The South is responsible for the three greatest beverages in human history: sweet tea, Coca-Cola, and most of all, bourbon. And nobody alive has been involved with more bourbon than a man named Jimmy Russell.

Tayari Jones was waiting for her fourth novel to be published when she got the phone call that, in this day and age, most every writer dreams of — a call from Oprah Winfrey to let Jones know that her book, "An American Marriage," would be the next selection in Oprah's Book Club.

Tommy Tomlinson, host of WFAE’s SouthBound podcast, spends most of his time talking about things on this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. But recently, he found a little piece of the South up North.

Erin Rae is a singer out of Nashville who you’re going to be hearing a lot more about. She signed a record deal with Single Lock Records, the label co-founded by John Paul White, formerly of the Civil Wars. Erin Rae’s songs remind me of those Civil Wars songs – her music is quiet and intimate, trying to make sense of conflicted feelings.

Bobby Jones built a basketball career on his ability to guard other players, to the point where Nike created a marketing campaign calling him the Secretary of Defense. He was an All-Star five times in his 12-year pro career and won an NBA title in 1983 as a member of a great Philadelphia 76ers team that included Moses Malone and Dr. J, Julius Erving.

Have you ever heard that little voice telling you to do something more with your life? Kathy Izard heard that voice, and unlike many of us, she decided to listen.

If you somehow had a giant photo album of the last 40 years of fashion history, as you scrolled you would see one face over and over again, a head taller than most everybody else. That’s Andre Leon Talley.

If you know much about fashion, you probably know the name Laura Vinroot Poole. The fashion business definitely knows about her – she’s a common presence in the houses of designers all over the world. She owns three boutiques in Charlotte, and her flagship store, Capitol, has now been around for 20 years. But Laura Vinroot Poole didn’t plan on going into fashion. The path of her life has surprised her, the same way it surprised her family and friends. It all came from one strong desire – to get

Webb Hubbell was a political prodigy. When he was just 29, he became mayor of Little Rock. A few years later, he was chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. And a few years after that, he was heading to Washington to serve under his friend, President Bill Clinton. But his fast rise was followed by a hard fall.

In all my years of doing interviews, I’ve met very few people who are as open and honest about themselves as this week's SouthBound guest, Dale Earnhardt Jr.