Join correspondent Tom Wilmer for a conversation with Becky Magura, President and CEO of PBS affiliate Nashville Public Television (NPT).
Magura shares fascinating insights about the soon-to-be released NPT documentary Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl produced by Barb Hall.
Magura says, the full-length documentary chronicles the life and work of Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, aka Minnie Pearl. Sarah was a serious, educated woman who had once dreamed of becoming a Shakespearean actress, but she found fame playing a simple country girl who often made herself the butt of her jokes.
Youtube Minnie Pearl documentary Promo
Instantly identifiable–even in silhouette–by her straw hat with a price tag dangling from its brim, Minnie Pearl became an icon of country music radio, stage and TV.
When she greeted audiences, they enthusiastically echoed her signature “Howdee” in a happy roar. While Sarah and Minnie were two sides of a coin, they share a legacy of compassion, empowerment and humor.
The documentary includes never released audiotapes of Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon and rarely seen archival footage from NPT and Grand Ole Opry’s Archives.
Interviews in the documentary include: Amy Grant, Reba McEntire, Alabama, Paul Rubens (Pee Wee Herman), Garth Brooks, kd lang, Pam Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Ray Stevens, Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely, Dwight Yoakam, Members of Cannon's family, and more.
Catch the nationwide premier of Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl theatrical premier at a movie theater near you Monday, Feb 6 at 4 and 6:30 p.m.
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