A unique look into the roots of country music and television history is coming to West Plains on Tuesday, May 13. The Ozarks Heritage Research Center (OHRC) at Missouri State University–West Plains will host a special presentation titled “Si Siman, the Ozark Jubilee, and Music Business at the Crossroads” at 6 p.m. at the Garnett Library, 304 W. Trish Knight St.
Sponsored by the Missouri Humanities Council and co-hosted by the Ozark Spring Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), the event will feature Dr. Kitty Ledbetter, a freelance author and emeritus professor of English at Texas State University.
Ledbetter will share a captivating and visual-rich account of Si Siman, a native of the Ozarks and executive producer of the Ozark Jubilee, the groundbreaking country music TV show that aired live nationwide from 1955 to 1960.
The presentation promises insight into Siman’s influence on the music business and the cultural impact of the Ozark Jubilee, the first continuous, live network country music program in television history.
This event is free and open to the public.
