Country Specials [The Country Show With Bob Harris]

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

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Black And Country, With Ben Earle

20240526

20240803 (R2)

The recent conversation surrounding Beyoncé's transatlantic hit Texas Hold Em' has revived the debate around country music and its relationship with black artists. This insightful programme asks who country music is for, what the universal themes are that define it, and why the contribution of black music artists is regularly questioned.

There has always been a black presence in the genre. From legendary harmonica player DeFord Bailey - who was the first ever artist to play The Grand Ole Opry - to popular artists of the present day such as Darius Rucker, Kane Brown and Rhiannon Giddens, black artists have been an important part of a genre that has often been stereotyped as 'white people music'.

This programme, presented by British country singer-songwriter (and one half of The Shires) Ben Earle, is a celebration of the African-American involvement in the genre, a celebration that focuses on artists young and old, contemporary and classic, who have thrived in the art form.

There are artists whose close relationship with country might surprise you - superstars from other genres like Tina Turner, Ray Charles, and The Pointer Sisters who won a Grammy in 1976 singing country. The programme looks at examples from the past where the issue of race has got in the way of the music, as in the case of Linda Martell, and with the trailblazer Charley Pride, who was RCA's biggest selling artist after Elvis and whose sheer talent sustained him as the genre's only black superstar for so long. Listeners also hear from the modern day artists who have found great success in country music, including Darius Rucker, Kane Brown, Miko Marks, and others.

The Mississippi country trio, Chapel Hart Band, talk about their experiences in the industry, and there are also interviews with singer and broadcaster Rissi Palmer and songwriter and author Alice Randall - both of whom have dedicated their careers to showcasing black artists and particularly black women in country music. And we'll also hear the views of Bob Harris, the host of Radio 2's The Country Show, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in April.

Ben Earle presents a celebration of the African-American involvement in Country music.

The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names

Ben Earle presents a celebration of the African-American involvement in Country music, a celebration that focusses on artists young and old, contemporary and classic.

Cma Fest With Thomas Rhett, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Ashley Mcbryde And More!

20240803

Join the amazing Hannah Dasher – surely Dolly Parton's long lost niece! – for the first of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world. The CMA Music Festival takes place in downtown Nashville every year and over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans fly in to Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's a cross between Disneyland and Glastonbury - an experience like no other!

The centrepieces of Fest are the nightly concerts at the local football stadium, where nearly 80,000 people pack in to hear the biggest stars of the day and that's where Hannah's based tonight. She'll be chatting to – and we'll be hearing music from – Shaboozey, Ashley McBryde, Jordan Davis, Thomas Rhett, Chapel Hart & Lynyrd Skynyrd and there's a special guest appearances from Post Malone with Blake Shelton as well!

Hannah Dasher with the best live music from CMA Fest 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names

Join the amazing Hannah Dasher – surely Dolly Parton's long lost niece! – for the first of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world!

Cma Fest With Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, And Dasha!

20240803

Join Brittney Spencer – as heard on Beyonce's genre busting Cowboy Carter album – for the second of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world: the 2024 CMA Music Festival!

This annual event takes downtown Nashville hostage every year with over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans in Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's Glastonbury with hats'n'boots!

The centrepieces of Fest are the nightly concerts at the local football stadium, where nearly 80,000 people pack in to hear the biggest stars of the day and that's where Brittney's based for the show. She'll be chatting to – and we'll be hearing music from –Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Parker McCollum and there's special guest appearances from Dasha, Little Big Town and Kelsea Ballerini as well!

Brittney Spencer with the best live music from the CMA Fest 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names

Join Brittney Spencer – as heard on Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' album – for an hour of highlights from the biggest country music festival in the world: the 2024 CMA Music Festival!

Cma Fest 2024 Highlights With Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson And Jelly Roll!

20240804

The third of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world. The CMA Music Festival takes place in downtown Nashville every year, and over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans fly in to Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's a cross between Disneyland and Glastonbury - an experience like no other!

Tonight, we join UK country star Kezia Gill - herself a performer at the festival - backstage at the Tennessee Titans football stadium for music and conversation from Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, the incredible Jelly Roll and more!

Live music from this year's CMA Fest 2024, in Nashville.

The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names

Live music from CMA Fest 2024 in Nashville. Join UK country star Kezia Gill backstage for music and conversation from Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, the incredible Jelly Roll and more.

Cma Fest 2024 Highlights With Bailey Zimmerman, Carly Pearce, Brothers Osborne And More!

20240804

The fourth of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world. The CMA Music Festival takes place in downtown Nashville every year and over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans fly in to Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's a cross between Disneyland and Glastonbury - an experience like no other!

Tonight we join country star Lindsay Ell - herself a performer at the festival - backstage at the Tennessee Titans football stadium for music and conversation from Carly Pearce, the Brothers Osborne, Bailey Zimmerman, headliner HARDY and more!

Live music from this year's CMA Fest 2024, in Nashville.

The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names

Join country star Lindsay Ell backstage at CMA fest 2024 with music from Carly Pearce, the Brothers Osborne, Bailey Zimmerman, headliner HARDY and more!

Cma Fest 2024 Highlights With Brothers Osborne, Jelly Roll And Lainey Wilson, And Headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd !

20240810

The fifth of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world. The CMA Music Festival takes place in downtown Nashville every year and over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans fly in to Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's a cross between Disneyland and Glastonbury - an experience like no other!

In this programme Bob Harris and Lindsay Ell introduce music from Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson, Zach Top, Brittney Spencer, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Clint Black and Jon Pardi and headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd with special guest Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top!

Plus Josh Turner has a very special message for his UK fans!

Live music from this year's CMA Fest 2024, in Nashville.

The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names

Bob Harris introduces live music from the 2024 CMA Fest from Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, and headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd with Billy Gibbons!

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	Black And Country, With Ben Earle	20240526	20240803 (R2)	The recent conversation surrounding Beyoncé's transatlantic hit Texas Hold Em' has revived the debate around country music and its relationship with black artists. This insightful programme asks who country music is for, what the universal themes are that define it, and why the contribution of black music artists is regularly questioned. There has always been a black presence in the genre. From legendary harmonica player DeFord Bailey - who was the first ever artist to play The Grand Ole Opry - to popular artists of the present day such as Darius Rucker, Kane Brown and Rhiannon Giddens, black artists have been an important part of a genre that has often been stereotyped as 'white people music'. This programme, presented by British country singer-songwriter (and one half of The Shires) Ben Earle, is a celebration of the African-American involvement in the genre, a celebration that focuses on artists young and old, contemporary and classic, who have thrived in the art form. There are artists whose close relationship with country might surprise you - superstars from other genres like Tina Turner, Ray Charles, and The Pointer Sisters who won a Grammy in 1976 singing country. The programme looks at examples from the past where the issue of race has got in the way of the music, as in the case of Linda Martell, and with the trailblazer Charley Pride, who was RCA's biggest selling artist after Elvis and whose sheer talent sustained him as the genre's only black superstar for so long. Listeners also hear from the modern day artists who have found great success in country music, including Darius Rucker, Kane Brown, Miko Marks, and others. The Mississippi country trio, Chapel Hart Band, talk about their experiences in the industry, and there are also interviews with singer and broadcaster Rissi Palmer and songwriter and author Alice Randall - both of whom have dedicated their careers to showcasing black artists and particularly black women in country music. And we'll also hear the views of Bob Harris, the host of Radio 2's The Country Show, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in April. Ben Earle presents a celebration of the African-American involvement in Country music. The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names Ben Earle presents a celebration of the African-American involvement in Country music, a celebration that focusses on artists young and old, contemporary and classic.
02	Cma Fest With Thomas Rhett, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Ashley Mcbryde And More!	20240803		Join the amazing Hannah Dasher – surely Dolly Parton's long lost niece! – for the first of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world. The CMA Music Festival takes place in downtown Nashville every year and over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans fly in to Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's a cross between Disneyland and Glastonbury - an experience like no other! The centrepieces of Fest are the nightly concerts at the local football stadium, where nearly 80,000 people pack in to hear the biggest stars of the day and that's where Hannah's based tonight. She'll be chatting to – and we'll be hearing music from – Shaboozey, Ashley McBryde, Jordan Davis, Thomas Rhett, Chapel Hart & Lynyrd Skynyrd and there's a special guest appearances from Post Malone with Blake Shelton as well! Hannah Dasher with the best live music from CMA Fest 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names Join the amazing Hannah Dasher – surely Dolly Parton's long lost niece! – for the first of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world!
03	Cma Fest With Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, And Dasha!	20240803		Join Brittney Spencer – as heard on Beyonce's genre busting Cowboy Carter album – for the second of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world: the 2024 CMA Music Festival! This annual event takes downtown Nashville hostage every year with over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans in Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's Glastonbury with hats'n'boots! The centrepieces of Fest are the nightly concerts at the local football stadium, where nearly 80,000 people pack in to hear the biggest stars of the day and that's where Brittney's based for the show. She'll be chatting to – and we'll be hearing music from –Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Parker McCollum and there's special guest appearances from Dasha, Little Big Town and Kelsea Ballerini as well! Brittney Spencer with the best live music from the CMA Fest 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names Join Brittney Spencer – as heard on Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' album – for an hour of highlights from the biggest country music festival in the world: the 2024 CMA Music Festival!
04	Cma Fest 2024 Highlights With Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson And Jelly Roll!	20240804		The third of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world. The CMA Music Festival takes place in downtown Nashville every year, and over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans fly in to Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's a cross between Disneyland and Glastonbury - an experience like no other! Tonight, we join UK country star Kezia Gill - herself a performer at the festival - backstage at the Tennessee Titans football stadium for music and conversation from Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, the incredible Jelly Roll and more! Live music from this year's CMA Fest 2024, in Nashville. The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names Live music from CMA Fest 2024 in Nashville. Join UK country star Kezia Gill backstage for music and conversation from Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, the incredible Jelly Roll and more.
05	Cma Fest 2024 Highlights With Bailey Zimmerman, Carly Pearce, Brothers Osborne And More!	20240804		The fourth of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world. The CMA Music Festival takes place in downtown Nashville every year and over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans fly in to Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's a cross between Disneyland and Glastonbury - an experience like no other! Tonight we join country star Lindsay Ell - herself a performer at the festival - backstage at the Tennessee Titans football stadium for music and conversation from Carly Pearce, the Brothers Osborne, Bailey Zimmerman, headliner HARDY and more! Live music from this year's CMA Fest 2024, in Nashville. The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names Join country star Lindsay Ell backstage at CMA fest 2024 with music from Carly Pearce, the Brothers Osborne, Bailey Zimmerman, headliner HARDY and more!
06	Cma Fest 2024 Highlights With Brothers Osborne, Jelly Roll And Lainey Wilson, And Headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd !	20240810		The fifth of five programmes from the biggest country music festival in the world. The CMA Music Festival takes place in downtown Nashville every year and over 200,000 of the most dedicated country fans fly in to Music City for 4 days packed with hundreds of performances on dozens of stages all over town. It's a cross between Disneyland and Glastonbury - an experience like no other! In this programme Bob Harris and Lindsay Ell introduce music from Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson, Zach Top, Brittney Spencer, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Clint Black and Jon Pardi and headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd with special guest Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top! Plus Josh Turner has a very special message for his UK fans! Live music from this year's CMA Fest 2024, in Nashville. The very best in Country music, celebrating the new alongside the defining legendary names Bob Harris introduces live music from the 2024 CMA Fest from Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, and headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd with Billy Gibbons!