It is that time of year again -- the beginning of summer and in the U.S., Independence Day. The July 4th holiday is celebrated in many ways, including in song, like the one that starts off this podcast, Billy Stewart’s version of the George Gershwin and Edward Dubose Heyward classic “Summertime”. With over 25,000 versions recorded in its now almost 90 year history, it is the most recorded song in the world.

What are your favorite songs for the summer and for the holiday? We talk about the abundance of summertime and July 4th soundtrack possibilities in this episode, as we go back in time to a conversation I had on public radio station WNCW on my old show What It Is, a music talk show that featured a rotating roster of guests -- writers, music artists, DJs from WNCW and elsewhere, and music professionals. What It Is aired from 2007 to 2012, and this episode is from 2010, with the late Jeff Eason, along with then-WNCW host Zak Sitter, and Carol Rifkin, who continues to host the old time music show This Old Porch on WNCW on Sunday afternoons.

Songs heard in this episode:

“Summertime” by Billy Stewart

“Rock Steady” by Aretha Franklin, excerpt

“The Star Spangled Banner” by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, from Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo

Thanks for dropping by, and we are even more grateful whenever you share this with someone. Sharing in person is tops, but please also follow us on your podcast platform of choice, and then it will only take a minute to give it a top rating and, where it is an option, a review. It makes a great impact! Great ratings, and reviews especially, will make Southern Songs and Stories and the artists it profiles more likely to find a home with more fans. This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes of this podcast on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to Corrie Askew for producing the radio adaptations of this series on public radio WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng who wrote and performed our theme songs.

This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. — Joe Kendrick

Artist stereotypes do not apply

How many times have parents cringed when their children fell in love with a musician? Let's be honest, the world has looked askance at artists of all stripes (with notable exceptions) for most of our history. Musicians tend to be thought of as people who may be great at their art but who are nonetheless pretty bad at life skills like paying bills, getting to work on time, and sticking with the missus.

Aaron turns all those stereotypes on their head; he is not only a fantastic songwriter and musician, but he also runs his own construction business and is a devoted family man living a stone's throw from where he grew up in the western NC mountains. He is as meticulous and intense about his guitar and ballads as he is about his green built homes and raising his two girls.

As you'll see in our pilot episode, Aaron does both life and art exceptionally well. The folks around him are a big part of that.