Episodes

  • Episode 70: Big Smith: Legendary, Lyrical, Kin

    Episode 70: Big Smith: Legendary, Lyrical, Kin
    May 21 2025
    In this extra-special episode, Mark Bilyeu, Jody Bilyeu, and Rik Thomas talk about their legendary group, Big Smith. Not only do they perform live versions of some of their most iconic songs--"Trash," "Backwater," and "Whip-poor-will," among others--but they describe growing up in the Ozarks, the importance of family, the influence of folk, bluegrass, and Gospel music, and the message behind the lyrics. As one fan put it, Big Smith is a "manifestation" of the spirit of the Ozarks, and this interview bears that out! Trust us, you don't want to miss this episode of the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Episode 69: Champ Herren and the Lynching of Dick Cullen

    Episode 69: Champ Herren and the Lynching of Dick Cullen
    May 14 2025
    Champ Herren, the OFC's official "renegade newscaster," digs back into the Ozarks archives and unearths the story of Dick Cullen, who murdered his four-year-old step-brother but didn't live to tell about it. Sometimes, people make damned sure that crime doesn't pay. Champ is a master storyteller and a diligent researcher, and he applies his talents to this nearly hundred year old story that could have come from this morning's newspaper. Also included in this essay is another beautiful folksong from Mark Bilyeau and Cindy Woolf, aka the Creek Rocks, and one of Hoss Braden's favorite Ozarks stories. Don't miss this one!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 68: Hoss Braden: Legendary Actor, Storyteller, and Iconic Ozarker

    Episode 68: Hoss Braden: Legendary Actor, Storyteller, and Iconic Ozarker
    May 7 2025

    Hoss Braden, born and bred in the Ozarks hills, has turned his life into art, both in the Legend of the Lost Silver Mine that played in Branson West and currently, in the long-running Shepherd of the Hills drama at the Shepherd of the Hills Adventure Park. Hoss has lived a storied life, but he has also learned stories, dozens of them, that he shares with the audience in the character of Ol' Matt. Now it's your turn to listen in on Ol' Matt's stories for yourself. Don't miss this dyed-in-the-wool, bred-in-the-bone episode of stories from Hoss Braden, aka, Ol' Matt! Also in this episode is our first installment of Champ Herren's "News from the Past" as well as another "Song from the Archives" by Mark Bilyeu and Cindy Woolf, the Creek Rocks! The OFC just gets better n' better!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    59 mins
  • Episode 67: Introducing the Renegades of Folk: Vance Randolph

    Episode 67: Introducing the Renegades of Folk: Vance Randolph
    Apr 30 2025
    The word "folk" conjures up people rocking back and forth in cane bottom chairs and dipping snuff, and though that's an admittedly enviable lifestyle, it's not the whole story. The early folk song and folktale collectors were largely from "off" and belonged to an avantgarde circle of artists, socialists, and bohemians, in short, renegades. Our new series, the Renegades of Folk, takes a closer look at these men and women of the early 20th century who did so much to save the culture and folkways of the Ozarks, not through rose-colored glasses, but as they actually lived. Join Curtis and Hayden as they discuss Vance Randolph, patron saint of the Chronicles and our first Renegade of Folk!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Episode 66: Stories from the James River: A Conversation with George Scott and Tom Koob

    Episode 66: Stories from the James River: A Conversation with George Scott and Tom Koob
    Apr 23 2025
    Ozarkers love a good story, and George Scott and Tom Koob have some great ones! From Leonard "Shock" Short, moonshiner, bank robber, and husband of George's Aunt Lillian, to Vance Randolph, who fell in love with Lillian after Shock's death, to the myth of Virgin Bluff, and all the way back to the Civil War with George's great-grandfather, George and Tom remind us that the old stories will always live on, and for that we can be thankful! Hills without stories might be pretty, but it's the stories that give them life.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    56 mins
  • Episode 65: Saving the Ozarks One Creek at a Time: A conversation with the Kipfers

    Episode 65: Saving the Ozarks One Creek at a Time: A conversation with the Kipfers
    Apr 16 2025
    Bob and Barb Kipfer retired from lucrative jobs in the medical field to the hard work of natural conservation. From their initial purchase of 80 acres on Bull Creek to their current preserve of 400 acres, the Kipfers have restored the riparian field, shored up the banks, and planted trees and other vegetation along beautiful Bull Creek. Barb has also planted some 90 indigenous species of native flowers, trees, and other plants in their suburban yard in Springfield. In their efforts to preserve the best of the Ozarks, the Kipfers offer an excellent example of what we can all do to save our home. Don't miss this important episode of the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    57 mins
  • Episode 64: Crescent Dragonwagon and Her Life in the Ozarks

    Episode 64: Crescent Dragonwagon and Her Life in the Ozarks
    Apr 9 2025
    Join Curtis and Hayden when they sit down with author, chef, and innkeeper, Crescent Dragonwagon! Since her arrival in the Ozarks over fifty years ago, Crescent has published over fifty books in several genres including novels, children's books, and cookbooks. She has embraced the hills as her home, and the hills have embraced her right back! Crescent is a story teller par excellence, and her reminiscences will both inspire and challenge you. You don't want to miss this episode of the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Episode 63: The Creek Rocks and the Vance Randolph Folksong Collection

    Episode 63: The Creek Rocks and the Vance Randolph Folksong Collection
    Apr 2 2025
    When Mark Bilyeu and Cindy Wolf visited the archives at the Library of Congress, they discovered and returned home with a treasure trove of folksongs collected by Vance Randolph himself. On this episode, you'll hear original tracks from well-known Ozarkers like May Kennedy McCord, Rose O'Neill, and Vance himself, as well as lesser known figures. We Ozarkers have always loved our music, and the Chronicles are proud to partner with Mark and Cindy to bring this music back to life!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    35 mins
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