Episodios

  • Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On: The Story of Appalachian Piano Man Roy Hall

    Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On: The Story of Appalachian Piano Man Roy Hall
    Jan 10 2026
    James Faye Hall, better known as Roy Hall, was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, in 1921. He died in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee in 1984.

    Between those dates is a story about a hillbilly boogie pianist who played for Uncle Dave Macon in a traveling version of the Grand Ole Opry as a child, formed his own hillbilly/R&B band. He found success in Detroit, worked as a session musician for such Nashville stars as Webb Pierce, Marty Robbins and Red Foley, and was on the very cusp of stardom as a rockabilly act in the 1950s, only to have it slip away from him.

    Oh, by the way, he’s also credited by many to have co-written “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” which made Jerry Lee Lewis a rock and roll legend.

    Join us as we tell the fascinating story of Roy Hall, another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

    Subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts so you never miss any of our stories.

    Thanks for listening.
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    23 m
  • The Tally War: The 1906 North Carolina Railroad Riot

    The Tally War: The 1906 North Carolina Railroad Riot
    Jan 3 2026
    We’ve told the story of labor conflicts from Harlan, Kentucky to Blair Mountain, West Virginia. This week, we tell a story that’s not set in the Kentucky or West Virginia coalfields, but in Western North Carolina. It’s the story of the 1906 “Tally War,” a violent clash between Italian railroad laborers and company officials of contractors for the South and Western Railroad, which was building their railroad through the North Carolina mountains. Between Spruce Pine and Marion, North Carolina, a violent confrontation erupted over a wage dispute and the harsh conditions in the railroad construction camps that ended in an international incident between the United States and Italy.

    It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

    Subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss a single one of our Stories of Appalachia.

    Thanks for listening.
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    14 m
  • The Lost Town of Mortimer, North Carolina

    The Lost Town of Mortimer, North Carolina
    Dec 27 2025
    A once thriving lumber and mill town in the mountains of western North Carolina, Mortimer rose fast, becoming prosperous…until it was washed away twice in massive flooding events.

    Shortly after a 1916 wildfire burned large tracts of timberland in the mountains, two hurricanes struck the area back to back, causing historic floods not seen again in the area until Helene in 2024, nearly wiping out the town.

    The people of Mortimer made a comeback driven by textile work and the CCC, until a final blow came from another flood in 1940. Today little remains of Mortimer along Wilson Creek.

    Mortimer’s story is another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

    Be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already; you’ll find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

    Thanks for listening.
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    14 m
  • A Christmas Morning Disaster: The 1882 Millboro, Virginia Train Wreck

    A Christmas Morning Disaster: The 1882 Millboro, Virginia Train Wreck
    Dec 20 2025
    This week Steve and Rod tell the story of a Christmas morning that ended in heartbreak instead of celebration.

    In 1882, a passenger train and a freight engine collided near Millboro, Virginia, killing six crewmen and scalding the lone surviving passenger. How this tragedy occurred, the story of the men who paid the price along with that of the injured passenger, is another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

    If you enjoy our stories, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a new episode. You’ll find us on your favorite podcast app.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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    12 m
  • The Long-Haired Red-Bearded Beast of Georgia: John Pemberton Gatewood

    The Long-Haired Red-Bearded Beast of Georgia: John Pemberton Gatewood
    Dec 13 2025
    John Pemberton Gatewood was a notorious Confederate bushwhacker/guerrilla leader.

    Born in Fentress County, Tennessee, in 1844, Gatewood's life took a dark turn after a Union attack on his family led him to abandon the Confederate army and become a guerrilla fighter. Leading his own unit in north Georgia and known as the long-haired, red-bearded beast, Gatewood was driven by his thirst for revenge after the brutal assault on his family.

    John Pemberton Gatewood, a figure whose story is another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

    If you like our stories, be sure to subscribe the the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss any of them.

    Thanks for listening!
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    22 m
  • Moonshine, Murder, and Legend: The Story of Lewis Redmond

    Moonshine, Murder, and Legend: The Story of Lewis Redmond
    Dec 6 2025
    Major Lewis Redmond’s story sounds like it comes from a 19th century dime novel. He was a Carolina moonshiner, an outlaw and, thanks to actually being in some of those dime novels after the Civil War, a folk hero.

    His killing of a U. S. Marshal led to a life on the run across North and South Carolina, making Redmond a legend. Today we tell his story.

    Be sure to follow the Stories of Appalachia podcast on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a tale from the mountains.
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    18 m
  • Emma Gatewood's Walk in the Woods

    Emma Gatewood's Walk in the Woods
    Nov 29 2025
    In 1955, at the age of 67, Emma Gatewood became the first woman to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to the top of Mt. Katahdin in Maine. In this episode, Steve and Rod tell the story of her remarkable journey from a childhood in rural Ohio, through years of hardship and abuse, to the day this grandmother stepped onto the trail with nothing but a sack, a shower curtain, and an iron will. Her hike captured America’s attention, inspiring generations of hikers.

    It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

    Subscribe on your favorite podcast app or on our YouTube channel so you never miss an episode.

    Thanks for listening!
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    17 m
  • Greed, Gold and Deception in Cocke County TN: The 1909 Murder of A. J. Slagle

    Greed, Gold and Deception in Cocke County TN: The 1909 Murder of A. J. Slagle
    Nov 22 2025
    In 1909, a Johnson City businessman named A.J. Slagle was lured by promises of buried Spanish gold hidden in a Cocke County house. What began as a desperate bid to recover from business losses ended in a murder, the body tossed into the French Broad River.

    Join Steve and Rod as they tell a true story of greed, deception, and a treasure that never existed, a case that shocked East Tennessee and became another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

    Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of our Stories of Appalachia. You'll find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts!

    Thanks for listening.
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    15 m
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