE FORTIES TO HERE'S ROY ACUFF NOW IN HIS SEVENTIES STILL SINGING "THE WABASH CANNONBALL."

I STOOD THERE AND CRIED.

I'M ALMOST...I CAN ALMOST SIT HERE AND CRY JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.

NARRATOR: THE GUEST OF HONOR THAT NIGHT WAS PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON.

IN WASHINGTON, HE WAS EMBROILED IN THE WATERGATE SCANDAL AND IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS.

IN NASHVILLE, HE WAS HAPPY TO FIND A FRIENDLY AUDIENCE.

FOR YEARS, THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION HAD BEEN TELLING ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES AND RADIO STATION OWNERS THAT THE OLD STEREOTYPE OF COUNTRY FANS AS POOR AND UNEDUCATED HILLBILLIES WAS WRONG.

"THE FANS OF OUR MUSIC," A CMA OFFICIAL SAID, "ELECT THE PRESIDENTS, RUN THE FACTORIES, "GROW THE FOOD, TRANSPORT OUR GOODS, AND, IN GENERAL, MANIPULATE THE GEARS OF THIS COUNTRY EVERY DAY."

"THE "C" IN COUNTRY MUSIC," A BROCHURE ADDED, "MEANS CASH."

WHOO!

GET UP THERE.

♪ WELL, GOOD MORNING, CAPTAIN ♪ NARRATOR: BY 1974, DOLLY PARTON HAD BEEN PERFORMING ON PORTER WAGONER'S SYNDICATED TELEVISION SHOW FOR 7 YEARS.

AND DURING ALL 7 OF THEM, WAGONER HAD EXERTED TIGHT CONTROL OVER HER CAREER.

♪ DOWN ON YOUR NEW MUD RUN?

HEY, HEY, YEAH ♪ NARRATOR: WAGONER'S OWN STAR AS A COUNTRY SINGER WAS FADING.

HIS DUET ALBUMS WITH PARTON OUTSOLD HIS OWN SOLO RECORDS, BUT ON THE ROAD AND IN THE STUDIO, HE INSISTED ON BEING IN CHARGE.

"I SIGNED THE CHECKS," HE SAID, "SO, WE DID THINGS MY WAY."

♪ FROM DOWN OLD TENNESSEE WAY, HEY, HEY ♪ ♪ I COME FROM TENNESSEE ♪ NARRATOR: WITH WAGONER PRODUCING, SHE RECORDED THE OLD JIMMIE RODGERS TUNE FROM 1930, "MULE SKINNER BLUES," WHICH BECAME HER FIRST TOP 10 SINGLE.

WOMAN: THERE ARE SONGS LIKE THE "MULE SKINNER BLUES" THAT ARE JUST CLASSICS.

FROM JIMMIE RODGERS AND HIS VERSION OF IT TO BILL MONROE'S, TO ROSE MADDOX.

THERE ARE SONGS LIKE THE "MULE SKINNER BLUES" THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT GO ALL THE WAY BACK.

SOMEBODY HEARS THAT AND DADDY LOVED THAT AND GRANDPA LOVED THAT, AND THEY PASS THAT SONG DOWN.

IT'S A LITTLE LIKE AN HEIRLOOM.

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN HOLD IN THE FAMILY.

THEY'RE LIKE KEEPSAKES.

NARRATOR: BUT WAGONER ALSO ENCOURAGED PARTON TO RECORD MORE AND MORE OF THE SONGS SHE HAD WRITTEN HERSELF, STARTING WITH "JOSHUA," WHICH BECAME HER FIRST NUMBER-ONE COUNTRY HIT, AND THEN "COAT OF MANY COLORS" AND "JOLENE."

PARTON: ♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ I'M BEGGING OF YOU, PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY MAN ♪ ♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN ♪ ♪ YOUR BEAUTY IS BEYOND COMPARE ♪ ♪ WITH FLAMING LOCKS OF AUBURN HAIR ♪ ♪ WITH IVORY SKIN AND EYES OF EMERALD GREEN ♪ ♪ YOUR SMILE IS LIKE A BREATH OF SPRING ♪ ♪ YOUR VOICE IS SOFT LIKE SUMMER RAIN AND I CANNOT... ♪ WOMAN: YOU KNOW WHAT THAT FEELING IS LIKE-- "THAT GIRL'S PRETTIER.

IS SHE GOING TO TAKE HIM AWAY?"

SHE COULD TAKE HIM AWAY, YOU KNOW.

IS HE GOING TO LEAVE?

PARTON: ♪ HE TALKS ABOUT YOU IN HIS SLEEP ♪ ♪ AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO TO KEEP ♪ ♪ FROM CRYING WHEN HE CALLS YOUR NAME, JOLENE ♪ SHE'S NOT CURSING HER OUT, SHE'S NOT YELLING AT HER, SHE'S NOT BEING, YOU KNOW, FEISTY AND CAT WOMAN.

SHE'S JUST SAYING, "PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY MAN."

I MEAN, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT LINE IN "JOLENE," "PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN."

THAT IS SO HEART-WRENCHING.

PARTON: ♪ JOLENE, PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM ♪ ♪ EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN, JOLENE... ♪ NARRATOR: IN THE EARLY 1970s, PARTON HAD 5 NUMBER-ONE COUNTRY SOLO HITS, ALL OF THEM SELF-WRITTEN; WAGONER HAD NONE.

INSIDERS COULD SEE TENSIONS BUILDING.

MAN: DOLLY GOT SMART.

I GUESS SHE CAME SMART.

I THINK DOLLY LEARNED THAT SHE WAS NOT GOING TO GO ANY FURTHER WITH HER CAREER AS LONG AS SHE WAS IN PORTER'S SHADOW.

PARTON: WELL, I THINK PORTER HAD A REAL HARD TIME AFTER OTHER PEOPLE STARTED RECORDING MY SONGS AND I WAS WRITING AND I WAS GETTING TO BE PRETTY POPULAR.

AND IT WAS HIS SHOW.

I WASN'T TRYING TO HOG IT, BUT I JUST KIND OF CARVED OUT A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, PLACE FOR MYSELF.

BUT IT WAS A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP.

WE FOUGHT LIKE CATS AND DOGS.

WE WERE JUST BOTH VERY PASSIONATE PEOPLE.

THERE WAS NO WAY THAT I WASN'T GOING TO DO WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO.

AND NO WAY I WAS GOING TO NOT DO WHAT HE THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DO.

NARRATOR: "PORTER DREAMED OF ME STAYING WITH HIS SHOW FOREVER," PARTON SAID, "AND I DREAMED OF HAVING MY OWN SHOW.

"I WROTE MORE AND MORE SONGS AND DREAMED BIGGER AND BIGGER DREAMS."

PARTON: WHEN I WAS TRYING TO LEAVE THE SHOW, I HAD TOLD PORTER I'D STAY 5 YEARS.

IT HAD BEEN 5, THEN IT WAS 6, THEN IT WAS 7.

HE WAS JUST HAVING A REAL HARD TIME 'CAUSE IT WAS GOING TO MESS UP HIS SHOW.

WE WERE VERY BOUND AND TIED TOGETHER IN SO MANY EMOTIONAL WAYS.

AND HE JUST WOULD NOT HEAR IT.

AND SO, HE WAS GOING TO SUE ME; HE WAS GOING TO DO THIS; HE WAS GOING TO DO THAT.

AND SO, I WENT HOME AND I THOUGHT, "HE'S NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO ME."

'CAUSE I'VE SAID IT OVER AND OVER.

AND SO I THOUGHT, "DO WHAT YOU DO BEST.

JUST WRITE A SONG."

SO, I WROTE THE SONG, TOOK IT BACK IN THE NEXT DAY, AND I SAID, "PORTER, SIT DOWN.

I'VE GOT SOMETHING I HAVE TO SING TO YOU."

SO, I SANG IT, AND HE WAS SITTING AT HIS DESK AND HE WAS CRYING.

HE SAID, "THAT'S THE BEST THING YOU EVER WROTE."

"OK, YOU CAN GO, BUT ONLY IF I CAN PRODUCE THAT RECORD."

AND HE DID, AND THE REST IS HISTORY.

NARRATOR: RELEASED A FEW MONTHS AFTER SHE LEFT, IT WOULD GO ON TO BECOME DOLLY PARTON'S BEST-SELLING SONG.

♪ IF I SHOULD STAY ♪ ♪ I WOULD ONLY BE IN YOUR WAY ♪ ♪ SO I'LL GO ♪ ♪ BUT I KNOW ♪ ♪ I'LL THINK OF YOU EACH STEP OF THE WAY ♪ ♪ AND I ♪ ♪ WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ♪ ♪ I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ♪ EMERY: THAT SONG, IT WAS AN ANTHEM TO PORTER WAGONER.

♪ ...SWEET MEMORIES ♪ SHE WROTE IT, I THINK, BECAUSE HE HAD DONE SO MUCH FOR HER.

BUT SHE FELT IF SHE DIDN'T LEAVE HIM, SHE WOULD JUST REMAIN PORTER'S GIRL SINGER.

♪ BUT I ♪ ♪ WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ♪ ♪ I WILL... ♪ HOLLY WILLIAMS: WRITING A BEAUTIFUL SONG FROM THE MOST SIMPLE WORDS.

♪ LOVE YOU ♪ "I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU," WHEN SHE SINGS IT OVER AND OVER, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT ANY OF US CAN RELATE TO.

♪ AND I WISH YOU JOY ♪ SHE WAS ABLE, LIKE HANK WILLIAMS, TO TAKE THE MOST BASIC ONE-LINERS, "I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU," AND TURN IT INTO A MASTERPIECE.

♪ I WISH YOU LOVE ♪ ♪ AND I ♪ ♪ WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ♪ ♪ I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ♪ ♪ I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ♪ [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] LORETTA LYNN AND CONWAY TWITTY: ♪ LOVE IS WHERE YOU FIND IT ♪ NARRATOR: OTHER FAMOUS DUET TEAMS WERE STAYING TOGETHER.

BILL ANDERSON AND JAN HOWARD SOMETIMES WROTE EACH OTHER'S SONGS.

DOTTIE WEST, WHO HAD BEEN IN NASHVILLE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, JOINED WITH KENNY ROGERS, WHO HAD RECENTLY ARRIVED.

TWITTY: ♪ ...IS ALMOST EMPTY ♪ NARRATOR: LORETTA LYNN TEAMED UP WITH CONWAY TWITTY, THE FORMER ROCKABILLY STAR WHO HAD RETURNED TO COUNTRY MUSIC.

TOGETHER, THEY RELEASED NEARLY A DOZEN DUET ALBUMS AND HAD 5 NUMBER-ONE SINGLES.

LYNN: ♪ WE KNOW IT'S WRONG FOR US TO MEET ♪ ♪ BUT THE FIRE'S GONE OUT AT HOME ♪ TWITTY AND LYNN: ♪ AND THERE'S NOTHIN' COLD AS ASHES ♪ ♪ AFTER THE FIRE IS GONE ♪ [APPLAUSE] GEORGE JONES AND TAMMY WYNETTE: ♪ ROLLIN' IN MY SWEET BABY'S ARMS ♪ NARRATOR: BUT NO COUPLE CAPTIVATED AUDIENCES, AND HEADLINES, MORE THAN GEORGE JONES AND TAMMY WYNETTE.

JONES AND WYNETTE: ♪ I'LL LAY AROUND THE SHACK ♪ ♪ TILL THE MAIL TRAIN COMES BACK ♪ ♪ AND I'LL ROLL IN MY SWEET BABY'S ARMS ♪ ANDERSON: I THINK PEOPLE REALLY FELT LIKE THEY WERE GETTING A LOT OF THE TRUE STORY AND GETTING THE STORY OF THEIR OWN LIVES WHEN THIS INCREDIBLY TALENTED MALE SINGER WAS SINGING WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL AND INCREDIBLY TALENTED FEMALE SINGER, AND THEY'RE SINGING SONGS.

♪ WE'RE GONNA HOLD ON ♪ OK, IF, IF THEY CAN HOLD ON, ME AND OLD FRED CAN HOLD ON, TOO.

OR ME AND OLD ETHEL, YOU KNOW?

AND I THINK PEOPLE SAW THEIR OWN LIVES IN THESE SONGS.

JONES AND WYNETTE: ♪ ...SWEET BABY'S ARMS ♪ ♪ ROLLING IN MY SWEET BABY'S ARMS, I'LL... ♪ NARRATOR: WHEN THEY GOT MARRIED BACK IN 1969, BOTH TAMMY WYNETTE AND GEORGE JONES WERE ALREADY WELL-KNOWN ARTISTS.

BILLED AS "MR. AND MRS. COUNTRY MUSIC," THEY DREW LARGE, ADORING CROWDS.

AND THEIR PRODUCER, BILLY SHERRILL, MADE SURE THEY FED THEIR FANS A STEADY STRING OF DUET ALBUMS.

MAN: I SEE TAMMY LOOKING AT GEORGE'S LIPS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF HE'S EVER GOING TO DO IT TWICE THE SAME WAY AND DOING HER DAMNEDEST TO PHRASE WITH HIM.

AND HIM WITH THAT LITTLE BEADY-EYED POSSUM LOOK ABOUT HIM, LOVING EVERY SECOND OF IT.

BOTH: ♪ FOR BETTER OR WORST ♪ ♪ YOU'LL ALWAYS COME FIRST ♪ ♪ AND NO ONE CAN KEEP US APART ♪ NARRATOR: "WHEN WE WERE ONSTAGE," JONES SAID, "WE WERE IN OUR OWN LITTLE HEAVEN."

BOTH: ♪ ...EACH OTHER ♪ ♪ FORSAKING ALL OTHERS ♪ NARRATOR: BUT THIS WAS A THIRD MARRIAGE FOR BOTH OF THEM, AND IT WAS NEVER TRANQUIL.

HIS BINGE DRINKING MADE HIM UNCONTROLLABLE.

SHE COULD BE EQUALLY VOLATILE.

"HE NIPPED," SHE SAID, "AND I NAGGED."

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] WOMAN: I WAS FRIENDS WITH BOTH OF THEM WHEN THEY GOT TOGETHER.

AND I HAVE TO SAY, I THOUGHT, "OH, MY.

I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS CAN WORK OR NOT."

I TRULY THINK THAT GEORGE AND TAMMY HAD A GREAT LOVE AFFAIR.

BUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY PROBLEMS THAT ARISE FROM TWO STRONG CAREERS, A STRONG DUET CAREER THROWN IN THERE, FAMILY ADDED, AND GEORGE'S DRINKING WAS JUST ALWAYS A PROBLEM, TOO.

SO, ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS ADD TO EITHER LIVING OUT A COUNTRY SONG OR WRITING A DAMN GOOD ONE.

BOTH: ♪ WE'RE GONNA HOLD ON ♪ NARRATOR: IN 1973, WYNETTE FILED FOR DIVORCE.

THEY RECONCILED LONG ENOUGH FOR THEM TO GO BACK INTO THE STUDIO AND RECORD "WE'RE GONNA HOLD ON," WHICH ROSE TO NUMBER ONE.

BOTH: ♪ ON TO EACH OTHER ♪ NARRATOR: SHE WITHDREW HER PETITION.

♪ LIFE CAN BE ROUGH ♪ ♪ SOMETIMES IT'S KIND ♪ ♪ A REAL GOOD LIFE IS HARD TO FIND ♪ ♪ IT BRINGS US HAPPINESS ALL THROUGH THE DAY ♪ ♪ AND NOTHING'S GONNA EVER MAKE IT GO AWAY ♪ BOTH: ♪ WE'RE GONNA HOLD ON ♪ ♪ WE'RE GONNA HOLD ON ♪ ♪ WE'RE GONNA HOLD ON TO EACH OTHER ♪ ♪ WE'RE GONNA HOLD ON ♪ [APPLAUSE] NARRATOR: TWO YEARS LATER, WYNETTE FILED FOR DIVORCE AGAIN.

THIS TIME, THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK.

"GEORGE IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T TOLERATE HAPPINESS," SHE TOLD A REPORTER.

"IF EVERYTHING IS RIGHT, THERE IS SOMETHING IN HIM THAT MAKES HIM DESTROY IT AND DESTROY ME WITH IT."

THEY EACH RELEASED POPULAR ALBUMS, BUT AS SOLO ACTS ON THE ROAD, THEIR BOOKINGS SUFFERED.

AT WYNETTE'S CONCERTS, DISAPPOINTED FANS OFTEN SHOUTED OUT, "WHERE'S GEORGE?"

WYNETTE: ♪ I MAY SOMETIMES BOTHER YOU, TRY TO BE IN.... ♪ NARRATOR: JONES' DRINKING INCREASED.

HE WOULD SOMETIMES BE SEEN IN ONE OF THE 27 CARS HE BOUGHT AND SOLD THAT YEAR, AIMLESSLY CIRCLING THE DRIVEWAY OF THE HOME THE COUPLE HAD ONCE SHARED IN NASHVILLE.

SHE EMBARKED ON A SERIES OF HIGHLY PUBLICIZED AND SHORT-LIVED ROMANCES-- WITH A MOVIE STAR, A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER, A COUNTRY SINGER, A POLITICIAN, AND OTHERS.

AT A RECORDING SESSION IN LATE 1975, SHE RECORDED A SONG SHE LATER CALLED THE FAVORITE OF ALL HER SINGLES-- "TIL I CAN MAKE IT ON MY OWN."

WYNETTE: ♪ TIL I CAN MAKE IT ON MY OWN ♪ NARRATOR: AS THE SESSION MUSICIANS GATHERED TO HEAR THE PLAYBACK, NO ONE IN THE STUDIO SPOKE A WORD.

"THEY KNEW," WYNETTE RECALLED, "THE SONG WAS ABOUT GEORGE."

STILL, 4 MONTHS LATER, BILLY SHERRILL WAS ABLE TO GET THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER FOR ONE MORE DUET ALBUM.

ITS TITLE TRACK WAS "GOLDEN RING," WRITTEN BY RAFE VAN HOY AND BOBBY BRADDOCK.

MAN: "GOLDEN RING" DOES SOUND A LITTLE BIT LIKE AN OLD HYMN.

IT PROBABLY SOUNDS LIKE 10 OR 12 OLD SOUTHERN GOSPEL HYMNS KIND OF THROWN TOGETHER.

WHEN YOU GET TO THE CHORUS, IT'S THAT OLD CHURCH SING-A-LONG THING.

♪ GOLDEN RING, GOLDEN RING, WITH ONE TINY, LITTLE STONE ♪ ♪ CAST ASIDE, CAST ASIDE, LIKE THE LOVE THAT'S DEAD AND GONE ♪ ♪ BY ITSELF, BY ITSELF, JUST A COLD METALLIC THING ♪ ♪ ONLY LOVE CAN MAKE A GOLDEN WEDDING RING ♪ ♪ DOO DOO DOO DOO ♪ BOTH: ♪ GOLDEN RING ♪ ♪ OOH ♪ ♪ WITH ONE TINY, LITTLE STONE ♪ ♪ CAST ASIDE ♪ ♪ CAST ASIDE ♪ ♪ LIKE THE LOVE THAT'S DEAD AND GONE ♪ ♪ BY ITSELF ♪ ♪ BY ITSELF ♪ ♪ IT'S JUST A COLD METALLIC THING ♪ ♪ ONLY LOVE CAN MAKE A GOLDEN WEDDING RING ♪ ♪ IN A PAWN SHOP IN CHICAGO ♪ ♪ ON A SUNNY SUMMER DAY ♪ ♪ A COUPLE GAZES AT THE WEDDING RINGS THERE ON DISPLAY ♪ ♪ GOLDEN RING ♪ [APPLAUSE] NARRATOR: "GOLDEN RING" WOULD TOP THE COUNTRY CHARTS.

IT WAS PLAYING ON WYNETTE'S CAR RADIO ON THE DAY SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO MARRY HER FOURTH HUSBAND IN 1976.

IT WAS STILL ON THE CHARTS WHEN SHE DIVORCED HIM 44 DAYS LATER.

BY THIS TIME, THE SMOOTH NASHVILLE SOUND HAD EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING EVEN SMOOTHER.

CHARLIE RICH: ♪ MY BABY MAKES ME PROUD ♪ NARRATOR: PEOPLE CALLED IT "COUNTRYPOLITAN," AND PRODUCERS HOPED IT WOULD HELP THEIR ARTISTS CROSS OVER TO THE LUCRATIVE POP MARKET.

RICH: ♪ 'CAUSE PEOPLE LIKE TO TALK ♪ NARRATOR: BILLY SHERRILL WAS MUSIC CITY'S MOST RELIABLE COUNTRYPOLITAN HIT MAKER.

HE HELPED CHARLIE RICH, A JOURNEYMAN RHYTHM AND BLUES SINGER, REINVENT HIMSELF AS AN EASY-LISTENING, COUNTRY-POP STAR, AND WHEN HE FOUND TANYA TUCKER, A PRECOCIOUS 13-YEAR-OLD WITH A BIG VOICE, HE GAVE HER SONGS WITH ADULT THEMES THAT RAISED EYEBROWS AMONG COUNTRY MUSIC'S MORE CONSERVATIVE FANS AND CREATED DOZENS OF HIT RECORDS.

RICH: ♪ AND SHE MAKES ME GLAD ♪ NARRATOR: UP AND DOWN MUSIC ROW, OTHER PRODUCERS, INCLUDING CHET ATKINS AND OWEN BRADLEY, STEERED EVEN FARTHER AWAY FROM COUNTRY'S TWANG.

BUT THE BRIDGE TO CROSSOVER SUCCESS WENT BOTH WAYS.

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: ♪ YOU CAME WHEN I WAS HAPPY IN YOUR... ♪ NARRATOR: AUSTRALIA'S OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN GOT HER CAREER LAUNCHED WHEN HER EARLY POP SONGS WERE PROMOTED TO COUNTRY RADIO STATIONS.

IN 1974, SHE WAS NAMED THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION'S FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR, BEATING OUT DOLLY PARTON AND LORETTA LYNN.

COUNTRY TRADITIONALISTS WERE SURPRISED AND ANGRY.

NEWTON-JOHN: ♪ IF YOU LOVE ME, LET ME KNOW ♪ WOMAN: IT SHOCKED ME.

THAT THE MUSIC WAS GETTING AWAY FROM US.

WE WERE LOSING...OUR IDENTITY, SO TO SPEAK, I GUESS.

NARRATOR: THE FUROR WAS EVEN GREATER AT THE NEXT YEAR'S AWARDS SHOW, WHEN CMA'S TOP HONOR-- COUNTRY MUSIC ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR-- WENT TO A FOLK/POP SINGER WHO WAS WATCHING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD.

MAN: THE WINNER... [LAUGHTER] MY FRIEND MR. JOHN DENVER.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] STUART: THINGS WERE CHANGING.

AND NOT EVERYBODY AGREED WITH IT.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE SAW IT AS THE BOUNDARIES WERE BEING BROADENED AND EXPANDED UPON.

AND OTHER PEOPLE SAW IT AS THAT COUNTRY MUSIC IS LOSING ITS SOUL.

♪ I'M GOING DOWN TO AUSTIN, TEXAS ♪ ♪ I'M GOING DOWN TO SAVE MY SOUL, GET... ♪ NARRATOR: WHILE OLDER, TRADITIONAL ARTISTS ENGAGED IN A TUG OF WAR WITH THE COUNTRYPOLITANS, NASHVILLE WAS ALSO ATTRACTING A NEW WAVE OF YOUNG SINGER-SONGWRITERS WHO HAD THEIR OWN IDEAS ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF COUNTRY MUSIC.

♪ OH, MY, MOMMA, AIN'T THAT TEXAS COOKIN' SOMETHING ♪ ♪ OH, MY, MOMMA, IT'LL STOP YO' BELLY AND BACKBONE BUMPIN' ♪ ♪ OH, MY, MOMMA, AIN'T THAT TEXAS COOKIN' GOOD ♪ ♪ OH, MY, MOMMA, EAT IT EVERY DAY IF I COULD ♪ NARRATOR: FOR THEM, CREATING A WELL-CRAFTED SONG WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WRITING A HIT, THOUGH THEY ALL DREAMED THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE BOTH, LIKE THE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL KRIS KRISTOFFERSON.

AND LIKE KRISTOFFERSON, MANY OF THE NEW ARRIVALS WERE FROM TEXAS.

PEOPLE ASK ME AND SAY, "WHAT IS IT ABOUT THESE TEXAS SONGWRITERS?"

YOU KNOW, "WHAT IS IT?"

AND I SAY, "WE'RE THE BEST LIARS IN THE WORLD."

TEXANS HAVE ALWAYS HAD THIS INDEPENDENT STREAK OF DOING ...

THE WAY THEY WANT IT, THE WAY THEY HEAR IT, THE WAY THEY WANT TO DO IT.

NARRATOR: WHEN GUY CLARK WAS A LITTLE BOY IN THE SMALL WEST TEXAS TOWN OF MONAHANS, HIS FAMILY DIDN'T OWN A RECORD PLAYER AND INSTEAD SPENT THEIR EVENINGS READING POETRY ALOUD TO EACH OTHER.

CLARK GOT HIS FIRST GUITAR WHEN THEY MOVED TO SOUTH TEXAS, AND THE FIRST SONGS HE LEARNED WERE IN SPANISH.

BY HIS EARLY TWENTIES, HE WAS PERFORMING IN FOLK CLUBS AND COFFEE HOUSES AROUND HOUSTON.

AFTER A YEAR IN LOS ANGELES, HE RELOCATED TO NASHVILLE WITH HIS WIFE SUSANNA, A PAINTER AND SONGWRITER.

AT THE NEWLY OPENED EXIT/IN, A SMALL LIVE-MUSIC VENUE ON ELLISTON PLACE NEAR VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, CLARK AND OTHERS FOUND A PLACE TO TRY OUT THEIR LATEST SONGS IN FRONT OF A YOUNGER, MORE PROGRESSIVE AUDIENCE.

STUART: DOWN ON ELLISTON PLACE, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE PARIS IN THE TWENTIES MUST HAVE BEEN BECAUSE IT WAS ALL BOHEMIANS AND NEW THINKING, FORWARD-THINKING COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE.

CLARK: THE THING ABOUT NASHVILLE, IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE SQUASHING YOUR CREATIVITY, BUT THEY WILL TO MAKE A BUCK.

THE POINT IS THEY'RE IN BUSINESS.

THEY'RE HERE TO MAKE MONEY, NOT TO SUPPORT YOUR ARTISTIC BENT, YOU KNOW?

♪ I CAN JUST GET OFF OF THIS L.A. FREEWAY ♪ ♪ WITHOUT GETTING KILLED OR CAUGHT ♪ ♪ I'D BE DOWN THE ROAD IN A CLOUD OF SMOKE ♪ ♪ TO SOME LAND I AIN'T BOUGHT ♪ CROWELL: WHEN I ARRIVED IN NASHVILLE, THE WHOLE IDEA OUT ON THE STREET IS THAT, "MAN, I'VE GOT TO WORK HARD ENOUGH "AND HAVE THE DEDICATION TO LIFT MY ART UP TO A LEVEL WHERE I CAN GET ON THE EXIT/IN STAGE," WHERE YOU WOULD SEE KRIS KRISTOFFERSON PERFORM AND GUY CLARK PERFORM.

NARRATOR: RODNEY CROWELL HAD GROWN UP IN THE HOUSTON AREA, STEEPED IN COUNTRY MUSIC.

HIS PARENTS MET AT A ROY ACUFF CONCERT, AND CROWELL WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD WHEN HIS FATHER INSISTED ON TAKING HIM TO SEE HANK WILLIAMS PERFORM.

BY AGE 11, HE WAS PLAYING IN HIS FATHER'S HONKY-TONK BAND.

AT 15, CROWELL HAD HIS OWN GROUP THAT TOURED SMALL TOWNS PROMISING TO PERFORM EVERYTHING FROM THE BEACH BOYS AND THE BEATLES TO RHYTHM AND BLUES AND, THEIR BUSINESS CARD SAID, "COUNTRY, IF YOU WANT IT."

HE WAS 22 WHEN HE CAME TO NASHVILLE AND SOON BEGAN SHOWING UP AT THE UNOFFICIAL GATHERING PLACE FOR LIKE-MINDED MUSICIANS-- THE HOME OF GUY AND SUSANNA CLARK.

♪ ALL RIGHT NOW, I'VE JUST HIT MY STRIDE ♪ ♪ RIGHT OFF THE BAT, LORD, I'M DRUNK ON BLUEBIRD WINE ♪ ♪ YES, IT'S ALL RIGHT NOW ♪ ♪ I'VE JUST HIT MY STRIDE ♪ ♪ LORD, IT JUST STARTED, LORD ♪ ♪ AND I'M DRUNK ON BLUEBERRY WINE ♪ CROWELL: WE NEVER CALLED.

WE JUST SHOWED UP BANGING ON THE DOOR.

YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES GUY JUST SAID, "GO HOME.

NOT TONIGHT."

THEN, OTHER TIMES, HE AND SUSANNA WOULD CRAWL OUT OF BED AND GET DRESSED, AND STAY UP WITH US TILL DAYLIGHT, JUST TRADING SONGS, TALKING ABOUT HOW TO GET IT DONE.

ANYBODY WAS WELCOME THAT PLAYED GOOD MUSIC AND WASN'T TOO MUCH OF AN ASS..., AND JUST, YOU KNOW, "COME ON OVER."

CROWELL: I REMEMBER GUY CLARK TELLING ME, "YOU'RE A TALENTED GUY."

HE SAID, "YOU CAN BE A STAR.

"YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE TALENT TO DO IT, "OR YOU CAN BE AN ARTIST.

"PICK ONE.

THEY'RE BOTH WORTHWHILE PURSUITS."

♪ NARRATOR: THE MOST FREQUENT VISITOR TO THE CLARKS' HOUSE WAS THEIR CLOSE FRIEND, ANOTHER TROUBADOUR FROM TEXAS, THE BRILLIANT AND EQUALLY ECCENTRIC TOWNES VAN ZANDT.

VAN ZANDT: ♪ IF I NEEDED YOU ♪ ♪ WOULD YOU COME TO ME?

WOULD YOU COME... ♪ NARRATOR: HE WAS BORN IN FORT WORTH TO A PROMINENT FAMILY, BUT TOWNES HAD TURNED AWAY FROM HIS FATHER'S AND GRANDFATHER'S PROFESSION AS LAWYERS TO PURSUE A VAGABOND'S LIFE AS A SINGER-SONGWRITER.

THE BLUES GUITARIST LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS HAD BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON HIS MUSIC; ANOTHER HERO WAS HANK WILLIAMS, WHOSE TURBULENT AND TRAGICALLY SHORT LIFE VAN ZANDT SEEMED DETERMINED TO FOLLOW.

HE DRANK HEAVILY AND CONSTANTLY, WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR MANIC DEPRESSION, BECAME ADDICTED TO HEROIN FOR A WHILE, AND SPENT HIS 29th BIRTHDAY CONVINCED HE WAS GOING TO DIE, JUST AS HANK HAD AT THAT AGE.

CLARK: HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE A STAR AS SUCH.

HE WANTED TO BE A POET.

I WAS ALWAYS INSPIRED BY HIM.

BUT TO BE INSPIRED BY TOWNES WAS DIFFERENT THAN BEING LIKE HIM.

IF YOU WANTED TO BE LIKE TOWNES, YOU HAD TO BE DEAD.

NARRATOR: VAN ZANDT SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME ON THE ROAD-- SOMETIMES HITCHHIKING FROM ONE PERFORMANCE TO ANOTHER; LIVING IN RUNDOWN MOTELS OR RENTED SHACKS; WRITING ALL THE TIME, INCLUDING "IF I NEEDED YOU," WHICH HE SAID HE COMPOSED IN HIS SLEEP.

♪ IF I NEEDED YOU, WOULD YOU COME TO ME?

♪ ♪ WOULD YOU COME TO ME AND EASE MY PAIN?

♪ ♪ IF YOU NEEDED ME ♪ ♪ I WOULD COME TO YOU ♪ ♪ I'D SWIM THE SEAS FOR TO EASE YOUR PAIN ♪ NARRATOR: BUT IT WAS ANOTHER SONG OF HIS THAT WOULD HAVE A PROFOUND EFFECT ON COUNTRY MUSIC AND THE STARTLING ARRAY OF MUSICIANS WHO WOULD FEEL COMPELLED TO PERFORM IT.

IT TELLS THE TALE OF A MEXICAN BANDIT NAMED PANCHO AND HIS FRIEND LEFTY, WHO MAY HAVE BETRAYED HIM.

PANCHO DIES YOUNG; LEFTY LIVES TO AN OLD AGE, SINGING IN A BAR FAR NORTH OF THE BORDER, IN OHIO.

VAN ZANDT: ♪ LIVING ON THE ROAD, MY FRIEND ♪ ♪ WAS GONNA KEEP YOU FREE AND CLEAN ♪ CLARK: "PANCHO AND LEFTY" WAS ONE OF THOSE SONGS THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T PICK IT APART, YOU KNOW, AND HAVE IT MAKE SENSE.

YOU HAVE TO JUST LET IT BE, YOU KNOW?

IT'S PERFECTLY WRITTEN.

"HE WORE HIS GUN OUTSIDE HIS PANTS FOR ALL THE HONEST WORLD TO FEEL."

I MEAN, WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO WRITE THAT LINE?

"PANCHO WAS A BANDIT BOY, HIS HORSE WAS FAST AS POLISHED STEEL."

VAN ZANDT: ♪ PANCHO WAS A BANDIT, BOYS ♪ ♪ HIS HORSE WAS FAST AS POLISHED STEEL ♪ ♪ WORE HIS GUN OUTSIDE HIS PANTS ♪ ♪ FOR ALL THE HONEST WORLD TO FEEL ♪ ♪ BUT PANCHO MET HIS MATCH, YOU KNOW ♪ ♪ ON THE DESERTS DOWN IN MEXICO ♪ ♪ AND NOBODY HEARD HIS DYING WORDS ♪ ♪ BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT GOES ♪ ♪ NOW THE POETS TELL HOW PANCHO FELL ♪ ♪ AND LEFTY'S LIVING IN A CHEAP HOTEL ♪ ♪ THE DESERT'S QUIET AND CLEVELAND'S COLD ♪ ♪ SO THE STORY ENDS, WE'RE TOLD, PANCHO... ♪ WOMAN: IT'S SO POIGNANT.

IT'S HEARTBREAKING.

"PANCHO NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS, IT'S TRUE.

"BUT SAVE A FEW FOR LEFTY, TOO.

HE ONLY DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO AND NOW HE'S GROWING OLD."

VAN ZANDT: ♪ AND NOW HE'S GROWING OLD ♪ NARRATOR: BY 1975, TOWNES VAN ZANDT HAD RECORDED 6 ALBUMS, REVERED BY OTHER SONGWRITERS.

NONE OF THEM WAS COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL, BUT HE HAD DEVELOPED A SMALL, CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING.

LIKE HIS GOOD FRIEND GUY CLARK, HE PERFORMED MOSTLY AT SMALLER VENUES AROUND THE COUNTRY.

"NASHVILLE," HE TOLD A REPORTER, "IS JUST NOT GEARED FOR MINOR KEYS."

CLARK: HIS SONGS WERE DARK.

SOMEBODY AT A SHOW ASKED HIM, "MAN, WHY DON'T YOU DO A FUNNY SONG?"

HE SAID, "THOSE WERE THE FUNNY SONGS."

NARRATOR: GROWING UP IN THE SOUTH TEXAS TOWN OF SABINAL, 90 MILES NORTH OF THE MEXICAN BORDER, YOUNG JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ LOVED MARIACHI MUSIC, BUT ALSO THE SONGS OF JIMMIE RODGERS, HANK WILLIAMS, AND MERLE HAGGARD.

I WAS DRAWN TO COUNTRY MUSIC BECAUSE I COULD RELATE MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE SINGING ABOUT.

YOU KNOW, AND ALSO, I MEAN, IT WAS JUST LIKE, UH, IT WAS THE MUSIC OF OUR PEOPLE.

I THINK IN MEXICAN MUSIC, YOU HAVE STORIES.

MEXICAN MUSIC AND COUNTRY MUSIC SAID ALMOST THE SAME THING, JUST IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

NARRATOR: IN THE EARLY 1970s, RODRIGUEZ WAS WORKING AT A TEXAS TOURIST ATTRACTION CALLED ALAMO VILLAGE WHEN THE COUNTRY STAR TOM T. HALL HAPPENED TO HEAR HIM PERFORMING.

RODRIGUEZ: ♪ I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU ♪ ♪ I MADE UP MY MIND ♪ ♪ I CAN'T STOP... ♪ HALL: THEY WERE CALLING HIM JOHNNY ROGERS.

AND I SAID, "HOW DID A MEXICAN GUY GET A NAME LIKE JOHNNY ROGERS?"

RODRIGUEZ: WELL, MY MANAGER, ONE OF HIS BIG HEROES, ROY ROGERS, HE JUST, UH, SAID, "WELL, LET'S JUST CALL YOU JOHNNY ROGERS.

THAT'S A COUNTRY MUSIC NAME."

HALL: I SAID, "WELL, IF YOU COME TO NASHVILLE AND PICK WITH ME, "WE'RE GOING TO CALL YOU JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ.

"THAT'S A MUCH PRETTIER NAME AND IT'S WHO YOU ARE AND WE'LL DO THAT."

NARRATOR: HALL ARRANGED FOR RODRIGUEZ TO COME TO NASHVILLE AND SET UP AN AUDITION WITH A RECORD LABEL.

HALL: I SAID, "I'M NOT A TALENT SCOUT," BUT I SAID, "LISTEN TO THIS KID SING THIS SONG."

SO, HE STARTED OFF AND HE WAS SINGING "I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU," HALF IN ENGLISH AND HALF IN SPANISH.

AND THEY SAID, "WE'LL SIGN HIM UP."

[RODRIGUEZ SINGING IN SPANISH] NARRATOR: RODRIGUEZ WOULD HAVE 15 CONSECUTIVE TOP 10 HITS AND BECOME THE FIRST MEXICAN-AMERICAN TO BE A MAJOR COUNTRY MUSIC STAR.

RODRIGUEZ: I SAY THIS WITH ALL SINCERITY, I NEVER HAD A CROSS FEELING IN THIS CITY.

TO THIS DAY, I'VE NEVER FELT LIKE THAT.

IT MAKES ME ALMOST WANT TO CRY.

I'M SERIOUS.

BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE SO NICE THAT IT REALLY STILL TOUCHES ME TILL TODAY.

♪ IN DREAMS OF YESTERDAY ♪ [APPLAUSE] NARRATOR: IN 1975, TWO YEARS AFTER RODRIGUEZ WAS NOMINATED FOR THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION'S MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD, BALDEMAR HUERTA, THE SON OF A MIGRANT FARM WORKER IN SOUTH TEXAS, PERFORMING AS FREDDY FENDER, CAME OUT WITH HIS OWN HIT SONG, "BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS," WHICH TOPPED BOTH THE POP AND COUNTRY CHARTS.

[SINGING IN SPANISH] LATER, HE AND ACCORDION PLAYER FLACO JIMENEZ WOULD HELP FORM THE TEXAS TORNADOS, WHO FEATURED THE DISTINCTIVE WORKING-CLASS CONJUNTO DANCE MUSIC THAT HAD GROWN UP ALONG THE BORDER.

♪ BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS ♪ ♪ AND I'LL BE THERE ♪ ♪ BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS ♪ [APPLAUSE] ♪ WAYLON JENNINGS: ♪ I'VE BEEN A FOOL ♪ ♪ I'VE BEEN A FOOL ♪ ♪ FORGIVIN' YOU EACH TIME THAT YOU'VE DONE ME WRONG ♪ ♪ I'VE BEEN A LONG TIME LEAVIN' ♪ ♪ BUT IT'LL BE A LONG TIME GONE ♪ MAN: HE SANG AS GOOD AS HANK WILLIAMS, AND HE WAS REALLY A GOOD SONGWRITER.

HIS VOICE WAS WHAT TORE ME UP, THOUGH.

HE JUST--HE JUST HAD...

I DON'T KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE THE WAY HANK WILLIAMS TORE ME UP.

HE'S...HE COULD SING SONGS THAT I CAN'T.

JENNINGS: ♪ HELLO, HIGH LINE, HELLO, HIGHWAY ♪ ♪ HERE COME A BIG, OLD SEMI MY WAY ♪ ♪ STICK UP MY THUMB, HEAR THE TRUCK COME ♪ ♪ TREES GOIN' BY, LOOKIN' LIKE A FLY ♪ ♪ ON THE BIG LEGS ARE MY LEVIS...I BEEN ♪ NARRATOR: BORN IN LITTLEFIELD, TEXAS DURING THE DUST BOWL IN 1937, WAYLON JENNINGS' EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY WAS OF HIS FATHER CONNECTING THE FAMILY'S RADIO TO THE PICKUP TRUCK'S BATTERY SO THEY COULD LISTEN TO THE CARTER FAMILY OUT OF DEL RIO'S "BORDER BLASTER" STATION AND TO THE GRAND OLE OPRY OUT OF NASHVILLE.

"IN MY HOUSE," HE RECALLED, "IT WAS THE BIBLE ON THE TABLE, "THE FLAG ON THE WALLS, AND BILL MONROE'S PICTURE BESIDE IT."

HIS MOTHER CRIED EVERY TIME ROY ACUFF SANG "WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY."

JENNINGS: ♪ STICK UP MY THUMB, HEAR THE TRUCK COME ♪ ♪ TREES GOIN' BY, LOOKIN' LIKE A FLY ♪ ♪ ON THE BIG... ♪ NARRATOR: AS A TEENAGER, JENNINGS WAS ESPECIALLY DRAWN TO HANK WILLIAMS AND HONKY-TONK MUSIC AND STARTED PERFORMING IT IN LOCAL BARS.

WORKING AS A DISC JOCKEY AT A SMALL RADIO STATION, HE ALSO SOAKED UP OTHER TYPES OF MUSIC: RHYTHM AND BLUES, AND THEN ROCKABILLY AND ROCK AND ROLL.

JENNINGS: ♪ BE A LONG TIME GONE ♪ [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] NARRATOR: IN 1959, HE WENT ON TOUR WITH HIS GOOD FRIEND BUDDY HOLLY, FROM NEARBY LUBBOCK, AND IT WAS ONLY BY CHANCE THAT JENNINGS WASN'T IN THE SMALL AIRPLANE THAT KILLED HOLLY AND TWO OTHER MUSICIANS WHEN IT CRASHED IN AN IOWA CORNFIELD.

BY THE EARLY 1960s, JENNINGS WAS IN ARIZONA, PACKING IN HUGE CROWDS AND CLEARING $1,500 A WEEK AT A NIGHT SPOT CALLED JD'S IN SCOTTSDALE.

JENNINGS: ♪ COME ON, SUGAR ♪ NARRATOR: COUNTRY STAR BOBBY BARE HEARD HIM THERE, AND CONVINCED CHET ATKINS AT RCA TO INVITE HIM TO NASHVILLE.

BEFORE HE AGREED TO LEAVE HIS WELL-PAYING STEADY GIG IN ARIZONA, JENNINGS ASKED FELLOW TEXAN WILLIE NELSON FOR HIS ADVICE.

"STAY AWAY FROM NASHVILLE," NELSON TOLD HIM.

"THEY'LL JUST BREAK YOUR HEART."

JENNINGS: ♪ CANDY, CANDY, CANDY ♪ ♪ I'VE GOT A SWEET, SWEET PIECE FOR YOU ♪ NARRATOR: HE WENT ANYWAY.

BUT JUST AS HE HAD WITH WILLIE NELSON, ATKINS HAD TROUBLE TRYING TO MOLD JENNINGS INTO A COUNTRY STAR.

WOMAN: ♪ DON'T LOOK FOR ME ♪ MAN: ♪ I MUST GO ♪ ♪ DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ♪ ♪ I MUST GO ♪ JENNINGS: ♪ DON'T LOOK FOR ME ♪ ♪ DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ♪ NARRATOR: THEIR FIRST ALBUM TOGETHER WAS FOLK-COUNTRY.

JENNINGS: ♪ THAT'S MORE MY KIND ♪ NARRATOR: THEIR SECOND WAS FILLED WITH THE SMOOTHED-OUT NASHVILLE SOUND OF THE TIME.

JENNINGS: ♪ ...DON'T LOOK FOR ME ♪ NARRATOR: A THIRD INCLUDED A BALLAD BY THE BEATLES.

AND ON ANOTHER, JENNINGS CROONED THE POP HIT "MACARTHUR PARK."

WOMAN: ♪ I MUST GO ♪ NARRATOR: NONE OF IT SOUNDED LIKE WAYLON'S PERFORMANCES BACK IN ARIZONA.

JENNINGS: ♪ I DON'T CARE IF THE SUN DON'T SHINE ♪ ♪ I DON'T CARE IF THE BELLS DON'T CHIME ♪ NARRATOR: "THEY WERE GOOD, SMOOTH RECORDS," HE SAID, "BUT I WAS ROUGHER THAN A GODDAMN CORN COB.

ALL THE DAMN SAND I SWALLOWED IN TEXAS IS IN MY SINGING."

JENNINGS: ♪ ...AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME, SO, DARLING ♪ WOMAN: WAYLON NEEDED TO JUST CREATE.

I KIND OF PUT IT IN VERY SIMPLE TERMS.

YOU KNOW, THEY TOOK A THOROUGHBRED AND TREATED HIM LIKE A MULE.

NARRATOR: IN 1969, HE MARRIED JESSI COLTER, A LOS ANGELES-BASED SINGER WHO WAS USED TO HAVING GREATER CREATIVE CONTROL IN THE STUDIO.

COLTER: YOU COULD TAKE YOUR MUSICIANS, YOU COULD TAKE YOUR SONGS, YOU COULD HAVE A HAND IN CHOOSING YOUR OWN PRODUCER, AND BASICALLY BE MORE INDEPENDENT IN PUTTING IT TOGETHER SO IT'S TRULY A RESULT OF WHO YOU ARE.

HERE, THERE WAS AN OLD GUARD.

YOU KNOW?

IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A LARGE CONGLOMERATE MAKING REFRIGERATORS, LIKE RCA MAKING TVs.

ALL WAYLON WANTED WAS FOR HIS MUSIC THAT HE WAS DOING LIVE, ON THE STAGE, AND DRIVING THE PEOPLE CRAZY, TO SOUND EXACTLY LIKE THAT ON THE RECORD.

AND IT DIDN'T.

IT DIDN'T.

NELSON: WAYLON WAS, YOU KNOW, A REAL ARTIST.

HE KNEW WHAT HE WANTED AND HE WAS RUNNING INTO THE SAME THINGS THAT A LOT OF US WERE RUNNING IN THERE.

AND HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO DO IT HIS OWN WAY, WHICH WAS BASICALLY TAKE HIS BAND IN THE STUDIO, WHICH, UH, WAS NOT THAT EASY TO DO BACK IN THOSE DAYS.

JENNINGS: ♪ SO, DARLIN', LET IT RAIN ♪ NARRATOR: "I WAS THE BLACK SHEEP OF NASHVILLE," JENNINGS RECALLED.

"THEY THOUGHT I WAS A TROUBLEMAKER."

JENNINGS: ♪ LONG AS YOU LOVE ME... ♪ NARRATOR: FUELED BY AMPHETAMINES AND COCAINE, HE SIMPLY DIDN'T SLEEP AND SPENT CEASELESS HOURS PLAYING PINBALL AT A LOCAL BURGER BOY.

JENNINGS: ♪ JUST AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME ♪ [CROWD CHEERING] NARRATOR: IN 1972, JENNINGS CHANGED MANAGERS AND NEGOTIATED A NEW CONTRACT WITH RCA THAT BROKE ALL THE PREVAILING NASHVILLE RULES.

HE WOULD HAVE HIS OWN PRODUCTION COMPANY TO OVERSEE HIS RECORDINGS, CHOOSE HIS OWN SONGS, USE HIS OWN BAND IN THE STUDIO.

JENNINGS: ♪ WELL, I WOKE UP THIS MORNING ♪ ♪ IT WAS DRIZZLING RAIN ♪ ♪ AROUND THE CURVE COME A PASSENGER TRAIN ♪ ♪ HEARD SOMEBODY YODEL AND A HOBO MOAN ♪ ♪ JIMMY, HE'S DEAD, HE'S BEEN A LONG TIME GONE ♪ ♪ BEEN A LONG TIME GONE ♪ NARRATOR: JENNINGS QUICKLY BROKE ANOTHER RULE, WHICH REQUIRED RCA ALBUMS TO BE RECORDED WITH RCA ENGINEERS, IN RCA STUDIOS.

INSTEAD, HE BEGAN USING AN INDEPENDENT STUDIO OWNED BY HIS FRIEND TOMPALL GLASER, WHERE HE COULD HAVE SESSIONS AS LONG AS HE WANTED AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT.

JENNINGS: ♪ ...GET TO HEAVEN, GOTTA D-I-E ♪ ♪ YOU GOTTA PUT ON YOUR COAT AND T-I-E ♪ NARRATOR: JENNINGS AND HIS FRIENDS CALLED THEIR NEW STUDIO HANGOUT "HILLBILLY CENTRAL."

JENNINGS: ♪ LIKE A D-O-G, LIKE A D-O-G ♪ SMITH: I WOULD GO TO WORK AND GO INTO MY OFFICE AND THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE ASLEEP IN MY OFFICE, HAD BEEN ASLEEP IN THERE ALL NIGHT LONG.

JUST STONED OUT OF THEIR MIND, ONE OF THEM ASLEEP WITH THE HEAD ON MY TYPEWRITER AND THE OTHER ONE ASLEEP OVER THERE IN THE CHAIR.

AND I CHASED THEM OUT.

I TOLD THEM THEY BETTER NOT COME UP THERE NO MORE WHEN I WASN'T THERE.

BUT THEY CAME BACK.

OF COURSE THEY DID.

NARRATOR: JENNINGS LET HIS HAIR GROW LONGER AND SHAGGIER, ADDED A BEARD AND MUSTACHE, GAVE UP SHINY SUITS COMPLETELY, IN FAVOR OF BLUE JEANS AND LEATHER VESTS.

AND HE STARTED MAKING THE MUSIC HE WANTED TO MAKE.

HE INVITED COWBOY JACK CLEMENT, NASHVILLE'S MOST FREE-SPIRITED PRODUCER, TO WORK ON HIS NEXT ALBUM.

MUSICIANS KNEW COWBOY JACK LIKED WHAT THEY WERE DOING WHEN THEY SAW HIM DANCING BEHIND THE CONTROL BOARD.

JENNINGS: ♪ LOOKS LIKE THE PLACE I CAME IN ♪ COLTER: WHEN YOU'D GET IT TO THE RIGHT PLACE, JACK WOULD DANCE.

SO, HE FELT IT FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

IT WASN'T ABOUT MARKETING OR...

HE WAS LOOKING FOR GREAT SONGS AND HE WAS LOOKING TO SENSE IT.

AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID.

NARRATOR: JENNINGS BROUGHT HIS BAND INTO HILLBILLY CENTRAL, WHERE HE AND CLEMENT BEGAN RECORDING AN ALBUM CALLED "DREAMING MY DREAMS."

IT WAS AN ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF SONGS, PAYING HOMAGE TO COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS LIKE JIMMIE RODGERS, BOB WILLS, ROGER MILLER, AND ESPECIALLY HANK WILLIAMS.

[APPLAUSE] JENNINGS CHOSE TO OPEN HIS ALBUM WITH A SONG HE HAD WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF AN ENVELOPE ON THE WAY TO THE STUDIO.

IT SUMMARIZED HIS NASHVILLE EXPERIENCE.

"ARE YOU SURE HANK DONE IT THIS WAY?"

♪ LORD, IT'S THE SAME OLD TUNE ♪ ♪ FIDDLE AND GUITAR, WHERE DO WE... ♪ MAN: "ARE YOU SURE THIS IS THE WAY IT'S GOING TO WORK?"

"I DON'T THINK SO."

"THE SAME OLD SONG, FIDDLE, AND GUITAR, "WHERE DO WE TAKE IT FROM HERE?

"RHINESTONE SUITS AND BIG SHINY CARS, IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS."

IT SAYS IT ALL RIGHT THERE.

THIS HAS GOT TO CHANGE.

♪ WE NEED A CHANGE ♪ AND WHY DOES IT HAVE TO CHANGE?

BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING TO OUR MUSIC.

♪ SOMEBODY TOLD ME... ♪ BENSON: IT WAS A CALL TO ARMS, KIND OF, YOU KNOW?

♪ SON, YOU FINALLY GOT IT MADE ♪ ♪ OLD HANK MADE IT HERE ♪ ♪ WE'RE ALL SURE THAT YOU WILL ♪ ♪ BUT I DON'T THINK HANK DONE IT THIS WAY, NO ♪ ♪ I DON'T THINK HANK DONE IT THIS WAY ♪ ♪ TAKE IT... ♪ NARRATOR: "DREAMING MY DREAMS" BECAME A HUGE HIT.

NOW OTHER COUNTRY ARTISTS WERE DEMANDING CONTRACTS LIKE WAYLON'S.

AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WERE SHOWING UP AT HILLBILLY CENTRAL.

SMITH: FIRST OF ALL, THE BUILDING DIDN'T HAVE WINDOWS.

AND EVERYBODY, UP AND DOWN MUSIC ROW, WANTED TO COME IN THAT BUILDING TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON THERE.

WILLIE WOULD COME TO TOWN AND HE WOULD BE THERE.

KINKY FRIEDMAN AND THE TEXAS JEW BOYS PRACTICALLY LIVED THERE.

THEY'D BE WALKING UP AND DOWN THE HALLS.

SHEL SILVERSTEIN HUNG OUT THERE.

AND THE GREAT COWBOY JACK CLEMENT.

THE HIP PEOPLE OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE HUNG OUT AT THAT BUILDING.

PEOPLE THOUGHT, "THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING GOING ON AND THEY AIN'T GOT NO WINDOWS."

JENNINGS: ♪ SINGING MY SONGS, AND ONE OF HIS NOW AND THEN ♪ ♪ BUT I DON'T THINK HANK DONE IT THIS WAY, NO ♪ ♪ I THINK HE DID IT LIKE HE WANTED TO, YEAH ♪ ♪ BENSON: I THINK EVERY GENERATION COMES UP WITH THEIR OWN SOUND.

MUSIC STARTS OUT RAW.

AND, AS IT GO, IT GETS MORE POLISHED, MORE POLISHED, MORE POLISHED, AND THE NEXT GENERATION COMES ALONG AND GOES, "WE DON'T LIKE THAT SLICK STUFF."

AND IT BECOMES FUNKY AND RAW AGAIN.

NARRATOR: BY THE 1970s, WITH COUNTRYPOLITAN RULING THE AIRWAVES, ACOUSTIC STRING BAND MUSIC HAD VIRTUALLY DISAPPEARED FROM COUNTRY RADIO.

BUT THERE WERE STILL PLENTY OF PEOPLE PLAYING IT.

STUART: BLUEGRASS FESTIVALS WERE DOING GREAT.

THE ROOTS OF IT WAS GREAT.

EVERYBODY THAT MATTERED WAS STILL MAKING PLENTY OF GOOD MUSIC, THEY JUST WEREN'T GETTING RECOGNIZED AS MUCH.

NARRATOR: MARTY STUART, STILL A TEENAGER, WAS NOW OFFICIALLY PART OF LESTER FLATT'S BAND, THE NASHVILLE GRASS.

ON OCCASIONS, HE ALSO TRAVELED WITH BILL MONROE, THE PATRIARCH OF BLUEGRASS.

STUART: A LOT OF MY EARLY MANDOLIN EXPERIENCES WERE JUST RIDING DOWN THE ROAD AFTER SOME OF THOSE SHOWS AT NIGHT AND HIM JUST, US, SITTING THERE IN THE DARKNESS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE TAIL LIGHTS TO THE BUS IN FRONT OF US, PLAYING MUSIC.

AND HE KEPT HIS REGULAR MANDOLIN HERE, AND SOMETIMES HE KEPT ONE OVER HERE THAT WAS TUNED IN STRANGE TUNINGS VERY ANCIENT-SOUNDING.

HE CALLED THEM THE ANCIENT TONES.

AND HE WAS NEVER ONE OF THOSE GUYS TO SAY, "LISTEN TO THIS TUNE."

HE WOULD, HE WOULD GO LIKE... [PLAYING MANDOLIN] AND LOOK OFF AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO... [PLAYING MANDOLIN] AND WHEN I WOULD GET IT, HE'D MOVE ON.

AND, UH, WHEN I'D MISS IT, HE'D JUST KIND OF, UM, SHAKE HIS HEAD AND RUN OFF AND DO SOMETHING ELSE.

AND IT WOULD KILL ME IF I COULDN'T KEEP UP.

NARRATOR: OTHER BLUEGRASS MUSICIANS WERE ALSO COMING OF AGE.

RICKY SKAGGS WAS FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY.

MAN: I'D STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE, AND I'D HEAR MOM AND DAD LISTENING TO FLATT AND SCRUGGS OR RALPH STANLEY, AND THEN I'D, I'D HEAR, YOU KNOW, MY SISTER LISTENING TO THE BEATLES, UH, OVER HERE.

AND I WOULD STAND IN THE MIDDLE, AND IT'S LIKE I WOULD HEAR TWO WORLDS GOING OFF AND ON.

BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE HARMONIES THAT JOHN AND PAUL WERE DOING WAS NOT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT RALPH AND CARTER WAS DOING.

TO ME, I COULD HEAR IT.

NARRATOR: LIKE MARTY STUART, SKAGGS HAD TAKEN UP THE MANDOLIN AT AN EARLY AGE--AND HE WAS GOOD AT IT, TOO.

SKAGGS: I WAS 6 YEARS OLD.

I HAD ONLY BEEN PLAYING THE MANDOLIN ABOUT A YEAR.

AND, UH, BILL MONROE CAME TO MARTHA, KENTUCKY.

AND THAT NIGHT CHANGED MY LIFE.

SOME NEIGHBORS IN THE HOOD HAD STARTED, UH, SHOUTING OUT TO MR. MONROE, "LET LITTLE RICKY SKAGGS GET UP THERE AND SING ONE."

HE WAS NICE AND HE KEPT ON DOING HIS SHOW.

SO, FINALLY, AFTER A COUPLE MORE HEE-HAWS FROM THE AUDIENCE, WHY, I THINK HE WAS READY TO PUT A STOP TO IT, SO HE INVITED "LITTLE RICKY SKAGGS" TO COME UP ONSTAGE.

I DON'T THINK HE REALLY KNEW HOW LITTLE RICKY SKAGGS WAS AT THE TIME.

HE TOOK HIS BIG F-5 SIZED MANDOLIN LIKE THIS AND PUT THE STRAP AROUND THE CURL HERE AND PUT IT ON ME WHEN HE FOUND OUT I PLAYED MANDOLIN.

YOU KNOW?

AND WE PLAYED A SONG CALLED "RUBY, ARE YOU MAD AT YOUR MAN?"

NOW, THAT IS A 6-YEAR-OLD HIT, RIGHT THERE.

[LAUGHS] ♪ OH, RUBY, RUBY, HONEY, ARE YOU MAD AT YOUR MAN?

♪ ♪ OH, RUBY ♪ ♪ RUBY ♪ I NEVER KNEW WHAT SHE WAS MAD ABOUT.

[LAUGHS] [BANJO PLAYING] NARRATOR: IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, A YOUNG BANJO AND GUITAR PLAYER NAMED VINCE GILL SWITCHED FROM PLAYING ROCK AND ROLL IN HIGH SCHOOL TO JOIN A BLUEGRASS BAND, MOUNTAIN SMOKE.

THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD CAUGHT THEIR BIG BREAK WHEN THEY WERE ASKED TO FILL IN AT THE LAST MINUTE AS THE OPENING ACT AT A CONCERT IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

MAN: WE WENT DOWN TO THE CIVIC CENTER IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND WE WERE GOING TO OPEN FOR KISS, IN OUR LITTLE BLUEGRASS BAND.

AND YOU COULDN'T-- YOU COULDN'T SCRIPT-- "SPINAL TAP" COULDN'T SCRIPT THIS, YOU KNOW?

THEY HAD THEIR 30-FOOT DRUM RISERS AND STACKS OF AMPLIFIERS TO THE CEILING AND DEATH AND FIRE AND ALL OF THIS STUFF.

WE COME OUT THERE WITH OUR LITTLE FIDDLES AND OUR MANDOLINS.

[IMITATES FIDDLE] [LAUGHS] THESE PEOPLE FLIPPED COMPLETELY OUT.

THEY HATED US SO BAD.

THEY STARTED BOOING FROM THE FIRST NOTE AND SCREAMING, AND I MUST SAY, IT WAS KIND OF A NEAT FEELING, HAVING THAT MANY PEOPLE PISSED OFF AT YOU, AND SCREAMING AT YOU, THAT IT WAS LIKE A BIG ROOMFUL OF APPLAUSE IN A WEIRD WAY.

WE ONLY LASTED ABOUT 3 SONGS, AND THEN THE BEER BOTTLES STARTED FLYING, AND WE SAID, "WELL, WE BETTER GET OUT OF HERE."

SO, I TURNED AROUND AND FLIPPED THEM OFF AND TOLD THEM TO KISS MY ASS.

AND THE NEXT DAY, THERE WAS A REVIEW IN THE PAPER AND IT SAID, "GROUP MEMBER VINCE GILL ON HIS DEPARTURE "SHOWED THE CROWD WHICH PART OF HIS ANATOMY THE CROWD COULD KISS," IN THEIR BLOCK LETTERS, THAT WAS THEIR LOGO.

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: MEANWHILE, LESTER FLATT AND THE NASHVILLE GRASS FOUND THEMSELVES PLAYING ON THE SAME STAGE WITH THE JAZZ PIANIST CHICK COREA AND THE FUNK BAND KOOL AND THE GANG.

STUART: I REMEMBER PUTTING MY HEAD DOWN ON THE BUNK IN THE BUS, GOING, "THEY'RE GOING TO LAUGH US OFF OF THE STAGE."

BUT WE WENT OUT THERE IN THAT TRADITIONAL DRESS, ALL THESE OLD GUYS, AND ME, AS A YOUNGSTER, AND THE MOVIE "DELIVERANCE" WAS PRETTY HOT AT THE TIME.

AND, UNKNOWINGLY, LESTER HAD ALWAYS DONE "DUELING BANJOS" AS A PART OF HIS SHOW FOR YEARS.

IT WAS ON THE NEW RECORD.

SO, IT WAS JUST SIMPLY ONE OF THE INSTRUMENTALS THAT WAS PLAYED THAT NIGHT.

[PLAYING "DUELING BANJOS"] [APPLAUSE] WELL, THAT UNLOCKED, AND WE ENCORED.

AND AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, WE HAD ENCORED 9 TIMES.

AND THE NEXT DAY, LESTER'S MANAGER BOOKED 72 COLLEGE SHOWS AND ROCK SHOWS OFF OF THAT ONE 30-MINUTE PERFORMANCE.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, WE GO FROM BEING A TIRED, OLD OPRY BAND THAT'S PLAYING "MOM AND POP" SHOWS AND, YOU KNOW, BLUEGRASS FESTIVALS TO WE WERE ROCK STARS.

NARRATOR: ONE OF THEIR FIRST SHOWS WAS AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.

THE CONCERT THAT NIGHT FEATURED AN UP-AND-COMING ROCK GROUP, THE EAGLES, AND A FORMER MEMBER OF THE BYRDS, GRAM PARSONS, WHO HAD BROUGHT ALONG A NEW HARMONY SINGER, EMMYLOU HARRIS.

HARRIS: HE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT REAL COUNTRY MUSIC, THE REAL WASHED IN THE BLOOD STUFF.

BUT HE WAS ALSO A CHILD OF THE SIXTIES.

ROCK AND ROLL WAS ALSO A PASSION OF HIS.

HE KIND OF HAD ONE FOOT IN BOTH WORLDS.

HE REALLY BELIEVED THAT YOU COULD BRING THE TWO TOGETHER.

THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS: ♪ SHE'S TELLING DIRTY LIES... ♪ NARRATOR: BACK IN 1968, PARSONS HAD COME TO NASHVILLE AND RECORDED THE ALBUM "SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO" WITH THE BYRDS.

IN CALIFORNIA, HE AND CHRIS HILLMAN PUT TOGETHER A NEW BAND, THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS.

THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS: ♪ UNHAPPINESS HAS BEEN ♪ ♪ HER CLOSE COMPANION ♪ ♪ HER WORLD IS FULL OF JEALOUSY AND DOUBT ♪ ♪ IT GETS HER OFF TO SEE A PERSON CRYING ♪ ♪ SHE'S JUST THE KIND THAT YOU CAN'T DO WITHOUT... ♪ BENSON: THE MUSIC THAT WAS GOING ON IN CALIFORNIA, IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WAS THE BYRDS AND THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS.

IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE GRATEFUL DEAD HAD A SPINOFF BAND, THE NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE.

THERE WAS COMMANDER CODY.

THERE WAS THIS INCREDIBLE CROSSING OF PEOPLE VERY INTERESTED IN THE ROOTS OF COUNTRY MUSIC AND FOLK MUSIC AND ROCK AND ROLL AND HOW IT ALL FIT TOGETHER.

NARRATOR: AS A SELF-APPOINTED APOSTLE OF THE FUSION HE CALLED COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC, PARSONS BECAME FRIENDS WITH THE ROLLING STONES AND HELPED INFLUENCE THE CREATION OF THEIR SONG, "WILD HORSES."

PARSONS' NEXT PROSPECT FOR CONVERSION TO COUNTRY MUSIC WAS EMMYLOU HARRIS.

EXCEPT FOR JOHNNY CASH, I COULDN'T BE FOOLED WITH COUNTRY MUSIC.

FOLK MUSIC WAS WHAT REALLY SPOKE TO ME.

♪ CALLIOPE CALLING, CHILDREN ARE FALLING ♪ ♪ IN LINE TO RIDE ON THE MERRY-GO-ROUND ♪ ♪ PEOPLE ARE PASSING, CHILDREN ARE LAUGHING ♪ ♪ THEY WANT TO RIDE ON THE MERRY-GO-ROUND ♪ ♪ DOESN'T MATTER WHEN YOU CAME ♪ ♪ EVERY RIDE IS JUST THE SAME ♪ ♪ DO NOT WORRY HOW IT'S DONE ♪ ♪ THERE IS ROOM FOR EVERYONE... ♪ NARRATOR: BORN IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA AND RAISED IN VIRGINIA, HARRIS DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE, GOT MARRIED, HAD A BABY, THEN A DIVORCE.

SHE HAD BOUNCED AROUND THE EAST COAST FOLK SCENE FOR SEVERAL YEARS WHEN ONE OF THE BURRITO BROTHERS HEARD HER PERFORMING AT A SMALL CLUB IN SUBURBAN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND TOLD PARSONS ABOUT HER REMARKABLE VOICE.

♪ OOH ♪ [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] GRAM PARSONS: ♪ LOVE HURTS ♪ ♪ LOVE SCARS... ♪ NARRATOR: A YEAR LATER, AS PARSONS PREPARED TO RECORD HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM, HE SENT HARRIS A PLANE TICKET FOR LOS ANGELES, AND THEY BEGAN REHEARSALS, WHICH INCLUDED HIS TUTORIALS ON THE MUSIC HE LOVED, LIKE MELODIES WRITTEN BY FELICE AND BOUDLEAUX BRYANT OR THE TIGHT HARMONIES OF THE INFLUENTIAL GOSPEL AND COUNTRY DUO, THE LOUVIN BROTHERS.

PARSONS: ♪ TAKE A LOT OF PAIN... ♪ HARRIS: IT WAS A VERY INTENSE MUSICAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME.

PARSONS: ♪ LOVE HURTS... ♪ HARRIS: I HAD NO IDEA WHO THE LOUVIN BROTHERS WERE.

THEY HAD THESE WONDERFUL HARMONIES.

THERE'S SUCH A TENSION IN THE VOICES THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE STARTING TO VIBRATE.

PARSONS: ♪ MMM, LOVE HURTS ♪ I BECAME A BIG FAN OF THE LOUVIN BROTHERS AND STARTED TRYING TO TRACK DOWN THEIR RECORDS.

PARSONS: ♪ I'M YOUNG... ♪ NARRATOR: HARRIS' OWN EXQUISITELY TENDER HARMONIES ADDED THE SPECIAL ELEMENT PARSONS HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR, AND THEY WENT ON TOUR TO PROMOTE THE RESULT.

PARSONS AND HARRIS: ♪ I KNOW PAIN ♪ ♪ OR TWO... ♪ HARRIS: I HAD FINALLY DISCOVERED WHO I WAS AS A SINGER FROM SINGING WITH HIM AND BECOMING THIS HUGE COUNTRY MUSIC CONVERT.

PARSONS: ♪ I REALLY LEARNED A LOT... ♪ I FINALLY FELT I HAD FOUND WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AS A SINGER.

I FELT LIKE I WAS A SINGER WHO WAS COMING THROUGH THE COUNTRY MUSIC DOOR.

PARSONS AND HARRIS: ♪ ...HURTS ♪ ♪ MMM, LOVE HURTS ♪ STUART: THAT NIGHT AT MICHIGAN STATE WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW ROCK AND ROLL AND BLUEGRASS AND HONKY-TONK AND FOLK MUSIC AND GOSPEL MUSIC COLLIDE.

AND SHE WAS DEAD CENTER OF EVERY BIT OF IT, LIKE SPARKS WERE FLYING OFF OF HER AS MUCH AS THEY WERE ANYBODY.

AND I REMEMBER THINKING IT CAN ALL EXIST UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF COUNTRY MUSIC.

PARSONS AND HARRIS: ♪ LOVE HURTS ♪ ♪ THEY CALL IT THAT OL' MOUNTAIN DEW ♪ ♪ LORD, LORD, AND THEM THAT REFUSE IT ARE FEW ♪ ♪ I'M GONNA HUSH UP MY MUG ♪ ♪ IF YOU'LL JUST FILL UP MY JUG ♪ ♪ WITH THAT GOOD OL' MOUNTAIN DEW ♪ ♪ WELL, NOW, MY UNCLE MORT, HE'S SAWED OFF AND HE'S SHORT ♪ ♪ AND HE MEASURES ABOUT 4-FOOT-TWO ♪ ♪ BUT HE THINKS HE'S A GIANT WHEN YOU GIVE HIM A PINT ♪ ♪ OF THAT GOOD OL' MOUNTAIN DEW ♪ ♪ WELL, THEY CALL IT THAT OL' MOUNTAIN DEW ♪ ♪ LORD, LORD, AND THEM THAT REFUSE IT ARE FEW ♪ ♪ I'LL HUSH UP MY MUG IF YOU FILL UP MY JUG ♪ ♪ WITH THAT GOOD OL' MOUNTAIN DEW ♪ PLAY IT, JODY.

MAN: I TELL PEOPLE, "WILLIE'S NOT FROM AROUND HERE."

I MEAN EARTH.

BENSON: OBVIOUSLY, HIS VOICE IS DIFFERENT.

WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO TEXAS, PEOPLE WOULD SAY, "THAT WILLIE NELSON SINGS THROUGH HIS NOSE."

YOU KNOW?

YEAH, IT'S A HELL OF A NOSE.

♪ WE CALL IT THAT OL' MOUNTAIN DEW, LORD, LORD ♪ ♪ AND THEM THAT REFUSE IT ARE FEW... ♪ WE REALLY DIDN'T THINK THAT WILLIE COULD EVER BREAK THROUGH TO THE MAINSTREAM 'CAUSE HE WAS TOO DIFFERENT.

HE WAS TOO GOOD AND TOO DIFFERENT.

AND THE STUFF THAT MADE IT IN THE MAINSTREAM WAS NOT DIFFERENT.

NELSON: ♪ THAT GOOD OL' MOUNTAIN DEW ♪ AND THEN THE MAINSTREAM FOUND OUT.

[CHUCKLES] AND THEN IT GOT REALLY NUTS.

NARRATOR: IN 1972, AFTER 10 DISCOURAGING YEARS IN NASHVILLE, WILLIE NELSON HAD RETURNED HOME TO TEXAS.

IN AUSTIN, HE DISCOVERED AN EMERGING MUSIC SCENE THAT SEEMED TO HIM MUCH MORE FREEWHEELING THAN THE NASHVILLE HE KNEW, LESS CONCERNED ABOUT LABELING MUSIC AND MORE WELCOMING TO OFFBEAT ARTISTS LIKE HIMSELF.

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL: ♪ I WAS BORN IN LOUISIANA... ♪ NARRATOR: ITS FOCAL POINT WAS AN OLD NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY JUST ACROSS THE COLORADO RIVER FROM DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, A PLACE CALLED ARMADILLO WORLD HEADQUARTERS, WHERE LIVE MUSIC RANGED FROM B.B.

KING, JERRY JEFF WALKER, AND TAJ MAHAL TO FRANK ZAPPA, THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS, COMMANDER CODY, AND RAY BENSON AND HIS BAND, ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL.

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL: ♪ I SAW MILES AND MILES... ♪ BENSON: WE PLAYED AT THE ARMADILLO AND IT WAS LIKE, "THIS IS IT.

IT'S HEAVEN.

WE FOUND HEAVEN ON EARTH."

PEOPLE OUR AGE LOVE OUR MUSIC.

THEY HAVE BEER.

THERE WERE COLLEGE GIRLS TO CHASE.

RENT WAS $100 A MONTH.

AND POT WAS CHEAP.

WE NEEDED MONEY, BUT WE WERE NOT MOTIVATED JUST BY MAKING MONEY.

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL: ♪ ...TILL I DIE ♪ BUT IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAT WE HAD THE FREEDOM.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] NELSON: ♪ WHISKEY RIVER, TAKE MY MIND... ♪ NARRATOR: WILLIE NELSON WAS NEARLY A GENERATION OLDER THAN MOST OF THE PATRONS, AND THE OTHER MUSICIANS, AT THE ARMADILLO, BUT FROM HIS FIRST APPEARANCE ON ITS STAGE, THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM.

NELSON: ♪ ...TAKE CARE OF ME ♪ BENSON: HE WAS ON A PERSONAL JOURNEY TO PLAY THE MUSIC AND CREATE THE MUSIC AND BECOME THE PERSON THAT HE WAS GOING TO BECOME.

NELSON: ♪ DON'T LET HER MEMORY TORTURE ME... ♪ BENSON: THIS WAS A TOWN THAT ALLOWED HIM TO DO THAT.

HE LET HIS HAIR GROW.

HE SAID, "THEY DON'T NEED ME TO WEAR A SUIT AND A TIE AND A TURTLENECK OR WHATEVER."

NARRATOR: NELSON COULD SENSE FROM THE STRANGE MIXTURE OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP THAT SOMETHING NEW WAS HAPPENING.

HE CALLED HIS FRIEND WAYLON JENNINGS IN NASHVILLE.

SMITH: WILLIE SAID, "WAYLON, I'VE GOT PREACHERS AND PILGRIMS "AND POETS, POOR PEOPLE, "HILLBILLIES, COLLEGE GRADUATES.

"THEY'RE ALL SITTING SIDE-BY-SIDE "WATCHING ME PLAY MY SONGS AND SING MY MUSIC.

YOU NEED TO COME DOWN HERE AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON."

NARRATOR: JENNINGS SOON BECAME A REGULAR AT WILLIE'S ANNUAL FOURTH OF JULY PICNICS, WHERE LONG-HAIRED COLLEGE STUDENTS AND REDNECK TRUCK DRIVERS PARTIED TOGETHER.

THEY'RE OUT THERE DRINKING BEER, SMOKING POT, AND FINDING OUT THAT THEY REALLY DIDN'T HATE EACH OTHER.

WILLIE'S PICNICS.

THE MOST DISORGANIZED GATHERING OF THE TRIBES.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE THEM EXCEPT CHAOS.

NOBODY WAS IN CHARGE.

NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

WILLIE WOULD LOSE MONEY EVERY TIME.

BUT THE PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP.

I DON'T KNOW, 20,000, 30,000 PEOPLE, BUT WHO PAID?

IT WAS LIKE WOODSTOCK.

NOBODY PAID, YOU KNOW.

LONE STAR BEER WOULD SPONSOR EVERYTHING.

WE DIDN'T CARE.

NELSON: ♪ YOU'RE ALL I GOT, TAKE CARE OF ME ♪ [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] NELSON: ♪ IN THE TWILIGHT GLOW I SEE THEM ♪ ♪ BLUE EYES CRYING IN THE RAIN... ♪ NARRATOR: WHEN NELSON SIGNED A NEW CONTRACT WITH COLUMBIA RECORDS, HE NEGOTIATED THE SAME TERMS WAYLON JENNINGS GOT AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO WORK ON HIS NEXT ALBUM, "RED HEADED STRANGER," A COLLECTION OF HAUNTING SONGS THAT TOGETHER TELL THE STORY OF A MAN WHO KILLS HIS UNFAITHFUL WIFE AND HER LOVER, THEN RIDES OFF ACROSS THE WEST, GRIEVING AND SEEKING REDEMPTION.

NELSON: ♪ ONLY MEMORIES REMAIN ♪ ♪ AND THROUGH THE AGES I REMEMBER... ♪ NARRATOR: NELSON CHOSE A SMALL STUDIO NEAR DALLAS TO MAKE THE ALBUM BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HIS PREVIOUS RECORDS HAD BEEN OVER-PRODUCED.

NELSON: IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH, I THINK MONEY WAS THE BOTTOM LINE.

THERE'S NO MONEY TO BE SPLIT UP IF YOU GO AHEAD AND DO-- TAKE 3 GUYS AND DO AN ALBUM.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE STRINGS AND VOICES AND HORNS, AND SO THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN THE RECORD BEFORE YOU GET IT OUT, WHICH ALSO MEANS YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET A QUARTER OUT OF IT 'CAUSE IT'S ALL TIED UP IN THE BEGINNING.

NARRATOR: NELSON SPENT ONLY $4,000 RECORDING "RED HEADED STRANGER" AND GOT THE SIMPLE, UNVARNISHED SOUND HE WAS LOOKING FOR, HIS SINGULAR VOICE UNTOUCHED BY ANY ENGINEERING TRICKS, AND THE SPAREST BACK-UP INSTRUMENTATION, INCLUDING HIS OWN IDIOSYNCRATIC GUITAR PLAYING.

NELSON: ♪ BLUE EYES CRYING... ♪ NARRATOR: COLUMBIA RECORDS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF IT.

MAN: WE ALL WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT IT WAS A POOR, LOUSY-SOUNDING RECORD.

THEY SAID, "WE CAN'T PUT THIS OUT."

I SAID, "WELL, I AGREE.

IT'S THIS TOTAL--SOUNDS LIKE A BAD DEMO."

I SAID, "LET'S DO THIS.

"LET'S APPEASE WILLIE BY RELEASING THE RECORD.

"IT'LL DIE A QUICK DEATH.

"THAT WAY HE'LL BE MORE RECEPTIVE TO WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS HIM TO DO."

SO WE PUT IT OUT.

AND WE WERE WRONG AS HELL.

A BIG, BIG RECORD.

AND, AFTER THAT, EVERYBODY LEFT WILLIE ALONE, INCLUDING ME.

NARRATOR: THE ALBUM ATTRACTED NEAR UNIVERSAL ACCLAIM.

NELSON: ♪ A RED HEADED STRANGER FOR BLUE ROCK, MONTANA ♪ ♪ RODE INTO TOWN ONE DAY... ♪ NARRATOR: ONE REVIEWER CALLED IT A MASTERPIECE.

ANOTHER COMPARED NELSON'S UNSENTIMENTAL STYLE TO HEMINGWAY'S.

AND IT SOLD STEADILY, STAYING ON THE CHARTS FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED 120 WEEKS.

NELSON: ♪ ...LIKE THUNDER ♪ ♪ HIS LIPS, THEY WERE SAD AND TIGHT ♪ NARRATOR: IN TEXAS, WILLIE AND HIS BAND SEEMED TO BE EVERYWHERE-- PERFORMING AT A FUNDRAISER FOR A HOUSTON RADIO STATION AFTER IT WAS FIREBOMBED BY THE KKK, DRAWING 10,000 PEOPLE TO A CONCERT IN HIS TINY HOMETOWN OF ABBOTT, AND DOING THE PILOT SHOW FOR HIS ADOPTED CITY'S PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION, EXPERIMENTING ON THE IDEA OF AN HOUR-LONG PROGRAM DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO ONE ARTIST'S LIVE PERFORMANCES.

"AUSTIN CITY LIMITS" WOULD GO ON TO BECOME THE LONGEST-RUNNING MUSIC PROGRAM IN TELEVISION HISTORY.

NELSON: ♪ IF HE SHOULD PASS YOUR WAY... ♪ NARRATOR: ONLY A FEW YEARS EARLIER, DRUNK AND DESPAIRING OVER HIS CAREER, NELSON HAD SPRAWLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF BROADWAY IN NASHVILLE.

NOW "NEWSWEEK" MAGAZINE CALLED HIM "THE KING OF COUNTRY MUSIC" AND "ROLLING STONE" PUT HIM ON ITS COVER.

NELSON: ♪ DON'T FIGHT IT, DON'T SPITE IT ♪ ♪ JUST WAIT TILL TOMORROW ♪ ♪ MAYBE HE'LL RIDE ON AGAIN ♪ HARRIS: ♪ I DON'T WANT TO HEAR A LOVE SONG ♪ ♪ I GOT ON THIS AIRPLANE JUST TO FLY ♪ ♪ AND I KNOW THERE'S LIFE BELOW ME ♪ ♪ BUT ALL THAT IT CAN... ♪ NARRATOR: EMMYLOU HARRIS' COLLABORATION WITH GRAM PARSONS ENDED TRAGICALLY AND SUDDENLY WHEN HE DIED AT AGE 26 OF AN ALCOHOL AND DRUG OVERDOSE.

HARRIS: ♪ I DON'T WANT TO HEAR A SAD STORY... ♪ NARRATOR: HIS DEATH, SHE SAID, "WAS LIKE FALLING OFF A MOUNTAIN."

HARRIS: ♪ FULL OF HEARTBREAK AND DESIRE... ♪ I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING.

I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO MAKE A COUNTRY RECORD, ALMOST LIKE IN MEMORY OF GRAM.

♪ ...AND THE CANYON WAS ON FIRE ♪ ♪ I WOULD ROCK MY SOUL ♪ ♪ IN THE BOSOM OF ABRAHAM... ♪ THE SIMPLICITY OF COUNTRY MUSIC IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT IT.

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY AND THE MELODY AND THE SOUND AND THE VOICE AND THE SINCERITY OF IT.

♪ FROM BOULDER TO BIRMINGHAM... ♪ CROWELL: WHEN THEY HEAR HER VOICE, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL.

HARRIS: ♪ I COULD SEE YOUR FACE ♪ ♪ IF I THOUGHT I COULD SEE ♪ ♪ I COULD SEE... ♪ IT JUST SOMEHOW GETS PAST EVERYTHING AND WINDS UP SOMEWHERE IN YOUR HEART.

AND IT FEELS GOOD IN THERE.

NARRATOR: IN 1975, HARRIS CAME OUT WITH TWO SOLO ALBUMS.

HARRIS: ♪ IF I COULD ONLY WIN YOUR LOVE... ♪ NARRATOR: SHE FILLED THEM WITH SONGS DRAWN FROM THE LESSONS IN COUNTRY MUSIC THAT PARSONS HAD PROVIDED-- MERLE HAGGARD'S "TONIGHT THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN," DOLLY PARTON'S "COAT OF MANY COLORS," GEORGE JONES' "ONE OF THESE DAYS," HANK WILLIAMS' "JAMBALAYA," AND OTHERS.

HARRIS: ♪ I'D GIVE MY ALL TO MAKE IT LIVE ♪ ♪ YOU'LL NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH I'D GIVE ♪ ♪ IF I COULD ONLY WIN YOUR LOVE... ♪ NARRATOR: RELEASED AS A SINGLE, HER VERSION OF AN OLD LOUVIN BROTHERS SONG, "IF I COULD ONLY WIN YOUR LOVE," WENT TO NUMBER 4 ON THE COUNTRY CHARTS, THEN HER RENDITIONS OF BUCK OWENS' "TOGETHER AGAIN" AND PATSY CLINE'S "SWEET DREAMS" BOTH REACHED NUMBER ONE.

HARRIS: ♪ ...WIN YOUR LOVE... ♪ NARRATOR: ONE REVIEWER, NOTING HER BACKGROUND IN FOLK MUSIC AND THAT SHE WAS BASED IN LOS ANGELES, NEVERTHELESS DECLARED THAT HER MUSIC WAS "MORE COUNTRY THAN NASHVILLE."

HARRIS: ♪ ...LOVE ♪ WHEN I BECAME A CONVERT TO COUNTRY MUSIC, THERE'S NO OTHER WORD FOR IT, I BECAME OBNOXIOUS, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO EVERYTHING.

NARRATOR: SHE SURROUNDED HERSELF WITH SOME OF THE LEADING ROCK INSTRUMENTALISTS ON THE WEST COAST.

THEY WERE CALLED THE HOT BAND.

HARRIS: ♪ MADE ME PUT MY MONEY IN THE BANK, BABY ♪ ♪ STRAIGHTEN DOWN... ♪ NARRATOR: THE ONE SHE BECAME CLOSEST TO WAS RODNEY CROWELL.

AFTER HEARING SOME OF HIS SONGS, HARRIS HAD INVITED HIM TO CALIFORNIA TO WORK ON HER ALBUMS.

HARRIS: RODNEY WAS KIND OF LIKE MY KID BROTHER.

WE WERE THE SAME KIND OF SORT OF QUASI-HIPPIE KIDS, BUT WE HAD TOTALLY DIFFERENT UPBRINGINGS.

HE GREW UP WITH COUNTRY MUSIC.

HARRIS: ♪ PARTY JUST STARTED, LORD, I'M DRUNK ON ♪ ♪ BLUEBIRD WINE ♪ ♪ AND IT'S... ♪ HE WAS KIND OF MY PARTNER IN THIS WONDERFUL CRIME OF MAKING COUNTRY MUSIC OUTSIDE THE LINES BUT WITH TOTAL RESPECT FOR THE TRADITION OF COUNTRY MUSIC.

♪ WINE ♪ CROWELL: SO, WE JUST TOOK TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC AND SOUTHERN ROCK AND ROLL AND ROCKABILLY AND JUST PLAYED IT, YOU KNOW, AND JUST LET IT HAVE ITS VOICE.

AND IT WAS GOOD FUN.

♪ WELL, GOOD-BYE, JOE, WE GOTTA GO ♪ ♪ ME, OH, MY, OH ♪ ♪ ME GOTTA GO POLE THE PIROGUE DOWN THE BAYOU ♪ ♪ MY YVONNE, THE SWEETEST ONE ♪ ♪ ME, OH, MY, OH ♪ ♪ SON OF A GUN, GONNA HAVE BIG FUN ON THE BAYOU ♪ ♪ WELL, THE JAMBALAYA AND CRAWFISH PIE ♪ ♪ AND A FILLET GUMBO ♪ ♪ 'CAUSE TONIGHT I'M GONNA SEE ♪ ♪ MY MACHEZ AMIO... ♪ NARRATOR: WITH THE HOT BAND, HARRIS PLAYED IN EVERY TYPE OF VENUE, FROM THE PALOMINO CLUB IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD TO ARMADILLO WORLD HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTIN.

THEY WERE THE OPENING ACT FOR FOLK AND POP STAR JAMES TAYLOR, AS WELL AS MERLE HAGGARD, AND FOR THE 60,000 FANS WHO CAME TO HEAR ELTON JOHN AT DODGER STADIUM.

♪ FOUNTAINEAUX, THE PLACE IS BUZZIN' ♪ ♪ KINFOLK COME TO... ♪ MAN: EMMYLOU HARRIS WAS A LONE VOICE.

EMMYLOU DIDN'T EXPLODE ONTO THE SCENE, SHE BLOOMED.

AND SHE'LL FOREVER BE THAT ROSE THAT BLOOMED INTO OUR COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS AND OUR MUSICAL CONSCIOUSNESS.

♪ ...AND A FILLET GUMBO ♪ WHOO!

♪ TONIGHT I'M GONNA SEE MY MACHEZ AMIO ♪ ♪ PICK GUITAR, FILL UP A JAR ♪ ♪ AND BE GAY-OH ♪ ♪ SON OF A GUN, WE'LL HAVE BIG FUN ♪ ♪ ON THE BAYOU ♪ NARRATOR: DURING A WHIRLWIND VISIT TO NASHVILLE, SHE WAS ASKED TO JUDGE A TALENT CONTEST AT THE EXIT/IN, THEN PERFORMED AT THE 50th ANNIVERSARY SHOW OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY.

SHE PROVIDED VOCAL BACKUP ON A GUY CLARK ALBUM AND RECORDED TOWNES VAN ZANDT'S SONG "PANCHO AND LEFTY."

♪ JAMBALAYA, A-CRAWFISH PIE ♪ ♪ AND A FILLET GUMBO... ♪ NARRATOR: HER LABEL WANTED HER TO CROSS OVER TO MORE MAINSTREAM MUSIC.

INSTEAD, SHE CAME OUT WITH TWO ALBUMS TINGED WITH BLUEGRASS FEATURING RICKY SKAGGS.

"ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE HAILED HER MUSIC AS "COUNTRY WITHOUT CORN."

EVERYONE SEEMED TO LOVE EMMYLOU HARRIS.

♪ ON THE BAYOU ♪ YEE-HEE!

THANK YOU.

THE HOT BAND.

THANK YOU.

I TELL YOU, THIS SURE BEATS THE RED FOX INN IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND.

JENNINGS: ♪ LOW DOWN LEAVING SUN ♪ ♪ DONE DID EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS DONE... ♪ SMITH: THEY WANTED THEIR MUSIC TO SOUND ON RECORD LIKE IT SOUNDED WHEN THEY STOOD ON THE STAGE AND SUNG IT.

THAT'S ALL IT WAS ABOUT.

NARRATOR: HAZEL SMITH WAS THE OFFICE MANAGER AT HILLBILLY CENTRAL IN NASHVILLE, WHERE WAYLON JENNINGS AND HIS FRIENDS WERE NOW TURNING OUT HIT AFTER HIT.

REPORTERS STARTED ASKING HER HOW TO DESCRIBE THE MUSIC JENNINGS, WILLIE NELSON, AND OTHERS WERE CREATING.

SMITH: IN MY MIND, I THOUGHT EVERYTHING NEEDED A TITLE FOR IT TO HAPPEN.

SO I ALWAYS DID, AND STILL DO, HAVE A DICTIONARY UNDER MY DESK.

ONE DAY, I REACHED UNDER THERE AND I PULLED IT OUT AND JUST WENT THROUGH IT AND COME TO THE WORD "OUTLAW."

AND IT WAS ABOUT THAT MUCH INFORMATION THERE THAT MEANT VERY LITTLE, BUT THE LAST SENTENCE SAID IT ALL.

AND HERE'S WHAT IT SAID-- "LIVING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE WRITTEN LAW."

AND I LEANED BACK IN MY CHAIR AND I WENT...

I SAID, "THAT'S IT."

THEY ARE NOT GOING ALONG WITH THE NASHVILLE ESTABLISHMENT.

THEY'RE DOING THEIR OWN THING AND THEY'RE DOING IT THE WAY THEY WANT TO.

JENNINGS: ♪ WHERE DOES IT GO?

♪ ♪ THE GOOD LORD ONLY KNOWS ♪ ♪ SEEMS LIKE IT WAS JUST THE OTHER DAY... ♪ SMITH: THAT'S WHY OUTLAW MUSIC WAS BORN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT WAS WHAT OUTLAW MUSIC WAS RIGHT THERE.

AND IF ANYBODY TELLS YOU ANYTHING ELSE, SAY, "YOU'RE A LIAR.

"THE WOMAN THAT NAMED IT OUTLAW MUSIC LOOKED AT ME IN THE FACE AND SHE KNEW WHAT SHE DID AND KNEW WHY."

JENNINGS: ♪ ...ANOTHER WAY TO BE... ♪ NARRATOR: MEANWHILE, EXECUTIVES AT RCA SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO INEXPENSIVELY CASH IN ON THE OUTLAW MYSTIQUE.

JENNINGS: ♪ ...HERO LIKE ME, YEAH ♪ NARRATOR: IN THEIR VAULTS, THEY HAD SOME UNRELEASED RECORDINGS OF JENNINGS', ALONG WITH SONGS PERFORMED BY WILLIE NELSON AND WAYLON'S WIFE JESSI COLTER, AND DECIDED TO PUT THEM TOGETHER INTO A NEW ALBUM.

AT JENNINGS' INSISTENCE, THEY ADDED SOME TRACKS BY TOMPALL GLASER, THE OWNER OF HILLBILLY CENTRAL, AND CALLED THE COMPILATION ALBUM "WANTED!

THE OUTLAWS."

JENNINGS: ♪ A LONG TIME FORGOTTEN ♪ ♪ ARE DREAMS THAT JUST FELL BY THE WAY ♪ ♪ THE GOOD LIFE HE PROMISED ♪ ♪ AIN'T WHAT SHE'S LIVING TODAY ♪ [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] WILLIE.

NELSON: ♪ BUT SHE NEVER COMPLAINS OF THE BAD TIMES... ♪ NARRATOR: THE ALBUM ROSE TO THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS, CROSSED OVER TO THE TOP 10 ON POP CHARTS, AND, AFTER SELLING A MILLION COPIES, BECAME THE FIRST CERTIFIED PLATINUM ALBUM IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY.

JENNINGS AND NELSON: ♪ SHE'S A GOOD-HEARTED WOMAN ♪ ♪ IN LOVE WITH A GOOD-TIMING MAN... ♪ NARRATOR: THEN IT SOLD A MILLION MORE.

THE JENNINGS-NELSON DUET ON "GOOD HEARTED WOMAN," WHICH THEY HAD WRITTEN YEARS EARLIER DURING A POKER GAME, BECAME A NUMBER-ONE SINGLE.

SMITH: MY GOD, THAT WAS A SONG WORTH SINGING, WASN'T IT?

I MEAN, YOU AIN'T GOT NO SONGS LIKE THAT COMING OUT OF THIS HILLBILLY TOWN NOW.

A "GOOD HEARTED WOMAN"?

AIN'T NOBODY GOING TO SING NOTHING THAT MAKES THAT MUCH SENSE, DON'T YOU SEE?

YOU ASKED ME WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC.

IT WAS TRUTH.

AND, BOY, IF THERE WAS EVER A TRUER SONG THAN THAT ONE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

"A LONG TIME FORGOTTEN WITH DREAMS "THAT JUST FELL BY THE WAY.

AND THE GOOD LIFE SHE'S LIVING AIN'T WHAT SHE'S LIVING TODAY."

AIN'T THAT GREAT?

NARRATOR: "SUDDENLY, WE DIDN'T NEED NASHVILLE," JENNINGS RECALLED.

"THEY NEEDED US."

NELSON: OH, WE THRIVED ON IT.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO US.

"HEY, THEY'RE CALLING US OUTLAWS."

EVERYBODY WHO'S TRIED IN THE CREATIVE BUSINESS HAS TO HAVE A LITTLE OUTLAW IN HIM.

SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAVE A LITTLE OUTLAW IN THEM, TOO.

SO THEY WERE WILLING TO FORGIVE US SOME OF OUR MISGIVINGS, AS LONG AS THE MUSIC WAS GOOD.

♪ NELSON: ♪ SOMETIMES I WONDER ♪ ♪ WHY I SPEND ♪ ♪ THE LONELY NIGHTS... ♪ NARRATOR: WILLIE NELSON WAS BIGGER THAN EVER AND EVEN MORE STEADFAST IN REFUSING TO BOW TO ANY MUSICAL ORTHODOXY.

HE SLIPPED SOME OLD POP STANDARDS, LIKE "STARDUST" AND "GEORGIA ON MY MIND," INTO HIS LIVE PERFORMANCES IN AUSTIN AND DISCOVERED AN ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE.

"THE KIDS IN THE CROWD THOUGHT 'STARDUST' WAS A NEW SONG I HAD WRITTEN," HE EXPLAINED.

"THE OLDER FOLKS REMEMBERED THE SONG WELL AND LOVED IT AS MUCH AS I DID."

AGAINST HIS LABEL'S OBJECTIONS, HE RECORDED AN ENTIRE ALBUM OF SIMILAR SONGS.

IT STAYED ON THE CHARTS FOR 551 WEEKS.

NELSON: ♪ BESIDE THE GARDEN WALLS ♪ ♪ WHEN STARS ARE BRIGHT ♪ ♪ YOU ARE IN MY ARMS ♪ ♪ THE NIGHTINGALE ♪ ♪ TELLS HIS FAIRYTALE ♪ ♪ OF PARADISE WHERE ROSES GREW ♪ WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ I WENT DOWN TO THE RIVER ♪ ♪ TO WATCH THE FISH SWIM BY... ♪ NARRATOR: BY THE MID-1970s, HANK WILLIAMS HAD BEEN DEAD FOR NEARLY A QUARTER-CENTURY, BUT HIS SHADOW STILL LOOMED OVER ANY COUNTRY MUSICIAN DREAMING OF SUCCESS.

WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ THE DOGGONE RIVER WAS DRY ♪ NARRATOR: NO ONE FELT IT MORE KEENLY THAN HIS ONLY SON, HANK WILLIAMS, JR. JUST 3 1/2 YEARS OLD WHEN HIS DAD DIED, HANK JR. HAD FEW ACTUAL MEMORIES OF HIS FAMOUS FATHER BEYOND LISTENING ON THE RADIO TO HEAR HIM SAY GOOD NIGHT TO BOCEPHUS, HANK SR.'s AFFECTIONATE NICKNAME FOR HIS LITTLE BOY.

BUT AUDREY WILLIAMS WAS DETERMINED THAT HE WOULD BE THE VEHICLE TO KEEP HER FORMER HUSBAND'S MEMORY ALIVE, AND PROVIDE HER A CHANCE TO BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN WAYS SHE HADN'T BEEN DURING HANK SR.'s SHORT CAREER.

MAN: WHEN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD AND I WENT OUT AND DID THE VERY FIRST SHOW, I THOUGHT, "OH, MY GOSH."

YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN 8-YEAR-OLD BOY THAT'S THE SON OF A GOD-LIKE FIGURE.

SO AN 8-YEAR-OLD BOY'S OUT THERE AND YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE CRYING AND PEOPLE THAT ARE LAUGHING, AND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

DOES IT SOUND THAT BAD?

IT HAS QUITE AN EFFECT ON A LITTLE GUY.

YEAH.

♪ ...BLUES ♪ NARRATOR: WILLIAMS MADE HIS GRAND OLE OPRY DEBUT AT AGE 11, SINGING THE SAME SONG HIS FATHER HAD AT HIS OWN DEBUT, "LOVESICK BLUES."

BY THE TIME HANK JR. WAS 14, HIS MOTHER HAD NEGOTIATED A CONTRACT FOR HIM TO RECORD AN ALBUM OF HANK SR.'s SONGS.

♪ I GOT A HOT-ROD FORD AND A $2.00 BILL ♪ ♪ I KNOW A SPOT RIGHT OVER THE HILL ♪ ♪ THERE'S SODA POP AND THE DANCING'S FREE ♪ ♪ SO IF YOU WANT TO HAVE FUN, COME ALONG WITH ME ♪ ♪ SAYING, HEY, GOOD LOOKIN' ♪ ♪ WHATCHA GOT COOKIN'?

♪ ♪ HOW'S ABOUT COOKIN' SOMETHIN' UP ♪ ♪ HOW'S ABOUT COOKIN' SOMETHIN' UP ♪ ♪ HOW'S ABOUT COOKIN' SOMETHIN' UP WITH ME?

♪ [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] NARRATOR: TO PROMOTE THE ALBUM, AUDREY ARRANGED A TOUR THAT OPENED IN CANTON, OHIO ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, 1964, THE SAME PLACE HIS FATHER WAS HEADED WHEN HE DIED IN THE BACKSEAT OF HIS CAR.

AT A PROMOTION IN NASHVILLE, AUDREY BROUGHT THE CAR ITSELF.

HOLLY WILLIAMS: MY DAD WAS DEALING WITH HIS DAD'S SHADOW FROM DAY ONE, NOT ONLY FROM FANS AND FRIENDS, BUT FROM HIS OWN MOM.

SHE WAS RIGHT THERE WITH OTHER PEOPLE GOING, "YOU NEED TO SING YOUR DADDY'S SONGS."

YOU KNOW, "YOU NEED TO WRITE LIKE YOUR DADDY DID."

IT WAS VERY HARD FOR HIM.

NARRATOR: "LOOSEN UP A BIT," JOHNNY CASH URGED AUDREY.

"LET HIM BE HANK WILLIAMS JR. A WHILE."

SHE DIDN'T PAY ANY ATTENTION.

AS SOON AS HE TURNED 18 AND BECAME ENTITLED TO HIS INHERITANCE AND LEGALLY ABLE TO MAKE HIS OWN DECISIONS, WILLIAMS DROPPED HIS MOTHER AS HIS MANAGER AND SET OUT TO MAKE HIS OWN WAY IN THE MUSIC WORLD.

WILLIAMS JR.: I SAID, "I'M DONE WITH THIS.

I'M DOING MY OWN..." BECAUSE THERE'S ONE SIMPLE REASON.

DADDY DON'T NEED ME TO PROMOTE HIM.

HOW DUMB CAN YOU BE?

HE DOES NOT NEED ME TO PROMOTE HIM.

WHAT A JOKE.

THAT'S A JOKE.

YEAH.

I SAID, "I THINK I BETTER START WRITING MY OWN AND DOING MY OWN STYLE OF STUFF."

HOLLY WILLIAMS: HE TOLD ME HIS FIRST FEW SHOWS OF HIS OWN MUSIC, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD, LITERALLY, HE'S GETTING BOOS FROM THE CROWD.

HE SAID 50% OF THEM, SOMETIMES 80% WOULD BE GONE.

THERE'D BE A FEW PEOPLE LEFT SITTING THERE.

THEY'D THROW STUFF AT HIM.

HE'D SAY, "IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO SING A SONG OF MINE FOR YOU TONIGHT."

AND JUST GONE.

THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WHICH JUST ON A BASIC, YOU KNOW, HUMAN BEING NICE TO PEOPLE LEVEL IS SO SHOCKING TO ME THAT PEOPLE WOULD JUST TURN AWAY AND WALK OUT.

BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR IT.

THEY WANTED TO HEAR "COLD, COLD HEART" AND "I SAW THE LIGHT," AND SO, HE REALLY, REALLY STRUGGLED FOR YEARS.

NARRATOR: BY 1974, HE HAD ENTERED WHAT HE CALLED "AN ENDLESS NIGHTMARE OF BARS AND SHOWS, OF JIM BEAM AND MULTI-COLORED PILLS."

"I'D NEVER REALIZED HOW DEEPLY INGRAINED MY DADDY'S MYTH REALLY WAS," HE RECALLED.

"AT 25 YEARS OLD, I WAS MORE LIKE HIM "THAN I EVER FIGURED I'D BE-- DRUNK, ON DOPE, DIVORCED."

CONVINCED HE WAS ON THE SAME TRAJECTORY AS HIS FATHER, HE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY SWALLOWING A BOTTLE OF PAINKILLERS.

WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ I'M GONNA TAKE A FREIGHT TRAIN ♪ ♪ DOWN AT THE STATION, LORD... ♪ NARRATOR: A DOCTOR ADVISED HIM TO LEAVE NASHVILLE AND RETHINK HIS LIFE OR HE WOULD CERTAINLY NOT EVEN MAKE IT TO 29.

WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN... ♪ NARRATOR: HE MOVED TO ALABAMA AND LIVED IN A SMALL CABIN.

WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ♪ WOMAN: ♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ♪ ♪ OH, CAN'T YOU SEE ♪ ♪ CAN'T YOU SEE ♪ ♪ WHAT THAT WOMAN... ♪ MAN: HANK REACHED A POINT WHERE HE SAID, "I AM ME.

"MY NAME IS HANK WILLIAMS, BUT I AM ME.

"AND I'VE GOT THINGS THAT I WANT TO DO AND I WANT TO SAY, SO I AM GOING TO PURSUE THAT."

AND JUST DID A COMPLETE TURN.

HE TOOK QUITE A CHANCE WHEN HE DID THAT.

NARRATOR: IN 1975, WILLIAMS WENT INTO A STUDIO IN MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA TO RECORD A NEW ALBUM, "HANK WILLIAMS JR. AND FRIENDS."

HE WAS ATTRACTED TO WHAT WAS CALLED SOUTHERN ROCK, MUSIC BY GROUPS LIKE THE ALLMAN BROTHERS, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND, AND HIS FRIEND CHARLIE DANIELS.

DANIELS: WE WERE COUNTRY, BUT NOT WHAT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE COUNTRY MUSIC ESTABLISHMENT AT THE TIME, LET'S SAY.

EVERY OTHER MUSIC WAS CHANGING AND MOVING AND COOKING.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS TIME FOR COUNTRY TO DO THAT, TOO.

NARRATOR: WHEN THE SESSIONS ENDED, WILLIAMS TOOK OFF FOR MONTANA TO RELAX BEFORE RELEASING HIS ALBUM AND GOING ON TOUR.

WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ I'M GOING TO QUIT SINGING ♪ ♪ ALL THESE SAD SONGS... ♪ NARRATOR: HE WAS HAPPY WITH HIS NEW RECORD, WHICH INCLUDED "LIVING PROOF," A SONG THAT MENTIONED THE EARLY DEATH OF HIS FATHER AND LAMENTED, "I DON'T WANT TO BE A LEGEND, I JUST WANT TO BE A MAN."

WILLIAMS JR.: ♪ WHEN I SING THEM OLD SONGS OF DADDY'S ♪ ♪ SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE COMES THROUGH ♪ ♪ LORD, PLEASE HELP ME ♪ ♪ DO I HAVE TO BE ♪ ♪ A LIVING PROOF?

♪ NARRATOR: HIKING ALONG A RIDGE NEAR THE IDAHO BORDER, HE ACCIDENTALLY SLIPPED AND TUMBLED NEARLY 500 FEET DOWN THE ROCKY SLOPE.

BY SOME MIRACLE, HE SURVIVED, THOUGH EVERY BONE IN HIS FACE HAD BEEN BROKEN, ONE EYE WAS PERMANENTLY DAMAGED, HIS NOSE WAS TORN OFF, AND PARTS OF HIS BRAIN WERE EXPOSED THROUGH A DEEP GASH IN HIS FOREHEAD.

3 SURGEONS WORKED 7 1/2 HOURS TRYING TO PUT HIM BACK TOGETHER.

THE NEWS QUICKLY REACHED NASHVILLE AND HIS GODPARENTS, JOHNNY CASH AND JUNE CARTER, WHO RACED TO BE WITH HIM.

JOHN SAT DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE BED...

UH...

IT WAS, UM... SOMETHING I REALLY NEEDED AT THAT TIME.

THERE WASN'T ANY BETTER MEDICINE THAN HAVING HIM THERE WITH ME.

NARRATOR: OVER THE NEXT 16 MONTHS AND AFTER 9 SURGERIES, WILLIAMS' FACE WAS RECONSTRUCTED.

WHEN HIS ALBUM WAS FINALLY RELEASED, ANOTHER MEMBER OF HIS COUNTRY MUSIC FAMILY, WAYLON JENNINGS, STEPPED IN TO HELP HIM PROMOTE IT.

IT WAS A RISK.

YOU KNOW, MY DAD WASN'T HUGE AT THE TIME.

BUT WAYLON LOOKED AT HIM AND BELIEVED IN HIM AND BELIEVED IN HIS SONGS, NOT HIM COVERING HIS DADDY'S SONGS, AND GAVE HIM HIS--REALLY HIS FIRST BREAK IN MUSIC AND ON THE ROAD.

WILLIAMS JR.: THERE WAS NOBODY, NOBODY IN THIS BUSINESS THAT WAS MORE SPECIAL TO ME THAN WAYLON JENNINGS.

HE BELIEVED IN ME.

NARRATOR: WHEN HE MADE IT TO AGE 29, WILLIAMS RELEASED "FAMILY TRADITION."

♪ NOW, THESE COUNTRY MUSIC SINGERS... ♪ NARRATOR: IT BEGAN AN UNINTERRUPTED STRING, THROUGH THE 1980s AND EARLY 1990s, OF 21 GOLD RECORDS.

♪ ...DISOWNED A FEW OTHER BOYS AND ME ♪ ♪ I GUESS IT'S BECAUSE ♪ ♪ I KIND OF CHANGED MY DIRECTION ♪ ♪ LORD, I GUESS I WENT AND BROKE ♪ ♪ THEIR FAMILY TRADITION ♪ ♪ THEY GET ON ME AND WANT TO KNOW, HANK ♪ ♪ WHY DO YOU DRINK?

♪ ♪ HANK, WHY DO YOU ROLL SMOKE?

♪ ♪ WHY MUST YOU LIVE OUT THE SONGS THAT YOU WROTE?

♪ ♪ OVER AND OVER ♪ ♪ EVERYBODY MADE MY PREDICTION ♪ ♪ SO IF I GET STONED AND SING ALL NIGHT LONG ♪ ♪ IT'S AN OLD FAMILY TRADITION... ♪ HOLLY WILLIAMS: THE WILLIAMS FAMILY TRADITION IS TO FOLLOW OUR OWN PASSION.

FIND YOUR OWN WAY.

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHAT INSPIRES YOU.

I'LL NEVER FORGET A SECURITY GUARD SAYING, "YOUR DAD'S SHOWS WERE WILDER THAN OUR GUNS 'N' ROSES AND METALLICA IN THE EIGHTIES," YOU KNOW?

MORE FIGHTS AND DRINKING AND WHISKEY, BUT THEN DAD WOULD DO HIS ACOUSTIC SET AND THAT'S WHEN YOU GO, "HE DOES HAVE HANK'S BLOOD IN HIM."

HE CAN RIP YOUR HEART OUT WITH SONGS LIKE, "OLD HABITS" AND "BLUES MAN."

♪ ...OLD FAMILY TRADITION... ♪ SO HE'S KNOWN FOR HIS PARTY SONGS, BUT HE STILL HAD THAT GENE TO JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKE YOU STOP AND LISTEN AND REALLY RELATE TO HIS MUSIC.

♪ WHY MUST YOU LIVE OUT THE SONGS THAT YOU WROTE?

♪ ♪ IF I'M DOWN IN A HONKY-TONK ♪ ♪ SOME SLICK'S TRYING TO GIVE ME SOME FRICTION ♪ ♪ HOSS, LEAVE ME ALONE, I'M SINGING ALL NIGHT LONG ♪ ♪ IT'S AN OLD WILLIAMS TRADITION ♪ [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] NARRATOR: JOHNNY CASH'S OLDEST CHILD, ROSANNE, HAD BEEN 12 WHEN HE DIVORCED HER MOTHER.

SHE AND HER LITTLE SISTERS SPENT SUMMERS WITH CASH, BUT GREW UP MOSTLY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

WOMAN: I LOVED COUNTRY MUSIC WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID.

BUT THEN AS PRE-TEEN AND TEEN, THAT WAS MY PARENTS' MUSIC.

I DIDN'T CARE, I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW.

AND THEN THE DAY AFTER I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, MY DAD CAME TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, AND HE TOOK ME WITH HIM THE NEXT DAY.

AND I WENT ON THE ROAD WITH HIM FOR 3 YEARS.

WHEN I LEFT, I THOUGHT, "I'M JUST GOING TO HANG WITH MY DAD "AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL GO TO COLLEGE LATER "AND THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT, TRAVEL THE WORLD, STAY IN NICE HOTELS, AND SEE DAD PLAY."

AND SO IT WAS THAT, BUT IT VERY QUICKLY BECAME AN EDUCATION.

BOBBY BARE: ♪ I'M 500 MILES AWAY FROM HOME ♪ ROSANNE CASH: WE WERE ON THE BUS ONE DAY TALKING ABOUT SONGS.

I WAS TALKING TO DAD ABOUT WANTING TO BE A SONGWRITER.

AND HE SAID, "WELL, DO YOU KNOW THIS SONG?"

AND I SAID, "NO."

AND HE PLAYED IT FOR ME.

AND HE SAID, "DO YOU KNOW THIS SONG?"

I SAID, "NEVER HEARD THAT ONE EITHER."

AND HE GOT REALLY ALARMED.

AND HE SAT ON THE BUS AND MADE THIS LIST.

AND HE WROTE ACROSS THE TOP, "100 ESSENTIAL COUNTRY SONGS."

AND HE SAID, "THIS IS YOUR EDUCATION."

BARE: ♪ 500 MILES AWAY FROM HOME ♪ NARRATOR: ROSANNE, LIKE HANK WILLIAMS JR., WAS UNSURE ABOUT FOLLOWING IN HER FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS.

ROSANNE CASH: I WANTED TO BE A SONGWRITER.

AND I WAS JUST TORN WITH HOW TO DO THAT AND NOT BE COMPLETELY ECLIPSED BY MY DAD'S SHADOW.

SO I DID A LOT OF THINGS.

I LIVED IN EUROPE FOR A WHILE.

I MADE MY FIRST ALBUM IN EUROPE.

I THOUGHT, "MAYBE I'LL TRY TO DO THIS QUIETLY AND NO ONE WILL NOTICE THAT HE'S MY DAD."

NARRATOR: SHE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES, AND IN 1979 MARRIED RODNEY CROWELL, WHO BECAME HER PRODUCER.

ROSANNE CASH: ♪ ...WORLD WE'RE LIVING IN ♪ ♪ THE RULES AIN'T LIKE THEY'VE EVER BEEN ♪ ♪ SPEAKING OF SPREADING IT THIN ♪ ♪ THAT'S WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE FLASHING YOUR SOUL ♪ ♪ OH, THAT AIN'T NO WAY... ♪ NARRATOR: THE ALBUMS THEY WOULD CREATE REFLECTED HER OWN LIFE AND EXPERIENCES AS DISTINCTIVELY AS HER FATHER'S LIFE HAD MARKED HIS MUSIC, INCLUDING A DISPUTE WITH HER HUSBAND, WHICH SHE TURNED INTO HER FIRST NUMBER-ONE SONG.

ROSANNE CASH: GOT IN THIS BIG FIGHT WITH RODNEY OUTSIDE A FRENCH RESTAURANT ON VENTURA BOULEVARD, AND I STARTED WRITING WHAT WAS A LONG POEM, AND I DISTILLED IT DOWN TO "SEVEN YEAR ACHE."

AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS A COUNTRY SONG.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF I HAD ACHIEVED WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO.

CROWELL: WHEN I FIRST HEARD ROSANNE'S SONG "SEVEN YEAR ACHE," WELL, I WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH IT 'CAUSE SHE WROTE IT BECAUSE I WAS BEING AN IDIOT, AND SHE WAS REALLY WRITING ABOUT ME, AND I THOUGHT, "OH, GREAT.

THIS IS A GREAT SONG AND IT'S ABOUT ME."

♪ YOU ACT LIKE YOU WERE JUST BORN TONIGHT ♪ ♪ FACE DOWN IN A MEMORY BUT FEELING ALL RIGHT ♪ ♪ SO WHO DOES YOUR PAST BELONG TO TODAY?

♪ ♪ BABY, YOU DON'T SAY NOTHING WHEN YOU'RE FEELING THIS WAY ♪ ♪ THE GIRLS IN THE BAR THINKING, "WHO IS THIS GUY?"

♪ ♪ BUT THEY DON'T THINK NOTHING WHEN THEY'RE TELLING YOU LIES ♪ ♪ YOU LOOK SO CARELESS... ♪ NARRATOR: THE ALBUM WOULD BECOME A GOLD RECORD AND BE NOMINATED FOR A GRAMMY.

♪ ...WHEN THEIR POCKETS ARE FULL ♪ ♪ JUST TELL THEM YOU'RE TRYING TO CURE A 7-YEAR ACHE... ♪ NARRATOR: ROSANNE CASH WAS 25 YEARS OLD.

♪ BOYS SAY, "WHEN IS HE GONNA GIVE US SOME ROOM?"

♪ ♪ GIRLS SAY, "GOD, I HOPE HE COMES BACK SOON"... ♪ GILL: I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT SINGS, AND I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR HER.

SO IN A SENSE, I PROBABLY HAVE SOME GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF HOW HARD IT WAS FOR ROSANNE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

BUT THE COOL THING WAS THAT SHE WAS NOTHING LIKE HER DAD.

THE MUSIC WAS NOTHING LIKE HER FATHER'S.

SHE CAME FROM A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PLACE, AND SHE WAS HER OWN ARTIST FROM DAY ONE.

NARRATOR: BY THIS TIME, JOHNNY CASH HAD MADE AN ADDITION TO HIS MUSICAL FAMILY.

LESTER FLATT HAD DIED, AND MARTY STUART JOINED CASH'S BAND.

IT'S INTERESTING.

THE FIRST TWO RECORDS I EVER OWNED IN MY LIFE WAS A JOHNNY CASH RECORD AND A LESTER FLATT AND EARL SCRUGGS RECORD.

AND THE ONLY TWO JOBS I'VE EVER HAD WAS WITH LESTER FLATT AND JOHNNY CASH.

SO THAT WORKED OUT.

PARTON: ♪ HERE YOU COME AGAIN ♪ ♪ JUST WHEN I'VE BEGUN TO GET MYSELF TOGETHER ♪ ♪ YOU WALTZ RIGHT IN THE DOOR ♪ ♪ JUST LIKE YOU'VE DONE BEFORE ♪ ♪ AND WRAP MY HEART ROUND YOUR LITTLE FINGER ♪ ♪ HERE YOU COME AGAIN... ♪ WOMAN: SHE'S CROSSED ALL BOUNDARIES.

DOLLY'S NOT COUNTRY, DOLLY'S NOT ROCK, DOLLY'S NOT POP, DOLLY'S EVERYTHING.

AND EVERYBODY FROM EVERY GENRE LOVES HER.

PARTON: ♪ ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS SMILE THAT SMILE ♪ ♪ AND THERE GO ALL MY DEFENSES... ♪ LEE: SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE JUST NASHVILLE.

NASHVILLE WAS GREAT TO HER AND SHE REVERES IT, BUT DOLLY WANTED TO BE EVERYWHERE.

AND THAT'S WHAT SHE DID.

[CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING] PARTON: ♪ LOOKING BETTER THAN A BODY HAS A RIGHT TO ♪ ♪ AND SHAKING ME UP SO... ♪ NARRATOR: FRUSTRATED WITH THE TRAJECTORY OF HER SOLO CAREER, DOLLY PARTON HIRED A NEW MANAGEMENT TEAM IN LOS ANGELES, AND TRAVELED THERE TO RECORD A NEW ALBUM.

"I'M NOT LEAVING COUNTRY MUSIC," SHE TOLD REPORTERS, "I'M TAKING IT WITH ME."

PARTON: ♪ ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS SMILE THAT SMILE... ♪ PARTON: I WAS TRYING TO EXPAND MY HORIZONS.

I WANTED MORE.

I JUST FELT LIKE I COULD HAVE A BROADER AUDIENCE.

BUT WHEN I FIRST GOT L.A. MANAGEMENT, EVERYBODY SAID I WAS MAKING A MISTAKE LEAVING PORTER'S SHOW.

PORTER TOLD ME THAT AS WELL.

EVERYBODY WAS SAYING I WAS BETRAYING COUNTRY.

HOW COULD I NOT BE COUNTRY?

I'M A COUNTRY GIRL AT HEART, IN MY VOICE, IN MY FEELINGS, IN MY ATTITUDE.

NARRATOR: PARTON'S NUMBER-ONE COUNTRY SINGLES HAD SOLD ABOUT 60,000 COPIES.

"HERE YOU COME AGAIN," HER FIRST CROSSOVER SUCCESS, SOLD A MILLION.

THEN THE ALBUM IT CAME FROM DID THE SAME AND WENT PLATINUM.

ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE WANTED TO LEARN ABOUT THE PETITE AND SHAPELY BLONDE WITH THE BIG HAIR.

WITH HER REFRESHING SENSE OF HUMOR, ESPECIALLY ABOUT HERSELF, DOLLY NEVER DISAPPOINTED THEM.

"IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY," SHE SAID, "TO LOOK THIS CHEAP."

IN NEW YORK, SHE GAVE A FREE CONCERT AT CITY HALL PLAZA, AND MAYOR ED KOCH PRESENTED HER WITH THE KEYS TO THE CITY.

LATER, SHE WAS THE GUEST OF HONOR AT A PARTY AT THE FAMOUS STUDIO 54.

"ALTHOUGH I LOOK LIKE A DRAG QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS TREE ON THE OUTSIDE," PARTON SAID, "I AM AT HEART A SIMPLE COUNTRY GIRL."

PARTON: THIS IS A COUNTRY GIRL'S IDEA OF GLAMOUR.

I WANTED TO HAVE BEAUTIFUL CLOTHES.

I WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, TO WEAR MAKEUP.

I'D PATTERN MY LOOK AFTER THE TOWN TROLLOP IN OUR HOMETOWN 'CAUSE I THOUGHT SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL.

NARRATOR: PARTON WAS ALSO ONE OF THE SAVVIEST ARTISTS IN THE BUSINESS.

SHE HAD HER OWN PUBLISHING COMPANY, MARKETED A SUCCESSFUL LINE OF DOLLY DOLLS, AND NEGOTIATED A 3-YEAR DEAL WITH A LAS VEGAS HOTEL SAID TO BE WORTH FROM $6 MILLION TO $9 MILLION.

PARTON: I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM BEING A WOMAN.

THAT'S WORKED FOR ME MORE THAN IT'S WORKED AGAINST ME.

I JUST ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT I WAS STRONG IN MYSELF AND STRONG IN MY WORK.

I DO KNOW, AND I HAVE SEEN, THAT IT CAN BE A HINDRANCE, BUT I WOULD ALWAYS JUST GO IN JUST SAYING, "I THINK I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO OFFER, AND I THINK WE CAN BOTH MAKE A LOT OF MONEY FROM IT."

AND USUALLY, BY THE TIME THE DEAL WAS DONE, I'D HAVE THE MONEY AND GONE.

HOLLY WILLIAMS: SHE'S MY IDOL IN MANY WAYS, BUT THE FACT THAT SHE IS SUCH AN UNBELIEVABLE SONGWRITER AT THE CORE OF ALL THAT SUPERSTARDOM AND, YOU KNOW, FANCY SHOW STUFF, APPEARANCE, IS PROBABLY THE MOST AMAZING THING ABOUT HER TO ME.

NARRATOR: IN 1980, SHE ACHIEVED AN ENTIRELY NEW LEVEL OF NATIONAL STARDOM WHEN SHE JOINED JANE FONDA AND LILY TOMLIN IN THE HIT HOLLYWOOD MOVIE "9 TO 5."

LET'S JUST SIT DOWN AND-- LOOK, I'VE GOT A GUN OUT THERE IN MY PURSE.

AND UP TILL NOW, I'VE BEEN FORGIVING AND FORGETTING BECAUSE OF THE WAY I WAS BROUGHT UP, BUT I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING, IF YOU EVER SAY ANOTHER WORD ABOUT ME OR MAKE ANOTHER INDECENT PROPOSAL, I'M GONNA GET THAT GUN OF MINE, AND I'M GONNA CHANGE YOU FROM A ROOSTER TO A HEN WITH ONE SHOT.

DON'T THINK I CAN'T DO IT.

PARTON: ♪ IT'S ALL TAKING AND NO GIVING ♪ ♪ WE'RE JUST... ♪ NARRATOR: THANKS TO HER SONGWRITING TALENT, HER UNMISTAKABLE VOICE, HER BIGGER-THAN-LIFE PERSONA, AND HER TIRELESS DRIVE, DOLLY PARTON HAD BECOME THE MOST FAMOUS WOMAN IN COUNTRY MUSIC.

"I'M NOT OFFENDED BY ALL THE DUMB BLONDE JOKES BECAUSE I KNOW I'M NOT DUMB," SHE SAID.

"AND I'M NOT BLONDE, EITHER."

PARTON: ♪ PUTTING MONEY IN HIS WALLET ♪ ♪ 9 TO 5, WHOA, WHAT A WAY TO MAKE A LIVIN' ♪ NARRATOR: COUNTRY MUSIC'S EMBRACE WAS NOW BIGGER THAN EVER.

ARTISTS WERE EXPLODING THE OLD DEFINITIONS AND EXPLORING EVERY POSSIBLE COMBINATION OF STYLES, AND MANY OF THEM DIDN'T CARE WHAT IT WAS CALLED.

ALABAMA: ♪ LIKE GRANDMA AND GRANDPA USED TO PLAY... ♪ NARRATOR: ALABAMA, A COUNTRY BAND FORMED BY 3 COUSINS, EMERGED FROM PLAYING FOR TIPS IN ROWDY DANCE HALLS TO FILLING BIG ARENAS AND THRILLING THEIR LEGIONS OF FANS WITH THEIR ROCK-STYLE PRODUCTIONS.

RONNIE MILSAP, A BLIND SINGER FROM NORTH CAROLINA, MIXED COUNTRY AND ROCK, BLUES AND SOUL AND HAD DOZENS OF NUMBER-ONE HITS.

THE OAK RIDGE BOYS HAD BEEN TRYING FOR YEARS TO EXPAND THEIR FAN BASE FROM THE TINY GOSPEL MARKET.

WITH SONGS LIKE "ELVIRA," THEY BECAME ONE OF THE TOP-SELLING GROUPS IN COUNTRY MUSIC.

BARBARA MANDRELL HAD MASTERED THE STEEL GUITAR BY THE TIME SHE WAS 11 YEARS OLD.

BY 13, SHE TOURED WITH JOHNNY CASH AND BACKED UP GEORGE JONES.

NOW SHE RELEASED ALBUMS THAT R&B STATIONS PLAYED AND STARRED IN HER OWN NETWORK VARIETY SHOW.

KENNY ROGERS HAD PLAYED FOLK AND ROCK MUSIC AND SANG COUNTRY-POP BALLADS LIKE "THE GAMBLER," A SONG SO POPULAR 4 MADE-FOR-TELEVISION MOVIES WERE BASED ON IT.

BETWEEN 1973 AND 1983, THE NUMBER OF FULL-TIME COUNTRY RADIO STATIONS WOULD NEARLY TRIPLE, RISING FROM 764 TO 2,266.

GOLD ALBUMS, ONCE A RARITY, WERE NOW BEING ANNOUNCED NEARLY TWICE A MONTH.

JONES: ♪ THERE ARE THOSE WHO'D LIKE TO CHANGE ♪ ♪ THE WAY I'M LIVING... ♪ HARRIS: I THINK I WAS SWEEPING THE FLOOR OR SOMETHING, AND I HAD A GEORGE JONES RECORD ON, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEARD HIM.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT.

BUT IT WAS LIKE A VEIL LIFTED FROM MY EARS, ATTACHED TO MY SOUL AND MY HEART AND THE WAY I LISTENED TO MUSIC.

I HEARD HIM, TRULY HEARD HIM, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE SOULFULNESS IN HIS VOICE.

AND IT WAS JUST THIS INCREDIBLE "AHA" MOMENT WHERE I THOUGHT, "THERE'S JUST NO ONE LIKE HIM."

JONES: ♪ I'VE DONE EVERYTHING I CAN ♪ ♪ TO MAKE YOU HAPPY... ♪ SHERRILL: I DON'T THINK YOU CAN UNDERSTAND GEORGE JONES.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S A WAY, A WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH TO UNDERSTAND GEORGE JONES.

I...

I QUIT TRYING A LONG TIME AGO.

JONES: ♪ ...ARMS MAY ACHE AND WANT TO HOLD YOU... ♪ NARRATOR: IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING HIS DIVORCE FROM TAMMY WYNETTE, GEORGE JONES' LIFE SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL.

JONES: ♪ ...DON'T GIVE A DAMN ♪ NARRATOR: ALREADY PRONE TO VIOLENT BOUTS OF HEAVY DRINKING, HE NOW BECAME ADDICTED TO COCAINE.

HE CONTINUED TO RECORD, AND NO ONE DISPUTED THE SINGULAR POWER OF HIS VOICE.

BUT JONES SEEMED INTENT ON SELF-DESTRUCTION.

HE BEGAN MISSING CONCERTS, SO MANY THAT PROMOTERS AND FANS ALIKE GAVE HIM A NEW NICKNAME.

IT HAD BEEN "POSSUM."

NOW IT WAS "NO SHOW JONES."

THE MIXTURE OF WHISKEY AND COCAINE MADE HIM CHRONICALLY SLEEPLESS AND PARANOID.

HE LOST WEIGHT, DROPPING TO UNDER 100 POUNDS.

HE HAD REPEATED RUN-INS WITH THE POLICE FOR SPEEDING AROUND IN ONE OF HIS CADILLACS WHILE DRUNK.

JONES: ♪ ...I MIGHT WAKE... ♪ NARRATOR: ENTANGLED IN LAWSUITS FOR BAD DEBTS AND CANCELLED SHOWS, HE FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY, LOST HIS HOUSE, AND LIVED IN HIS CAR FOR A WHILE.

JONES: ♪ I JUST DON'T GIVE A DAMN ♪ NARRATOR: TAMMY WYNETTE'S LIFE WAS IN SHAMBLES, TOO.

NOW MARRIED TO HER FIFTH HUSBAND AND PLAGUED BY HEALTH PROBLEMS, SHE HAD BECOME HOOKED ON PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS, AND THEN INVOLVED IN A STRING OF BIZARRE INCIDENTS, INCLUDING A SENSATIONAL CLAIM THAT SHE HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED AND BEATEN UP BEFORE BEING RELEASED WYNETTE HADN'T HAD A NUMBER-ONE HIT FOR 4 YEARS, AND NEITHER HAD GEORGE JONES, WHEN BILLY SHERRILL BROUGHT THE TWO OF THEM BACK INTO THE STUDIO IN JANUARY 1980 FOR ANOTHER ALBUM OF DUETS, "TOGETHER AGAIN."

JONES: ♪ WE ALWAYS WANTED A BIG TWO-STORY HOUSE... ♪ SHERRILL: IT WAS KIND OF LIKE TWO WOUNDED ANIMALS.

NOT TOO WOUNDED TO KEEP DOING WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO AND WHAT THEY LOVED DOING.

NARRATOR: A SINGLE FROM THE ALBUM, "TWO STORY HOUSE," WHICH WYNETTE HAD CO-WRITTEN ESPECIALLY FOR THE OCCASION, WOULD RISE TO NUMBER TWO ON THE COUNTRY CHARTS IN THE SPRING OF 1980.

BUT ITS SUCCESS PALED COMPARED TO A SONG JONES RECORDED BY HIMSELF LESS THAN A MONTH LATER.

THE EPITOME OF A COUNTRY SONG?

PROBABLY "HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY."

IT'S JUST A LOVE STORY.

IT'S SAD.

IT'S A WONDERFUL MELODY.

IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST WELL-WRITTEN SONGS EVER.

NARRATOR: "HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY" WAS WRITTEN BY BOBBY BRADDOCK AND CURLY PUTMAN.

IT DESCRIBES A MAN WHO WAITS ALL HIS LIFE, PINING AWAY FOR THE WOMAN WHO'S LEFT HIM.

MIDWAY THROUGH THE SONG, IT'S REVEALED THAT THE ONLY REASON HE STOPPED LOVING HER IS BECAUSE HE HAS DIED.

BILLY SHERRILL BELIEVED THE SONG WAS A PERFECT FIT FOR GEORGE JONES.

THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS JONES KEPT CONFUSING THE MELODY WITH KRIS KRISTOFFERSON'S "HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT."

SHERRILL: HE WAS GOING, ♪ HE SAID I'LL LOVE YOU TILL I DIE ♪ I SAID, "THAT'S 'HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT,' FOOL."

FINALLY, HE SAID...

HE GOT MAD AND SAID, ♪ "HE SAID, 'I'LL LOVE YOU TILL I DIE' ♪ IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH?"

I SAID, "THAT'S FINE."

JONES: ♪ HE SAID, "I'LL LOVE YOU TILL I DIE" ♪ ♪ SHE TOLD HIM, "YOU'LL FORGET IN TIME" ♪ ♪ AS THE YEARS WENT SLOWLY BY ♪ ♪ SHE STILL PREYED UPON HIS MIND ♪ ♪ HE KEPT HER PICTURE ON HIS WALL ♪ ♪ WENT HALF CRAZY NOW AND THEN ♪ ♪ HE STILL LOVED HER THROUGH IT ALL ♪ ♪ HOPING SHE'D COME BACK AGAIN... ♪ NARRATOR: WITH SOME OF NASHVILLE'S BEST SESSION MUSICIANS, SHERRILL CREATED AN ARRANGEMENT THAT HAD A CLASSIC COUNTRYPOLITAN SOUND-- A FAINT, WEEPING STEEL GUITAR WITHOUT A HINT OF TWANG, SWEET BACKGROUND VOCALS, AND AN ENSEMBLE OF STRINGS THAT BUILT STEADILY TOWARD THE SONG'S CLIMAX.

BRADDOCK: THIS MAY SOUND STRANGE COMING FROM THE SONGWRITER, BUT I THINK THAT ROOM FULL OF CELLOS AND VIOLAS AND VIOLINS ASCENDING ON THAT RECORD, SOUNDING LIKE THE MAN'S SOUL GOING UP TO HEAVEN, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE MOST POWERFUL THING ON THE RECORD.

SHERRILL: WORD FOR WORD, AFTER I PLAYED HIM THE FINISHED PRODUCT, SO HELP ME GOD, JONES SAID, "YOU'VE GOT YOUR RECORD, BUT LISTEN, SON, NOBODY WILL EVER BUY THAT MORBID SON OF A BITCH."

JONES: ♪ HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY ♪ ♪ THEY PLACED A WREATH UPON HIS DOOR... ♪ I AM CONVINCED GEORGE JONES MIGHT BE THE MOST SOULFUL SINGER THE PLANET HAS EVER KNOWN.

JONES: ♪ ...HIM AWAY ♪ ♪ HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY... ♪ NARRATOR: 3 MONTHS AFTER ITS RELEASE, "HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY" REACHED THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY CHARTS, GEORGE JONES' FIRST SOLO NUMBER-ONE HIT IN 6 YEARS.

IT WOULD GO ON TO SELL A MILLION RECORDS AND WIN EVERY POSSIBLE AWARD FOR THE SONGWRITERS AND THE ARTIST.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE SONGS THAT WAS MEANT TO BE.

AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE SONGS THAT GEORGE JONES WAS MEANT TO RECORD.

AND WHEN HE GOT DONE WITH IT, IT HAD BEEN DONE.

JONES: ♪ ...HER TODAY... ♪ SMITH: THE FIRST TIME I HEARD IT, I WAS DRIVING OUT 65.

I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD.

I COULDN'T SEE I WAS CRYING SO HARD.

THAT SONG JUST REALLY TOUCHED ME, AND I HONESTLY THINK IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED.

[LAUGHS] JONES: ♪ HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY ♪ EMERY: I ASKED MERLE ONE TIME WHO HIS FAVORITE COUNTRY SINGER WAS.

HE SAID, "GEORGE JONES."

I ASKED GEORGE WHO HIS FAVORITE COUNTRY SINGER WAS, HE SAID, "MERLE HAGGARD."

[LAUGHS] NARRATOR: BY THE EARLY 1980s, MERLE HAGGARD, ALREADY CONSIDERED ONE OF COUNTRY MUSIC'S GREATEST SINGER-SONGWRITERS, HAD RECORDED MORE THAN 40 ALBUMS AND HAD MORE THAN 30 NUMBER-ONE SINGLES.

IN 1983, HE BEGAN WORK ON AN ALBUM WITH WILLIE NELSON.

THEY HAD BEEN RECORDING FOR 5 DAYS AT NELSON'S STUDIO IN TEXAS, BUT STILL HADN'T FOUND THE RIGHT SONG TO ANCHOR THE ALBUM.

HAGGARD HAD GONE TO SLEEP ON HIS BUS.

MEANWHILE, WILLIE'S DAUGHTER PLAYED HER FATHER A TUNE HE HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE.

IT WAS ON AN EMMYLOU HARRIS ALBUM, A BALLAD WRITTEN BY TOWNES VAN ZANDT.

AND WILLIE CAME AND KNOCKED ON MY BUS LATE ONE NIGHT, ABOUT 4:00 IN THE MORNING, ACTUALLY, AND I HAD JUST LAID DOWN.

AND HE SAID, "I THINK I'VE FOUND A TITLE FOR OUR ALBUM."

AND HE HAD A PAPER SACK ROLLED OUT AND THESE WORDS WERE THAT LONG.

AND, LIKE I SAID, I HAD JUST GOT TO BED AND I SAID, "WILLIE," I SAID, "I CAN'T EVEN SEE THOSE LYRICS."

I SAID, "YOU GUYS GO AHEAD AND PUT IT DOWN, AND I'LL PUT MY VOICE ON IN THE MORNING."

"NO," HE SAID.

"GET UP AND COME IN THERE WITH ME."

AND SAID, "LET'S DO IT ALL AT ONCE."

SO I WENT IN THERE.

I WAS REAL SLEEPY, AND WE RECORDED THAT THING.

AND I WAS THINKING WHILE I WAS DOING IT, "WELL, I'LL DO THIS OVER IN THE MORNING," YOU KNOW?

SO I GOT UP THE NEXT MORNING AND WENT IN THE STUDIO, AND I SAID, "CAN I DO THAT VOCAL TRACK OVER?"

AND THEY SAID, "HELL, IT'S ON THE WAY TO NEW YORK."

NELSON: ♪ LIVING ON THE ROAD, MY FRIEND ♪ ♪ WAS GONNA KEEP YOU FREE AND CLEAN... ♪ NARRATOR: THE SONG WAS "PANCHO AND LEFTY."

THE ALBUM WOULD SHOOT TO NUMBER ONE ON THE COUNTRY CHARTS, CROSS OVER TO POP, AND SELL MORE THAN A MILLION RECORDS.

NELSON: ♪ ...HER FAVORITE ONE IT SEEMS... ♪ NARRATOR: TO GET THERE, THE SONG HAD TRAVELED A LONG, MEANDERING ROAD.

TWO OF COUNTRY MUSIC'S LEGENDARY SONGWRITERS, THE MUSICAL OUTLAW FROM TEXAS AND THE POET OF THE COMMON MAN FROM THE HARDSCRABBLE STREETS OF BAKERSFIELD, HAD LISTENED TO AN ALBUM RECORDED BY A FORMER HIPPIE FOLK SINGER WHO HAD BEEN CONVERTED TO COUNTRY MUSIC BY A COSMIC COWBOY AND IN DOING SO STUMBLED UPON A SONG WRITTEN BY AN ECCENTRIC VAGABOND WHO SPENT HIS DAYS TRYING TO WRITE THE PERFECT SONG AND SOME OF HIS NIGHTS CRASHING WITH FRIENDS AT A HOME WHERE THE FOCUS WAS ON ART, NOT COMMERCIAL SUCCESS.

AND ON HIS 60th BIRTHDAY, WILLIE NELSON WOULD SING "PANCHO AND LEFTY" AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH SOMEONE ELSE WHO ALSO DEFIED MUSICAL CATEGORIES--BOB DYLAN.

NELSON: ♪ OUT OF KINDNESS, I SUPPOSE... ♪ NARRATOR: BACKING THEM UP ON THE MANDOLIN WAS THE KID FROM PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI WHO HAD PLAYED IN LESTER FLATT'S AND JOHNNY CASH'S BAND-- MARTY STUART.

NELSON: ♪ ...DOWN SOUTH ♪ ♪ ENDED UP IN LEFTY'S MOUTH ♪ MUSIC CUTS THROUGH ALL THE BOUNDARIES, AND A LOT OF US KNOW THAT.

SO WE'RE NOT AFRAID TO PLAY ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY, BECAUSE MUSIC WILL GET THROUGH.

♪ THERE AIN'T NOBODY KNOWS ♪ ♪ ALL THE FEDERALES SAY ♪ ♪ THEY COULD HAVE HAD HIM ANY DAY ♪ ♪ THEY ONLY LET HIM GO SO LONG ♪ ♪ OUT OF KINDNESS, I SUPPOSE ♪ ["JOLENE" PLAYING] ["JOLENE" PLAYING] PARTON: ♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ I'M BEGGING OF YOU, PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY MAN ♪ ♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN ♪ ♪ YOUR BEAUTY IS BEYOND COMPARE ♪ ♪ WITH FLAMING LOCKS OF AUBURN HAIR ♪ ♪ WITH IVORY SKIN AND EYES OF EMERALD GREEN ♪ ♪ YOUR SMILE IS LIKE A BREATH OF SPRING ♪ ♪ YOUR VOICE IS SOFT LIKE SUMMER RAIN ♪ ♪ AND I CANNOT COMPETE WITH YOU, JOLENE ♪ NARRATOR: NEXT TIME ON "COUNTRY MUSIC," GARTH BROOKS FILLS ARENAS... KATHY MATTEA: THIS GUY IS SELLING OUT THE STADIUMS, AND HE'S ONE OF US.

NARRATOR: COUNTRY REDISCOVERS ITS ROOTS... VINCE GILL: I DON'T THINK I WOULD ENJOY COUNTRY MUSIC IF IT STAYED THE SAME.

NARRATOR: AND SAYS FAREWELL TO JOHNNY CASH.

EVERY PIECE OF AMERICAN MUSIC-- GOSPEL, BLUEGRASS, ROCK AND ROLL-- THAT WAS ALL IN JOHN.

NARRATOR: DON'T MISS THE FINALE OF "COUNTRY MUSIC."

JOHNNY CASH: ♪ ...COLD, WILD WIND WILL COME ♪ TO EXPERIENCE MORE OF COUNTRY MUSIC, VISIT PBS.ORG FOR HISTORICAL TIMELINES, BEHIND THE SCENES FOOTAGE, AND MUSIC PLAYLISTS.

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♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN ♪ ♪ YOU COULD HAVE YOUR CHOICE OF MEN ♪ ♪ BUT I COULD NEVER LOVE AGAIN ♪ ♪ HE'S THE ONLY ONE FOR ME ♪ ♪ JOLENE ♪ ♪ I HAD TO HAVE THIS TALK WITH YOU ♪ ♪ MY HAPPINESS DEPENDS ON YOU ♪ ♪ AND WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ♪ ♪ JOLENE ♪ ♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ I'M BEGGING OF YOU, PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY MAN ♪ ♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN ♪ ♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ I'M BEGGING OF YOU, PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY MAN ♪ ♪ JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE ♪ ♪ PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN ♪ ♪ JOLENE ♪ CHORUS: ♪ JOLENE ♪