American Masters

The king and queen of rock 'n' roll—and Sunset Boulevard

By 1985, Little Richard had abandoned rock 'n' roll, the music genre that he helped pioneer in the 1950s, and was living in a hotel in Los Angeles. "He would embrace people and they would ask him to sign autographs ... He would just wanna ride," said Ron Jones, his bandmate and friend.

The king and queen of rock 'n' roll—and Sunset Boulevard

1m 33s

  • How Phyllis Diller broke down the doors for female comics: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Phyllis Diller broke down the doors for female comics

    11m 35s

    On September 19, 2007, Phyllis Diller reflected on how her comedy was a response to years of “take my wife” jokes. Interview conducted by director Michael Kantor for the six-hour PBS comedy series, “Make ‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America” (2009).

  • Jeff Foxworthy on how every American might be a "redneck": asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Jeff Foxworthy on how every American might be a "redneck"

    15m 41s

    On November 16, 2006, Jeff Foxworthy discussed how comedians need to be able to connect with their audiences and shared his definition of a redneck. Interview conducted by director Michael Kantor for the six-hour PBS comedy series, “Make ‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America” (2009).

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