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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.

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.

Dive into the golden age of country music as Down the Road remembers two North Carolinian entertainers who fell in love- Lulu Belle (Myrtle Eleanor Cooper) and Scotty Wiseman. They met when they were both working on the program National Barn Dance at WLS radio station in Chicago and married in 1934. Lulu Belle and Scotty went on to share songs and their lives, continuing to partner in music until 1958, when they retired to Avery County, NC. One of their most-known tunes is 'Remember Me.'

Camp Grier is a 501-c organization, located in McDowell County. Executive Director, Jason McDougal, and Event and Development Director, Sarah Odom, shared the camp's history, summer campers, and their dedication to their region. This includes the Old Fort Strong Fund and something called Grier Village.

Eastern North Carolina's Adrian Wood is one of three authors contributing to the new book, Autism Out Loud: Parenting Children on the Spectrum. She was a guest on the Friday Feature. Wood is the mother of a young teenager with Autism. They share their journey, including challenges that both the child and the parent face. The interview aired in April, which was National Autism Awareness Month.

Carolina Public Press Reporter, Lucas Thomae, sat down with WNCW to recap his story, "Stein Marks First 100 Days With Wins So Far With Tough Tests Coming". That's North Carolina Governor Josh Stein. Lucas shared what he called wins for Stein, but some tough tests that await him moving forward. Things like more Hurricane Helene relief and education.

Grace Cowan was Paul's guest on this edition of More to the Story, when she shared why more women should hold political office and influence important topics in South Carolina. Other topics in the interview included The Sister Senators and the importance of town halls. Grace is the host of the political podcast Frogmore Stew.

Today, I’m sharing a conversation I had with one of today’s most eclectic roots musicians, Buffalo Nichols. Since his earliest infatuations with the guitar, Carl, who goes by the name Buffalo Nichols, has asked himself the same question: How can I bring the blues of the past into the future? A student of African traditions and their roots in the blues, as well as the black influence on “white” music in country, bluegrass, old-time, and folk, the depth and airy nature of his voice lends itself to all these traditions, as represented in his music. We talked about his trajectory as a musician early on, being picked up by labels, and now being independent, the misinformed music history narrative that’s been pushed on all of us since the 1920s, and many things in between.

Today I’m sharing a conversation I had with Grammy-nominated folk singer, storyteller, humanitarian, author, and multi-virtuoso-instrumentalist John McCutcheon. During his five-decade career, John has released 44 albums spanning an eclectic catalog of ballads, historical songs, children's songs, love songs, topical satire, fiddle and hammer dulcimer instrumentals, and even symphonic works. He is regarded as a master of the ⁠hammered dulcimer⁠, and is also proficient on many other instruments, including guitar, ⁠banjo⁠, ⁠autoharp⁠, ⁠mountain dulcimer⁠, ⁠fiddle⁠, and ⁠jaw harp⁠, and has received six ⁠Grammy Award⁠ nominations for his children’s songs. I got to know a bit of John’s story early on, his evolution as a preservationist and what it's been like to be an ambassador for as long as he has, what he’s up to these days, and of course some geeking out on music history. Enjoy!

Today, I’m sharing a conversation I had with GRAMMY-NOMINATED American guitarist, composer, producer, and bandleader Charlie Hunter. He first came onto the scene in the early 1990s, and simultaneously plays bass lines, chords, and melodies on custom seven and eight-string guitars, as featured in trios and quintet projects, as well as Garage-A-Trois. Notably, Charlie is also a student of ragtime guitar, using the true two-finger technique pioneered by Arthur Blind Blake and very different from what he’s known for. We talked about Charlie’s upbringing in a musical family, finding his own path, the groove and authenticity, all things Blind Blake, and as usual, we geeked out on some music history. Enjoy!