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Today on the program, we're letting our friends at The Bluegrass Situation takeover our feed with a brand new series called "Finding Lucinda." Episode One: Introducing Finding Lucinda As we join the story, Ismay has been living and working on their family ranch for almost a decade – and they're looking for change. For several years the independent singer-songwriter has been playing in a Lucinda Williams tribute band and writing their own music. An opportunity to record an album sparks a new and different idea: to instead embark on a road trip to uncover the early days of Lucinda's music career and, hopefully, find a way forward creatively. However, they are plagued by self doubt about whether pursuing music can still be worthwhile for them. But in spite of this uncertainty, Ismay dives into research to see where a journey across the country – and further into the life and music of Lucinda – could lead. Links: Finding Lucinda on The Bluegrass Situation Facebook Instagram X Website   Credits: Distributed by The Bluegrass Situation Produced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLC Music by ISMAY and The Lake Charlatans Artwork by Avery Hellman Guests: Mary Gauthier, Wolf Stephenson, John Grimaudo, Charlie Sexton Special thanks to: Joel Fendelman, Liz McBee, Rose Bush, Mick Hellman, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan McHugh, Jacqueline Sabec, Lucinda Williams & Tom Overby   About Finding Lucinda: Finding Lucinda follows a young singer-songwriter on a road trip of self discovery to trace the roots of their musical hero Lucinda Williams. Amidst self-doubt and uncertainty, ISMAY sets out from the family ranch in Northern California and travels to Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee. There ISMAY meets Lucinda's early collaborators, digs through the archives to uncover hidden treasures, and visits the studios and venues where Lucinda got her start. Interviews include Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, and Mary Gauthier. Finding Lucinda is ultimately a story about not knowing whether you have what it takes to be the artist you want to be, and looking for answers on how to move forward anyways. It's about finding a small way to be more like your hero. Listen on The Bluegrass Situation or where you get your shows and look out for the Finding Lucinda film coming Fall 2025.  

Today on the program, we're sharing our most robust and entertaining episode since beginning five years ago, honoring the king of the five string banjo, Earl Scruggs. Featuring more than 25 different voices all touched by Earl, this part narrative, part field recording feature will give you a glimpse into the life of Earl Scruggs and his story that is completely unique, informed by those who knew him and those who are holding his legacy high today. Immerse yourself in the Earl Scruggs Music Festival, and learn why it was chosen as the 2025 International Bluegrass Music Association Event of the Year. Special thanks to the Earl Scruggs Center and the Earl Scruggs Festival for having me this year!   Have an instrument to donate? ReString Appalachia   Support Educational Programming: Join the Patreon Community Send a one-time donation on Venmo or PayPal   Follow American Songcatcher: Instagram | TikTok    Credits: Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, editing, writing recording and distribution Jamie Tews - Research, Writing Assistance  

Get your raffle ticket here! For just a moment, put yourself in the shoes of a person who plays music, whether they're professional, amateur or just getting started. Imagine what it would be like to lose the instrument that helps you understand your life, to make sense of the world. Now, imagine losing it and most of what you own during the most traumatic event of your life. Who is going to help you get music back?  This is the mission of ReString Appalachia. An initiative that started with American Songcatcher after Hurricane Helene, ReString is now a 501(c)3 nonprofit who has given over 800 instruments to musicians from natural disasters in Appalachia and Los Angeles, and soon, the Texas Hill Country.  You can help us accomplish this by buying a raffle ticket to win a signed, one of a kind bluegrass banjo from world renowned banjoist Béla Fleck.  This fundraiser is in partnership with the Henhouse Prowlers, their nonprofit Bluegrass Ambassadors, ReString Appalachia, and American Songcatcher.     Raffle ends Sept 1st!  www.ReStringAppalachia.org We'll be back VERY soon with a few interviews, and we'll have a very special field recording and feature on the Earl Scruggs Music Festival and his legacy. See you next time, on American Songcatcher. 

Today, I'm sharing a conversation I had with one of today's most eclectic roots musicians, Buffalo Nichols. Since his earliest infatuations with 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 its 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 1920's, and many things in between. Enjoy!  Tour Listen Instagram Patreon ___ Support Educational Programming: Tax-Exempt Donations Join our Patreon Community One-time donation via Venmo or PayPal Follow American Songcatcher Credits:  Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, editing, recording and distribution

Over the last 5 years, we have had the privilege of bringing you stories of Pioneering musicians such as Bill Monroe, Sam Cooke, Johnny Cash, Lead Belly, Dolly Parton, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Pete Seeger, Jean Ritchie and so many more. However, a recently shift was forced upon the American Songcatcher program. Our distributor, Spotify for Podcasters/Creators, has taken down 1/4 of our episodes on all platforms, with more likely to follow, as they have began to crack down on the rights and usage of songs. Although this program is strictly education-based, and we don't sell products or produce any notable revenue from these episodes, they don't see what we do as fair use. It's a big blow, as over a year's worth of our work is now gone from the convenient places to listen to them. And so, our standstill for the last 5 months has been one of great pondering, and a lot of work with our nonprofit ReString Appalachia, where we have just surpassed 700 instruments given to those who had them taken away from natural disasters.  It's been decided that from now on, American Songcatcher will strictly focus on traditional song history, field recordings, and interviews. We embrace our new direction, and we hope you will too. All of the episodes will be available on our website, AmericanSongcatcher.com in the next month. We'll be back with some new content soon, thank you for your patience, see you next time on American Songcatcher. __ Support Educational Programming: ⁠Tax-Exempt Donations⁠ Join the⁠ Patreon Community⁠ One-time donations:⁠ Venmo⁠ or⁠ PayPal⁠ Follow ⁠American Songcatcher⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠  Credits: Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, editing, recording and distribution

A few years back, we had the pleasure of partnering with Smithsonian Folkways for a special two part series on Folkways Records founder Moses Asch, who was born 99 years ago earlier this month. To honor his legacy, we combined these two pieces and re-releasing them today. We'll traverse Moe's early career, bankruptcy, and the tumultuous yet tantalizing 40 years of iconic recordings with pioneering and lesser known artists of Folkways Records. You'll find out how what Moe accomplished became so woven with the cultural footprint of American Music as we know it today. Now… here's the story of Moses Asch. __ Support Educational Programming: ⁠Tax-Exempt Donations⁠ Join the⁠ Patreon Community⁠ One-time donations:⁠ Venmo⁠ or⁠ PayPal⁠ Follow ⁠American Songcatcher⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠  Credits:  Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, writing, editing, distribution Collaboration Credits: Smithsonian Folkways  Full Moses Asch interview with Arhoolie Records' founder Chris Strachwitz Interviewees: Richard Carlin - Worlds of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways - Book Michael Asch -  Dom Flemons - Black Cowboys from Smithsonian Folkways Websites: Smithsonian | SF2 | NY Times | Redalyc | Arhoolie | Jstor.com | NPR | Routledge | AllPurposeGuru | NY TIMES 2 | University of Alberta | Haaretz | Folkworks Videos:FAI  Folkways: World of Sound Documentary  Books: Making people's music : Moe Asch and Folkways records - Peter D Goldsmith 

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. This time, I can't edit out all of my stumbles. 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. Attendees had visuals of photos and videos that you'll have to experience at the next live episode. The very end features a short concert with history behind a few songs that come from North Carolina. This presentation was made possible by ⁠Graham County Travel & Tourism⁠ __ Support Educational Programming: ⁠Tax-Exempt Donations⁠ Join the⁠ Patreon Community⁠ One-time donations:⁠ Venmo⁠ or⁠ PayPal⁠ Follow ⁠American Songcatcher⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠  Credits: Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, editing, recording and distribution

ReString Appalachia www.americansongcatcher.com/ReStringAppalachia ReString Appalachia is an initiative by American Songcatcher to get instruments that were lost due to Helene back in the hands of musicians throughout Appalachia. This effort is supported by over 125 roots musicians, including Bela Fleck, Rhiannon Giddens, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Infamous Stringdusters and many more, as well as several non profits, instrument makers, venues, festivals, actors, visual artists and media outlets. - It's been nearly a month since Helene brought unfathomable devastation to Appalachia. I've honestly never been so consumed with grief after a natural disaster. I have countless memories of performing, camping and hiking... so many good times throughout Appalachia over the last 15 years. I got married in Swannanoa. I almost moved to both Brevard and Asheville. I also have dozens and dozens of dear, talented friends throughout East TN, WNC, SC, North GA, and FL. It's been hard to embrace that it'll never be the same, that so many are suffering. Words fell short in a time like this. Action speaks, and I had to do something. So, through the American Songcatcher network, I've been quietly building an initiative that will put instruments back in the hands of those who lost them due to the storm. The exact, or comparable instrument. This effort is called ReString Appalachia. Whether you're a professional, or picking for the love of it, the importance of continuing the living tradition of Appalachian music culture is paramount, and American Songcatcher aims to keep it that way. Over the next month, you're going to see 100's of musicians, non profits, venues, festivals, actors, artists and media outlets post about ReString Appalachia. If you, or someone you know lost an instrument due to Helene, if you have instruments to donate, or if you are seeking a tax-exempt donation to help us cover the costs, please visit the link in the show notes. American Songcatcher will be back very soon with a very special live episode on Western North Carolina music history. Thank you for listening. Here's to the songs of old, may they live on forever. www.americansongcatcher.com/ReStringAppalachia

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 and 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. __ Support Educational Programming: ⁠Tax-Exempt Donations⁠ Join the⁠ Patreon Community⁠ One-time donations:⁠ Venmo⁠ or⁠ PayPal⁠ Follow ⁠American Songcatcher⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠  Credits: Ryan Eastridge - Research, Writing  Teddy Chipouras - Editing Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, editing, recording and distribution References: "A Brief History of St. Louis." City of St. Louis.  Cellania, Miss. "The Story Behind 'Frankie and Johnny.'" Mental Floss. May 3, 2016.  Demain, Bill. "Ten Days in a Madhouse: The Woman Who Got Herself Committed." Mental Floss. May 2, 2011. Edwards, Bill. "Rags and Pieces by Scott Joplin, 1895-1905." June 6, 2009.  "'Frankie' of Famed Song Dies at 75." Stockton Evening and Sunday Record. January 10, 1952.  "Frankie and Johnny (1966)." IMDB. "Frankie and Johnny (1991)." IMDB.   Huston, John. Frankie and Johnny. 1930.  John, Finn J. D. "'Johnny's' Frankie lived in P-town, hiding from song." Offbeat Oregon History website. April 1, 2021.  Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries & University Museums. "Frankie and Johnny, or, You'll Miss Me in the Days to Come." The Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection.  Kloppe, Adam. "Tom Turpin's Rosebud Café." Here's History Podcast. October 16, 2023.  Knox, Martha. "Words on Woodcuts" blog. March 26, 2016.  Lomax, John A., Lomax, Alan. American Ballads and Folk Songs. The Macmillan Company, New York. 1934. pgs. 103-110.  Morgan, Stacey. Frankie and Johnny: Race, Gender, and the Works of African American Folklore in the 1930s. University of Texas Press. 2017. pg. 20.  "Murder Ballads (A Visit to a Bad Neighborhood part 2)." Riverside Blues Society.  New York Public Library for The Performing Arts, Archives and Manuscripts. "Jack Kirkland papers, 1928-1969." Oswald, Charles J.; Kurres, Richard. "It's Frankie and Albert Instead of Frankie and Johnny." Lakeland Ledger. May 29, 1975.  Polenberg, Richard. Hear My Sad Story: The True Tales that Inspired Stagolee, John Henry, and Other Traditional American Folk Songs. Cornell University Press. 2015.  Richardson, Ethel Park; edited and arranged by Sigmund Spaeth. American Mountain Songs. Greenberg Publishing, New York. 1927. pgs. 38, 107.  Sandberg, Carl. The American Songbag. Harcourt Brace & Company. 1927. pgs. 73-75.  Slade, Paul. "It's a Frame-Up: Frankie & Johnny."  Slade, Paul. Unprepared to Die: America's Greatest Murder Ballads and the Stories that Inspired Them. Soundcheck Books LLP, London. 2015.  "Soundtrack: 'Frankie & Johnny.'" Our St. Louis History. April 20, 2018.   St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 24, 1995. pg. 39. 

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 its 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! More on John: Official Website Facebook Patreon ___ Support Educational Programming: Tax-Exempt Donations Join the Patreon Community One-time donation via Venmo or PayPal Follow American Songcatcher on Instagram  Credits:  Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, editing, recording and distribution

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 also was 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.  __ Support Educational Programming: ⁠Tax-Exempt Donations⁠ Join the⁠ Patreon Community⁠ One-time donations:⁠ Venmo⁠ or⁠ PayPal⁠ Follow American Songcatcher⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠  Credits: Jonah Nordeen - Research, Writing  Teddy Chipouras - Editing Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, Editing, Recording and Distribution References: Campbell, L. E. (2013, February 16). Jesus Gave Me Water. Archive. Today.  DeCurtis, A., Henke, J., & George-Warren, H. (Eds.). (1992). The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll: The definitive history of the most important artists and their music (3rd ed). Random House. Guralnick, P. (2005). Dream boogie: The triumph of Sam Cooke (1st ed). Little, Brown. James, E., & Ritz, D. (2003). Rage to survive: The Etta James story (2. ed). Da Capo. Ritz, D. (2022). Sam Cooke. In Encyclopedia Britannica.  Robinson, L. (1964, December 31). Tragedy-Filled Life of Singer Sam Cooke. Jet, XXVII(13), 56–65. Runtagh, J. (2021, January 21). Why Mystery Still Shrouds Singer Sam Cooke's Shooting Death Nearly 60 Years Later. People.  Documentaries: Two Killings of Sam Cooke - Netflix Who Murdered Soul? The Sam Cooke Story. (2018, July 15). YouTube.  Wharton, M. (Director). (1996). Legend [Documentary]. Amazon Prime.

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 1930's-1950's, 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 1920's 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.  Story by Brent Davis and Nicholas Edward Williams __ Support Educational Programming: ⁠Tax-Exempt Donations⁠ Join the⁠ Patreon Community⁠ One-time donations:⁠ Venmo⁠ or⁠ PayPal⁠ Follow ⁠American Songcatcher⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠ Story Credits: Brent Davis - Research, Writing  Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, writing editing, recording and distribution Homecoming: Reflections on Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, 1915-1973, Charles R. Townsend. Country Music Hall of Fame Authentic Texas OW Mayo The Life and Times of Bob Wills Country Music, an Illustrated History, Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns. Country Music, a PBS documentary by Florentine Films, Ken Burns, director; Dayton Duncan, writer. OK History Life and Times of Bob Wills (TNN) Texas Monthly Birthplace of Western Swing The Country Music Pop-Up Book, by the staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Hag: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard, Marc Elliot.

Today, I'm sharing a conversation I had with GRAMMY-NOMINATED American guitarist, composer, producer and bandleader Charlie Hunter. He first came on to 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! Charlie's Links: Official Website Instagram ___ Support Educational Programming: Tax-Exempt Donations Join the Patreon Community One-time donations: Venmo or PayPal Follow American Songcatcher on Instagram  Credits:  Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, editing, recording and distribution

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.  Over the last year, I was fortunate enough to visit North Carolina several times, to visit with Bascom's old home and talk with head of the non-profit that now owns it, perform at the annual Lunsford Festival at Mars Hill University, and witness the return of filmmaker David Hoffman, who first filmed Bascom in the 1964, and was coming back to visit the area for the first time in the nearly 60 years since. This is a window into a living tradition. GoFundMe for Bascom's Home Restoration (for the Pondering Bascom non-profit) Documentaries mentioned: Music Makers of the Blue Ridge - David Hoffman (1965) Madison County, North Carolina - Where Music History is Alive (2023)⁠ Special thanks to: Rare Bird Farm Golden Shoals Madison County Mars Hill University Tim Duggan David Hoffman Support Educational Programming: Make a Tax Exempt Donation Join the Patreon Community Send a one-time donation via Venmo or PayPal Follow American Songcatcher on Instagram  Credits:  Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, editing, recording and distribution

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 from 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. Watch the full documentary "Shake Em On Down" Support Educational Programming: Join the Patreon Community Send a one-time donation on Venmo or PayPal Follow American Songcatcher: Instagram | TikTok Credits: Ryan Eastridge - Research, Writing  Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, editing, recording and distribution References: Shirley Collins Book | Alan Lomax Book | Laurence Cohn Book | UdiscoveredMusic |Allmusic| MS Blues Trail | KUNC | Mt. Zion Memorial Fund | John Szwed Book | Musicians Guide | Commercial Appeal | "Shake Em On Down"