How Country Popped Its Way Into the Mainstream

The legendary Kris Kristofferson has died at 88. He'd not looked too well in recent times, so this isn't entirely a surprise. He wrote many hits, sang many more, had famous friends and supported great and noble causes. RIP 

Grand Ole Opry Live - Garth Brooks
A busy little half-hour show from 1993, in which Garth got to sing a couple, as did Emmylou Harris, and host Vince Gill topped and tailed the show.

Desert Island Discs Revisited - Emmylou Harris
She was a guest in 2003, and host Sue Lawley seemed to take a largely dismissive attitude to country music, which made for a less than enthralling bit of interrogation. Harris talked Gram Parsons, of course, and picked songs from Waylon Jennings, the Staple Singers, Brice Springsteen, Neil Young and the McGarrigle sisters, among others.

Take Me Home - John Denver w/Arthur Tobier
This 1994 release related his tricky upbringing with a harsh pilot father, how he found fame and freedom in Colorado, and his strong environmental streak. He didn't approve of being pigeon-holed as country, though.

Grand Ole Opry Live - Brad Paisley
An hour from 2021 this time, with something I've not seen on these repeats before, a stand-up spot, from Kevin Nealon. Top line act Brad Paisley was pretty good, though. 

Soul Music - Take Me Home, Country Roads
Bill Danoff co-wrote it, but John Denver made it a hit. Amusingly, Toots Hibbert covered it, changing "west Virginia" to "west Jamaica" and being almost as successful as Denver. It became an anthem of longing for home.