Stories from Real Life

Donna Leigh Scott has some great stories to tell. She was a brief beauty contestant winner, an actress, singer, and model, Donna also built a high-profile court reporting business that kept her busy for nearly 5 decades. She's also the widow of character actor Tim Scott, who is best known as Pea Eye Parker in "Lonesome Dove." But her favorite stories are about her 4 grandchildren. Listen in!

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Texas high school tennis coach Jason Edwards graces the mic for the show's 50th episode! Through the family's confectionary lineage, Coach Edwards honors his grandfather's memory, intertwining the sweetness of that legacy with the joy of nurturing five adoptive boys alongside his wife.

Introduction by Jon Williams.

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Contemporary Christian Music legend and Grammy winner Bryan Duncan's career has spanned 6 decades and he has accumulated 16 #1 CCM chart hits. With a singing voice like Simply Red's Mick Hucknell and a comedy edge like a late-night host, Duncan has plenty of stories to share in his own unique style. From his childhood with his evangelist parents to his memorable songs with Ambrosia lead singer David Pack, every story has a punchline and a melody.

Listen in, then go discover (or rediscover) his music.

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No matter how much you know about Germany, you probably never consider baseball when you think of that European country. In this episode, we have Antonio Lopez, Fraynel Mercado, and Alex Torres, the latter two guests are U.S. military personnel based on the Kaiserslautern Complex. All three are baseball players for the Kaiserslautern Bears and are ambassadors for both countries, as well as the game of baseball.

To support the team, go to its website at https://ktown-bears.com/.

Beginning with this episode, you'll start hearing the voice of Jon Williams. He's the creative force behind the new episode intros. Thanks, Jon!

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Pastor Stephen Simpson and attorney Rob Ryan return to continue the conversation from early April. "Men of Goodwill, Part 2" follows the men's discussion of race, religion, politics, and manhood. These potentially volatile issues are addressed with boldness and sensitivity. Listen in and comment below to add your voice to the conversation.

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Dixon Monk is only an 11th grader, but he has already committed to play NCAA Division I baseball at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., one of the toughest academic schools in the country. I worked with Dixon's mother for over 15 years, so I've known him his whole life. His parents, Dexter and Maneka Monk, talk about the challenges of raising a true scholar-athlete in a sport with only a 6% Black participation rate.

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Otto Gallaher is a master of reinventing himself. He became an attorney after leaving his previous career as a construction worker. He was a corporate businessman before that. In his daily life, he's a husband, father of three daughters, ordained minister, musician, Eagle Scout, and Texan. After doing genealogy research, he learned he is a direct descendant of two signers of the Mayflower Compact.

Step in the zone. Otto zone.

We also discuss mental health issues. If you're experiencing mental challenges and need to reach out to a professional, just dial 988.

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This episode was inspired by Beyoncé's new Country album, called "Cowboy Carter." With three Black people in the discussion, this edition is part history lesson, part music appreciation, and part self-identification. My guests this week are Lynne Childress from Maryland and Darrin Evans from North Carolina. We talk about Country music, what defines genres and audiences, and the musical gatekeepers who think THEY get to decide what defines those genres and the audiences.

"Real Life" theme song by Bombay Beach Revival.

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Master storyteller and baseball historian Bob Kendrick returns to the show to get the 2024 baseball season started the right way. Listen to his stories of Negro Leagues baseball greats in a way that only he can tell them. This also happens to be the 100th anniversary of the Kansas City Monarchs franchise and the first Negro Leagues World Series. What do those events mean for the museum?

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What does it mean to be a man of goodwill in the age of social media? Real-life friends Stephen Simpson (pastor), Rob Ryan (attorney), and Melvin E. Edwards (host) discuss the hot-button issues of politics, religion, and race, and attempt to make sense of Christian involvement in 21st-century party politics. Despite the 80-minute conversation, you'll be left wanting more.

Ryan was suffering from a sinus infection, which affected his voice. Still, he was a great guest.

"Stories from Real Life" theme song by Bombay Beach Revival.

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