American Masters: Creative Spark

Joan Baez and fellow singer-songwriter Dar Williams discuss their musical collaborations and how they’ve influenced each other’s lives and art.

Before jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald became the First Lady of Song and earned 13 Grammy Awards, she spent much of her teenage years as an orphan, finding odd jobs to get by and, at times, living on the street.

Tennis superstars Chris Evert and Venus Williams discuss athlete and social icon Billie Jean King’s impact both on and off the tennis court.

Singer-songwriter Patti Smith discusses the early days of punk rock, painting a picture of the vibrant music scene of 1970s New York City.

Celebrate television legend Lucille Ball with actresses Doris Singleton, Fran Drescher, and Carol Burnett, who discuss Lucy’s successes and challenges.

Betty White sits down with director Kyra Thompson to discuss the life and career of comedian, actor, singer and writer Carol Burnett.

American singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne discusses the difficulties of navigating the 1940s and 1950s Hollywood studio system and her involvement in the civil rights movement. As a trailblazing person of color within the entertainment industry, Horne recollects times spent with Count Basie, Medgar Evers, Billy Strayhorn and others [Lena Horne: In Her Own Voice (1996)].

In this episode of the American Masters Podcast, American journalist and activist Gloria Steinem speaks with the late documentary filmmaker Gail Levin as they take a critical look at the life and career of Marilyn Monroe [Marilyn Monroe: Still Life (2006)].

The American Masters Podcast brings you previously unreleased long-form interviews from the series' 30+ years of award-winning documentary films.

The American Masters Podcast features new interviews with contemporary artists, along with previously unreleased interviews from the series’ 30+ years of award-winning documentary films. Subscribe now!