A few times a year I’ll fill in for Flap Jones hosting her long-running country music program “Not Necessarily Nashville,” as I did last night on Little Rock Public Radio’s KUAR-FM 89.1. Flap has been a friend for 35 years since the first time she asked me to sit in hosting the show in 1989.
“Not Necessarily Nashville,” Nov. 16, 2024, 7 p.m. on Little Rock Public Radio’s KUAR-FM 89.1.
It’s always a joy because playing music was what inspired me to get into broadcasting. Then I learned how little freedom commercial radio DJs have in selecting their music, so in 1993 I made the transition to news, which was a wise choice for me. I was always interested in reporting and anchoring, and that led to a more solid career path. There are a tiny fraction of jobs for DJs now compared to when I got into radio due to the corporatization of the industry, and the rise of computer automation.
On this weekend’s program, I played several songs from a new David Olney tribute album that was released last month. I was a big fan of Olney’s since the first time I saw him play live about a decade ago at Little Rock’s White Water Tavern. I wasn’t familiar with him that night, but the songs and his voice were amazing. I never missed another show whenever he would come through town. Below is a video I recorded of him playing “Dillinger” and “Vincent” at the White Water on Nov. 13, 2019.
Olney died about two months later of an apparent heart attack during a performance at a music festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida on Jan. 18, 2020. In the middle of his third song, he abruptly stopped, said “I’m sorry” to the audience, and put his chin to his chest, according to musician Scott Miller who was performing with Olney. “He never dropped his guitar or fell off his stool. It was as easy and gentle as he was. We got him down and tried our best to revive him until the EMT’s arrived,” Miller wrote on Facebook. Olney was 71.
The tribute album “Can’t Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney” was released on Oct. 18 and the range of performers covering his shows just how much respect he had from his peers. They include Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale and Willis Alan Ramsey.
I played four songs from the new album, as well as a live version of Olney performing “Vincent” during a performance that was eventually released as the “Live in Holland” album in 1994. You can find the full playlist of songs I played this weekend below.
I also played a couple of Willie Nelson songs. From several decades ago, I pulled “To Make a Long Story Short, She’s Gone” from one of Willie’s albums, which was a duet with Kris Kristofferson. I’m still mourning Kristofferson’s death on Sept. 28 at the age of 88. The only time I got to see him play live was at the first Johnny Cash Heritage Festival in 2011, which was a fundraiser to support the restoration of Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Ark. I covered the event for a news story, which included Kristofferson speaking at a press conference before the show about his friendship with Cash.
“I’ve never met another human being who had the power just in the presence that John had. And to be working on a tribute for him and for his home is a real honor for me,” Kristofferson said.
I also aired a song off Willie Nelson’s new album “Last Leaf on the Tree,” which was released on Nov. 1. Many songs on his albums in recent years seem almost like he’s preparing us for his eventual death. I played “Keep Me In Your Heart,” which includes the lyrics: “Shadows are fallin’ and I’m runnin’ out of breath, Keep me in your heart for a while. If I leave you, it doesn’t mean I love you any less. Keep me in your heart for a while.”
I’m looking forward to being able to talk about him next month on Arkansas PBS when we air “Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration” on Wednesday, Dec. 11. I’m scheduled to be speaking during breaks in the program as part of our pledge drive. I saw the concert film in a theater in Little Rock when it had a one day screening nationwide. During our broadcast, I hope to be able to share details of my one experience with Willie, interviewing him in 2005, as well as what makes me such a fan of his work.
My first exposure was as a kid when during any long drive, my mom would play the 8-tracks of “Red Headed Stranger” and “Stardust,” laying the foundation for an appreciation of his work. I’ve probably seen him play live a dozen times over the decades, most recently on May 31, 2022 at Little Rock’s First Security Amphitheater along the Arkansas River. At 91, he has definitely slowed down, with his voice more a whisper, not playing the guitar quite as heavily and sitting on a stool for much of the show, but it’s amazing he’s still performing and maintaining a busy schedule.
“Not Necessarily Nashville” playlist, Nov. 16, 2024, Little Rock Public Radio
Flaco Jimenez (with Stephen Stills) — “Change Partners” (from Flaco’s album Partners) Graham Wilkinson — “Lucky” Rosanne Cash — “Money Road” (The River and the Thread) Jimmy Dale Gilmore — “If it Wasn’t for the Wind” (Can’t Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney) David Olney — “Vincent” (Live in Holland) Steve Earle — “Sister Angelina” (Can’t Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney) Willis Alan Ramsey — “Women Across the River” (Can’t Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney) The SteelDrivers — “If My Eyes Were Blind” (Can’t Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney) Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson — “To Make a Long Story Short, She’s Gone” (Extras) Willie Nelson — “Keep Me in Your Heart” (Last Leaf on the Tree) Townes Van Zandt — “I’ll Be Here in the Morning” James McMurtrey — “Vague Directions” (Candyland) Joe Ely — “She Never Spoke Spanish to Me” (Joe Ely) The Flying Burrito Brothers — Wheels (The Gilded Palace of Sin)
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 36-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
Five years after the Arkansas General Assembly approved replacing the state’s two statues in the U.S. Capitol with civil rights leader Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash, the singer/songwriter’s statue is about to be unveiled. A ceremony is set for Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. in Washington.
A clay model of Kevin Kresse’s statue of Johnny Cash as it appeared on Oct. 20, 2022, while he was working on it in a studio at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Photo: Michael Hibblen
As I start this blog entry, it’s just before dawn on Sunday, Sept. 22, and I’m about to begin a two-day road trip to our nation’s Capitol. After five years of following every step in the process — and getting to know sculptor Kevin Kresse, who was selected to make the eight-foot tall bronze statue — I wouldn’t miss it.
The statue, secure inside a wooden crate, left Arkansas on Sept. 5 to begin its own journey in the back of a tractor-trailer. A send-off ceremony was held outside the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock. Below is a video with highlights that I shot that morning.
On “Arkansas Week,” the program I oversee at Arkansas PBS, we previewed the Washington unveiling ceremony by talking with Kresse and the state’s Statuary Hall Steering Committee Chair Shane Broadway, who has overseen each step in the process, including selecting the artists for each project. We also included clips with daughter Rosanne Cash, who has raved about Kresse’s work in capturing her dad.
Then in the second segment, host Steve Barnes reflected on Bates, whose statue was unveiled earlier in the year, by talking with Janis Kearney. She had known Bates well and eventually became publisher of the Arkansas State Press, which had been run by Bates and her husband L.C. Bates. Mrs. Bates is best known for mentoring the nine Black students who desegregated Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957.
I’ll eventually write an update after the ceremony, while you can find links to my previous reports here. Below is a link from U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to watch the live ceremony. His office had to approve the statue design and other factors before it was finally cast in bronze.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 36-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
It was a spontaneous decision made the moment Glen Hooks and I saw that Al Green was going to be performing near St. Louis on Nov. 25 — we had to go. Among the top musicians to emerge from Arkansas, I can’t begin to say how much his music has meant to me. The concert was the final one of the year for Rev. Green, now 77. While it would mean a five-hour drive each way from Little Rock, Glen immediately took out his phone and bought three tickets, including one for his girlfriend Michelle Henderson.
What did we think of the show? Let us tell you all about it! I’d recently bought a dash cam for my car and recorded our post-concert thoughts during the drive back, mixing that with some good ol’ cell phone footage to provide highlights and analysis.
Maybe you’ll find this mashup of music and thoughts annoying, but I thought I’d try something new. If you’d like to just see the performance, there’s footage of the entire show recorded by other people that can be found on YouTube.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 36-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
A fundraiser was held in northeast Arkansas on Saturday, August 12, to benefit Johnny Cash’s boyhood home. Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell and Sarah Jarosz performed in the first annual “Sunken Lands Songwriting Circle,” held in a theater on the Arkansas State University campus. It featured a new format compared to previous concerts over the past 12 years and replaced the Johnny Cash Heritage Festival, with the last in-person event taking place in 2019 before being put on hold by the pandemic.
John Leventhal and Rosanne Cash open Saturday’s concert with the song “The Sunken Lands.” All Photos: Michael Hibblen
For three years, the annual show had been held in a field next to the small Cash family farmhouse. But Dr. Ruth Hawkins, former director of the university’s Arkansas Heritage Sites program, which oversaw the restoration of the home and nearby Dyess colony, told me there were challenges in holding the event there without the needed infrastructure for the crowd it attracted. A virtual event was held in 2021 with Rosanne and husband John Leventhal hosting an intimate performance with just the two inside the boyhood home.
This year’s concert featured Rosanne, Rodney and Sarah rotating songs, singing several of their own, as well as a few Johnny Cash songs. They played acoustic guitars in front of a crowd of several hundred, including many people who had been key in preserving the house more than a decade ago when the dilapidated structure seemed almost like a lost cause.
Most songs were introduced with poignant stories. While one singer would perform, the other two sat and listened. Each was accompanied on guitar by Leventhal, who was referred to as their band. After the show, Rosanne told me, “Tonight’s concert was such a beautiful, moving event for me. I felt like I was in the audience part of the time and it warms my heart to see how many people are supporting the boyhood home project.”
I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing her a few times over the years since the university acquired the home and held its first fundraising concert in 2011. If you would like to learn more about the background of this amazing project, you can find links to some of my previous reports at the bottom.
Rosanne Cash spoke briefly during a reception before Saturday’s show. She said snacks provided were prepared using her grandmother Carrie Cash’s recipes. “I had a friend run out here and grab me a banana pudding before it disappeared,” Cash told the crowd.
In the audience Saturday was Kevin Kresse, the sculptor selected by a state committee to make a statue of Johnny Cash that will soon represent Arkansas in the U.S. Capitol along with one of Little Rock civil rights leader Daisy Bates. Kresse told me he was at the foundry last week, which is casting the bronze statue using his clay model and is really pleased with how it’s coming along.
Each state has two statues on display in the Capitol, with Arkansas’ current statues being more than a century old featuring attorney Uriah Rose and former governor and U.S. Senator James P. Clark. When then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed legislation in 2019 to replace them with Cash and Bates, he said he hoped to have unveiling ceremonies before the end of his term in January. But the process of getting the needed federal approvals has taken longer than originally hoped. It’s now expected that separate ceremonies for each of the new statues can take place this fall or next spring.
Rosanne Cash spoke about the statue of her dad at one point during the concert, praising Kresse for his work. On display in the lobby of the theater were a bust of the Cash statue and a three-foot maquette of the full figure. She encouraged audience members to take a good look at them. There had been hesitation about having a sculptor make the statue, Rosanne later told me, but said she’s extremely pleased with how the project is coming along.
“My family was nervous about how it would turn out. Would Kevin really be able to see the subtleties of my dad’s bone structure and his demeanor and his dignity? Kevin got all of it,” she said. “It was really remarkable and deeply moving that he really took in who my dad was and that comes through in the sculpture, the statue — it’s beautiful — I’m really proud.”
John Leventhal, Rosanne Cash, Sarah Jarosz and Rodney Crowell got a rousing ovation at the conclusion of Saturday’s concert.
After the concert, all four of the performers took part in a meet-and-greet with the crowd. A long line snaked outside of a room to the side of the auditorium with the musicians talking at length with people, signing autographs and posting for photos.
It really was a great event and Rosanne said, “I’ll be back next year.” I’m looking forward to it!
MY PREVIOUS REPORTS ON THE BOYHOOD HOME AND STATUE:
Thousands Attend Fundraiser To Restore Johnny Cash Home
August 5, 2011, KUAR News
The project to restore the boyhood home got a strong start with this first concert featuring four generations of the Cash family, including daughter Rosanne Cash, son-in-law Rodney Crowell and son John Carter Cash, as well as longtime friends Kris Kristofferson and George Jones.
The restoration of Johnny Cash’s Boyhood Home
February 29, 2012, Arkansas Times
On what would have been Cash’s 80th birthday, family members and university officials joined fans and residents in Dyess to formally mark the beginning of work to restore the home. Ray and Carrie Cash moved with their children to the community in 1935, which was created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Depression-era New Deal program.
Johnny Cash’s Boyhood Home Tells The Story Of A Town
Dec. 29, 2012, NPR News In a story that aired nationally on NPR’s Weekend Edition, I reported how nearly a decade after Cash’s death, fans still traveled from around the world to see the place he described as key to his development. Plans called for turning the house into a museum — serving not only as a tribute to Cash, but also to tell the unique history of the town.
Rosanne Cash Reflects As Opening Of Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Nears
Nov. 25, 2013, KUAR News
Ms. Cash performed in Little Rock in advance of the release of her album The River & The Thread, with songs focused on the southern region of the country. Some of the songs were set in Arkansas and inspired, she said, by her experiences watching the restoration of the home and community where her father was raised.
Hundreds Turn Out For Dedication Of Johnny Cash Boyhood Home
August 17, 2014, KUAR News
After years of restoration work, a grand opening ceremony was held for the Cash house. The original wooden walls and flooring were restored and furnishings inside were identical to how the home looked when Cash grew up there, said his surviving brother and sister.
Legislation to place statues of Johnny Cash, Daisy Bates in U.S. Capitol signed into law
KUAR News, April 11, 2019
Statues of singer Johnny Cash and Little Rock civil rights leader Daisy Bates will eventually represent Arkansas in the U.S. Capitol. Gov. Hutchinson was joined by members of the Cash family and the goddaughter of Bates for a bill signing ceremony at the state Capitol.
Final modifications being made for Arkansas’ statues of Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash
Sept. 11, 2021, KUAR News
Sculptors creating the statues were finalizing designs before being submitted to federal officials for approval. During a committee meeting, the artists discussed subtle changes that had been made or were being considered to make the statues more accurate.
Sculptor discusses inspiration in making Johnny Cash statue for U.S. Capitol
June 28, 2021, KUAR News
Artist Kevin Kresse, who was selected by the state to create the statue of Cash, spoke with me on KUAR’s Not Necessarily Nashville about his appreciation for the musician and what inspired him in this project.
Rosanne Cash honored by ASU, meets sculptor of Johnny Cash statue for U.S. Capitol
May 7, 2022, KUAR News
Ms. Cash received an honorary doctoral degree from Arkansas State University for her work on the project to restore her dad’s boyhood home. She also met with the sculptor making the statue of Johnny Cash and was interviewed by me while getting her first look at a bust of the statue.
Work advances on statues of Daisy Bates, Johnny Cash for U.S. Capitol
Oct. 27, 2022, KUAR News
The architect of the U.S. Capitol notified the state that approval had been granted for a bronze statue of Bates to be cast. Meanwhile, the sculptor of the Cash statue said he had completed work on a clay model and was preparing to submit a packet of material for approval.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 36-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
A highlight of every concert I’ve seen by Willie Nelson has been hearing him sing “Me and Paul,” written about his experiences with longtime drummer Paul English. English officially joined “the family,” which Nelson called his band, in 1966, though they had met a decade earlier. So I was sad to see that English died on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020 after suffering from pneumonia. He was 87.
Paul English brushes the snare drum during a performance of “Me and Paul” with Willie Nelson on Oct. 5, 2012 in Jonesboro, Arkansas during the annual Johnny Cash Heritage Festival. Photos: Michael Hibblen/ KUAR News.
Only once did I cover a Willie Nelson concert as a reporter. That was on Oct. 5, 2012 during the annual Johnny Cash Heritage Festival, which raises money to restore and maintain Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas. Cash and Nelson had long been friends, performed together in the supergroup the Highwaymen, and released a live album together in 1998, the incredible VH1 Storytellers, in which they alternated stories and songs. So it seemed a natural having Nelson play to help support the project for his late friend’s home, which had its roots in a New Deal program during the Great Depression.
Willie Nelson at the Oct. 5, 2012 concert in Jonesboro, Ark.
I was in the pit at the front of the stage shooting photos at the 2012 show and was happy, as I heard Nelson introduce “Me and Paul,” to see a spotlight shine on the drummer, with me taking the photo above of English in signature hat, black outfit and cape. I interviewed Willie Nelson once in 2005, with audio and photos of that, as well as photos from the 2012 concert at this link.
English had a colorful history, not only playing rhythm for Nelson, but also serving as a protector of the singer. The Oxford American (which is based in Arkansas) detailed that history in a 2015 article titled “Watching Willie’s Back,” which delved into the many roles English held over the years. That included being road manager of the show and, in the early days, being the strong-armed collector of payments from club owners for the band. Armed with a pistol in his boot, he was prepared to protect anyone that threatened Nelson or the band. RIP Paul English.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 36-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
About two or three times a year I get the pleasure of sitting in for Flap Jones hosting her alternative country program Not Necessarily Nashville on KUAR. On Saturday, June 22, I filled in playing several songs from Willie Nelson’s new album Ride Me Back Home, which had been released the previous day. I also aired some James McMurtry, Marshall Tucker Band, Gram Parsons, Joe Ely, Tom T. Hall and an advance track from an album Rodney Crowell will be releasing in August.
I also featured an interview in the second hour with Dr. Ruth Hawkins, director of the Arkansas Heritage Sites program, who has been key in overseeing the restoration of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas. I’d interviewed her many times over the last decade about the project and, as she is about to retire at the end of June, wanted to hear her thoughts looking back. This interview was conducted by Johnathan Reaves, news director of our partner station KASU in Jonesboro.
AUDIO: Hear the first hour of KUAR’s Not Necessarily Nashville, June 22, 2019.
AUDIO: Hear the second hour of KUAR’s Not Necessarily Nashville, June 22, 2019, which begins with the interview with Dr. Ruth Hawkins about her work overseeing the restoration of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home.
Among the recollections shared by Hawkins was bringing Cash’s siblings through the house after the restoration was complete in 2012. I was there that morning and ended up using audio from that to produce a six minute feature about the project that aired nationwide on NPR’s Weekend Edition. You can hear that report here.
Dr. Hawkins (left) taking notes as Johnny Cash’s siblings got the first tour of their childhood home on Oct. 6, 2012 after its restoration had been completed. Here Tommy Cash is inspecting a cabinet as sister Joanne Cash Yates looks on. Photo: Michael Hibblen.
I always enjoy filling in for Flap on Not Necessarily Nashville. It’s a changed of pace from my current job as news director and reminds me of my early days in radio when I was a disc jockey, sitting back and just enjoying the music.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 36-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
On the web since 2002, this is the online home of broadcasting news veteran Michael Hibblen. I've worked for newspapers, radio and TV stations around the country, with this website telling the story of my career, including audio, photos and videos. Also featured are various interests I've researched, primarily about radio and railroads. Today I'm Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, overseeing production of the program "Arkansas Week" and the streaming of events on the Arkansas Citizens Access Network.
My Book
Released by Arcadia Publishing in 2017, Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas delves into the history of the railroad which once had a huge footprint in Arkansas, as well as other states in the middle of the U.S. The book features historic photos and tells the story of the Rock Island, which was shut down in March 1980. READ MORE
For 13 years, from May 2009 to December 2022, I worked for NPR station KUAR-FM 89.1 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. That included 10 years as News Director while continuing to anchor and report. You can read and hear reports from that time on Little Rock Public Radio's website.
