Fowler Center Series presents WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour

Oct. 5, 2007 -- Arkansas State University’s Fowler Center Series continues as a special edition of the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour comes to Riceland Hall, Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro, on Friday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m. The popular radio show will be taped live, with several Arkansas musicians making guest appearances.

The WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour is broadcast on more than 488 radio stations around the world, including KASU 91.9 FM and XM Satellite Radio. From Australia to Boston to Ireland, almost two million listeners tune in each week. This multi-media folk program is completely run by volunteers and is available as a syndicated radio show, via online streaming or podcasting, and now is available as a national PBS-TV series airing in 42 million homes.

The host and star of the show, Michael Johnathon, is a folksinger, songwriter, concert performer, author, playwright, and self-described “treehugger.” According to his official WoodSongs biography (at www.woodsongs.com), Johnathon grew up in upstate New York. At 19 years old, he moved to the Mexican border town of Laredo, Texas, and found a job working as a late night DJ on KLAR-FM. One night, as he played the Byrds’ “Turn, Turn, Turn,” he remembered seeing a performance by Pete Seeger and Harry Chapin in his Dutchess County, New York, hometown, and by the time the song ended, he decided to pursue a career as a folksinger.

Basing himself in Mousie, Kentucky, Johnathon began traveling Appalachia with a guitar and a banjo, meeting and performing with regional musicians. He began performing “Earth Concerts” and benefits for the homeless, farm families, and battered women’s shelters. Billboard Magazine headlined him as an “UnSung Hero.” He has been featured by various media outlets, including CNN, TNN, CMT, AP, Headline News, NPR, Bravo, and the BBC.

 A few years ago, Michael released his first book and CD gift set called WoodSongs. The 176-page book included the 16-song, all-acoustic WoodSongs compact disc. The musical highlight of the album is a duet of a mountain song, “New Wood,” featuring Johnathon and the legendary Odetta. A second book and CD set has followed, as well as other CDs featuring Johnathon’s guests, described by Johnathon as “brilliant, but unknown” artists.

WoodSongs’ music is variously described as “roots,” “acoustic,” or “folk” music, but it really does not fit into any definition. As Michael Johnathon says, “You don’t have to be famous to be on WoodSongs; you just have to be good.” For more information, visit www.woodsongs.com.

The national broadcast of the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour from Riceland Hall, Fowler Center, will celebrate the music of Arkansas, including musician Willie “Big Eyes” Smith of Helena, Runaway Planet of Little Rock, the Apple Brothers of Batesville, Greenwillis of Mountain View, Thomas Nelson of Hope, and Caleb Cobb of McCrory.

Tickets for all Fowler Center Series events may be purchased by calling 870-972-2781 or 1-888-278-3267, or online at http://tickets.astate.edu. On performance evenings, the box office in Fowler Center opens one hour prior to the event.

Ticket prices are $30 and $20 for adults; $23 and $15 for ASU faculty and staff, senior adults, and K-12 students; and $10 and $6 for ASU students.

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