Great Musicians' Lives

Distinguished guests nominate a great musician for BBC Radio 4's Great LivesFor 20 years, Great Lives has been a linchpin of Radio 4, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. In it, a household name is invited to choose one of their heroes to discuss with the presenter and a guest expert. But will their chosen person live up to intensive scrutiny, and merit the description of having led a great life?In this special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th anniversary, the very best episodes featuring musicians' lives are collected together. From Marvin Gaye to Lonnie Donegan, here are examples both classical and contemporary. Simon Armitage expresses his admiration for on Ian Curtis, Phill Jupitus nominates Joe Strummer, pianist Joanna MacGregor selects Nina Simone, and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo champions Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Whether it's Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie or Stuart Maconie on Ralph Vaughan Williams or the lives of the proponents are every bit as interesting as those of their nominees. Fascinating and engaging, these captivating episodes follow the ups and downs of some of the most iconic musicians of all time, separating the truth from the myths to reveal just what made them so great, and why they continue to influence and inspire us today. List of episodes and date of first broadcast on BBC Radio 4:Louis Armstrong 12.7.02Sergei Rachmaninoff 11.4.03Pyotr Tchaikovsky 16.4.04Marvin Gaye 5.11.04Sir Edward Elgar 19.11.04Mozart 19.4.05Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 21.10.05Ella Fitzgerald 2.5.06Nina Simone 19.9.06Joe Strummer 3.4.07Billie Holiday 1.5.07John Cage 04.09.07Paul Robeson 29.4.08Ian Curtis 6.5.08Alan Freed 26.8.08Pavarotti 9.12.08Thomas Beecham 21.04.09John Coltrane 12.05.09Miriam Makeba 15.09.09Agustin Barrios Mangore 26.1.10Malcolm McLaren 07.12.10Kathleen Ferrier 26.04.11Kirtsy McColl 09.08.11Lonnie Donegan 03.1.12Ralph Vaughan Williams 25.12.12Fela Kuti 13.8.13Jacqueline Du Pre 1.04.14Dinu Lipatti 20.12.16Captain Beefheart 03.04.18Miles Davis 17.04.18David Bowie 31.07.18Ferruccio Busoni 30.04.19Brian Epstein 14.5.19Herbert Howells 06.08.19Copyright (c) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution LtdPresented by Humphrey Carpenter, Matthew Parris and Francine StockProduced by Mark Smalley, Miles Warde, Perminder Khatkar, Peter Everett, Isobel Eaton, Jolyon Jenkins, John Byrne, Maggie Ayre, Christine Hall, Julia Johnson, Mark Smalley, Chris Ledgard, Beth O'Dea, Lucy Lunt, Eliza Lomas, Melvin Rickarby