Joe Kendrick
Director of Programming and OperationsJoe Kendrick grew up far off in the woods in rural Stanfield, NC, where he acquired his first Sony Walkman, listened to both AM and FM radio from Charlotte, went to Nascar races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, attended a small Baptist church, read Rolling Stone, subscribed to cassette clubs, and played one very forgettable season of high school football. From there, Joe studied Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was able to fulfill his dream of being a disc jockey at WXYC. He volunteered at WNCW soon after graduation.
After several years and two stints in radio on the coast in Wilmington, Joe was back in western NC where he returned to volunteering at WNCW while he started his first business, a landscape lighting franchise with Outdoor Lighting Perspectives. In 1999, he met his future wife Amy at the Isotope 217 concert at Vincent's Ear in Asheville, and a year later they wed. The landscape lighting business grew but so did Joe's presence on the radio, and the desire to follow his heart led him to sell his business in 2006. Soon thereafter, he garnered the morning host slot on WNCW and has been full time in Spindale ever since.
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In this episode we welcome Kristin Scott Benson, Travis Book, Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Jeff Hanna, Vince Herman, John McEuen, Jim Mills, Earl’s nephew J.T. Scruggs, Pete Wernick, and even my dad, who gives us a glimpse of what a Scruggs family gathering was like in the 1950s.
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Conversation with multiple Grammy and IBMA award winning instrumentalist along with commentary and musical excerpts from My Bluegrass Heart.
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This one is for all the late bloomers: now in his late 20s, NC artist Barrett Davis has given us a compelling debut of Americana music with themes of ancient Cherokee mythology and modern day struggles in Appalachia.
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Conversations touching on the Earl Scruggs Music Festival where this episode was recorded, artists from North Carolina like Aaron Burdett, River Whyless, and Scruggs Fest featured artists Fireside Collective and Chatham Rabbits, plus up and comer Cristina Vane, who calls Nashville home. You will get to hear music excerpts of all of those artists in this episode. Of course, we also talk about the festival’s namesake, Earl Scruggs, who grew up in nearby Cleveland County, North Carolina. It is a lively conversation with Craig Havighurst, one of the best podcasters and music journalists you will ever find.
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A unique spin on a Southern legacy of music and living off the land with Kentucky artist S.G. Goodman, including excerpts from her live performance on WNCW
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Conversation with and music from the banjo player, songwriter, Floyd Fest media director, and talent buyer
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Interview with award winning banjo player, songwriter and all around nice guy Tray Wellington, featuring excerpts of his original compositions as well as some covers. Includes commentary from host and producer Joe Kendrick, as well as banjo players Jesse Langlais and Brian Swenk.
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Music artists Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Darin Aldridge, and Acoustic Syndicate speak at length about their memories of and love for the little venue that could, Green Acres Music Hall.Also featured is the one person who is most responsible for putting Green Acres on the map, the Little King himself, Steve Metcalf. Plus, comments from a whole host of others who were there back in the day, like John Cowan, Carol Rifkin, Sandy Carlton, the late Ed Stokes, and Mike Lynch, among others.
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One of the finest songwriters of his generation talks about his love of electric guitar, life on his 500+ acre farm, his many collaborations, his favorite cover version of one of his signature songs and much more, including music from his most recent albums and live excerpts of songs from his extensive catalog.