Backstory Sessions

Switheart

Welcome to our 100th episode! We are so happy to have reached this big milestone, and thank you, our awesome listeners for getting us here! Since it is such a special episode for us, we wanted to bring you a very special guest, and we are honored to sit down with tv legend Loretta Swit! This year marks 50 yrs since MASH first aired, and Loretta spent all 11 seasons playing nurse Margaret Houlihan, appearing in almost every episode. She talks about the early days of filming, her thoughts on the impact that playing such a strong female character has had on women, as well as herself, and many other topics related to her time on the show. Loretta is also deeply involved in many charitible foundations, and talks about her painting, books of paintings and stories behind them, and a new perfume she has out. It was a true pleasure to chat with her, and we are so happy to bring you this very special episode, with an amazing, funny, and very sweet guest for our 100th, and we look forward to many many more.

A Savannah Haunting

Hello Backstory fans! This week we bring you another haunted episode, because who doesn’t love Halloween, right? We sit down the actress Gena Shaw, who is in the new film, “A Savannah Haunting”. The film was written and directed by William Mark McCullough, who grew up in the house where the film was shot. The movie is based on true events. And the house itself has a fair bit of creepiness about it. Gena talks with us about all the somewhat unexplained things that went on during filming, and how she decided to take the role in the film in the first place. We also delve deeper int Gena’s backstory, growing up in NJ, and find out what tv show she’d love to be on soon, as well as many other facts about this interesting, funny, and charismatic actress. We are excited to present this wide ranging episode!

Ghosts in the Hills

Hello all Backstory ghosts, ghouls and goblins! Welcome to another haunting episode. In this one, we chat with Shirlene Edwards, who has spent the better part of her life working at Waverly Hills, just outside of Louisville, KY. Her connection the the property actually goes back generations, with her father and grandparents also working there. Originally opened as a small hospital in the early 1900s, Waverly has a long and storied past, which Shirlene recounts for us. As one would expect, there are many stories of paranormal activity there due to the numbers of patients and workers who lived and died there. We hear about these sightings as well as some of the more creepy things about the property, such as the body chute, and possibly mass graves that may or may not be somewhere on the original property. We also talk with a first time visitor to the property, named Brian, who gives his impressions of what it’s like to tour the building, and if he felt the place is haunted. A truly fascinating look at the history and unexplained sightings at Waverly that you won’t want to miss! Happy Halloween!

On the Horizon

Hello Backstory fans! In this episode our former guest, singer/songwriter H. Jack Williams returns. We catch up with him on a number of topics: Jack talks about filming his video released previously called “Beat Me Again”, about abuse, and the amazing woman he sang a duet with in the video. In his newest video, "One More Day", available now on YouTube, Jack invites a couple friends from Lynyrd Skynyrd appear in as well, and it was partially filmed on the beach at Kevin Costner house in California. He also recounts his trip to the UK where he met up with his old friend Roger Daltrey, who he hadn’t seen in 20 yrs. We trade thoughts on seeing the Eagles concert for the first time earlier this year. Jack shares his excitement about being asked by Kevin Costner to be in his movie called "Horizon". He has been friends with Mr. Costner for many years and wrote a few songs with him and occasionally performs with Kevin’s band. He talks about the experience, from Kevin asking him if he wanted to be in the movie, to the actual filming of his scenes, and his path into acting. This is a really interesting episode with a guy who has amazing stories of things he’s done, and people he has met along the way. His enthusiasm is contagious! We love catching up with Jack, and know you all will enjoy hearing what's new with Jack as well.

Still Rockin

Hello Backstory fans! In this very special episode we sit down with the amazing and living part of rock history, Artimus Pyle!  discuss how our interview with Artimus came together, and our personal recollections of growing up listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd. 
A Kentucky native, Artimus was the drummer for the band, and survived the plane crash that took the lives of some of his band mates back in 77.. In our conversation with Artimus, we talk about his band, the Artimus Pyle Band, their work with various veterans groups and charities, and a recent local event to raise money for the flood victims in eastern Kentucky.  He also shares his feelings about the upcoming 45th anniversary of the plane crash, cover bands, and a few stories about Skynyrd. We also chat about the re-release of Street Survivors, the biopic about events leading up to the crash, and also a tribute album he is working on with other artists to be released soon. We can't thank Artimus enough for coming by to talk with us briefly, and we hope to have him back soon for a longer conversation. Its rare to get to talk to a member of arguably one of the most influential bands in rock, and it was an honor to do so! 
 

A Short Drive

Corbin and London KY comprise 4 of the exits as you head South on I75 toward Tennessee, or just over the Kentucky border as you head north, and as you go farther off the highway, you get to see and experience some of the really interesting and unique things only found in this part of the state. In this episode we chat with the tourism directors of both Corbin (Maggie Kriebel Monhollen) and the London Laurel County Tourism Commission (Kelly Burton). Both of these dedicated women tell us about how they ended up working in tourism, and about all the fun and interesting things going on in the area from October to December and beyond. From festivals, to hiking and camping, and of course chicken, to the world's only place to see a moonbow, the area has something for everyone to enjoy. Lots of great information from our guests that will have you wanting to come by and check out all the Fall festivities and other events happening throughout the year. 

Through the Years

Hello again Backstory family! We have a very special episode for you! Cat’s Whitley County High School class has just had their 40th reunion, and had chosen “Through the Years” way back in 1982 as their class song.  We first have the honor of talking with Steve Dorff, who wrote the song, and shares the story of how it got written, as well as the events that transpired in pitching the song to Kenny Rogers. Steve also shares some additional stories from his long and successful songwriting career. With five decades, 20 top 10 hits, Grammy and Emmy award nominations, and a spot in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame under his belt, Steve has had his songs recorded by over 250 artists. A truely remarkable career, with no signs of slowing down. We can’t thank him enough for agreeing to sit down with us and talk about the song and share his own impressions of it, as well as feedback he continually gets about it. We then turn our attention to some of Cat’s classmates who share with us what the song has meant to them looking back at thier high school days, and what it means to them now, 40 years later. We also hear the ways in which life has changed for each of them after high school, and where they are now. It is an interesting mix of stories that are funny, sweet, at times bittersweet, and definitely have many twists and turns. One thing is clear though : The Whitley County class of ‘82 is a special group. The love they share for each other as classmates is evident in every minute of this episode. From the feedback we received in planning the episode, to the lengths they all went to to make sure those who weren’t able to attend the reunion were still able to be a part of it was amazing. We hope you enjoy this sentimental episode, and we congratulate the Whitley County Class of ‘82 on their 40th reunion. Special thanks to our guests (in no particular order): Angie Wilson, Gary Bryant, Nat Hyde, Jim Wilson, Judith Streetman Sherman, Tami Moses Cox Mason, and Teresa Rountree

Feels Like....

Welcome to the first episode of Season 7! Its going to be a great one, and we are happy to be back and bringing you all the awesome guests, and their backstories again.
We have a great episode for you with our new friend, singer/songwriter Allie Colleen. Allie chats with us about a variety of topics including tattoos, summer jobs, touring, and of course her music. We talk about some of the inspirations for her songs, and how they came to be recorded. Her recent single "Feels Like", was written by Allie, and Kimberly Atwood, and is produced by Lee Brice, and Jerrod Niemann.  We found Allie to be just the nicest person, sweet, funny, intelligent, thoughtful, caring, and engaging. We know you will enjoy this episode and will want to check out more of her music and info at www.alliecolleenmusic.com

Bagels to Burritos

Hello again Backstory fans! In this episode we chat with actor, writer, and director Bret Lada. He has appeared in many network tv shows, such as Law and Order, Orange is the New Black, and others. Bret’s film, “The Andy Baker Tape” tells the story of 2 half brothers who are food bloggers, and through a series of twists and turns, end up going missing during a road trip chronicled by one of the brothers. Bret talks about the genesis of the project, the issues he and his team ran into while filming, as well as the long process in getting the film edited, music scored, and a host of other topics. It’s a great look into taking a film project from concept to completion on a small budget, and the highs and lows of it all. Lots of interesting insights from this great guest.This episode also brings an end to Season 6. We chat a bit about the season, and share some of our favorite happenings, and give very vague hints about what’s coming next season. We want to thank our guests from this season, and also you our listeners. Our guests are appreciated for their time and willingness to tell their stories, and our listeners for, well, listening, and providing feedback, and stories of thier own. We are forever grateful!Wel will return on Sept 25th with a new season, and more great Backstorys!

Miller Time

Hello again Backstory fans! In this episode, after talking about the various fairs we have attended, we sit down with singer songwriter Alex Miller. Alex was a contestant on American idol and is currently touring to promote his new album, “Miller Time”. He will be opening for Niko Moon at the Kentucky State Fair later this week.  Alex shares some great stories with us about songs he has written and recorded, his early days of performing, and getting to meet and work with some of his own idols in recently. He is a young rising star in country music, who has worked to bridge the gap between the traditional country music and current country genres. His love for the older icons of country has heavily influenced him, and his willingness to stretch and see what’s possible will keep him going for years to come. His talent, humor, and work ethic comes through in this really interesting interview, and we look forward to having him back again soon. We know you will enjoy it!