Backstory Sessions

A Nomad’s Life

Hello Backstory fans! Welcome to another interesting episode!  A lot of people have had the fantasy of hopping in their car one day and just driving off on an adventure somewhere, but very few actually follow through because of obligations, time, fear, etc. in this episode we talk with Gypsy J, who has done exactly that. He had known from a very young age that he wanted to see the world on his own terms, and for the last 5 years, has been traveling to various places in the US in his van, dubbed Dorothy. He talks about his decision making process in getting started, and what his feelings were at the beginning of his journey. We chat about problems encountered and how he approaches the unexpected things that pop up when least expected. The nomadic life might not be for everyone, but with the right temperament, an ability to plan, and good equipment, Gypsy J shows that it is possible to live life in a van, and still be comfortable. We also chat about how he came to find Dorothy, and why he named his van this. This episode is a very interesting story about one man’s search for his own happiness, and we enjoyed talking with Gypsy J a lot. His story is inspiring and will appeal to the adventurous spirit in us all. 

Tess Frizzell:Full Circle

Welcome to Season 6 Backstory fans! We are excited to return and kick off the new season with you. Our amazing guest for this episode is country artist Tess Frizzell. She sits down with us to discuss her very unique and interesting journey to where she is today, and has many great stories of growing up with fame all around her. In alot of ways, Tess has come full circle with the release of her new single, "The Wrong One", which was started years ago, by Tess' grandmother, country legend Dottie West. The story of how the song came to be recorded by Tess is as sweet as it is fascinating. Tess also reveals how the song parallels her personal life in significant ways too.  .
Bobby Tomberlin, who is her good friend and co wrote "The Wrong One", had this to say about Tess:  "Tess Frizzell has a country music DNA like I’ve never seen but she has found herself musically and is carrying on a beautiful family tradition with a voice that is so rich with 100% heart in the vocal. Country Music hungry fans need what she has to offer."
We hope you enjoy our conversation with Tess as much as we did. She was very gracious, and candid, and we fell in love with her, as we are sure you will too. We thank Tess for her time, and hope to have her back on the podcast soon.
 
 

In a New York Minute

Hello again Backstory listeners!.. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. Hopefully you all had a great day, and were shown the love you all deserve to get every day of the year! A special shout out to our own moms, Faye and Pat, who are no longer with us physically, but remain forever with us.
In this episode we chat about the season past, which ends with this one. We have had some awesome guests, and spent a few episodes catching you all up on previous guests, which we hope you enjoyed. We will be on hiatus until early June, but will be back with some great new guests and episodes. There are many things happening behind the scenes and we hope to have more news about this in our first episode when we return. 
Also In the episode, we also talk with actress Amy Chang. Amy has done a lot of work on TV, having appeared in shows such as  Law and Order, and FBI:Most Wanted. She also has appeared in many movies, and currently has a new movie out called “In a New York Minute”. Amy talks about the film, and her path from a young girl living in Kansas, to heading off to New York to study acting, and some of the struggles and triumphs along the way. We enjoyed talking to Amy, and she gave a great interview, which we thank her for.
We hope you enjoy this episode, and have enjoyed listening to our previous episodes this season. We thank you all for spending time with us, and we will be back “In a NY Minute”with an exciting new season full of great guests, new topics, and a few surprises. 
 

Celebrity Catch Up 3

Welcome back, Backstory fans! Tonight marks the end of our series catching up with former guests. It’s been a lot of fun for us, and we have learned some interesting things from our guests thus far.
Tonight is equally amazing as we talk to our friends, actress and actor Kristen Renton and Rick Cosnett. Kristen reveals many new things, such as where she is living now, and what she’s been up to recently. The pandemic certainly provided many challenges and opportunities for her. Rick also shares some pretty cool things that he has been up to recently, a future project, and some great stories from his youth that you might not get to hear anywhere else.
It was a pleasure to talk to Rick and Kristen again, and we can’t think of 2 better guests to end this series of podcasts with. We thank them both for thier time, and willingness to be open in thier answers to our questions. We know you will enjoy catching up with them as much as we did.

Celebrity Catch Up 2

Welcome Backstory fans! This episode is a second  a series of episodes we recorded recently with some of our more well known guests.  Join us for a chat with singer, songwriter, and musician Pamela Hopkins, and later in the episode, actor Kate Amundsen. Each of these amazingly talented women give updates on what they have been up to since we last spoke, Whether it be winning an award, acting in an upcoming movie, or entertains the troops in Alaska, or performing on a cruise ship in Scandinavia, these 2 ladies are continuing to keep very busy.  We enjoyed catching up with these two interesting guests, and hope you enjoy the episode!

Celebrity Catch Up 1

Hello again Backstory fans! This episode continues a series of episodes we recorded recently with some of our previous guests.  Join us for a chat with actor Bill Allen, and later in the episode, actor and comedian Preston Taylor. both of these interesting guests give updates on what they have been up to of late, as well as how they navigated their way through the pandemic. Both are very busy these days with various projects, and are anxious to get back to shooting movies and performing, now that Covid restrictions had largely been, or are being lifted. We enjoyed catching up with these 2 fun guests, and hope you enjoy the episode!

Catching Up 2

Welcome to Part 2 of our Catching Up episodes, where we chat with some of our former guests to see what they have been up to since we last talked. This weeks guests provided lots of great updates and even a few surprises. It was alot of fun catching up, and we hope you all enjoy this episode.
This weeks guests are: Kim Hammons Minton, owner of The Ugly Mug Coffee Shop in Barbourville, KY, Actor and future architect Drew Clavin Farmer, One of our favorite humans, Masyn Mitchell, Our friend Tamara Henson, owner of Tattoos By Tamara, also in Barbourville KY, and lastly, we give an update about a very special woman who was the subject of a previous podcast, the amazing Granny Opal. 

Catching Up 1

Hello Backstory fans! This is the first in a series of episodes where we talk with some of our former guests to see what they have been up to. We have had some requests to talk to various people on the podcast to see what they have been up to since we last spoke. This is an interesting episode with lots of twists and turns. We were surprised at some of the things we found out, and it shows that life isn't always so predictable. While there are certainly constants in each of the guests lives, many things have changed, which goes to show that we all evolve over time in lots of different ways, both big and small. 
This weeks guests are Corri Taylor, Jeremy Bryant, Johnathan Stephens, and Dean Whitaker. We thank all of these great guests for their time, and sharing their stories with us. (Note: Some of the recordings were edited for time, and some were cut short by technical issues during recording. We apologize in advance.)

Myth Information

Hello again Backstory fans! This week marks 2 years since we started Backstory Sessions, and we are foever grateful to our awesome listeners, as well as our amazing guests. We thank you all for making this podcast a passion project for us.
Our guests on this episode are our friend Dr. Cheryl, who joined us on a previous episode ("A Good Approach") to chat about the topic of obesity, and also Tesa Edge, who is a life coach at Dr. Cheryl's practice. We talk with these knowledgeable ladies about some of the myths surrounding weight loss, which, as you probably know is a maze of misinformation, partial truths, and money making scams. It is a very interesting episode, where they dispel some of the misinformation out there about a range of different topic related to weight loss. If you want to know how much water you should be drinking daily, or if Crunchberries can be considered a fruit, this episode will tell you. Dr. Cheryl and Tesa share some of the science and numbers involved in weight loss, as well as things that they do to help the clients they work with daily. We are so happy to have Dr. Cheryl back, and to have Tesa join us for this fun and informative episode.

Not Slowing Down

A very special episode with the amazing country music icon, Jeannie Seely. Jeannie is just the nicest person to talk to, and we are honored to have her as our guest for this really fun chat. She tells us about her roots in music, how she ended up in Nashville by way of California, and shares many great stories about meeting and working with various artists, and some of her most enduring friendships. Jeannie shares with us the story of purchasing her first car, to appearing on the Opry stage somewhere just shy of 3000 times and much much more. A mutual friend, former podcast guest, and one of Jeannie's cowriting partners, the equally talented and interesting Bobby Tomberlin, commented to us recently, "Jeannie is such a treasure." We agree wholeheartedly. Thank you to Jeannie for her time, and graciousness. We know you will enjoy this great episode.
 
Jeannie's Bio (edited):
Jeannie Seely will celebrate 55 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Sept 16, 2022. Her recent album, "An American Classic", was released by Curb Records and produced by Don Cusic. The album includes collaborations with Bill Anderson, Rhonda Vincent, Steve Wariner, Lorrie Morgan, The Whites, Vince Gill and more. The project includes her duet with Willie Nelson, “Not A Dry Eye In The House”, is currently at radio and was previously released digitally on her 80th birthday.
Jeannie has achieved chart topping songs as a solo artist, as a duet partner, and as a songwriter. From her 1966 Top 10 Billboard album “The Seely Style” to her most recent self–produced album, “Written In Song,” a CD project with 14 tracks all co-written or self-penned by Seely and recorded by Country Music Hall of Famers and Country music legends; Ernest Tubb, Dottie West, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Faron Young, Jack Greene, Little Jimmy Dickens, Chris LeDoux, Ray Price and more. Jeannie’s recordings have spanned six decades and provided enjoyment to country music fans all around the world. Many of the songs were recorded by Hall of Fame members. Jeannie earned a Grammy for her recording of “Don’t Touch Me” in 1967. Seely is a weekly on-air host on SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse, where she shares personal memories and fun stories about the songs she spins. 2018 Seely was honored to receive recognition and a star on the famed Music City Walk of Fame and recognized for ranking #2 in Billboard’s Top TV Songs Chart for January 2018 for her song “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand),” written in 1964 and recorded by Irma Thomas. 
Early in her career, Jeannie’s deeply moving vocals earned her the nickname of “Miss Country Soul”– a title that’s still used today. Jeannie’s biggest dream came true when she was inducted as a member of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, becoming the first Pennsylvania native to do so. A country music legend and trailblazer, her perseverance over many years earned Seely the honor of being the first female to regularly host segments of the weekly Opry and is credited for changing the image of Opry by being the first to wear a mini-skirt on the Opry stage. Jeannie works tirelessly behind the scenes in the music industry on behalf of fellow artists and musicians. Known for her quick wit and humor, she documented some of her 'sayings” in her book, Pieces Of A Puzzled Mind, which is a unique collection of witticisms. Jeannie Seely has also starred in several major stage productions.