Join Curtis and Hayden and their guests Emalee Flatness Combs and Esther Exley, who sing and play ballads, waltzes, and folksongs from long ago. Emalee performs with the Homestead Pickers at Silver Dollar City, and fifteen-year-old Esther recently won first place in the Junior Arkansas State Old Time Fiddle Contest. They have also done extensive research into specifically Ozarks folksongs, and they bring their considerable knowledge and talents to the podcast. This episode will take you back to Civil War campfires, log cabin square dances, and the green, unspoiled hills of our Ozarks.

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Join Jim Hamilton, a lifelong newspaper editor, reporter, and author, when he talks with Curtis and Hayden about growing up in the Ozarks, his career in letters, and the important role local journalism plays in strengthening our communities. Jim's poignant essays will touch your heart as they recall a gentler time and pace. Jim also discusses writing as a means of coping with loss and the power of words to help us move forward.

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Join Hayden and Curtis for an interview with Bob Bilyeu, Dave Stewart and Lance Keithley. These three men have been friends for well over half a century. All three relay tales of growing up in the vicinity of Bear and Bull Creeks, near the rural Ozarks community of Day, Missouri near the Christian-Taney County line. Day was the home of famous artist, Rose O'Neill and her Bonniebrook estate. The men tell family stories of what it was like to have such a famous personality living among the hillfolks.

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Join Ken Henderson when he sits down with Curtis and Hayden to talk about growing up in Reeds Spring, Missouri, his traumatic first day of school, and the early days of Silver Dollar City. Ken also talks about the experience that led him to create the Reeds Spring Hall of Fame, a project that will keep alive the history of the people of Reeds Spring in perpetuity. Listen to Ken, and you'll see why every town should have its own Hall of Fame!

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Join Vincent Anderson, noted Ozarks historian, author, blogger, and TV consultant, when he sits down with Curtis and Hayden for a fascinating discussion of Ozarks Bigfoot sightings, cold blooded murders, and vigilant justice by Bald Knobbers in Arkansas! Vincent also talks about his own discovery of who is buried where and the effect his research had on local lore. Vincent is a sane voice in a wilderness of conflicting stories. This is an episode you won't want to miss!

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Join Curtis and Hayden as they review and analyze contemporary accounts of the infamous House of Lords in Joplin, Missouri, at the turn of the 20th century. A noted saloon, restaurant, gambling house, and perhaps brothel, the House of Lords was at the center of "Wicked Joplin," as Larry Woods called it. No less fascinating is the enigmatic figure of Gilbert Barbee, the owner of the building that housed the saloon. What did Barbee know and when did he know it? This episode explores these question and others in the complex and controversial history of Joplin's most notorious place of business. 

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Join Curtis and Hayden as they welcome special guest, Mike Luster, folklorist, educator, and amanuensis for Bob Cochran's biography of Vance Randolph. Mike visited Vance in the nursing home and faithfully recorded his conversations and stories; as a result, Mike is supremely qualified to talk about the "patron saint" of the OFC. Mike is also an acclaimed folklorist in his own right with many a story to tell. Don't miss this important episode!

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Join Curtis and Hayden as they talk with Rodney Dillard about his and the Dillards (aka "the Darlings") meteoric rise to fame on the Andy Griffith show, the release of their pivotal Wheatstraw Suite album, and his ongoing career as one of the best known names in bluegrass. Included in this special episode are tracks from Rodney's albums that exemplify his influence on contemporary music.

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Join Curtis and Hayden when they talk with Todd Wilkinson, Project Manager of the James River Basin Partnership and self-described Itinerant Folklorist. Todd has devoted his career to restoring and preserving the James River, which has been transformed from an algae infested tributary to a beautiful stream. Todd discusses the importance of preserving our Ozarks folk culture for both locals and tourists, and he shares a couple of ghost stories from Vance Randolph, the preeminent folklorist of the Ozarks!

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Join Curtis and Hayden and the Shortleaf Band, Michael and Tenley Fraser, for some rip-roaring fiddling and high-country singing. Michael talks about his lessons with legendary fiddler, Bob Holt, and Tenley sings both old songs and new ballads. You don't want to miss this talented duo! 

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