American Masters

History Series / 14 Seasons

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

Watch Latest: S39 E1

1h 23m / TV-14

James Beard as a Gastronomic Gigolo

1m 31s

Initially interested in acting, James Beard began cooking and entertaining when his savings ran low. Soon, he found himself invited to events and parties across the city. After he began his first catering company, he found that his cooking was beginning to open doors for him.

Patsy Cline

2m 10s

Patsy Cline defined modern country music by using her singular talent and heart-wrenching emotional depth to break down barriers of gender, class and genre. In her music and her life, she set a standard of authenticity towards which artists still strive.

Listen to how Patsy Cline "fibbed" to perform on CBS

2m 9s

Julie Fudge, daughter of Patsy Cline, shares a story about how Cline's mother fibbed, acting as her manager, in order to get Patsy Cline onto Arthur Godfrey's CBS show to perform live.

How Patsy Cline overcame the good ol' boys club

1m 20s

When Patsy Cline began working in country music, female headliners were rare. Her tenacity and talent allowed her to overcome bias and become one of the first female solo artists in country music.

How a car crash nearly ended Patsy Cline's career

1m 7s

At 29 years old, with a successful career and several hits climbing the charts, Patsy Cline was almost killed in a head-on car collision. Permanent scarring and chronic pain could've ended the young musician's career, but Cline refused to let it slow her down. Six weeks after the accident, still on crutches, she appeared on the Grand Ol' Opry's stage to perform her biggest hit yet: Crazy.

Hear how Patsy Cline met her husband, Charlie Dick.

2m

Patsy Cline and Charlie Dick were two young, passionate musicians from working-class backgrounds. After meeting at a club, the two struck up a relationship, and it seemed like a perfect match.

Learn how Patsy Cline broke social norms in the '50s

1m 32s

Forced to drop out of school to earn money, Patsy Cline was an incredibly hard worker, holding several jobs as a teenager while also singing with local groups and competing in talent shows. Cline was unafraid of breaking with social norms and walked her own path, wearing men's pants and bright red lipstick.

How Patsy Cline balanced home life and commercial success

1m 15s

Despite growing commercial success and a rigorous schedule, Patsy Cline continued to manage her household herself. Even as "Crazy" rocketed to the top of the charts in 1962, she balanced domestic duties like cooking, cleaning and raising her children with all of the demands of life as a performing artist.

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