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The recent conversation surrounding Beyonc茅's transatlantic hit Texas Hold Em' has revived the debate around country music and its relationship with black artists. This insightful programme asks who country music is for, what the universal themes are that define it, and why the contribution of black music artists is regularly questioned.

There has always been a black presence in the genre. From legendary harmonica player DeFord Bailey - who was the first ever artist to play The Grand Ole Opry - to popular artists of the present day such as Darius Rucker, Kane Brown and Rhiannon Giddens, black artists have been an important part of a genre that has often been stereotyped as "white people music".

This programme, presented by British country singer-songwriter (and one half of The Shires) Ben Earle, is a celebration of the African-American involvement in the genre, a celebration that focuses on artists young and old, contemporary and classic, who have thrived in the art form.

There are artists whose close relationship with country might surprise you - superstars from other genres like Tina Turner, Ray Charles, and The Pointer Sisters who won a Grammy in 1976 singing country. The programme looks at examples from the past where the issue of race has got in the way of the music, as in the case of Linda Martell, and with the trailblazer Charley Pride, who was RCA's biggest selling artist after Elvis and whose sheer talent sustained him as the genre's only black superstar for so long. Listeners also hear from the modern day artists who have found great success in country music, including Darius Rucker, Kane Brown, Miko Marks, and others.

The Mississippi country trio, Chapel Hart Band, talk about their experiences in the industry, and there are also interviews with singer and broadcaster Rissi Palmer and songwriter and author Alice Randall - both of whom have dedicated their careers to showcasing black artists and particularly black women in country music. And we鈥檒l also hear the views of Bob Harris, the host of Radio 2鈥檚 The Country Show, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in April.