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.

1h 23m / TV-PG

Nina Bernstein and June Norton on Ella Fitzgerald

47s

Before 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 and, at times, living on the street. Journalist Nina Bernstein and Fitzgerald’s longtime friend June Norton discuss one of the singer’s most difficult periods.

Venus Williams on Women in Tennis

1m 14s

In this exclusive clip from the American Masters Digital Archive, Venus Williams reflects on the sacrifices made by trailblazers such as Althea Gibson and Billie Jean King, without whom, the game of women's tennis would not be where it is today.

Patti Smith on the Scene

1m 40s

In this never-before-heard interview from American Masters – Lou Reed: Rock-And-Roll Heart (1998) conducted by filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Patti Smith talks about how we live in a very label-conscious time and hopes one day for a label-free future.

Fran Drescher on Lucille Ball

1m 28s

American film and television comedian, model, actress, and producer Fran Drescher, star of the hit TV sitcom "The Nanny," reflects on how Lucille Ball used the character of Lucy to present a stylish, smart and independent woman who resonated with millions of women across America.

Bernadette Peters Talks about Mel Brooks

2m 43s

Bernadette Peters on meeting Mel Brooks and the impact of his humor: “As far as he would go with jokes, like in Blazing Saddleshe’ll get away with things because they were truly funny.” Peters was interviewed on September 4, 2012 for American Masters – Mel Brooks: Make A Noise (2013).

Gloria Steinem on Marilyn Monroe

2m 39s

Gloria Steinem discusses her experience watching Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. While Steinem believes the support system that resulted from the Women’s Movement has been a huge help to women, she wonders if this kind of support could have ultimately saved Marilyn from the society that devastated her and so many others.

In Their Own Words Trailer

2m 27s

American Masters is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the launch of In Their Own Words: The American Masters Digital Archive and The American Masters Podcast, featuring previously unreleased interviews filmed for the documentary series: 2,156 tapes, approximately 1,388 digitized hours, 800-plus interviews and counting.

The Highwaymen: 'The Mount Rushmore of Country Music'

3m 16s

In 1985, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson formed a country supergroup: The Highwaymen. In this excerpt from The Highwaymen: Friends Till The End, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and others talk about how coming together as a group was crucial to their individual careers and the American music industry.

The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End - Promo

2m 32s

Discover the story behind the pioneering outlaw country music supergroup that featured Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, told through vintage performances and new interviews about life on the road and in the studio.

Willie Nelson Sings 'Always On My Mind' at Nassau Coliseum

2m 33s

"Willie cut 'Always on my Mind.' He called me the night he cut it and he said, listen to this. I heard it over the phone and I went wow, that’s a smash. That band was the same band that toured with Highwaymen every night." - Mark Rothbaum, manager of The Highwaymen

How Kris Kristofferson Convinced Cash to Record His Songs

1m 3s

How did Kris Kristofferson convince Johnny Cash to record his songs when he was just a janitor? In this outtake clip from The Highwaymen: Friends Till The End, John Carter Cash recalls how Kris Kristofferson flew a helicopter into Johnny Cash's yard to convince him to record his songs.

Filmmaker Jim Brown: The Highwaymen Had a Message

47s

Director and producer Jim Brown talks about the making of The Highwaymen: Friends Til The End, a documentary about Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, who pioneered and led the outlaw country movement.

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.

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