Back in July of 2024, I had the pleasure of bringing the first LIVE American Songcatcher podcast experience to the historic Graham County courthouse in Robbinsville, NC. The multimedia presentation traverses Western North Carolina music history, starting with the native Cherokee, first settlers and immigration, African-American influence on Appalachian music, and short stories of obscure and well-known musicians from North Carolina.

Today on the program, we're proud to present the story behind the most widely recorded murder ballad in American history, the true St. Louis story of "Frankie & Johnny". Johnny's real name was Albert, and though the phrase "He was doin' her wrong" has been the constant refrain, the depiction of Frankie Baker has always been one of a vengeful murderess, rather than murder in self-defense, and she fought nearly her entire life to change that narrative. For over 100 years, the song has continued to be recorded with many false depictions, and in this story, you'll hear how it all unfolded and became such a hallmark murder ballad in American music history.

Today on the program, we present the story behind the Father of Soul, Sam Cooke. Growing up in the church, Sam knew he wanted to be a singer by the time he was five years old. There was a magnetic and infectious quality to this young gospel singer, and he knew he was destined for bigger things than singing sacred music. The risk he took in becoming a pop singer was massive, but it produced the first records of what is now known as soul music. Sam was also a pioneer when it came to being savvy about the music business, owning his own publishing company, negotiating contracts, and creating a container to nurture up-and-coming soul singers. At the height of the civil rights movement, and the pinnacle of his career, Sam's life was cut short. Here is his story.

Today on the program, we're proud to present the story behind the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills. One of the most influential and iconic bandleaders and musicians of the 1930s-1950s, Bob came from a humble life of a poor sharecropping family, and was deeply influenced by old-time and breakdown fiddle through his Texas state champion family of fiddlers in his father and uncle. Bob also loved all the turn-of-the-century and 1920s black music, and this confluence of cultures would help him create the craze that became Western swing, and the details of his journey to get there will surprise you.

Today, we proudly present something a little different on American Songcatcher. Instead of the usual documentary podcast-style piece, this is a compilation of field recordings I did in Buncombe and Madison Counties just outside of Asheville, NC. Considered the mecca of the long-held traditions in ballad singing and old-time mountain music, this area is also home to the "Minstrel of the Appalachians", one of the most important yet lesser-known figures in folk and old-time music, Bascom Lamar Lunsford, who was born on this day 142 years ago.

Today on the program, we present the story of the father of North Mississippi Hill Country Blues, Mississippi Fred McDowell. From humble beginnings, Fred was inspired by the likes of Charley Patton, his neighbor Eli "Booster" Green, and the sounds he gathered from guitarists in Memphis, Mississippi, and the Delta, and defined the often overlooked nuances of the blues. Like many of the great Southern pre-war blues guitarists born around the turn of the century, Fred was "discovered" by Alan Lomax in 1959, and continues to inspire slide guitarists to this day, despite not being a household name in the blues realm.

Today on our program, we present the story of one of the most iconic American Folk songs, born from the lineage of 16th-century ballads brought by immigrants from the British Isles, "Shady Grove". Often used in both dance and courtship, the timeless melody was the backbone for countless ballads and folk songs that made their way to North America and took root in the Appalachian and Ozark Mountain ranges. To date, "Shady Grove" has been estimated to have amassed over 300 stanzas since was first sung in the Cumberland Plateau region of Eastern Kentucky in the mid-nineteenth century. Story by Ryan Eastridge.

Happy release day! Today on our program, we’re delighted to release the first episode of Season 3, diving into the life of renowned songwriter, riverboat pilot, folklorist, song collector, music historian, accomplished fiddler and banjoist, clog & shuffle dancer, storyteller, and consummate entertainer, John Hartford. One of the most brilliant yet lesser-known musicians of the last century, John was the key figure in redefining Bluegrass and American roots music for future generations, the unofficial father of “newgrass”, who had a life that was anything but ordinary.