Country Music Episode 6: “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” (1968 – 1972) 1x52

Follow the tormented early lives but uplifting careers of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, later known as “Mr. and Mrs. Country Music.”

With the Vietnam War intensifying, America is more divided than ever. Country music is not immune to the divisions. Kris Kristofferson, a former Rhodes Scholar and Army captain, becomes a writer whose lyricism sets a new standard for country songs. And a hippie band from California, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, comes to town to create a landmark album that bridges the gap between generations. In 1969, Johnny Cash triumphantly returns to the Ryman Auditorium (the place that had kicked him out years earlier for breaking the footlights); and he brings an eclectic range of guests from folk, pop, and jazz as well as country music.