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The Rick Dollar Show Podcast!

The Rick Dollar Show Podcast!

Written by: Rick Dollar
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About this listen

 🎙️ Rick Dollar — Voice of Appalachia, Architect of Authentic Radio Rick Dollar is a seasoned broadcaster, storyteller, and cultural curator whose passion for music, heritage, and human connection has shaped a dynamic career spanning over a decade. As the founder and owner of Radio Dog Productions, Rick has built a media empire rooted in authenticity, heart, and the vibrant spirit of Appalachia. He is the creator and host of the Rick Dollar Show, a syndicated radio program and podcast that blends interviews with musicians, athletes, and cultural icons with Rick’s signature humor and insight.Rick Dollar Music
Episodes
  • The Rick Dollar Show Podcast-Tidalwave Road Bluegrass

    The Rick Dollar Show Podcast-Tidalwave Road Bluegrass
    Feb 19 2026

    Tidalwave Road hails from Williamsburg, KY in the heart of the Daniel Boone Country, the “Gateway to The Cumberlands,” and a hotbed for high energy, foot-stomping bluegrass music. First formed in 2012, the current members include Ben Parker (banjo), Carlie Parker (mandolin), Daniel Parker (bass), and Robert Sulfridge (guitar).

    As winners of the 2023 SamJam Festival Band Competition, sponsored by Pinecastle Records, the band was launched with their grand prize recording from Pinecastle’s Bonfire Recording Studio in Piedmont, SC. Recorded and Produced by Steve Wilson, the BONFIRE SESSIONS became Tidalwave Road's first professional collection to be released worldwide.

    Newly signed on to Pinecastle Records and industry agent, Wilson Pickins Promotions, with the success of their first effort, the band began pre-production on their first full length project due out in 2025. SKIN AND BONE released October 24, 2025, following three successful single releases that included a heightened level of airplay on SiriusXM Bluegrass Junction, terrestrial and streaming radio. Tidalwave Road is excited looking forward to to the 2026 touring season.
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    37 mins
  • The Rick Dollar Show Podcast-Tim Stafford

    The Rick Dollar Show Podcast-Tim Stafford
    Feb 11 2026
    Tim is a prolific songwriter, with over 300 songs recorded. He co-wrote IBMA's 2008 Song of the Year, "Through the Window of a Train," and was named IBMA's Songwriter of the Year in 2014, 2017 and 2023. In addition, he is a sought-after studio musician, having recorded with over 75 artists in addition to Blue Highway, including Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney, Jorma Kaukonen, Jesse McReynolds, Benny Sims, Marty Raybon, Joe Isaacs, Ronnie Bowman, Charles Sawtelle, Tony Trischka, Larry Sparks, Jim Mills and many others. Tim was named SPBGMA Guitar Performer of the Year in 2001 and 2015. He has produced many award-winning records for various artists, including Kenny Chesney, The Infamous Stringdusters (IBMA 2007 co-album of the Year) , and Knee Deep in Bluegrass, the Acutab Sessions (IBMA 2001 Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year). Tim performed many times with Hazel Dickens, including the Lincoln Center in New York (2006), Sundance Film Festival, Park City, UT (2005), Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, San Francisco, CA (2010), and Wintergrass, Tacoma WA (2003). He has taught at nearly all the bluegrass-oriented camps, including Rockygrass Academy, Camp Bluegrass (South Plains College, TX), Augusta Heritage, Wintergrass Academy, Sore Fingers (UK), Bluegrass at the Beach, Nashcamp, Kaufman's Flatpicking Camp, California Bluegrass Association Camp at Grass Valley, St. Louis Flatpick, Resosummit, Summergrass Academy, Grand Targhee, Great Lakes Music Camp, Bluegrass Masters Weekend, Monroe Mandolin Camp, Bryan Sutton's Blue Ridge Guitar Camp, ETSU Summer Camp, Ashokan Bluegrass Camp, MBOTMA Fall Jam Songwriting workshop intensive and Nashville Flatpick and Songwriting Camp.Tim worked on a PhD in History at Miami University in the mid 1980s. He has taught American History, Western Civ, Appalachian Studies, Mass Communications and Popular Culture, Personal instruction in guitar and banjo, American Roots Music, Songwriting and Bluegrass-related courses at several colleges and Universities, including Miami, East Tennessee State, and Appalachian State University. In 2010, he and Caroline Wright co-authored Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story, the critically-acclaimed authorized biography of bluegrass Hall of Fame member and living legend Tony Rice. Tim gave the keynote address at the 1994 IBMA World of Bluegrass in Owensboro, KY and has been on the IBMA Board of Directors four different times, serving as Vice Chair from 1995 to 1998. He is a former Board member of the Foundation for Bluegrass Music and currently sits on the Bluegrass Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. On May 8, 2015, Tim was named a Distinguished Alumnus in the Arts by the East Tennessee State University National Alumni Society. From 2023-25, he was the Artist in Residence in the Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Studies Program at ETSU.Tim released his first solo record, Endless Line in 2004 on FGM Records to critical acclaim. It was nominated for IBMA’s Instrumental Recording of the Year in 2005. His second, Just to Hear the Whistle Blow, was released in July 2014; his third, Acoustic Guitar, in September 2017. His fourth solo record, Tunes and Ballads, was released in 2020 and his fifth, Guitar Melodies in 2023. Other projects include five duet records--one with the late Steve Gulley, Dogwood Winter, in 2010 and What We Leave Behind: A Songwriters' Collection, with Bobby Starnes in 2018, as well as the final Gulley/Stafford duet record on Mountain Home Records released in March 2021, Still Here. Tim and Thomm Jutz collaborated on Lost Voices, a duet record on Mountain Fever released in February 2023, as well as Wall Dogs (2024).
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    31 mins
  • The Rick Dollar Show Podcast-Valerie Smith

    The Rick Dollar Show Podcast-Valerie Smith
    Jan 23 2026

    Valerie Smith is a well-known Grassicana artist who blends bluegrass, country, and Americana music seamlessly. She has received multiple awards for her passionate and soulful performances. NPR radio host Dave Higgs aptly described her as "sassy, sultry, siren-like, sweet, smooth, soothing, and smoldering - sometimes just in one song!"

    Valerie's music journey began when she recorded her first album, "Patchwork Heart," with Alan O'Bryant, a Grammy award-winning composer, producer, instrumentalist, and recording artist of the Nashville Bluegrass Band. The album's release included a song called Red Clay Halo, written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, which reached the top charts for Bluegrass Unlimited Radio Survey, Country Music, and Americana reporting, remaining on the list for five years. It was voted by the bluegrass community to be one of the top 60 songs of the decade. Valerie Smith owns Bell Buckle Records, Publishing, and Media and has produced many successful albums, including Julie Gold's Grammy-winning song "From a Distance." She has also produced a new musical called "Maggie's Journal," which will be out and included in some performances in 2024.

    Valerie is working with Donna Ulisse on a new release called "Songbird Road," which will be released on Bell Buckle Records in late spring 2024. Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike have dominated the bluegrass music scene for over two decades with their electrifying performances and critically acclaimed recordings. The band's lineup includes Wally Hughes on dobro and fiddle, Lisa Kay Howard Hughes on mandolin, Joe Zauner on banjo and guitar, Stephen Hu on upright bass, and Valerie Smith on guitar and lead vocals. They are a powerhouse of talent and passion, combining traditional and contemporary styles to create a unique sound that embodies bluegrass music.

    Valerie's latest album, "Renaissance," has charted on several roots, bluegrass, gospel, and country charts, showcasing her creative musical prowess with songs that touch on themes of hope, sorrow, love, and renewal.

    Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike's music transcends boundaries and brings people together, creating an unforgettable experience. With numerous tour dates lined up for 2024, they continue to spread happiness and fun in the world of bluegrass music.
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    1 hr and 1 min
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