Wright Thompson grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, before going on to write for ESPN, The Atlantic, and the New York Times, among other publications. In 2018, he created the travel documentary show, TrueSouth, which is now in its 8th season on the SEC Network; and in 2020, he came out with a terrific book called Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last. Wright’s latest book, The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi, examines the lasting impact and legacy of the Emmett Till murder, as well as the extraordinary efforts by some to obscure or distort the facts. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, incredibly well researched and reported, and told with the insights that only a Mississippian could bring to the story. Sid talks to Wright about the remarkable journey of Emmett Till’s cousin, Wheeler Parker, who was there the night of the abduction; the strong connection between the Mississippi Delta and Chicago; and why it took so many decades for the secrets of this horrendous crime to come to light.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

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Riley Green got his start playing in bars and restaurants around his hometown of Jacksonville, Alabama—and lately he’s been performing in stadiums for tens of thousands. He grew up with a close relationship with his two grandfathers, who were influential in his early musical development and who fueled his passion for the outdoors. His song "I Wish Grandpas Never Died," a tribute to both of them, was a major hit back in 2019, and more recently he’s recorded a couple of duets with Ella Langley – one of which, “you look like you love me,” won a CMA Award last year. In some ways, Riley has gone back to his roots by opening a bar called the Duck Blind in Nashville, which has become a favorite hangout for some of the biggest names in country music. Sid talks to the rising star about the influence of his Southern upbringing, his love of Jacksonville State football, and his new song, “Jesus Saves.”

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

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You may know Roy Wood Jr. from his long stint on The Daily Show, his new CNN comedy show Have I Got News For You, or from his new standup special Lonely Flowers, which you can watch on Hulu. He also got a lot of attention hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2023, and I got to know him a bit this past December when he was honored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance. Roy lives in New York now, where he often appears on late night talk shows, but he built his career in the South. He studied broadcast journalism at Florida A&M in Tallahassee and worked as morning news reporter in Birmingham, but his true passion was going out on the road for weekend gigs at comedy clubs around the region. Sid talks to Roy about why his mom is the funniest person in his family, his brief obsession with the Popeyes chicken sandwich, and how his Southernness informs his comedy.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

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The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington, DC, respectively, but both have family roots in the South. They also grew up in the musical traditions of their churches – Tanya in the Black Baptist Church and Michael in the Seventh Day Adventist Church – where they learned the power of song to move people. After becoming a father at a very young age, Michael eventually joined the armed forces and served in Iraq and Germany, where he took up songwriting as a way of dealing with his experiences there. Meanwhile Tanya embarked on a singing and acting career after a breakthrough appearance in Sister Act 2 alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill. Now, after a long and sometimes traumatic journey, Michael and Tanya are married, touring, winning all sorts of awards, and set to release their fifth album together, and their fourth as The War and Treaty. Sid talks to Michael and Tanya about the new record, Plus One, as well as their collaboration with Miranda Lambert, what it was like to record at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, and how they’re blending country, soul, gospel, and R&B.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

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Join us for the launch of Season 6 of Biscuits & Jam on Tuesday, March 4th, 2025 with The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter.

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 Sid talks to a couple of guys from Alabama who are founding members of one of the hottest young bands in the country—the Red Clay Strays. Brandon Coleman, the charismatic lead singer, spent his youth running around with siblings and cousins on a family compound outside of Turnerville, just north of Mobile. Meanwhile, Drew Nix, who plays guitar and writes a lot of the songs, grew up further north, in Birmingham. The two met through a mutual friend and eventually formed a country rock group that’s made quite a name for itself, especially after their 2022 single, “Wondering Why.” Now the band is out with a new album called Made By These Moments, and they also have a song on the soundtrack for Twisters, one of the biggest movies of the past summer. Sid talks to the old friends and bandmates about their songwriting process, Brandon’s recent Alabama wedding, plus the role of faith in their lives and their music.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

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Since 2016, Fawn Weaver has been obsessed with uncovering the true story of Nearest Green, a former slave who helped teach Jack Daniel the complicated process of making whiskey. Along the way, Fawn became so invested in her research that she bought the farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee, where Jack Daniel and Nearest Green worked together, and she’s since launched the Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey brand, which is winning awards and making serious waves in the spirits business. Fawn stopped by the Southern Living offices on her recent book tour, so we had this conversation in our studio, and her personal journey is just as amazing as the man she’s writing about. Her new book, now a New York Times bestseller, is called Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest. Sid talks to Fawn about the process of reporting this incredible book, the foundation she created for Nearest Green’s descendants, and why she grew up with people like Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson at her kitchen table.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

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Episode Description: Cody Johnson was born and raised in a little place called Sebastopol, Texas, about a half hour northeast of Huntsville. It was the kind of small community where everybody knew everybody, and his family went to a small country church where his musical interest and skill found an audience. When he was 18, he went to work with his father in the prison system, an intense experience that taught him a lot about how to read people, and one that also found its way into his songs. And if all that weren’t enough for his Texas credentials, he also got into bull riding and has more recently put his passion into team roping and breeding cutting horses. As for his music, he’s been racking up CMA, CMT, and other awards, he has a new song called “That’s Texas” that is lighting up audiences far outside the Lone Star State, and his growing career has him collaborating with the likes of Carrie Underwood. Sid talks to Cody about why he got a tattoo on the bottom of his foot, why he’s at a point in his career when he can truly embrace his Texas identity, and a funny story about his grandmother’s banana pudding. 

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

Jennifer Del Sole-Director of Audio Growth Strategy & Operations

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Grace Bowers grew up in Northern California, but when she was not quite 15 years old, her parents decided to move the family to Nashville for better schools and a different kind of life. At first, the culture shock was too much for her, but as Grace became more and more serious about the guitar, she found a music community that recognized her incredible talent—and took her in. Now, at just 18, she and her band, The Hodge Podge, have a new funk and soul-inspired album called Wine on Venus, a title inspired by Grace’s grandmother, who passed away not long ago at the age of 100. The album’s producer is John Osborne, from the Brothers Osborne, who’s become a friend and mentor as she navigates her abrupt rise to stardom. Sid talks to Grace about how BB King sparked a passion for music, her obsession with Sly and the Family Stone, her honest feelings about hot chicken, and much more.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

Jennifer Del Sole-Director of Audio Growth Strategy & Operations

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Brenda Lee spent the early years of her life in Georgia, and though her family didn’t have a lot of money, they always made sure she had batteries to run the radio so she could listen to the Grand Ole Opry. Between that and singing at their Baptist church, her interest in music became clear, and her extraordinary talent became even clearer. She was still a kid when her mother moved the family to Missouri so she could be a part of a TV program called Ozark Jubilee, and she was signed to Decca Records soon after that. Over the next handful of years, she set a record for the number of top 10 hits by a woman, and she also recorded one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time when she was just 13 years old: “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.” Sid talks to Brenda about her own Christmas traditions, her friendships with artists like Tanya Tucker and the late Kris Kristofferson, and her thoughts on the increased prominence of women in music over the course of her long career.

For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam

Biscuits & Jam is produced by:

Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living

Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living

Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer

Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer

Jeremiah McVay - Producer

Jennifer Del Sole - Director of Audio Growth Strategy & Operations

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices