AllMovie

Some of the leading names in country music are on hand for this documentary shot in "Music City U.S.A." Filmmakers Robert Elfstrom and David Hoffman traveled to Nashville, TN, in 1969 for a country disc jockeys convention that coincided with the 44th anniversary celebration of the famed radio show the Grand Ole Opry. Many of the biggest stars of the day appeared to greet radio staff from around the nation and perform before the Opry's microphones, with Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Charlie Pride, Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Porter Wagoner, and many others captured live on-stage. The filmmakers also interview fans on the street as well as label representatives both big and small who are promoting their product. Offering a different perspective on the Nashville music scene, we also sit in on a recording session with Doug Kershaw and a rehearsal with the country-rock band Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth. Finally, the filmmakers also follow one Herbie Howell, a singer and songwriter from Georgia who has arrived in Nashville in search of his big break. Co-director Elfstrom would make two other films with Johnny Cash, the documentary Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music and the spiritual drama The Gospel Road.