The Brown Bomber, The Ghost Capital and The Day The Stars Fell on Alabama

In Episode 21, Mike takes us back to Alabama with more stories from the Heart of Dixie. First you’ll hear the story of the day the stars fell on Alabama - the day the Hodges Meteorite smashed into a house in Sylacauga. Then comes the story of Old Cahaba, Alabama’s first State Capital, now little more than a ghost town. From there, travel to the Free State of Winston, a Unionist region in the hill country. Next you’ll hear the story of boxer Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis, one of the greatest to ever step into the ring. Finally comes the story of Claudette Colvin, a 15 year old high school student in 1955, when she defied Montgomery’s segregation laws and inspired Rosa Parks to do the same 9 months later. Music for this episode comes from Mobile native Hannah McFarland and special guest Tommy Ike Hailey.

Rocky Top, Monkey Town and the King of the Wild Frontier

Mike has spent the last few weeks enjoying the eastern half of Tennessee. This episode begins with the story of Rocky Top, one of the most famous and popular songs in the state. Learn how and where it was written and how it rose from an obscure B-side to one of Tennessee's State Songs. Then hear the story of Franklin, the state that never became a state, but would eventually become Tennessee. Davy Crockett, the King of the Wild Frontier, spent most of his remarkable life in Tennessee, and you'll hear the whole story. Next up is the story of the Scopes Trial, the 1925 trial that challenged a ban on the teaching of evolution in public schools. The Bristol Sessions have been called "The Big Bang of Country Music", and you'll hear why in this episode. And finally, the town of Oak Ridge was built to support a massive project during World War II; Mike will tell you about the town and the project. Music in this episode is from Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Cooper along with Chris Gantry.