The Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, is hosting Kitty Ledbetter on Thursday, April 18, 2024 for a talk on her new book, Broadcasting the Ozarks: Si Siman and Country Music at the Crossroads. Ledbetter co-authored the book with Scott Foster Siman, son of Si Siman. It will be published by University of Arkansas Press in mid-March. 

Ledbetter is professor emerita of English at Texas State University. Her talk is entitled, “A Golden Moment in Springfield Radio History: Chet Atkins in the Ozarks.” After encountering Siman, Atkins’ career began to really prosper. He went on to earn a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lebetter’s book chronicles the history of the Ozark Jubilee and the country music scene in Springfield, Missouri in the 1930s. 

The event will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Ozarks Room on the third floor of the Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus. It is free and open to the public.