Tennessee Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Award-Winning Filmmaker Ken Burns

This past week, TDTD and Tennessee’s tourism partners in Bristol, Sevierville, Knoxville, Cookeville, Nashville and Memphis welcome award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns as he started his nationwide tour for his upcoming “Country Music” documentary, to be aired Sept. 15 on PBS.

While in Tennessee, Ken Burns visited the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol; paid homage to Dolly Parton at her statue in downtown Sevierville; explored Sun Studio in Memphis; and closed out the tour with a star-studded concert that included Ricky Skaggs, Holly Williams and Dierks Bentley.

“Country Music” is the first Burns documentary since 2018’s “The Vietnam War,” which averaged 6.7 million viewers during its 10-night broadcast.

The broadcast will coincide with the first anniversary of the Tennessee Music Pathways, an initiative to connect travelers to the people, places and genres significant to music history. From the largest cities to the smallest communities, this statewide program identifies, explains and preserves the legacy of music in Tennessee.

Tune in Sept. 15 as the story of “Country Music” is told nationwide. Check local listings.