Ozark Highlands Radio is a weekly radio program that features live music and interviews recorded at Ozark Folk Center State Park’s beautiful 1,000-seat auditorium in Mountain View, Ark. In addition to the music, our “Feature Host” segments take listeners through the Ozark hills with historians, authors and personalities who explore the people, stories, and history of the Ozark region.

This week, comedian, banjo prodigy, Grand Old Opry star and HeeHaw alum Mike Snider performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly discuss the cultural cross-pollination of traditional folk music, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of original Ozark musician Floyd Holland.

Mike Snider plays banjo, and has a great sense of humor. So much so, we’ve dedicated an entire program to his recent performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Mike is a long tenured member of the Nashville music scene, having performed on “Hee Haw” and the Grand Ole Opry among other notable venues. He’s a former national champion banjo picker (3 finger style,) but has converted to the more traditional claw hammer style in recent years. Mike is joined by a wonderful backing group of musicians for this performance.

Renowned folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode offers a discussion of cultural cross-pollination of traditional folk music, as illustrated through the traditional song “Red Rocking Chair.”

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of original Ozark musician Uncle Floyd Holland, performing the tune “My Darling Nellie Grey,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.