OHR Presents: Outlaw Country

This week, outlaw country music icons the legendary Billy Don Burns and his protege Josh Morningstar recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these artistic outlaws.

As country music moved towards a more slick commercial “Nashville sound” in the 1970s, some of its most notable artists bucked the trend. Influential country musicians such as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings fought back against the major studios and won the right to record their music the way they wanted. With its roots in blues, honky tonk, rockabilly, and rock & roll, outlaw country has become a musical genre all its own.

In Stone County, Arkansas, we have a legendary outlaw singer-songwriter right here in our community. Since the early days of outlaw country, Billy Don Burns has been a go to songwriter for artists like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Now in his 70s, Billy Don is still at it. BDB crisscrosses the country on his Harley Davidson while producing hit songs recorded by country music legacy Shooter Jennings, rising country music star Cody Jinks, and many others. Also featured on this episode of OHR is Billy Don’s protege Josh Morningstar. An up and coming outlaw, Josh Morningstar has also had hit songs recorded by Cody Jinks.

“Billy Don Burns is one of the few remaining original outlaw country music singer songwriters. This long and hard road paved with a honky tonk reality has taken him from Stone County, Arkansas and around the world touring for the past fifty years. He has been described as The Warrior Poet who has gained the respect of some of the greatest songwriters including Billy Joe Shaver, David Lynn Jones, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson. Some of BDB’s critically acclaimed albums are ‘Desperate Men’ with Hank Cochran, and “Heroes, Friends and Other Troubled Souls” with Hank Cochran, Willie Nelson, and Tanya Tucker. Johnny Paycheck, Willie, Connie Smith, Mel Tillis, and Sammy Kershaw have recorded his songs. A few artists that have recently recorded his songs are Cody Jinks, Colter Wall, and Whitey Morgan. Other BDB albums are ‘Graveyard in Montgomery,’ ‘Train Called Lonesome,’ and the live album produced by Shooter Jennings in Joshua Tree, California called ‘A Night in Room 8,’ the room where Gram Parsons died. The newest album ‘The Country Blues,’ is BDB’s latest effort.” - The Hollywood Times

“A curious and fresh combination of grit and humor, Josh Morningstar is knocking down stereotypes with his worn boots and unforgettable raspy voice. He is a small-town boy that originally hails from Funkstown, Maryland, and he carries those roots in a suitcase with him everywhere he goes. His small-town charm is evident in the way he greets people, and in the conversational way that he weaves the stories of his life into his music.

“In front of the bright lights and behind the microphone isn't where Morningstar feels most at home. Named the 2018 Texas Radio Songwriter of the Year, he and his Kristofferson signed guitar have knocked out melodies in dingy hotels all across the country. He’s written songs alongside Kendell Marvel, Channing Wilson, Autumn McEntire, and many more. Morningstar was also the writer of several Cody Jinks songs, including his #1 hit “Must Be The Whiskey.” - https://joshmorningstar.com
In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1975 archival recording of Ozark original Uncle Floyd Holland performing the traditional tune “Nellie Grey,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

Author, folklorist and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and its enduring legacy of music and craft. In this episode, Charley describes the Ozark journey of famed folk song collector Alan Lomax.