If you’ve seen Ken Burns’ new PBS docu-series Country Music, you’ve already heard the voice of premier music historian Bill C. Malone.

If you haven’t seen it, here are a few things Ken Burns told OffBeat interviewer John Wirt, back in August, that might pique your curiosity. “I feel like I was supposed to do this all my life. I’ve never had something overcome me with such certainty. I have several different producing teams, which allows us to spend ten years on The Vietnam War and eight years on Country Music. All of these are really tough to do. Country Music was as hard as The Vietnam War. But there aren’t four or five million people dying in Country Music. It’s about a few people dying in accidents and others dying of broken hearts and alcohol. But still the death of Hank Williams is no less emotional than some things in the Vietnam series. What we’re looking for are good stories in American history, firing on all cylinders,” Burns said.

On Thursday, January 23, Malone will share tales about the making of the documentary and about his personal story– these two being intertwined, as Malone was one of the scriptwriters for the project and his book Country Music USA provided the framework and much of the material for the series. Says Ken Burns of the book and of Malone’s input: “Fifty years after its first publication, Country Music USA still stands as the most authoritative history of this uniquely American artform.  We feel lucky to have had Bill Malone as an indispensable guide in making our PBS documentary; you should too.”

Former Tulane Professor Malone will be interviewed by radio personality Gwen Thompkins (host of WWNO’s Music Inside Out) and Dr. Patrick Maney (professor emeritus of modern American history at Boston College), with an introduction by Dr. Bruce Raeburn (former director of Tulane’s Hogan Jazz Archives). Malone will also treat the audience to a few songs, joined by local bluegrass royalty Pat Flory. Sponsored by the Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies and the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the event is free and open to the public. 

For more information, contact Connie Atkinson, Midlo Center, UNO, at (504) 280-7137.

Thursday, January 23, 7:00 pm, New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old Mint, 400 Esplanade Avenue.