Netflix will partner with GRAMMY Museum to honor the Golden Globe and SAG Award-winning film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by presenting Ma Rainey: Mother of the Blues, a half-hour television special on the music legend and trailblazer. Ma Rainey: Mother of the Blues will air on KCBS in Los Angeles on Monday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. PT, which highlights filmmakers Denzel Washington, Todd Black, and George C. Wolfe; SAW winner and Oscar-nominee Viola Davis; music legends Bonnie Raitt, Branford Marsalis, Melissa Etheridge, and Jimmy Jam; and the Oscar-nominated hair, makeup, and costume team responsible for designing Ma’s signature look with various cast members of the critically acclaimed Netflix film, which earned lead actor SAG wins this past weekend for Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman.
The inspiring tribute delves further into the true Ma Rainey, an extraordinary musician, and pioneer who overcame challenges dealing with music rights, sexuality, and her worth as a female in the 1920s while trying to hold her band together.
The next day, the special airs will be available to view the GRAMMY Museum’s official streaming platform, COLLECTION: live from April 13 to May 1. Educators will have access to a gemstone of materials on Ma Rainey as a result of their partnership with the GRAMMY Museum and the chance to host History of the Blues seminars, which will be offered to students across the country.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is available to stream on Netflix now.