Episode 1

Charting the shocking story of how some of music’s most loved artists - from Louis Armstrong to Prince - were exploited by the music industry on the basis of their race.

This episode tells the stories of how some of the most successful and popular jazz, blues and rock 'n' roll musicians of all time suffered at the hands of the industry. Bad contracts with flat fees were signed by Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Chuck Berry and many others, which ended up losing them tens of millions of dollars.

There are the stories of scheming and manipulation of artists like Louis Armstrong and TLC by managers. White cover versions of songs like Tutti Frutti left artists like Little Richard, having unknowingly signed away his publishing rights, feeling used and underpaid. But the cost wasn’t always financial - in one of the most tragic stories, the relentless persecution of Billie Holiday by the authorities left her virtually penniless before she died of a drug overdose.