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Hillbilly Podcast invites listeners to learn about and fall in love with the people and culture of Southern Appalachia. Proud, loyal, fierce, friendly, canny, meek, sophisticated, reserved...all these words are ones that describe the people of Southern Appalachia. Mountain folk from North Georgia and Alabama, through the Southern Highlands of East Tennessee, Western North Carolina, Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia, up through West Virginia, Eastern Pennsylvania, and parts of Maryland have baffled and confounded outsiders for centuries. Rooted deep in the mountains and grounded in their Scotch-Irish heritage, these pioneers carved out a life in the midst of a rugged, isolated terrain. Their gumption, strong will, pluck, stubbornness, smarts, and reliance on family, community, and faith helped them succeed in settling this place, where many of weaker constitution would have failed or given up. This is the stock we come from. This is the place that shaped us. Likewise, in turn, those hill people and their descendants have shaped the nation and world, from their Mountain Empire.
The goal of this show, and one of my driving passions, is to share this mysterious place and its fascinating people with outsiders. The Heart of Appalachia is rich in tradition, music, lore, legend, and mountain wisdom that dates back to and beyond a millennia or so. People everywhere need to know about what a treasure we hold here. This is what Hillbilly Podcast is all about.
Regularly occurring Hillbilly Podcast segments are: On the Porch, a narrative of a Southern Appalachian neighborhood from a front porch perspective; Hillbillies and Friends, which includes interviews with everyone from regular folks to small business owners, old-timers, new-timers, citified hillbillies, and real, legit mountain people; Question of the Week, where we ask a question to our listening audience, social media followers, or in a "hillbilly on the street"-type setting, and then talk about the responses and try to make sense of things from the hillbilly perspective; and Appalachia in the News, in which we report on or give insight into things that are going on in current events that pertain to the region. Crime stories, energy issues, highlighting achievements of Appalachian residents and businesses, news of the weird and the weird in the news - we've got a little bit of everything.
Ideas for upcoming recurring segments are: Hillbilly Kitchen, making the greats of the Southern Appalachian supper table, and Hillbilly Hymn Time, a musical segment promoting mountain music from traditional Appalachian/Scotch-Irish ballads to old hymns, Southern Gospel, and Classic Country music.
Welcome to the Heart of Appalachia. Sit down, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds of our Mountain Home.
The goal of this show, and one of my driving passions, is to share this mysterious place and its fascinating people with outsiders. The Heart of Appalachia is rich in tradition, music, lore, legend, and mountain wisdom that dates back to and beyond a millennia or so. People everywhere need to know about what a treasure we hold here. This is what Hillbilly Podcast is all about.
Regularly occurring Hillbilly Podcast segments are: On the Porch, a narrative of a Southern Appalachian neighborhood from a front porch perspective; Hillbillies and Friends, which includes interviews with everyone from regular folks to small business owners, old-timers, new-timers, citified hillbillies, and real, legit mountain people; Question of the Week, where we ask a question to our listening audience, social media followers, or in a "hillbilly on the street"-type setting, and then talk about the responses and try to make sense of things from the hillbilly perspective; and Appalachia in the News, in which we report on or give insight into things that are going on in current events that pertain to the region. Crime stories, energy issues, highlighting achievements of Appalachian residents and businesses, news of the weird and the weird in the news - we've got a little bit of everything.
Ideas for upcoming recurring segments are: Hillbilly Kitchen, making the greats of the Southern Appalachian supper table, and Hillbilly Hymn Time, a musical segment promoting mountain music from traditional Appalachian/Scotch-Irish ballads to old hymns, Southern Gospel, and Classic Country music.
Welcome to the Heart of Appalachia. Sit down, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds of our Mountain Home.
50 Episodes
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Heather Newman is one sharp cookie. After her family moved around a lot as a child, they finally settled for the long haul in Southern Ohio, but Heather found her true "home" and calling in the mountains of Appalachia. A family doctor whose pedigree includes graduating from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Heather felt drawn to working with rural, underserved people and communities and directed her attention towards a residency in Kingsport, TN, by way of ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine. Practicing medicine in remote Johnson County has its challenges, but I'm certain if anyone can make a difference, this lady can. Listen to her fascinating story and be in awe of her heart and passion for the health of the people of this region. Enjoy and share with your friends and relations.
My friend, Matt Newman, from Southwest Virginia's Coal Country talks about cooking under quarantine, getting back to his roots in the garden, and the ever-fascinating subject of foreign-style commodes and commode accessories, if that's what you want to call them??? Lol. We're talking about bidets and squatty potties, people. It's riveting! Tune in and tell all your friends!
1Shane Simmons is an expert on all things Appalachia. I came into contact with him when he started a podcast called Hillbilly Talk and then kept following him and a group he co-founded called the Appalachian Project. Shane loves to promote Appalachia and all that's good about our region and I'm a fan of what he does. Shane is also an author and co-author - Legends & Lore of East Tennessee, and most recently, a children's book entitled Petey the Pink-Tailed Possum: A School Tail. Maybe the most knowledgeable guest we've had to date on the ins and outs of what makes Appalachia tick, I think you're going to love hearing from Shane. Enjoy and share with friends!
Kenneth Conkin tells us about growing up in Sullivan Gardens, in Kingsport, TN. His stories of farm life, momma's cooking, and getting electricity for the first time are priceless. You are going to loving hearing from Kenneth, who also happens to be one of the biggest Tennessee Vols fans I know. He's good people. Go Big Orange!
Octogenarian, Madeline Alley, and her daughter, Geneva Browder, talk about growing up and living life in the coal camps of Southwest Virginia, where going to the company store, existing without electricity or indoor plumbing, and entertaining yourself with mischief were just part of daily life. Madeline tells about a simple life, but insists that having plenty to eat and having their basic needs and wants met was enough to keep them from understanding that they would be considered "poor" to much of the outside world. Madline's daughter, Geneva Browder, helps tell the tales of their lives from the coal mining towns of Imboden and Exeter, Virginia, to the city of Kingsport, TN. These two ladies are wonderful guests and are full of spunk. You'll love hearing their stories!
In Part 3 of our One Year Anniversary set of episodes, Guest Host, Mandie Carter, talks with me about my travel experiences in Portugal, Ukraine, England, Ireland, and Honduras. We discuss my espresso habit I developed in Lisbon, Fan Zone football excitement in Kiev, beautiful landscape in Bootle, England, Waterford Crystal in Ireland, and adventures on medical missions in Choluteca, Honduras. I'm enjoying talking about all these wild times we've had in all these wild places we've been and I really hope that these stories have been a source of blessing and entertainment to you all! Relax and enjoy yourselves!
Our celebration of our One Year Anniversary continues this week as Mandie Carter interviews me about my trips to the Far East. Twice I've been to China, visiting universities and working in conjunction with English professors to serve as a guest speaker in English classes. From my first time as a guest to primarily Mongolian, first year English students in Lanzhou, Northern China, to my second trip, working alongside English students studying to attain their Masters degree in Zhuzhou, Southern China, I've got some wild tales to tell. I so enjoyed remembering these stories and I hope you'll enjoy hearing them too. Thanks for all your support and thanks for listening!
Special guest host, Mandie Carter, turns the tables on me and interviews the interviewer. The next few episodes with Mandie at the helm give me the opportunity to recount some of my tales of world travel. In this episode, we go to Africa to talk about Masai warriors, safari animals, and dress code violations and to Central America to talk about the beautiful people and culture of Nicaragua. I hope you enjoy our talk as much as I did!
This is the start of a month-long celebration for our One Year Anniversary! How exciting! We have been so blessed to have been able to share the stories of the people of Southern Appalachia with you over the last year, so in honor of our milestone, we're throwing back to the first episode with the now-famous Wayne Bledsoe, my dad. I hope you love it just as much now as you did then. Thanks for listening and for all your shares and support!
Ingrid Luffman is a fascinating lady. An athlete, a distance runner, university professor, mom, daughter of British immigrants, and a Canadian transplant to Appalachia, Ingrid has a wealth of life experiences in her background that give her such an interesting story and a unique perspective on life between cultures. You're going to enjoy this lady so much!
Health Coach Mandie sits down with me on the porch, at a safe distance, for a chat about wellness during Corona virus quarantine. She talks about self-care and using your gifts to be of service to others. We discuss lessons being learned while at home and we chat about these crazy times that we're living in. Enjoy our conversation on the porch during our Corona-cation!
Bryan Underwood is a brilliant musician. He left Wytheville, VA as a teenager to attend Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. There, he honed his craft, spread some Appalachian culture, and finally "learned" how to make spaghetti. Bryan is an awesome guest, because he recognizes how special his Appalachian roots are, in spite of having a broad background that includes a New England education. Bryan talks about his family, their cooking traditions, holiday gatherings, and family heirlooms. He is so charming and witty, you're going to love hearing from him in this episode. Get comfy, we know you're not going anywhere, and enjoy the show with Bryan Underwood.
Jason Salley is an adventurer. From his first trip overseas to Italy to his 6 month journey around the world, he truly believes in sucking the marrow out of life, as the saying goes. Jason tells of his travels, the things he saw, the people he met, and the tragedy that shortly followed one of the crowing achievements of his life. Throughout the telling of his story, you can see this guy's character shine through. Truly humble and always genuine, you're going to love hearing Jason's heart for people, for his family, and for his Appalachian roots. Enjoy your time in quarantine with us here on the porch and enjoy Jason Salley!
Mandie Carter talks about growing up learning to be fierce and fabulous from her mamaws and her mama. Sewing, canning, cooking are just some of the skills these hillbilly women passed on to Mandie and her twin sister Barbie, along with their strength, independence, and love of the arts and simple joys. I hope you enjoy hearing from Mandie again and getting to know her story better.
Heather Watts picks up in this week's episode with "the rest of the story," so to speak. She tells us of how her family has expanded in the last few years and the miraculous story of families within families, coming together to create a whole new family! :) That's a riddle, so if you want the answer, you'll just have to listen to how the Watts's journey is continuing on, always with their Princess, Delilah, in the foreground, shaping the context of their lives. This story is going to bless your socks off, so be prepared!
Heather Childress Watts tells us about the journey she and her husband are on as the parents of a Princess. Their daughter, Delilah, was born prematurely and fought a hard battle to live to see her first birthday. After Princess Delilah left this world to live in Heaven, not too long after turning one, Heather and Jeff set about to memorialize "D" in a way that would bless others for years to come. The Princess Delilah Foundation ministers to nurses, doctors, NICU and PICU families and patients, college students, families grieving lost children, and many, many more. Delilah's life and spirit lives on in the work that her parents are doing to give back to others and Heather's convinced that D sends signs of her approval from above. This is such a special family and this is a very special episode. Enjoy Heather, Jeff, and Delilah's story and please consider donating to the Princess Delilah Foundation.
Health Coach Mandie is my pal. She has a calling on her life to help people achieve their goals, whether they be for physical, spiritual, or emotional health. I reconnected with her at just the right time in my life and she has been instrumental in getting me on track with my health and has become a dear, dear friend. Listen, share, and be blessed!
Tony Dingus is a local legend on the dobro and pedal steel. He is also now instructing the younger generations coming up through the bluegrass and country program at East Tennessee State University. Tony is one of the sweetest men you'll ever meet and even though there's no better pedal steel player anywhere around, he's as humble as can be. I know you'll love hearing from him on this episode. Enjoy!
Eddie and Janey Lane are back with Part 2 of our conversation and this time we get hillbilly. Eddie talks about growing up in "the Valley," Carter's Valley, that is, and Janey recounts her happy childhood in her Kingsport neighborhood, where all you needed for a great Independence Day parade was a riding lawn mower and a wagon train full of kids in their Radio Flyers. I love this couple! Hope you're enjoying them too!
Eddie and Janey Lane have true servants' hearts. They became involved in missions many years ago and have been serving in ministry in Nicaragua, among other places, for nearly two decades. Known in Nicaragua as Mama Janey and Papa Du, they talk about how they got started going to Central America and how the borders of their ministries have expanded over the years. As we close Part 1 of our talk, we start getting into growing up hillbilly, so you surely won't want to miss the second half of our conversation next week. For now, I'll leave you with Mama Janey and Eddie. Enjoy!
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