Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery

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This week, songwriter, musician, and performer Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery talks with Community Arts Program manager Deb Boykin. Mr. Montgomery shares his memories of growing up in a musical family, recalling that he learned to write songs because his mother challenged him to emulate one of his older brothers.  Like a number of musicians in the area, he got his start at the studio founded by Tom Stafford, Billy Sherrril, and Rick Hall. He wrote dozens of songs for George Jones, who became a close friend. This special radio series will air every Tuesday at 8:00 to 8:30 P.M. central, on the Troy Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)  This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov Listen first hand using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream

David Davis talking to Deborah Boykin

This program is a repeat of a 2009 interview with Bluegrass musician David Davis talking to Deborah Boykin about his musical influences, including shapenote singing, Charlie Louvin, and his uncle, Cleo Davis, one of Bill Monroe's original Bluegrass Boys. He also discusses his experiences as leader of the Warrior River Boys, one of Alabama's most prominent bluegrass bands. The program includes music from their  CD, Two Dimes and a Nickle. This special radio series will air every Tuesday at 8:00 to 8:30 P.M., on the Troy University Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)  This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov Listen first hand using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream

Folklife Program Manager Anne Kimzey talks to 2016 Folk Arts Apprenticeship grantee and Sacred Harp singing teacher Bill Hogan.

Folklife Program Manager Anne Kimzey talks to 2016 Folk Arts Apprenticeship grantee and Sacred Harp singing teacher Bill Hogan. Folk Arts Apprenticeship grants go to master artists to teach their traditional skills to students. Hogan discusses his is participation in shape-note music and the teaching of a new class on the Sacred Harp singing tradition that is free and available to the general public every 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Jubilee Center, 432 S Goldthwaite St. in Montgomery at 5:30 to 7 PM This special radio series will air every Tuesday at 9:00 to 9:30 P.M., on the Troy University Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)  This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov Listen first hand using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream

Community Arts Program Manager Deb Boykin talks to Alabama Native musician and song writer Herschel Sizemore.

Herschel Sizemore photo by deb boykin Community Arts Program Manager Deb Boykin talks to Alabama Native musician and song writer Herschel Sizemore. This special radio series will air every Tuesday at 9:00 to 9:30 P.M., on the Troy University Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)  This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov Listen first hand using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream

Songwriter Cast King and Matt Downer from Sand Mountain

This program is a rebroadcast of a 2005 interview by Anne Kimzey with musicians Cast King and Matt Downer from Sand Mountain. Guitarist and songwriter Cast King and his former band The Country Drifters recorded with Sun Records of Memphis in the 1950s. Matt Downer, a young musician, worked with Mr. King for a few years to learn his guitar style and to record his music and life history. During the program Mr. King performed three of the approximately 500 songs he wrote in his lifetime. Cast King died in 2007. This special radio series will air every Tuesday at 9:00 to 9:30 P.M., on the Troy University Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)  This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov Listen first hand using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream

Deb Boykin talks with members of Iron Horse, a progressive bluegrass band based in Rogersville, AL

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This week, Community Arts program manager Deb Boykin talks with members of Iron Horse, a progressive bluegrass band based in Rogersville, AL. While their repertoire includes bluegrass standards and original tunes, they have also recorded songs by Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Led Zepplin, and other rock artists in a distinctly bluegrass style. Band members talk about their musical roots and describe the challenges and rewards of interpreting songs a variety of genres. Listen first hand to our radio program using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream Watch Iron Horse perform "Enter Sandman" on the  youtube video below. This special radio series will air every Tuesday at 9:00 to 9:30 P.M., on the Troy University Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)  This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov

Dan Sheehy, Director and Curator of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Dan Sheehy, Director and Curator of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, talks with Deb Boykin about the label’s vast catalog of traditional music from around the world and its “commitment to cultural diversity, education, increased understanding, and lively engagement with the world of sound. He highlights the Alabama recordings in the collection and explains how an innovative print-by-order process makes songs from the catalog highly accessible. This special radio series will air every Sunday at 2:00 P.M., on the Troy University Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)   This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov Listen first hand using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream

Donna Russell interviews Singer and Entertainer Donica Knight

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Donica Knight This week on Alabama Arts Radio Donna Russell interviews Singer and Entertainer Donica Knight.   On Tuesday, March 10th, kick off Arts Advocacy Day at 6:00 p.m. with Alabama artists, student performers and our special musical guest, Alabama’a own, Donica Knight followed by dinner, awards and entertainment at 7:00 p.m. On Wednesday, March 11th, gather with other arts advocates from around the state to learn how to express your passion for the arts constructively through educational training and more. We encourage you to make an appointment with your legislators and visit their offices after lunch. We hope to demystify arts advocacy and assist you in feeling comfortable during your visits with your legislators. Enjoy workshop sessions, role play demonstrations, a panel discussion, a special performance by Alabama State University Dance Company and lunch before your afternoon visits with your legislators. Registration is now open - for more information AND to register go to https://alaaeorg.presencehost.net/arts-advocacy-day.html. Donica Knight Bio Inspired by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Patsy Cline and Shania Twain, Donica strives to bring her own unique sound that is undoubtedly Donica Knight.   While studying Special Education at Auburn University, Knight was the lead-singer of the acclaimed cover band “Lucky Town” and garnered experience on the college, wedding, and debutante ball circuit. As she played more and more gigs reaching thousands of welcoming fans, it became evident that she was bound for a life on the stage rather than in the classroom. Entertaining was clearly the vehicle by which Donica would have the opportunity to make a difference and change lives.   Knight has shared the stage with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Chris Young, 3 Doors Down, Kenny Rogers, Kellie Pickler, Jerrod Neimann, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Justin Moore, The Swon Brothers, Thompson Square, Darryl Worley, and Skid Row, among many others. Her talent even captured the attention of country music superstar Ronnie Milsap who recorded two songs with Donica – one of which she co-wrote.  For more information on Donica Knight, visit www.donicaknight.com This special radio series will air every Sunday at 2:00 P.M., on the Troy University Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)  This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov Listen first hand using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream

This is the second of two consecutive programs that includes musical examples of holiday standards and original songs.

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Herb Trotman of Birmingham is well known as a banjo player, bandleader, Alabama Bluegrass Hall of Fame member and proprietor of Fretted Instruments, a music store and gathering place for acoustic musicians in the area. Each year, Herb and what he refers to as a “Large and Amorphous Group” of performers produce a CD of Christmas music. This is the second of two consecutive programs that includes musical examples of holiday standards and original songs. The selections range from sacred to sentimental to downright funny. For many people in Alabama the appearance of the new Christmas CD at Fretted Instruments means the holidays have begun.  This week’s program features selected music from the four most recent holiday CDs from Herb Trotman and the Large and Amorphous Group. This special radio series will air every Sunday at 2:00 P.M., on the Troy University Public Radio Network at:   WTSU 89.9 (Montgomery and Troy) WRWA 88.7 (Dothan) WTJB 91.7 (Columbus and Phenix   City)  This radio series may not be broadcast in your area, but it can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arts.alabama.gov/actc/radioserieslist.aspx If you have been listening to, and enjoying this radio series, please send your comments to: barbara.reed@arts.alabama.gov Listen first hand using the link below. MP3 Download/Stream

Kevin Nutt, of CaseQuarter Records

Kevin Nutt at Alabama Dept of Archives and History

This week's program is a rebroadcast of  Steve Grauberger interviewing Kevin Nutt, of CaseQuarter Records talking about his research on early blues recording artist Ed Bell from Greenville, Alabama. His  Tributaries  article on the subject can be obtained at Alabamafolklife.org  Kevin can be heard weekly, online, at WFMU with his radio program Sinners Crossroads.

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Alabama Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Jake Landers

This week, Alabama Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Jake Landers talks with Community Arts program manager Deb Boykin about his long career as a bluegrass musician and songwriter. Landers discusses his work with fellow bluegrass pioneers Rual Yarbrough, Al Lester, and Herschel Sizemore and recalls touring with Bill Monroe. He describes the songwriting process including the writing of his best-known song, “Walk Softly on this Heart of Mine.”

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Marcus Johnson and the Bay City Brass Band

Marcus Johnson and the Bay City Brass Band

This week's program is a rebroadcast of Anne Kimzey interviewing Marcus Johnson of the Bay City Brass Band of Mobile. They discuss brass band history and music in the Mobile Mardi Gras tradition.

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Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, The Secret Sisters, Laura and Lydia Rodgers

The Secret Sisters, Laura and Lydia Rodgers, have, in the past year and a half, secured a record deal, released an album produced by noted producer T-Bone Burnett, toured much of the United States, Europe, and Australia, and opened for Paul Simon. Folklorist Deborah Boykin talked with the sisters before a November appearance at Decatur's Princess Theater. They discussed their early influences, the audition that led them into the music business, their recent songwriting efforts, and their touring and performing experiences.  (more)

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Brent Warren of the Newgrass Troubadours

Deborah Boykin, folklorist with the Alabama Center for Traditional Culture, interviews Brent Warren of The Newgrass Troubadours. This Birmingham band performs bluegrass standards as well as their own arrangements of songs by artists rarely covered by bluegrass bands, such as Jimi Hendrix. Warren, who is also president of the Alabama Bluegrass Music Association, talks about the band's musical influences and their experiences performing at festivals around the region. He also discusses learning to play with other musicians in jam sessions at festivals and encourages up and coming pickers to seek out these opportunities when they can. Examples of their eclectic style can be heard as well.
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Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Braxton Schuffert original Drifting Cowboy

Folkorist Deborah Boykin talks with 97 year old Braxton Schuffert, a country singer and songwriter who was one of Hank Williams's original Drifting Cowboys.  Mr. Schuffert talks about his early life, his experience performing on WSFA radio and his long friendship with Williams, which began when Schuffert made a delivery to the boarding house run by Hank's mother. He also describes the experience of co-writing a song with Williams and talks about his own compositions.
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Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Lee Sentell and Grey Brennan Alabama Tourism Dept.

Alabama Center for Traditional Culture Director Joey Brackner interviews Alabama  Tourism Department  Director Lee Sentell about the tourism industry in Alabama and his Department's themed campaigns such as the "Year of Alabama Food" and "Year of Alabama Arts". In the second half Grey Brennan, Marketing and Regional Director for the Alabama Tourism Department, talks about this year's innovative campaign "The Year of Alabama Music" and its importance to the state's local economy.  Also included is a discussion about the Year of Alabama Music Songwriting Contest.

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