Spirits In The Material World | A MidSouth Culture & Southern Stories Podcast

What does it mean to truly live the music you make? Richard Lynch has the answer — and it looks like hay fields, a hand-built barn, Grand Ole Opry legends, and 30+ years of staying true to traditional country music no matter what Nashville said.In this episode of Spirits in the Material World, Sean sits down with Richard Lynch — Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, independent country artist, farmer, barn builder, and co-founder of the Love Tattoo Foundation for veterans. Richard's story is the real deal: three chords, the truth, and a work ethic his dad instilled on a farmhouse back porch.We talk about:✅ Growing up in a country music household & learning guitar from his father "Woody"✅ What traditional country music really means — and what's missing today✅ Building a 30+ year independent career outside the Nashville machine✅ "A Better Place" — 33 weeks at #1 on the indie country charts✅ Recording duets with Rhonda Vincent, Ronnie McDowell, David Frizzell & more✅ Building Keepin' It Country Farm in Waynesville, Ohio — by hand✅ Hosting Grand Ole Opry stars in an intimate 300-seat barn venue✅ The Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame — and inducting Connie Smith at the Grand Ole Opry✅ The Love Tattoo Foundation — a nonprofit born from a poem, a veteran, and a song✅ What he tells young artists: "Don't ever take no for an answer"✅ Why AI-generated music is the "ruination of music in general"🎶 Find Richard Lynch:🌐 Website: https://www.richardlynchband.com🎟️ Farm Events & Tickets: https://lovetattoofoundation.org📻 Keeping It Country with Richard & Donna — Every Saturday 9AM-1PM on Real Roots Radio—————————————————————————🎙️ SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD — A MidSouth PodcastStories, souls, and sounds from the MidSouth and beyond.🎧 Listen & Subscribe:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4oOvZO6tiuPA68r5m2ZfGJApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spirits-in-the-material-world-a-midsouth/id1803956926iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-spirits-in-the-material-wo-302669565YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiritsinthematerialworldcastProduced by Pairaces Studio | Memphis, TN—————————————————————————#RichardLynch #TraditionalCountry #CountryMusic #KeepinItCountryFarm #LoveTattooFoundation #SpiritsPodcast #MidSouthPodcast #IndependentCountry #VeteransSupport #RealCountryMusic #ThreeChordsTruth #OhioCountryMusicHallOfFame #CountryMusicPodcast #FarmLife #PairacessStudio

What happens when a four-octave powerhouse vocalist, Grammy-nominated recording artist, author of four books, and founder of the Global Badass Goddess platform walks into your podcast? You clear your calendar — because one hour is never enough.In this episode of Spirits in the Material World, Sean Blankenship sits down with Glenda Benevides — singer-songwriter, transformational guide, and force of nature — for a wide-open conversation about growing up between Oakland and Oregon, singing professionally at 16, the real story behind a Grammy nomination, what the music industry doesn't tell you about streaming, and why she built a whole movement around helping people find their fire.🎤 In this episode we cover:00:00 - Introduction: Grammy-nominated, Global Badass Goddess02:48 - Little Glenda: Oakland, Oregon & a life of music06:04 - Four octaves, hard rock & the Robert Plant connection07:32 - New album Cypress Moon — dedicated to the South08:42 - I Ride: Paul Revere, the American Revolution & songwriting as history14:50 - Born a revolutionary: why history shapes her music19:25 - Lulu White: honoring the richest woman in 1800s New Orleans21:40 - Vocal coach Fred O'Neill — the man who trained Susan Boyle27:49 - The "Badass Goddess" moment that started it all30:07 - Writing four books: clarity, courage, confidence, commitment & community34:58 - The Grammy nomination: The Fury & the Recording Academy39:44 - Four Shades of Blue & winning Best Blues at the International Music Awards46:20 - Soul on Fire: the show, the experience, the corporate retreat50:42 - How to find Glenda & connect with her work51:41 - Her collaborators: Gene Williams, Josh (Nora Jones), Scarlett (Bob Dylan)52:44 - The hard truth about streaming & how to actually support artists1:00:05 - USB sticks, vinyl & the smart way to sell music1:01:16 - Soul on Fire corporate retreats & what's next(Update episode number and verify timestamps before publishing)🎙️ About Spirits in the Material World:A Memphis-based MidSouth podcast exploring Southern culture, music, business, and the stories that shape our communities. Hosted by Sean Blankenship, produced by Pairaces Studio.🔗 Listen everywhere:🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4oOvZO6tiuPA68r5m2ZfGJ🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spirits-in-the-material-world-a-midsouth/id1803956926💜 iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-spirits-in-the-material-wo-302669565📲 Follow the show:▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiritsinthematerialworldcast#GlendaBenevides #Grammy #GlobalBadasssGoddess #SoulOnFire #BluesMusic #SingerSongwriter #SpiritsInTheMaterialWorld #MidSouth #MusicPodcast #WomenInMusic #IndependentArtist #SupportArtists #CypressMoon #Empowerment #TransformationalGuide #SouthernCulture #MusicIndustry

What do you get when a Memphis-born family physician moonlights as a singer-songwriter with a Tommy Award-winning band, a catalog of Americana records, and a song called "Tom Petty Sucks"? You get Rice Drewry — and this conversation is exactly as fun as it sounds.In this episode of Spirits in the Material World, Sean Blankenship sits down with Rice Drewry — guitarist, songwriter, physician, and proud son of Memphis — for a wide-ranging conversation about growing up on AM radio in Whitehaven, serving as an Army flight surgeon in Hawaii, writing songs that honor WWII veterans, recording at Royal Studios, and the true story behind one of the most misunderstood song titles in Memphis music.🎸 In this episode, we cover:00:00 - Introduction & Rice's world: music meets medicine01:08 - Army flight surgeon — what that actually means12:24 - Growing up in Whitehaven & Memphis musical roots21:45 - How the Army paid for medical school28:10 - Writing "When They Were Young" — born at the WWII Memorial35:05 - The Tumbling Sneakers & finding his crew35:44 - Opening for Jerry Lee Lewis on Beale Street36:13 - Mentor Jack Holder & learning to record for real41:04 - First solo CD When You Smile (2006)48:19 - Lafayette's Music Room & the Rice Drewry Collective54:22 - Recording at Royal Studios with Boo Mitchell57:03 - Memphis Songwriters Association contest — and winning it1:00:44 - Making the sound his own1:02:11 - Harmonica talk: blues harp, cross harp & Muddy Waters1:08:04 - The true story behind "Tom Petty Sucks"1:06:23 - Upcoming shows: Lafayette's, Italian Fest & Neil's Music Room🎙️ About Spirits in the Material World:A Memphis-based MidSouth podcast exploring Southern culture, music, business, and the stories that shape our communities. Hosted by Sean Blankenship, produced by Pairaces Studio.🔗 Listen everywhere:🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4oOvZO6tiuPA68r5m2ZfGJ🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spirits-in-the-material-world-a-midsouth/id1803956926💜 iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-spirits-in-the-material-wo-302669565📲 Follow the show:▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiritsinthematerialworldcast#MemphisMusic #MidSouth #SpiritsInTheMaterialWorld #RiceDrewry #SingerSongwriter #MemphisMusicScene #Americana #ClassicRock #MusicPodcast #SouthernCulture #OriginalMusic #TommyAward #RoyalStudios #BooMitchell #MusicAndMedicine #MemphisSongwriters

What happens when a municipal attorney runs for city commissioner, writes internationally bestselling novels, and then builds one of the most unique literary festivals in America — all at the same time? You get Mark Mustian.In this episode of Spirits in the Material World, Sean Blankenship sits down with Tallahassee-based author, attorney, and festival founder Mark Mustian for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, Southern culture, the courage to be different, and what it really takes to finish a book — or build something nobody else has ever tried.📖 In this episode we cover:00:00 - Introduction & Mark's multifaceted life08:00 - Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones & the Delta Blues connection11:00 - Mark's first novel: a Black woman who claims to be Christ returned15:00 - Growing up Southern Baptist, becoming Lutheran & writing about faith20:00 - The Gendarme: the Armenian Genocide told from a Turkish soldier's perspective28:00 - Traveling to Turkey & Syria to research the book31:00 - Boy With Wings: freak shows, the Depression-era South & what it means to be different40:00 - Meeting "Short E Dangerously" — a real-life sideshow performer44:00 - The publishing world: big five vs. indie publishers & the marketing reality52:00 - Word of South Festival: how a rainy first weekend launched a 12-year tradition53:00 - Muscle Shoals tribute, Violent Femmes, Flaming Lips & Earth Wind & Fire57:00 - Sponsors, budgets & the future of the festival01:00:00 - The common thread through it all: it's okay to be different(Update timestamps to match your actual episode)🎙️ About Spirits in the Material World:A Memphis-based MidSouth podcast exploring Southern culture, music, business, and the stories that shape our communities. Hosted by Sean Blankenship, produced by Pairaces Studio.🔗 Listen everywhere:🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4oOvZO6tiuPA68r5m2ZfGJ🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spirits-in-the-material-world-a-midsouth/id1803956926💜 iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-spirits-in-the-material-wo-302669565📲 Follow the show:▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiritsinthematerialworldcast#SouthernGothic #ArmenianGenocide #MemphisMusic #MidSouth #WordOfSouth #LiteraryFestival #SouthernCulture #HistoricalFiction #FreakShow #IndiePublishing #TallahasseeFL #SpiritsInTheMaterialWorld #SouthernStorytelling #BookPodcast #MusicAndLiterature

Some of the most important musicians in American music history don't chase attention. They chase the work.Kirk Smothers has spent over 40 years playing, recording, and touring the world — shaping records you've heard while building a life in Memphis music without a highlight reel or brand strategy. He's played alongside BB King, toured internationally, and remained one of the most respected working musicians in the South.In this episode of Spirits in the Material World, Sean Blankenship sits down with Kirk for a master class in musicianship, humility, and longevity.🎷 In this episode, we cover:00:00 - Introduction05:00 - Growing up in Memphis and finding music early15:00 - What it really takes to make a living as a working musician28:00 - Playing with BB King and other world-class artists42:00 - Tone, discipline, relationships, and longevity in music55:00 - Why some Memphis legends stay hidden in plain sight1:05:00 - Final thoughts and reflections(Update timestamps to match your actual episode)🎙️ About Spirits in the Material World:A Memphis-based MidSouth podcast exploring Southern culture, music, business, and the stories that shape our communities. Hosted by Sean Blankenship, produced by Pairaces Studio.🔗 Listen everywhere:🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4oOvZO6tiuPA68r5m2ZfGJ🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spirits-in-the-material-world-a-midsouth/id1803956926💜 iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-spirits-in-the-material-wo-302669565📲 Follow the show:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiritsinthematerialworldcast#MemphisMusic #BBKing #JazzSaxophone #SouthernMusic #MidSouth #WorkingMusician #MemphisBlues #SoulMusic #PodcastInterview #SpiritsInTheMaterialWorld #TennesseeMusic #SouthernCulture #MemphisPodcast

Some of the most important musicians in American music history don’t chase attention.They chase the work.Kirk Smothers has spent over 40 years doing just that—playing, recording, touring the world, shaping records you’ve heard, and building a life in music without a digital footprint, a brand strategy, or a highlight reel.In this episode of Spirits in the Material World, Kirk and I talk about:Growing up in Memphis and finding music earlyWhat it really takes to make a living as a working musicianPlaying with world-class artists without chasing fameTone, discipline, relationships, and longevityWhy some legends stay hidden in plain sightThis isn’t a hype interview.It’s a master class in musicianship, humility, and letting the phone keep ringing because you’ve earned it.🎷 Featuring Kirk Smothers🎙️ Full episode available now

Episode Description: In the Room Where Soul Lives — Boo Mitchell and the Magic of Royal StudiosStep inside the heartbeat of Memphis with Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, the man carrying forward the legendary legacy of Royal Studios — where timeless soul meets modern sound.In this intimate, one-hour conversation, host Sean Blankenship dives deep with Boo into the spirit that lives within the walls of one of the world’s most iconic recording studios — the birthplace of the Hi Records sound and home to classics from Al Green, Ann Peebles, and the Hi Rhythm Section.Boo opens up about growing up under the mentorship of his father, the late Willie Mitchell, and how he continues that lineage by guiding a new generation of artists — from Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (“Uptown Funk”) to John Mayer, Melissa Etheridge, and William Bell. Together, they explore what makes Memphis music eternal: authenticity, groove, and that unexplainable magic that can’t be programmed.You’ll hear stories about Grammy nights, ghostly moments in the studio, and what Boo calls “the spirit in the sound.” It’s part history lesson, part creative masterclass, and all heart — a reminder that while technology evolves, soul never goes out of style.Keywords: Boo Mitchell, Royal Studios, Memphis Music, Willie Mitchell, Al Green, Hi Records, Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Grammy Producer, Memphis Soul, Recording Studio, Music Production, Creativity, Leadership, Legacy, Delta Blues, Spirits in the Material World Podcast.follow - https://www.youtube.com/@spiritsinthematerialworldcast

Ted Townsend serves as the President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber, a role he assumed in December 2022 following a unanimous vote by the organization's Board of Directors. Prior to this, he held the position of Chief Economic Development Officer for both the Greater Memphis Chamber and the University of Memphis from 2020 to 2022, where he contributed to regional growth initiatives. With over a decade of experience in economic development and government relations, Townsend has been instrumental in attracting significant investments to Memphis, including the multi-billion-dollar xAI supercomputer project, which represents the city's largest capital investment by a new company in its history. He previously served as Chairman of the Board for Life Science Tennessee, focusing on expanding life sciences industry jobs in the region. Townsend earned his degree from the University of Memphis and transitioned to the Chamber after being recruited in the wake of a leadership vacancy in 2018.

In this episode, Geoff Calkins, a prominent journalist from Memphis, shares his intriguing journey from Buffalo, New York, to Harvard and into the world of sports journalism. Despite sharing a name with a successful entrepreneur and having a Twitter handle stolen by his nephew, he carved his own path. Calkins humorously recounts a time he challenged himself to play Christmas carols on a tuba if the Memphis Grizzlies lost ten consecutive games, only to see it come true. Growing up with eight siblings and surviving childhood leukemia, his story is one of resilience and finding humor amidst challenges.

The latest episode of 'Spirits in the Material World' features an engaging conversation between host Sean Blankenship and guest Andy O'Fee, known as the Yankee Closer. They delve into Andy's intriguing transition from Wall Street to Memphis, his rich childhood experiences in New Jersey, and a shared love for baseball. Reflecting on their generational differences in childhood play, the discussion touches on modern sports culture and community lifestyles. With the recent Delta storms setting the scene, the dialogue navigates through topics of family dynamics, sports history, and how past adventures influence current life choices and professional pursuits.

In this lively podcast episode, the hosts dive into the intersection of music and spirits with guest Kevin Cantrell, an artist and whiskey enthusiast. They explore the nuances of whiskey and tequila, the art of sipping, and the unexpected surprises that good spirits and music can offer. Kevin shares personal anecdotes, including his introduction to Pappy Van Winkle, and discusses the value of savoring flavors that linger in memory. The conversation casually navigates through various topics, weaving together tales of unique distillations, memorable musical performances, and the role of surprise in creativity.

In this engaging episode of 'Spirits in the Material World,' host Sean Blankenship introduces Doug Browne, President and General Manager of the iconic Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Browne shares his journey from growing up in the Caribbean with a military background to becoming a luminary in the hospitality industry. Listeners are treated to anecdotes about his passion for ballroom dancing, his aspirations of playing the piano to impress guests, and his deep roots within the Memphis community. Browne's experiences highlight the cultural richness of Memphis and his dedication to preserving its legacy while pushing forward with innovation.

In this episode of 'Spirits in the Material World', longtime SEAL veteran Ronnie Hodges shares his incredible journey from being drafted into the Marine Corps to joining the elite Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War. He recounts the intense BUD/S training and harrowing missions, revealing the mental and physical endurance required to survive and accomplish their covert operations. Hodges offers a glimpse into a secretive world where only 50% of SEALs could be deployed overseas, highlighting missions in Cambodia and Vietnam that often involved collaboration with the CIA and reflected a time of intense conflict and bravery.

In this podcast episode, Sean and Wyatt Blankenship explore the complex world of whiskey. They delve into the distinctions between different types of whiskey such as bourbon, rye, and scotch, explaining the unique ingredients and processes each involves. Wyatt shares insights on how bourbon should be 51% corn and aged in new charred white oak barrels. Regional influences, like Tennessee whiskey's Lincoln county process, also play a significant role. As a clinical educator turned whiskey enthusiast, Wyatt provides listeners with informative yet accessible knowledge for those new to whiskey, making the spirit less intimidating and more intriguing.

In 'Spirits in the Material World,' host Sean Blankenship embarks on an exploration of the Mid-South Delta's rich cultural heritage. Through deep-dive interviews, the podcast offers a captivating look into the lesser-known stories of Memphis and its surrounding areas, exploring themes of music, mysticism, and community. With a dedication to emotional storytelling, Sean artfully connects listeners with the authentic spirit of the region. Each episode invites you to discover the vivid tapestry of life, unraveling traditions and lifestyles shaped by the Delta's unique history. Join this enlightening journey, where real lives and local voices bring the past to life.