Ocean State Libraries

The dramatized story of famed American composer Stephen Foster.

The story of nineteenth-century American composer Stephen Foster, whose compositions include "Oh, Susannah," "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," and "My Old Kentucky Home."

The Life and Songs of Stephen Foster offers an engaging reassessment of the life, politics, and legacy of the misunderstood father of American music. Once revered the world over, Foster's plantation songs, like "Old Folks at Home" and "My Old Kentucky Home," fell from grace in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement due to their controversial lyrics. Foster embraced the minstrel tradition for a brief time, refining it and infusing his songs with sympathy...