Several major figures emerge during this period, as country navigates its place in the music scene after the birth of rock and roll.
Elvis Presley appears on the Opry, finding a new friend in his Sun Records labelmate, Johnny Cash. Brenda Lee becomes a rockabilly star, and Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley help to shape the Nashville Sound. Meanwhile, Ray Price and Jean Shepard carry the flame for traditional country instrumentation. A young writer named Willie Nelson comes to town and writes a pair of country music classics. Loretta Lynn finds her way from Butcher Holler to Music City, and makes friends with Patsy Cline, who is enjoying the biggest success of her career when she boards a plane with Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas after performing at a charity event.
I found this to be one of the most powerful episodes of the series, and it whets the appetite for the next four episodes which air next week. Let us know what you thought about it in the comments.