All Y'all Podcast
by All Y'all Podcast
All Y'all is a live storytelling event and podcast featuring stories from the Deep South. All Y'all is produced by Sara Hebert and Chris Jay from their home in Shreveport, La., with technical assistance from Bowser, their basset hound.
Episodes
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"Skeletons In Our Blood": AJ Haynes Reimagines The Louisiana Hayride
AJ Haynes, a Shreveport native and founder of the acclaimed rock group Seratones, is not one to mince words. For the sixth and final episode in our podcast series exploring the cultural impact of The Louisiana Hayride, Haynes joined All Y’all co-host Sara Hebert for a free-wheeling conversation...
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Along for the ‘Ride: Alton Warwick Remembers His Wife, Maggie
On the afternoon that Mr. Alton Warwick, widowed husband and business partner of Margaret “Maggie” Lewis Warwick, sat down with All Y’all and LPB to share his memories of The Louisiana Hayride, only seven months had passed since Maggie’s death. For decades, he and Maggie had worked side-by-side…
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"Perspiration and Inspiration": Kix Brooks on Shreveport, Shrimp Busters and Songwriting
Kix Brooks, the Shreveport native and bona fide country music superstar, was only five years old when the original Louisiana Hayride produced by KWKH came to an end in 1960. He grew up in the Highland and Shreve Island neighborhoods, graduated from Louisiana Tech University, and honed his...
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"Lost Chapters of Hayride History": Joey Kent on Documenting The Louisiana Hayride
Joey Kent grew up backstage at The Louisiana Hayride—just not the version of the Hayride that you may be thinking of. His father, Shreveport media executive David Kent, launched a second installment of the Hayride after the original iteration of KWKH’s influential barn dance program fell silent…
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“Hoopin’ and Hollerin’”: Big Rob Gentry on Loving The Louisiana Hayride
The Louisiana Hayride was a live country music jamboree that was broadcast weekly via Shreveport, Louisiana’s 50,000-watt powerhouse station KWKH beginning in 1948. The lifespan of the Hayride was brief (the original program ended in 1960) but consequential, with artists like Elvis Presley, Hank...
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“A Kind of Crossroads”: Dr. Tracey Laird on The Louisiana Hayride
The Louisiana Hayride was a live country music jamboree that was broadcast weekly via Shreveport, Louisiana’s 50,000-watt powerhouse station KWKH beginning in 1948. The lifespan of the Hayride was brief (the original program ended in 1960) but consequential, with artists like Elvis Presley, Hank...
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Jim Hayes, "I Destroyed Johnny Depp And Winona Ryder’s Relationship"
On June 29, the world lost someone very special. The film industry brought Jim Hayes to Shreveport, but his love of our little town is what kept him here—along with his wife, Christine, and son, Walker. Jim was many things, but first and foremost, he was an artist. Whether building props for…
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Exit Interviews: Ashley Johnson and Ari Butler
Exit Interviews: Ashley Johnson and Ari Butler by All Y'all Podcast
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Haunted: Cristal Willcox, "Cat People"
You can tell a lot about someone from the way they treat the animals in their lives. When storyteller Cristal Willcox's beloved cat Kashmir passed away, her friends gathered for the kind of midnight funeral that could only take place in Louisiana. In another time and place, storyteller Randall…
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All Y'all Participates in Stonewall OutLoud Project From StoryCorps
Like the t-shirt says: Y’all Means All. Since our first live event, All Y’all has prioritized the inclusion of LGBTQ voices. This past June, Sara from All Y’all took part in StoryCorps’ Stonewall OutLoud project, helping gather stories from LGBTQ elders in Shreveport including Randy Moulder,...
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Momma and Daddy: Michael Chisum, "Heavenly Father"
Stop me if you've heard this one before: A young, gay man comes of age in the Deep South, where he is the son of a pastor. If you're expecting this story to end in tears, you may be right - but they may be tears of joy. Michael Chisum's ode to the love of two fathers was a message that we very…
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I Just Work Here: Pam Brown, "Day Off"
So, let's say it's your day off. You get some friends together, make some plans, and head out for a day filled with anything - anything - but work. You know what comes next, right? Your services are required. Duty calls. Do you answer? When retired DEA agent Pam Brown took the stage at All Y'all...
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Brush With Fame: Bonne Summers, "Dinner With The Duke"
If you were asked to conjure up the most American meal possible, you might dream up a Thanksgiving Dinner shared with silver screen cowboy John Wayne. Storyteller Bonne Summers actually shared a Thanksgiving with Wayne, during an idyllic American holiday that she recounted live onstage at our…
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The Skin I'm In: Anwar Fikri, "The F-N-G"
Doesn’t it seem like the harder you try to impress others, the less likely it is that things will go as planned? Anwar Fikri’s story of awkwardness, allergies and Airmen elicited many sympathetic groans - and lots of laughs - during our August 2017 live event, “The Skin I’m In.” He joined us…
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Haunted: Kathryn Usher, "Flies"
Who doesn't love a good ghost story? During our November 2016 live event, "Haunted", we heard stories about personal demons, phantasmagoric chicken wings, and haunted houses. Artist Kathryn Usher ended the night with a heartfelt ode to lost love that would make Edgar Allan Poe proud. Experience...
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The Skin I'm In: Roxann Johnson, "Midnight and Sunshine"
Through her work as a diversity consultant, Roxann Johnson helps people have difficult conversations. Through her activism and leadership, she has become a recognized leader of Shreveport’s efforts toward racial reconciliation. Every community could use more voices like hers: strong, empathetic,...
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Wildcard: Charnae McDonald, "We Met Online"
Sometimes, we get the impression that folks are embarrassed to say “we met online” when they’re unspooling the backstory of their love affair. As if “online” means anything at all, really, in the age of Fitbit and Alexa. The average person has no reason to be embarrassed about having met their…
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Let's Eat: Anthony Catfish Woodward, "The Boy Who Cried Hollandaise"
As far as nicknames go, “Catfish” is as good a nickname as any for a young, Southern fellow with charm to spare. Anthony “Catfish” Woodward was the first storyteller to take the stage at Red River Brewing Company during our fifth annual Fidnto Award fundraiser event in 2018. Like the late, great...
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Fought The Law: Boz Baucum, "Titties in the City"
Some folks are just born storytellers. Boz Baucum, the gregarious and bawdy chef/owner of Marilynn’s Place in Shreveport, is one of those folks. When Boz volunteered to tell a story at All Y’all’s June 2016 live event, we had no idea what an unbelievable tale of small-town malfeasance and...
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New Season, Who Dis: 10 New Episodes of the All Y’all Podcast for 2019
A mourning artist confronts the spirit of her deceased husband. A young line cook has a meltdown during a Mother's Day brunch service. The hedonistic deputy sheriff of a small Mississippi town oversees the collapse of a redneck vice den. Gather 'round, because there are 10 new episodes of the All...
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The Skin I'm In: Coleen McKechnie, "A Colorful Dying Leaf"
On some level, we all know that we're dying. But Coleen McKechnie, who assisted with her mother's end-of-life care - her mother was battling Huntington's Disease - at the same time that she was also diagnosed with Huntington's, is more familiar with her own mortality than most of us. Now, Coleen...
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Momma and Daddy: Luke McClung, "Sneak Attack"
Sometimes thoughts and feelings from the past can hit you out of the blue, like Imperial Japanese fighters on a December morning in 1941. Storyteller Luke McClung's tale of family secrets and repressed feelings is one of our favorites.
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Exit Interviews: Jim and Christine Hayes
A few years ago, All Y'all friend and storyteller Maya Lau told us that we should conduct exit interviews with folks who are moving out of Shreveport. The idea burrowed into our brains, and we've reconsidered it many times since. We could build an archive of peoples' answers to the question "So,...
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Farah Cowley, "American Girl"
The first time we met Farah Cowley, at a business networking event in Shreveport, her warm smile, Southern drawl, and friendly demeanor won us over. We'd never have guessed that Farah had immigrated to the United States from Amman, Jordan - as a 14 year-old-girl who spoke very little English…
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Ladies Night: Annie Kendig, "Flying Into Lubumbashi"
Annie Kendig is a badass. At our 2015 live event, "Ladies Night," Annie bravely took the stage to share the incredible true story of how she and her family traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to adopt their third child, Tauntine. Annie's story reminds us that all mothers are fighters…
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Podcast Exclusive: Big Daddy Yum Yum, "I'm Yummy"
For our 50th episode of the All Y'all podcast, we're proud to present a podcast-exclusive interview with a genuinely fascinating Shreveport native: Byron Wilcott, who is better known to his fans as Main Event Pro Wrestling superstar Big Daddy Yum Yum. Wilcott's career as a pro wrestler has taken...
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Momma and Daddy: William Joyce, "A Mother's Love"
William Joyce may be Shreveport, Louisiana's most celebrated storyteller. He's won an Academy Award, several Emmys and countless other honors during his career as an author, illustrator and filmmaker. The All Y'all team has enjoyed a long friendship with Bill; but, until he shared this story…
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All Y'all Presents A Special Stuffed & Busted Episode
This is a special episode of All Y'all, highlighting our other podcast, Stuffed & Busted. The third, and possibly final, episode of Stuffed & Busted is a long-form tribute to our favorite restaurant of all time: Lucky Palace Chinese Restaurant in Bossier City. On Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, the…
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The Skin I'm In: Kyle, "Normal"
Boy meets girl: It’s one of the oldest stories in the book. But when Kyle asked for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage, a challenging road lay ahead. Kyle took the stage at our August 2017 live storytelling event to share this intimate, inspiring story of love’s ability to overcome any obstacle....
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I Just Work Here: Luther Cox, "Take a Dance Class"
Luther Cox never intended to become a dance teacher. As an accounting student at Florida A&M University, he literally wandered into a West African dance class in progress and the course of his life was changed forever. Cox went on to found the Inter City Row Modern Dance Company in Shreveport's...
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Momma And Daddy: Laura Crawford, "Robert Popper's Song"
Laura Crawford's father, Dr. Robert Popper, narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Nazis during the antisemitic pogrom known as Kristallnacht. The unbelievable journey that ensues is a globe-spanning journey of courage, luck, endurance and love. Crawford, who founded the world-renowned...
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Haunted: Clay Walker, "Ghost Stories"
Shreveport, Louisiana - where the All Y'all podcast and live storytelling series is produced - is a small town in some ways. Following the announcement that All Y'all was seeking stories of the paranormal for our November 2016 event, "Haunted," several people contacted us to insist that Clay…
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Podcast Exclusive: Derek Wayne Johnson, "Friends with the Cobra Kai"
Derek Wayne Johnson was born in Carthage, Texas, about an hours' drive southwest of Shreveport, Louisiana. He fell in love with cinema at an early age, developing a special affinity for the films Rocky and The Karate Kid. Those films were directed by Academy Award-winner John G. Avildsen. Through...
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I Just Work Here: Winston Hall, "Look at All of the Little Black Dots"
Careers are tricky things. Sometimes, you pursue one career only to wind up in another line of work. Other times, a career sort of finds you - you take a job to make ends meet and, years later, you realize it's become more than a job. And then, sometimes, you tell the owner of the China Garden...
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Haunted: Steven Abney, "Personal Demons"
Ghost stories can be a lot of things: visceral, frightening, unnerving. But very seldom do they drift into territory that could be described as intimate or personal. Storyteller Steven Abney took the stage at our Nov. 12, 2016 live event, "Haunted", and delivered a ghost story that was as equally...
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I Just Work Here: Amy Lynn Treme, "Monty"
Some folks are just natural born storytellers. Amy Lynn Treme, a pre-K teacher who lives in Shreveport's Highland neighborhoood, is one of those folks. When All Y'all announced that we'd be presenting a night of stories about work ("I Just Work Here" was held at the Woman's Department Club of...
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Haunted: Christopher Louis Wilson, "A Wing and A Prayer"
On May 11, 2016, Christopher Louis Wilson published a post on his blog, From the Desk of Mr. Coach Wilson, about his lifelong love affair with Shreveport-based restaurant Wing Taxi. Within 24 hours, the post had gone viral in Shreveport, with thousands of views and social shares leading the owner...
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I Fought The Law: Meghan Shapiro, "Sentences"
During the second half of our July 2016 storytelling event, “I Fought The Law,” we featured stories from three attorneys who shared an insider’s perspective of our complex legal system. Our last storyteller of the evening, Meghan Shapiro, moved to Louisiana in 2013 to practice death penalty…
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Stuffed & Busted Preview
Hi All Y’all! Sara here with a quick update. In addition to hosting our last live storytelling event in November, Chris and I have been hard at work building a new show for All Y’all. It’s called Stuffed & Busted, a podcast that takes an irreverent look at food in Shreveport and Bossier City as...
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Momma and Daddy: Jaya McSharma, "#DaddyIssues"
Few All Y'all storytellers have ever seemed so comfortable in the spotlight as "Momma and Daddy" storyteller Dr. Jaya McSharma. Jaya had our sold-out audience in the palm of her hand from the moment that she stepped onstage, eliciting roars of laughter and more than a few tears. Her story takes…
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I Fought the Law: Samuel Mims, "Generally Irritated"
As one of the citizens leading the Stop The Burn movement near Camp Minden and a pastor, environmental activist and community organizer, Colonel Sam Mims is an impressive figure. When he took the All Y'all stage, we had no idea what Col. Mims was going to say. He delivered a fiery call to action...
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I Fought the Law: Sarah Smith, "Benefit of the Doubt"
Storyteller Sarah Smith took the All Y'all stage in July 2016, during our live event entitled "I Fought the Law," to share her personal account of trial by fire. The first case that Smith ever took to trial during her time as a public defender turned out to be a maelstrom of media coverage,...
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Momma and Daddy: Daniel Ukpabi, "This Is America"
We first met Daniel Ukpabi on an unseasonably cold October morning at Shreveport Farmers' Market, where he was ladling out steaming bowls of spicy Nigerian stew and telling anyone who'd stop to listen about his fledgling not-for-profit organization, The Pacemakers. At the time, we were just...
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Brush With Fame: Tom Ayres, "Trying To Make It Work"
Have you ever met an honest-to-goodness celebrity? All Y'all dedicated an entire night of live storytelling to the topic of celebrity encounters at our June 2015 event, "Brush With Fame." Tom Ayres's story from that night - a well-told tale of an airport encounter with an embattled sports icon -...
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Momma and Daddy: Elizabeth Beauvais, "The Chipotle Rebellion"
Jealousy. Epic adventure. Really good burritos. Elizabeth Beauvais's story of a day in the life of an exasperated mom, told live on the All Y'all stage in March 2016, has it all. When Elizabeth's eight-year-old daughter runs away from home in an act of defiance, mother and daughter find…
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Kate Archer Kent, "Keep Your Hands On the Rope"
If you live in the Red River Radio listening area, chances are good that you're familiar with the friendly voice of News Producer Kate Archer Kent. Kate recently presented an acclaimed sermon on the topic of balancing work, life and motherhood at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of...
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Brush With Fame: Brandon Oldenburg, "Michael and Me"
As an 8-year-old boy, Brandon Oldenburg was a sponge soaking up all kinds of pop culture. Like just about everyone else on the Planet Earth in 1984, he and his brother were particularly fascinated by Michael Jackson - so much so that they produced their own "Beat It" video. Decades later…
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Ladies Night: Maya Lau, "Technical Skills"
***This story contains adult subject matter and listener discretion is advised.*** Sometimes the job that you're assigned to do just isn't the job that you end up doing. When journalist Maya Lau was 24 years old, she enlisted in the Peace Corps, envisioning herself taking a hands-on role in...
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Wesley Hall Parker, "How I Wrapped Presents with Annie Leibovitz and We Became Buddies"
We've all had our "low points" on the job, moments when we were caught unprepared or off guard and we let our employers - and ourselves - down. Storyteller Wesley Hall Parker, who shared a story during the June 2015 All Y'all live storytelling event "Brush With Fame," experienced a Christmas Eve...
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OMG: Stephen Price, "More Time"
To hear someone say that they believe in life after death is one thing. To hear someone say that they have experienced life after death is another matter entirely. Stephen Price, who shared his vivid recollections of the afterlife at our August 2015 live storytelling event "O.M.G.," reminded us...
About this show
All Y'all is a live storytelling event and podcast featuring stories from the Deep South. All Y'all is produced by Sara Hebert and Chris Jay from their home in Shreveport, La., with technical assistance from Bowser, their basset hound.
Hosted by
All Y'all Podcast