Aug 23 Watch 6:37 How old-timey ‘skiffle’ music liberated British rock By PBS News Hour Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg gained fame as a punk rock and folk musician in the 1980s. Now nearing 60, he’s still singing songs of protest and passion, but also singing the gospel of skiffle, a folk and blues-inspired genre that helped… Continue watching
Jul 06 Watch 7:16 Chuck Berry’s final album tops off legacy as rock pioneer By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Mar 20 Without Chuck Berry, these 10 famous rock songs would not exist By Elizabeth Flock Since the 1950s, when Berry first started producing his signature blend of music that combined a rhythm and blues beat with country twang, rockers have begged, borrowed and stolen from the legendary musician. Some have even been sued for allegedly… Continue reading
Mar 19 Watch 6:45 How Chuck Berry defined a generation of rock ‘n’ roll By PBS News Hour Chuck Berry, the legendary musician who helped define rock ’n’ roll, died on Saturday at the age of 90. Music historian Alan Light joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss Berry’s life and his influence on music. Continue watching
Dec 19 Watch 9:19 How Bruce Springsteen tackles truth, in song and memoir By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Apr 21 Watch 1:27 Watch Prince wail on ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ By PBS News Hour Prince, the legendary musician and songwriter, has died at the age of 57. At a 2004 appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the artist played a guitar solo during a rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,”… Continue watching
Dec 27 Watch 7:24 In Mongolia, a new generation’s rock ‘n’ roll rooted in history By PBS News Hour In Mongolia, rock 'n' roll music symbolized the revolution of the early 1990s that broke the country free from decades of Soviet-style rule. Now, 25 years later, the first generation to grow up in the new society is making its… Continue watching
Nov 02 Watch 7:20 For Elvis Costello, eclectic taste and self-reinvention started at home By PBS News Hour For British rock star Elvis Costello, music is in his blood. How did his family, like his jazz musician father, influence him while he found his own path as an artist? He joins Jeffrey Brown to discuss his new memoir,… Continue watching
Oct 20 Watch 6:33 In ‘M Train,’ Patti Smith journeys to where art comes from By PBS News Hour Poet and performer Patti Smith crashed onto the rock scene 40 years ago, and made a splash in the literary world five years ago with an award-winning memoir, "Just Kids." Her newest book, "M Train," takes a trip through time… Continue watching