Brenda Lee: Rockin' Around
Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.
Episodes
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Brenda Lee: Rockin' Around
S38 E6 - 52m 55s
Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.
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Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined
S38 E5 - 1h 23m
Explore the story of Dominican-American poet and novelist Julia Alvarez, who burst onto the literary scene and blazed a trail for a generation of Latino authors.
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Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames
S38 E4 - 1h 23m
Explore the story of director, screenwriter and producer Blake Edwards, known for cinema classics such as “Breakfast at Tiffany's,” “Days of Wine and Roses” and the “Pink Panther” series.
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The Incomparable Mr. Buckley
S38 E3 - 1h 40m
Discover the intellectual evolution and political legacy of William F. Buckley, Jr. See how the author and commentator, one of the foremost public intellectuals in American history, galvanized the modern conservative movement.
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Moynihan
S38 E2 - 1h 43m
Discover the life and legacy of former U.S. Senator and diplomat Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Going beyond the “Moynihan Report,” President Joe Biden, Ta-Nehisi Coates and others reflect on his decades-long fight to end national poverty.
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HOPPER: An American love story
S38 E1 - 53m 3s
Discover the secrets behind Edward Hopper’s most iconic and enigmatic works. Known for “Nighthawks” and other evocative paintings of American life, Hopper has left a lasting impression on our culture. Meet the man behind the brush, and see how his marriage to fellow artist Josephine Nivison Hopper shaped his art and career.
Extras + Features
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How Brenda Lee's collaboration with producer Owen Bradley changed the course of her career
S38 E6 - 2m 21s
Owen Bradley, producer at Decca Records, took Brenda Lee under his wing and became both a musical mentor and a life mentor to her. "Owen credited Brenda with really showing that pop music could be done in Nashville," said music historian Alan Stoker.
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Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around (ASL Trailer)
S38 E6 - 2m 56s
Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.
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Brenda Lee's career started when she was just 8 years old
S38 E6 - 2m 36s
Brenda Lee began working as a professional singer at just eight years old to support her family. She made waves throughout her career in a variety of genres including pop, country and rock.
"I loved to sing, and I didn't care if anybody listened," said Brenda. "I would sing all day long if they had let me. I loved it. Still do."
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When Brenda Lee eloped with her husband
S38 E6 - 2m 35s
Brenda Lee met her husband Ronnie Shacklett at the age of 17 while watching Jackie Wilson at the Nashville Fairgrounds Coliseum. She kept their engagement to herself for three months before telling anyone in her family. They eloped six months after meeting and have been married since 1963.
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Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around (EAD + OC Trailer)
S38 E6 - 3m 31s
Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.
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Brenda Lee had a fully formed career before even signing a contract
S38 E6 - 2m 30s
Brenda Lee made appearances on television, radio and live shows all before she even signed a record deal. Her performances on "Ozark Jubilee" starring Red Foley at just 10 years old caught the eyes of executives at Decca Records, with whom she would eventually sign.
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3 classic songs Brenda Lee performed as a teenager
S38 E6 - 7m 16s
Singer Brenda Lee was making broadcast appearances as a teenager during the golden age of television. These are 3 of her most notable performances from Jubilee USA, also known as Ozark Jubilee, a 1950s TV show that featured country music's top stars of the day. Here she performs with Red Foley and Snooky Lanson.
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Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around
S38 E6 - 2m 56s
Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.
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The success of Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”
S38 E6 - 1m 28s
Brenda Lee recorded “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” written by Johnny Marx, when she was 12 years old. The song received a boost thanks to its inclusion in the classic holiday movie "Home Alone." Brenda became the oldest woman to reach #1 on the Top 100 Billboard Charts when “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” charted in 2023.
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How Julia Alvarez conceived the story for her novel "Afterlife"
S38 E5 - 1m 5s
Julia Alvarez released "Afterlife" in 2020, about a woman dealing with her husband's unexpected death and meeting an undocumented teenager. The book was dedicated to her oldest sister, Maury, who died in 2015, and was Alvarez's way of "[giving] voice to that landscape of aging."
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The true story behind "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents"
S38 E5 - 2m 5s
Julia Alvarez and her sisters recount the day they had to escape from the Dominican Republic with their parents, because of her father's involvement in a plot to overthrew the dictator, Rafael Trujillo. The experience inspired a scene in her first novel, "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents."
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Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined
S38 E5 - 1m 57s
Explore the story of Dominican-American poet and novelist Julia Alvarez, who burst onto the literary scene and blazed a trail for a generation of Latino authors.
Schedule
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American Masters
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
Monday
Jan 27
2 Hours
Martin Scorsese's film biography of Bob Dylan includes archival footage of the singer's childhood and life on the road. -
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American Masters
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
Tuesday
Jan 28
2 Hours
Martin Scorsese's film biography of Bob Dylan includes archival footage of the singer's childhood and life on the road. -
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American Masters
Roberta Flack
Saturday
Feb 1
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The life and career of Grammy Award-winning singer Roberta Flack, including her commitment to civil rights. -
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American Masters
Roberta Flack
Sunday
Feb 2
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The life and career of Grammy Award-winning singer Roberta Flack, including her commitment to civil rights. -
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American Masters
Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll
Monday
Feb 3
2 Hours
Celebrating the life and influence of Little Richard as well as his role in rock history with Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Prince and Bruce Springsteen. -
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American Masters
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
Wednesday
Feb 5
1 Hour 30 Minutes
Bebop pioneer and virtuoso composer Max Roach's far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him. -
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American Masters
Roberta Flack
Wednesday
Feb 5
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The life and career of Grammy Award-winning singer Roberta Flack, including her commitment to civil rights.
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