With just over two weeks before Arkansas takes part in Super Tuesday on March 3, presidential politics, including race, dominated most of the conversation on this weekend’s episode of Arkansas Week. We also discussed Little Rock getting its first medical marijuana dispensary, nine months after they began opening elsewhere in the state. I joined state Rep. Fred Allen (D-Little Rock) and Hendrix College political science professor Jay Barth to talk about the issues with host Steve Barnes.
This show was aired just as AETN (Arkansas Educational Television Network) announced it will be adopting a new name, Arkansas PBS, which Barnes discusses at the end of the program. The rebranding reflects the growth of digital platforms to watch programming beyond the six broadcast television signals that make up the network. The new name officially goes into effect on Feb. 28.
A highlight of every concert I’ve seen by Willie Nelson has been hearing him introduce members of his longtime band, then when he gets to drummer Paul English, sing “Me and Paul,” written about some of their experiences. English officially joined the “family,” as Nelson called his band, in 1966, though they 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 “Me and Paul” on Oct. 5, 2012 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Willie Nelson was among performers at that year’s Johnny Cash Heritage Festival. Photos: Michael Hibblen
While covering the annual Johnny Cash Heritage Festival on Oct. 5, 2012, I was able to shoot photos of Nelson and family from the pit in front of the state. The festival 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 that Nelson would perform 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.
As I heard Nelson introduce “Me and Paul,” it was great to see a spotlight shine on the drummer, providing amazing lighting to get a photo of English in his signature hat and black outfit. I interviewed Nelson 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 providing rhythm for Nelson, but also serving as his protector. 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, and in the early years, 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.
This weekend I was among the panelists on AETN’s “Arkansas Week” discussing the ongoing impeachment trial of President Trump in the U.S. Senate. I also talked about covering presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg’s visit to Little Rock on Monday, Jan. 20. He entered the race too late to take part in the first four states holding primary elections and is focusing efforts on Super Tuesday states like Arkansas.
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 Arkansas Week and the streaming of events on the Arkansas Citizens Access Network. The posts on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Arkansas PBS or my former employers.
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.
