Musical Ecosystem:
RECORDINGS, RECORDS, & RADIO
Music begins in the minds of musicians who practice in their bedrooms, buy music at their local record stores or online, and record in their homes. Independent and “Do It Yourself” (DIY) recording studios in basements, barns, and garages gave local artists the opportunity to record and distribute their music, a major step in the path of a musician. Local record stores disseminate these recordings to further the artists’ reach and notoriety.
Local radio stations also played a role. The songs played inspired budding musicians, while local radio hosts are some of the first to elevate local artists. As songs are played within show segments, artists are exposed to one another. Radio hosts become points of connection between musicians, helping to generate musical communities that influence and build upon one another. Southcentral Kentucky has many radio programs that support the local scene in these ways.
This section explores the spaces in which musicians develop, grow, and interact as artists.
DIY Recording Studios
MARC OWENS
Bowling Green has a rich tradition of recording studios in basements, garages, and barns.
Marc Owens has been involved with many local independent studios. A musician himself, he honed his recording talents with Billy Smith, who was head engineer at the locally renowned Morning Star Studios. Owens then started his own studio in the mid-1980s, in the basement of his mom’s house on the 1500 block of High Street. Aptly named “High Street Studios,” this is where Bill Lloyd, Government Cheese, Jonell Mosser, and others recorded some of their first cuts.
Marc just walked up to me one night and after we'd finished our set. We [played] a lot of my music, a lot of stuff I wrote and [Marc] said, ‘I know I haven't talked to you much, you know...I have a little home studio that I would really like for you to record a couple of those songs.’ So me and Marc, our relationship began.
record stores
Though typically thought of as commercial venues, record stores also provide space for musicians and admirers to share, learn, and decompress. Whether you come seeking a certain sound or are looking for something fresh, there is usually a friend behind the counter or looking through records nearby that can help.
RECORD BAR AND TRACKS
Record Bar served as an epicenter for Bowling Green music in the 1980s. Described by former, long-time manager Jeffrey Sweeney, “the place had a cool hip vibe to it… I can still remember Tommy Womack coming in to read the magazines for hours.” Record Bar was bought out numerous times, following national trends for local record stores, and eventually became Tracks. Yet it remained the spot for all Bowling Green music needs for many years.
In the early 1980s, Sweeney hired Matt Pfefferkorn, who Sweeney kindly nicknamed “Devil Child” due to his music preferences. Pfefferkorn went on to open a record store of his own, Mellow Matt’s.
MELLOW MATT'S
Matt Pfefferkorn opened Mellow Matt’s Music and More in 2012. He took inspiration from how it felt back in the Record Bar days, when record stores catered to their customers’ needs and tastes instead of stocking only what a far-away corporate entity determines sellable. Matt’s is also a space for musicians: the shop hosts in-store shows for local bands and out-of-towners alike. A staple in the music community, Mellow Matt’s continues to be a symbol of interconnectedness and access to local music for all.
Radio: Rooted in Local
For decades, the airwaves of Bowling Green have pulsed with powerful programming led by a talented mix of music aficionados (and musicians) who have celebrated and turned listeners onto a diverse array of musical styles. This is rooted in the fact that in 1940, when WLBJ went on the air, Bowling Green became the first town in Southcentral Kentucky to have a radio station. It made the hub a mecca for local musicians trying to be heard over the radio – the main form for musical communication in the early to mid 20th century. Even today, radio remains the primary form for musical dissemination.
The following are a few key individuals who help educate and enlighten listeners with programs embraced by the Southcentral Kentucky community.
D.93 – DEAD AIR WITH MELLOW MATT
A show that feels almost like a love letter from Matt to Deadhead culture, it also spends time highlighting deep, usually live, cuts of Bowling Green legends like New Grass Revival and Government Cheese. As of 2023, the show airs from 5 to 7 PM on Sundays.
D.93 THE LOWDOWN HOEDOWN WITH BROTHER GREG MARTIN
Hosted by Greg Martin, the lead guitarist for the Grammy Award-winning Kentucky Headhunters from nearby Metcalfe County, The Lowdown Hoedown is dedicated to playing Southern Rock and Blues. As of 2023, airs from 7 to 10 PM on Mondays.
D.93 – TOMMY STARR’S HOME COOKIN’
Tommy, who moved back to Bowling Green from Memphis, wanted a show where he could elevate local bands and follow them from their start to their big break. This was the case for many bands who had their first on-air appearance on his show, including Cage the Elephant, Black Stone Cherry, and Sleeper Agent.
88.9FM - WKYU
Lost River Sessions
Barren River Breakdown
Lost River Sessions
Barren River Breakdown
BARREN RIVER BREAKDOWN
Co-hosts Erika Brady and David Baxter are well connected with many facets of local music, and that’s evident in their finely crafted weekly playlist creations. BRB, as it is affectionately known, has a literally worldwide reach via the station’s online presence, and it represents important local music that has had regional and national influence. When listening, it’s not uncommon to hear a Kentucky Headhunters track followed up by a Doc Watson cut. Airs weekly on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 p.m.
LOST RIVER SESSIONS
The award-winning Lost River Sessions is a television, concert, and radio series that features Folk, Bluegrass, and Americana genres performing intimate live sets in various iconic venues across South Central Kentucky. It is dedicated to bringing talented, relatively unknown musicians from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee to perform in Bowling Green before live audiences at the downtown Capitol Arts Theater or regional historic sites. As of 2023, it airs on the WKYU radio station every Saturday at 4pm and 7pm, with an accompanying local PBS station broadcast every Saturday at 8pm.
From Radio to Renown
Odis Blanton and His Blue Star Rangers
An example of radio’s influence on the careers of musicians is Bluegrass group Odis Blanton and His Blue Star Rangers. Born in Edmonson County in 1925, Odis Blanton was inspired to become a musician while listening to radio broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry.
Odis became a rhythm guitarist and singer who, with his brother, formed the Blue Star Rangers in the mid-1940s. The western swing group played on WLBJ out of Bowling Green during a 45-minute show called “The Farm and Home Hour,” which aired every day except Sundays. Occasionally, they were joined by pianist Billy Vaughn. They also recorded on Republic Records of Nashville and toured in western Kentucky and northern Tennessee, playing stages and square dances at venues like the Quonset and Boots and Saddle Club. The radio show was picked up by WBKO and WBGN, providing the Rangers with regional success.
Odis also served as one of the first radio DJs for WBGN, eventually tutoring many WKU students who served as DJs for the station in the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, the Bowling Green radio market became known as a “test market” for the music industry, where weekly publications like Billboard, R&R (Radio and Records), and The Gavin Report sought input for their rankings. Odis continued as a DJ until 1973, and with The Blue Star Rangers until their disbandment in 1977.
As I grew up, we had old battery radios and everything. And maybe we’re the only people in the community that had a radio even. And families around would come in and we’d listen to the Grand Ole Opry and we’d listen to boxing matches, whatever. And I got to liking music. [...] I never did take any lessons or anything. I’d just pick ‘em up from people. [...] I’d go to…where people were playing, at schools and watch new chords that guitar players would make. And I’d memorize ‘em, go home, and I didn’t care if it was ten or eleven at night, kept the family up. I’d work until I got ‘em down.
Musical Community: The Sum of Many Parts
Local record stores and radio support each other. Record stores stock what the studios produce. Studios are inspired by what the record stores provide. Both are influenced by what listeners and other musicians respond to as they listen in their homes and cars. Within these spaces are conversations, relationships, and musical sounds that are constantly being exchanged and absorbed. The result is a strong musical community that has supported itself for generations.
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