On September 21, 1998, Harry Belafonte spoke about the intersection of music and race and the influence that Paul Robeson had on his career and the Black community as a whole. Interview conducted for American Masters—Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1999), directed by St. Clair Bourne. ...
Explore the legacy of Marian Anderson in this special event featuring panelists Director Rita Coburn, Mezzo-Soprano Denyce Graves and Tenor George Shirley, moderated by Executive Producer Michael Kantor.
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Writer Lou Marrelli recounts six of the musical icons who inspired the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" across genres. A famous rock musician from the city of Liverpool was once quoted, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.” It was John Lennon, and though his comment was ...
On July 12, 2012, Tracey Ullman sat down with director Robert Trachtenberg to discuss the joys of working with Mel Brooks for American Masters - Mel Brooks: Make a Noise (2013). Chapters: 00:00 - Tracey Ullman on studying American sitcoms when she first moved from England ...
"Driving around Los Angeles with Brian Wilson is like being with a king surveying his realm—this is his town, where he was born and raised (he lives today no more than 20 miles where he grew up) and where he created the music of The ...
In this personal essay, author and pediatrician Mark Vonnegut draws parallels to Brian Wilson and challenges the stigmas of mental illness. He reflects on the thorny label of "creative genius" that was assigned to both Wilson and his own father, author Kurt Vonnegut. Brian Wilson ...
Meryl Streep was touched, but perplexed when Joe Papp asked her to take over The Public Theater after his passing. "What he wanted was bigger than what could be, which was sort of always what was true with him," said Streep.
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"I believe that great art is for everyone—not just the rich or the middle class. When I go into East Harlem or Bedford-Stuyvesant and see the kids who come to see our shows, I see nothing so clearly as myself." — Joe Papp In 1954, ...
Music is an essential part of any road trip whether you’re driving cross-country or just across town. No one knows this better than Brian Wilson, who guides us through his hometown of Los Angeles from the passenger seat of journalist Jason Fine’s car in American ...
Music critic Lindsay Zoladz shares her thoughts on how the listenability of Brian Wilson's music belied his talent and the intricacies of his music. Rock ’n’ roll, like any worthwhile art form, is fueled by the tension of opposites, like that moment of expectant silence ...
