Ozark Highlands Radio

This week, a tribute to legendary singer-songwriter John Prine by his long time guitarist Jason Wilber & lifelong friend and co-writer Keith Sykes recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, OHR executive producer Daren Dortin sits down for a conversation with Jason Wilber.

Each June, the Ozark Folk Center State Park pays tribute to John Prine with a concert weekend featuring world class musicians from a seemingly endless list of friends, family, and colleagues that loved the legendary singer-songwriter. In 2025, host Keith Sykes welcomed John’s guitar player of 24 years, Jason Wilber, for a night of songs & stories.

John Prine was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, often with elements of social commentary and satire, as well as sweet songs and melancholy ballads. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death in 2020. John was connected to Mountain View, Arkansas through his love of fishing and Jack’s Resort on the beautiful White River. John visited Mountain View regularly since his childhood and made many friends in the area. In fact, according to John, his first public performance as a teenager was for fellow patrons at Jack’s White River Resort.

https://www.johnprine.com/about

Jason Wilber - “I was 26 when I started playing guitar with John Prine. During the summer Time Traveler was recorded, I turned 50. I had been playing with John essentially my entire adult life,” Wilber says. “John and his wife Fiona, their boys, the band and crew, they’re like family to me. I love them all, and I loved working with them. It was a special gift to stand beside John all those years and watch what happened between him and an audience. I can’t deconstruct it for you, or explain exactly why it was so brilliant. But I can tell you that something amazing was happening. There’s something about John’s music and his performance of it that touches people deeply. It’s very special, and it was a pleasure and a joy to get to be a part of it for so long.” - https://jasonwilber.com/jason_wilber_bio/

Once upon a time in the summer of 1967, Keith Sykes hitchhiked to the Newport Folk Festival and saw Arlo Guthrie perform “Alice’s Restaurant.” In the fall of that year he got a copy of the album, learned the whole song and sang it at a Holiday Inn in Charleston, South Carolina. They hired him on the spot for a regular gig playing music in the hotel. In the more than 40 years that followed, he would become a troubadour and storyteller, a massively successful songwriter with more than 100 songs recorded by artists as diverse as Rosanne Cash and George Thorogood. He would tour every corner of America and play in just about every conceivable kind of venue, appear on Saturday Night Live and Austin City Limits, and host songwriter nights on Memphis’ legendary Beale Street with many of music’s most talented songwriters. He would join Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, tour the country and record the Volcano album – the title track for which he co-wrote with Jimmy. - http://www.keithsykes.com/

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1979 archival recording of David Prine, John’s brother, performing the classic Carter Family song “Hello Stranger,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

This week, here comes Dulcimer Jamboree once again! Each year, dulcimer players from all over come to the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas for a weekend of learning, listening, and loving all things dulcimer. Each evening of the event features concerts by world renowned dulcimer teachers and performers. We’ll enjoy highlights recorded from these live performances featuring both mountain dulcimers and the more ancient hammered dulcimers.

Artists performing this year include: Renowned mountain dulcimer players and educators Stephen Seifert, Kara Barnard, and Margaret Wright; hammered dulcimer masters and educators Katie Moritz, Deedee Tibbits, & Rick Thum; and world famous hammered dulcimer Jedi and internet sensation Colin Beasley. Also, a performance from the 2025 Ozark Folk Center Mountain Dulcimer Contest Champion Allison O’Shea from Brown County, Indiana.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1986 archival recording of Ozark originals The Leatherwoods, featuring Jean Jennings & Kay Thomas on mountain dulcimers performing the classic hymn “Amazing Grace,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins recounts the story of Mountain View, Arkansas’ infamous 1929 Connie Franklin murder trial from his book “Ghost of the Ozarks.”

This week, a sampling of local homegrown organic free-range Ozark original folk music from right here at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, recorded at our annual Homecoming Hootenanny.

Each May, the Ozark Folk Center State Park hosts our annual Homecoming Hootenanny. It’s an entire weekend of music and crafts featuring folks whom have performed at the center over its more than 52 years in operation. Ozark Folk Center State Park is dedicated to perpetuating the music, crafts and culture of the Ozarks. Open mid-April to mid-November, the park offers visitors an opportunity to watch artisans work, to stroll through the Heritage Herb Garden, and to hear live Southern mountain music. In the Ozark Folk Center Craft Village, more than 20 working artisans demonstrate, create and sell handmade items. Handcrafted items like flame-painted copper jewelry, leather purses and goods, baskets, brooms, stained glass, ironwork, pottery, knives, weavings, quilts, wood carvings, spun yarn, soap, candles, and more are made onsite.

The performances featured on this episode were recorded at the Ozark Folk Center State Park’s 2025 Homecoming Hootenanny. All of these folks are Ozark originals and local to the area. Some have performed at the Folk Center as far back as the 1970’s. Hear why folks say there’s something in the water in Mountain View, Arkansas that grows musicians. Four family bands, four national fiddle champions, two national clawhammer banjo champions and a national mountain dulcimer champion all local and all appearing on this one weekend at the Ozark Folk Center. Headliners this year include: Possum Juice; George Hulsey & Friends; Gary Rounds & Friends featuring Tim Crouch; Carolyn Carter; The Parker Unit; and Five South.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins explores the storied history of early gospel music publishing in the Ozark and Quachita Mountains. This episode focuses on legendary gospel music composer and publisher Eugene Monroe Bartlett and his Arkansas based Hartford Music Company. Featured is an Ozark Folk Center archival recording of Fredona Currie performing Bartlett’s most famous hymn, “Victory in Jesus.”

This week, a retrospective of the third season of Ozark Highlands Radio featuring a variety of outstanding performances recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Host Dave Smith and OHR producer Jeff Glover provide context and commentary for this captivating collection.

Each year at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, we record many hours of live music. We cherish all of it, but some of these performances stand out as being uniquely interesting or moving. On this episode, OHR producer Jeff Glover guides us through some of the most memorable moments of season three. Featured on this show are: A.J. Croce; Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas; Hubby Jenkins; The Savoy Family Band; The April Verch Band; Molsky’s Mountain Drifters; The Downhill Strugglers; Willie Carlisle; Pam Setser; The Barefoot Movement; Brad Apple & Samuel Cobb; The Paul Brock Band.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, we revisit legendary educator, country music legacy, and the original keeper of the vault, Mark Jones, offering a 1979 archival recording of David Prine, the brother of John Prine, performing the song “Southern Railroad Blues” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins explores the history of bears in the Ozarks.

This week, a special road trip episode featuring award-winning Owensboro, Kentucky bluegrass singer/songwriter Rick Faris and his band recorded live at the 2024 Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.

The annual Walnut Valley Festival, now in it’s 53rd season, is one of the oldest and most respected acoustic music festivals in the world. Held at the Winfield, Kansas fairgrounds, more than 30 musical acts will perform on four separate stages, presenting over 200 hours of live music. Also, there is a dedicated contest stage where contestants vie for national and international championships in Finger Style Guitar, Flat Pick Guitar, Bluegrass Banjo, Old Time Fiddle, Mandolin, Mountain Dulcimer, Hammered Dulcimer, and Autoharp. There is a juried arts and crafts fair, exhibits by renowned instrument makers and music shops, family activities, a bevy of food vendors, a farmer’s market and even a pub! An unusual aspect of Walnut Valley is its campground tradition. Campsites are not reserved and campers line up to claim a choice campsite during the "Land Rush.” Walnut Valley Festival goers often bring their own musical instruments to participate in the sometimes all night campground jam sessions. Bands like Old Sound and Sally & The Hurts that began as "Jam Bands" in the campgrounds, have even been invited to perform at the festival.

Rick Faris is a Kansas Music Hall of Fame Member who was recently awarded the “Songwriter of the Year” at the 2024 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards making him an 8-time IBMA Award winner. In addition Rick won the coveted “New Artist of the Year” in 2022. Faris also spent 11 years with Special Consensus while the band earned two GRAMMY nominations before embarking on his chart topping solo career. The Rick Faris Band, is an International touring Bluegrass outfit playing in the US, Mainland Europe, the British Isles and Canada. They bring sibling harmony and comedic relief with brother JimBob Faris on bass and a youthful snap to their original brand of music with a couple of bluegrass thoroughbreds, Henry Burgess (who grew up with fiddle legend Byron Berline) and Gibson Davis (who is a third generation bluegrass musician following father Chris Davis and his Grandfather Danny Davis). Rick recently moved to Owensboro, Kentucky the Bluegrass Music Capital and has opened his Faris Guitar Co. - https://rickfaris.com/press-kit

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1988 archival recording of gospel music legends The Chuck Wagon Gang performing the 1934 J.R. Baxter song “After the Sunrise,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins explores the storied history of early gospel music publishing in the Ozark and Quachita Mountains.

This week, celebrated singer/songwriter & hometown humorist Antsy McClain with world renowned harp-guitarist Muriel Anderson recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Antsy & Muriel.

Antsy McClain brings his unique blend of music and “humor with heart” to the stage, combining his original songs with a hilarious slide show, including Antsy’s own life observations, social commentary and imaginary sponsors from his home town trailer park of Pine View Heights. As a master storyteller with the likes of PBS, NPR and TEDTalks under his belt, Antsy includes humorous and serious songs in his shows. Songs such as “One Less Trailer Here in Pine View Heights,” My Baby Whistles When She Walks,” and “The Junk Drawer of Your Heart,” are keenly humorous observations about love and loss, while his more serious songs, like “Field Trip,” “I’m Everyone,” or “Falling in Love in America,” are more akin to personal journal entries written in the act of living. It’s this tightrope walk between humor and heart that makes Antsy McClain a true original.

- http://unhitched.com/antsys-bio/

One of the world’s foremost fingerstyle guitarists and harp-guitarists, Muriel Anderson is the first woman to have won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. Her CD “Nightlight Daylight” was chosen as one of the top 10 CDs of the decade by Guitar Player Magazine her “Heartstrings” recording accompanied the astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery. She has performed/recorded with Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Victor Wooten and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. Her obvious joy of music, humor and her facility across the genres of folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass and international music is revered by guitarists worldwide. An engaging performer, Muriel’s unique approach to the instrument virtually transforms the guitar into a lyrical choir, then a marching band, then a Japanese koto, then a Bluegrass band, one minute launching into a Beatles’ tune and the next, a Rodrigo concerto. Her video “Why Worry” has garnered a total of over 8 million views. Muriel is host of the renowned Muriel Anderson’s ALL STAR GUITAR NIGHT® and founder of the MUSIC FOR LIFE ALLIANCE charity.

- http://murielanderson.com/press/bio/

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Robert & Mary Gillihan performing the traditional song “Banks of the Ohio,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events, and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and its enduring legacy of music and craft. This episode brings us a portrait of the White River Line railroad of the Ozarks, featuring interviews with George Lankford, professor emeritus at Lyon College in Batesville.

This week, world renowned country music recording artist Suzy Bogguss recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Suzy.

Best known for her country music hits in the 80’s and 90’s, Suzy Bogguss is an old time musician and fan at heart. Her 2011 release American Folk Songbook testified to this, and featured her versions of “Shenandoah, Banks of the Ohio, and Rock Island Line” among others. Now enjoying her “post stardom” career, and taking things at a decidedly and much welcomed slower pace, we caught up with Suzy for a feature performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. And yes, there are a few of her hits from the 80’s and 90’s in for good measure.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Onus Morrison demonstrating the traditional dance fiddle technique of playing with “fiddle sticks,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins presents the first of three episodes on Ozark regional ballads. This episode features a recording of “The Boy That Burned in the Berryville Jail,” also called “Floyd Eddings,” sung by Ed Alford of Delmar, Arkansas on January 3, 1960. The recording was made by University of Arkansas folklorist Mary Parler, and is preserved in the University of Arkansas Ozark Folk Collection.

This week, old time early radio days throwback quartet Bill and the Belles recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these novel retro performers.

What began as a project to explore the space created between hillbilly and urban, between vaudeville and down home, has arrived somewhere entirely new. Bill and the Belles offers a contemporary reimagining of a bygone era, a vocal-centric performance that breathes new life into the sounds of early country music. At the foothills of the Blue Ridge and the forefront of old-time music, Bill and the Belles continue to further the music traditions of their region. From sentimental Southern ballads to the popular songs of Tin Pan Alley to regional fiddle breakdowns, a Bill and the Belles show is a celebration of the diversity country music once represented.

Bill and the Belles play alongside America’s top country and roots music artists as the house band for the historic radio program Farm and Fun Time presented by Radio Bristol and the Birthplace of Country Music. Lifelong musicians Kris Truelsen, Grace Van’t Hof, Kalia Yeagle, and Karl Zerfas bring to the stage an uplifting show unlike any other, full of humor, high spirits, and all-around revelry. It’s clear this group shares a rare musical connection and deep love for the music, and their excitement is contagious.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Aubrey Richardson performing the traditional song “Bunker Hill,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

This week, prodigious purveyors of the past, multi-instrumentalists, singers and story tellers, Anna & Elizabeth recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these unique performers.

The collaboration between Anna & Elizabeth spans worlds — between their homes in Brooklyn and rural Virginia -- between deep study of mountain ballads with old masters and explorations into the avant garde — between music, performance, and visual art. Anna & Elizabeth have performed across the country and in Europe. Highlights include: The Newport Folk Festival; NPR's Tiny Desk Concert; The Chicago Folk Festival; The High Museum of Modern Art (Atlanta); and the Cambridge Folk Festival (UK.)  Their work has been featured on BBC Radio 2 and BBC3's Late Junction, Vice’s Noisey, the Huffington Post, and No Depression. They have shared the stage with Alice Gerrard, Mick Moloney, Sam Lee and Riley Baugus, Bruce Greene, Abigail Washburn, Wayne Henderson, and also National Heritage Award winners Sheila Kay Adams and Billy McComiskey.

Elizabeth Laprelle lives on a farm in Rural Retreat, Virginia, where she grew up, and  has pursued her interest in mountain ballads for over a decade. Since the release of her debut album at age 16, she’s been hailed as one of the most dedicated students of the traditional unaccompanied style of her generation. The student of master singer Ginny Hawker and National Heritage Fellow Sheila Kay Adams, Elizabeth was the first recipient of the Henry Reed Award from the Library of Congress at age 16, and won the 2012 Mike Seeger Award at Folk Alliance International. She has released three solo ballad albums, and was called “the best young Appalachian ballad singer to emerge in recent memory” by UK’s fRoots Magazine. 

Anna Roberts-Gevalt is a voracious and curious multi-instrumentalist originally from Vermont, described by Meredith Monk as a "radiant being." She fell in love with the sound of banjo in college, moved to the mountains, and learned with master musicians in Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina, becoming a blue-ribbon fiddler and banjo player (WV State Folk Fest, Kentucky Fiddle Contest.) She was a fellow at the Berea College Archive, a 2014 OneBeat fellow (Bang on a Can's Found Sound Nation,) artistic director of Kentucky’s traditional music institute, the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, and curator of Baltimore's Crankie Festival.  She has recently delved into new musical worlds, including recent work with composers Brian Harnetty, Nate May and Cleek Schrey, Matmos, David Rothenberg, Susan Alcorn, and saxophonist Jarrett Gilgore. She has contributed writing to No Depression and The Old Time Herald.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals The Hall Family, performing the traditional song “Cowboy’s Dream,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events, and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and its enduring legacy of music and craft. This episode focuses on world renowned cowboy poet, balladeer, and story teller Glenn Orhlin.

This week, radio & television legend and Country Music Hall of Fame member Grandpa Jones with his wife, Grand Old Opry star Ramona and family recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews and a live performance from the Jones Family. Aubrey Atwater presents “The Mother of Folk Music” Jean Ritchie, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original, Jim Bullard.

Grandpa Jones was a performer during the golden age of radio, and later found success as a cast member on the syndicated television program, “Hee Haw.”  After years of living near Nashville, TN, Grandpa moved to Mountain View, Arkansas in the early 1980’s. Along with his wife Ramona, they ran the Grandpa Jones Dinner Theater. The theater employed many musicians, many of whom are still around the Ozarks today including their son Mark and guitarist Danny Dozier. We’ll dig deep into the archives this week for a set of music, featuring some of Grandpa’s finest performances at Ozark Folk Center State Park.

“The Jones Family Band” features a cast of all-star musicians, including Alisa and Mark Jones. This performance from the Jones Family Band was the last one recorded at the Ozark Folk Center State Park before Ramona passed in late 2015.

Renowned folk musician Aubrey Atwater profiles influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explores the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode focuses on Jean Ritchie as a songwriter, and features Jean’s performance of her original song “Black Water.”

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of Ozark original Jim Bullard, performing the traditional song “Glory Land,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.