Episodes

  • Episode 36 - Jae McFerron, Legendary Director, Entertainer, and Friend of Lloyd "Shad" Heller

    Episode 36 - Jae McFerron, Legendary Director, Entertainer, and Friend of Lloyd "Shad" Heller
    Sep 25 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden when they sit down with Jae McFerron, current director of the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama and longtime Branson entertainer and Silver Dollar City comedian. Jae recalls the iconic Shad Heller and his role in promoting and embodying the Ozarks spirit. Jae also talks about the influence of Harold Bell Wright’s The Shepherd of the Hills and its ongoing significance in the outdoor drama.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Episode 35: Emalee Combs, Esther Exley, and True Ozarks Mountain Music

    Episode 35: Emalee Combs, Esther Exley, and True Ozarks Mountain Music
    Sep 19 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden and their guests Emalee Flatness Combs and Esther Exley, who sing and play ballads, waltzes, and folksongs from long ago. Emalee performs with the Homestead Pickers at Silver Dollar City, and fifteen-year-old Esther recently won first place in the Junior Arkansas State Old Time Fiddle Contest. They have also done extensive research into specifically Ozarks folksongs, and they bring their considerable knowledge and talents to the podcast. This episode will take you back to Civil War campfires, log cabin square dances, and the green, unspoiled hills of our Ozarks.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    48 mins
  • Episode 34 - Jim Hamilton and the River of Used To Be

    Episode 34 - Jim Hamilton and the River of Used To Be
    Sep 11 2024
    Join Jim Hamilton, a lifelong newspaper editor, reporter, and author, when he talks with Curtis and Hayden about growing up in the Ozarks, his career in letters, and the important role local journalism plays in strengthening our communities. Jim's poignant essays will touch your heart as they recall a gentler time and pace. Jim also discusses writing as a means of coping with loss and the power of words to help us move forward.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    55 mins
  • Episode 33 - Stories From Bear and Bull Creek Country - Bob Bilyeu, Dave Stewart, and Lance Keithley

    Episode 33 - Stories From Bear and Bull Creek Country - Bob Bilyeu, Dave Stewart, and Lance Keithley
    Sep 5 2024
    Join Hayden and Curtis for an interview with Bob Bilyeu, Dave Stewart and Lance Keithley. These three men have been friends for well over half a century. All three relay tales of growing up in the vicinity of Bear and Bull Creeks, near the rural Ozarks community of Day, Missouri near the Christian-Taney County line. Day was the home of famous artist, Rose O'Neill and her Bonniebrook estate. The men tell family stories of what it was like to have such a famous personality living among the hillfolks.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    55 mins
  • Episode 32 - Ken Henderson - Recollections of Growing Up in Reeds Spring and Nearly 5 Decades with Silver Dollar City

    Episode 32 - Ken Henderson - Recollections of Growing Up in Reeds Spring and Nearly 5 Decades with Silver Dollar City
    Aug 28 2024
    Join Ken Henderson when he sits down with Curtis and Hayden to talk about growing up in Reeds Spring, Missouri, his traumatic first day of school, and the early days of Silver Dollar City. Ken also talks about the experience that led him to create the Reeds Spring Hall of Fame, a project that will keep alive the history of the people of Reeds Spring in perpetuity. Listen to Ken, and you'll see why every town should have its own Hall of Fame!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Episode 31 - An interview with Ozarks Historian, Vincent Anderson: Where to Find Bigfoot in the Ozarks and Bald Knobbers in Arkansas

    Episode 31 - An interview with Ozarks Historian, Vincent Anderson: Where to Find Bigfoot in the Ozarks and Bald Knobbers in Arkansas
    Aug 22 2024
    Join Vincent Anderson, noted Ozarks historian, author, blogger, and TV consultant, when he sits down with Curtis and Hayden for a fascinating discussion of Ozarks Bigfoot sightings, cold blooded murders, and vigilant justice by Bald Knobbers in Arkansas! Vincent also talks about his own discovery of who is buried where and the effect his research had on local lore. Vincent is a sane voice in a wilderness of conflicting stories. This is an episode you won't want to miss!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    58 mins
  • Episode 30 - Center of the Vortex: Joplin, Missouri, and the House of Lords

    Episode 30 - Center of the Vortex: Joplin, Missouri, and the House of Lords
    Aug 15 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden as they review and analyze contemporary accounts of the infamous House of Lords in Joplin, Missouri, at the turn of the 20th century. A noted saloon, restaurant, gambling house, and perhaps brothel, the House of Lords was at the center of "Wicked Joplin," as Larry Woods called it. No less fascinating is the enigmatic figure of Gilbert Barbee, the owner of the building that housed the saloon. What did Barbee know and when did he know it? This episode explores these question and others in the complex and controversial history of Joplin's most notorious place of business.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Episode 29 - A Man Who Knew Randolph: A Conversation with Mike Luster

    Episode 29 - A Man Who Knew Randolph: A Conversation with Mike Luster
    Aug 7 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden as they welcome special guest, Mike Luster, folklorist, educator, and amanuensis for Bob Cochran's biography of Vance Randolph. Mike visited Vance in the nursing home and faithfully recorded his conversations and stories; as a result, Mike is supremely qualified to talk about the "patron saint" of the OFC. Mike is also an acclaimed folklorist in his own right with many a story to tell. Don't miss this important episode!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 12 mins