American Masters

History Series / 16 Seasons

American Masters, committed to producing comprehensive film biographies about the broad cast of characters who comprise our cultural history.

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How the Highwaymen Became Family in Montreux

1m 2s

In this outtake of The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End, friends and family recall the how Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash all came together, along with their families, for a Christmas special in Montreux in 1984.

Janis: Little Girl Blue - Trailer

1m 19s

Janis Joplin thrilled audiences and blazed new creative trails before her death at age 27 in 1970. Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg examines Joplin’s story in depth, presenting an intimate portrait of a complicated and driven artist. The broadcast features a never-before-seen extended film cut with archival performance footage and new interviews with Joplin’s sister Laura Joplin and musicians.

How Janis Joplin Made the Hell's Angels Get Her Groceries

58s

Janis' one-time lover -- recalls Janis' encounter with a group of armed Hell's Angels. They had come to her house in the middle of the night, raiding her kitchen and making a commotion. When Niehaus failed to make them leave, Janis came out and told each one of them off, making them eventually leave and return with ten bags of fresh groceries to restock her refrigerator.

P!nk, Melissa Etheridge, Juliette Lewis can relate to Janis

53s

Musicians like Melissa Etheridge, Juliette Lewis and Alecia Moore (P!nk) can relate to how Janis Joplin must have felt each night after a big performance. The musicians talk about how you "cannot live out who you are on stage," and how destructive an absence of an off-stage life could be.

Janis Joplin's former lover: "She set me free"

1m 11s

David Niehaus had no idea who Janis Joplin was when they first met in Brazil. In this outtake clip, Niehaus remembers his relationship with Janis as a liberating, wild but delicate one, in which he witnessed her most vulnerable and tender moments. Even though the couple ultimately split as her relationship with heroin and alcohol grew, he still remembers Janis at her best.

Chan Marshall Talks About Voicing Janis Joplin's Letters

1m 25s

In this film outtake from Janis: Little Girl Blue, Chan “Cat Power” Marshall, who serves as the film’s narrator and provides the voice for Joplin-penned letters, discusses how she tapped into Joplin’s mindset for the documentary.

Director Amy Berg Brings Janis Back to Life

1m 30s

"I feel like her legacy has been so much about her death to this point, and I hope that people understand her life a little bit more and how much she loved life and performing and being Janis Joplin." Director Amy Berg had the ability to give the audience the public Janis and the private Janis - bringing the singer back to life.

Why Janis Joplin left Big Brother & the Holding Company

33s

In this excerpt from American Masters - Janis Joplin: Little Girl Blue, Janis' letter home reveals a glimpse of the troubles she had with her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, until she finally decided to leave to form her own.

Merle Keeps You On Your Toes

3m 12s

In this outtake from Merle Haggard: Learning to Live With Myself, band members of The Strangers talk about Merle Haggard's unique and carefree performance style that ultimately pushed each musician to become better.

Letter Home Reveals Janis’ Greatest Ambition

54s

In this film excerpt from Janis: Little Girl Blue, Chan Marshall narrates Janis Joplin’s letter home to family shortly after her 27th (and last) birthday. The letter reveals a glimpse into her off-stage struggles, mostly rooted in her reckless lifestyle and strong desire to be loved.

Dick Cavett on Janis Joplin’s Influence

5m 6s

Dick Cavett, a former talk show host and TV personality, talks about his relationship with Janis Joplin and how her frequent appearance helped the show thrive. He also describes the unforgettable effect and depth of Joplin’s unique and captivating performance style.

Loretta Lynn: Lyricist and Songwriter

2m 33s

In this film excerpt from Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl, Sheryl Crow and Jack White talk about Loretta Lynn’s talent as a lyricist and songwriter, and Reba McEntire reveals her favorite Lynn song, "If You're Not Gone Too Long,” and sings some of it. Jack White breaks down the unique way Lynn writes choruses and verses.

Loretta Lynn Wrote for Women. Her Song "The Pill."

2m 15s

Loretta Lynn, Sissy Spacek and Sheryl Crow on Lynn's work and influence among women artists, and her song, "The Pill." The song about birth control was both banned and a top hit for Lynn, who has her own special brand of feminism. See archival footage of Lynn performing the songs she wrote: "The Pill" (1975) and "Wine, Women and Song" (1964).

Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty

2m 59s

Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood talk about Lynn's hit partnership with Conway Twitty. This film excerpt includes footage of Lynn and Twitty performing the number 1 country songs "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" and "After the Fire Is Gone." Brooks and Yearwood sing a lyric from "After the Fire is Gone," too.

Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl - Trailer

2m 47s

Inducted into more music Halls of Fame than any female singer to date, Loretta Lynn has earned four Grammy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and sold more than 45 million records worldwide. Still going strong after more than 50 years, Lynn is the subject of the new documentary with never-before-seen home movies, performances and interviews with Lynn and musicians.

Why Loretta Lynn Wrote "You Ain't Woman Enough"

1m 14s

"You Ain't Woman Enough (to Take My Man)" is from Loretta Lynn's second studio album (1966). Lynn wrote the song after a young fan at a concert confided in Lynn that a rival was trying to steal her husband. The other woman "was really painted up," says Lynn, who told the worried fan, "honey, she ain't woman enough to take your man!" Lynn then wrote the song in ten minutes. A web exclusive outtake.

Loretta Lynn's Gowns

Loretta Lynn's personal designer Tim Cobb makes the gowns she wears at concerts and events. Cobb shows two popular gowns displayed in her museum: the golden one with glass beads that she wore for her 50th anniversary appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 2010; and the light blue one she wore for the cover of the Van Lear Rose album (2004). This is an outtake from Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl.

Fats Domino Concerts: Riots and Rock n' Roll

1m 55s

White and black fans flocked to Fats Domino concerts, integrating many venues for the first time. Four riots took place in 1956. Saxophonist Herb Hardesty describes two concerts and says the riots weren't about race. This film excerpt includes Domino being interviewed about rock n' roll and it's possible influence on rioting. Domino says "music makes people happy. I know it makes me happy."

Fats Domino of New Orleans, the Music Mecca

2m 11s

Fats Domino, born and raised in New Orleans, and so were his writing partner Dave Bartholomew and bandmates like drummer Earl Palmer. In the late 1940s and 1950s, Cosimo Matassa’s J&M music shop was the only recording studio in New Orleans and became the mecca for record companies looking to cash in on the New Orleans rhythm and blues sound.

Fats Domino Filmmaker Joe Lauro on Making the Documentary

8m 11s

Joe Lauro, director of Fats Domino and The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll, details the challenges of making a film about a living legend and a very private man. One hurdle was finding archival footage of Fats Domino's performances (which he did, in France). Lauro also had to win Domino's own interest and trust. Once he did, the "floodgates" opened, and Lauro could interview Domino's longtime bandmates.

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