We'd love to hear what you think!

It's INTERVIEWSDAY!

For this Interviewsday edition (Interview Tuesday) of The Tennessee History Nerd, I had the opportunity to sit down with Justin Reed, longtime radio personality, host of The Justin Reed Show, and possibly one of Tennessee's foremost enthusiasts of country music history.

Justin has spent years sharing the stories behind the songs, artists, and recordings that helped shape country music. In this conversation, we explore Tennessee's remarkable influence on American music, the state's legendary recording history, and some of the artists and places that continue to define its musical legacy.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Tennessee's role in the development of country music
• The state's rich recording history
• Legendary artists and the stories behind their success
• The evolution of country music through the decades
• Why preserving Tennessee's musical heritage matters
• Some of the lesser-known stories from the Volunteer State's musical past

Unlike many of our Interviewsday episodes, this conversation isn't tied to a specific podcast episode. Instead, it's a stand-alone discussion celebrating one of Tennessee's greatest contributions to American culture. Whether you're a history buff, a country music fan, or simply enjoy hearing great stories, I think you'll enjoy this conversation with Justin Reed.

🎙️ Credits
Hosted by Big John Summers

Produced by Summers Media Enterprises

Music by Big John Summers

📣 Follow & Support
Follow The Tennessee History Nerd on Facebook, Instagram, and X for additional content, including on-location videos, historical interpretation, and stories from across Tennessee.

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📘 Check out our other podcast, Dauphin Island Diaries:
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Advertise with us! John.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com

Visit birdsong.com or call 731-584-7880 for more information or to make reservations.

Check out our merchandise on the SME Website! New bumper stickers!

Check out our sister podcast Dauphin Island Diaries

Thanks for listening! Please check out our other episodes!

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with someone who loves history, and leave a review—it helps more folks discover the stories of the Volunteer State.

We'd love to hear what you think!

Benton County.

To many travelers, it's simply the place where Interstate 40 crosses the Tennessee River on the way between Nashville and Memphis.

But Benton County has been shaped by that river for more than two centuries.

Before it was ever a county, it was part of the Chickasaw homeland acquired in the 1818 Jackson Purchase. It was originally named for Thomas Hart Benton, only to become the only Tennessee county to change the person it honored without changing its name.

The Tennessee River transformed Benton County into a place of commerce, navigation, industry, and war.

River pilots used Pilot Knob as a landmark long before modern navigation.

During the Civil War, Confederate artillery overlooking the river devastated the Union supply depot at Johnsonville.

Commercial fishermen and mussel men made their living from its waters, harvesting fish, freshwater mussels, and pearls.

Today, that legacy continues through aquaculture and the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum.

But Benton County's story reaches beyond the river.

It includes the railroad community of Big Sandy, the stagecoach town and county seat of Camden, Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park, and the tragic 1963 plane crash that claimed the lives of Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and pilot Randy Hughes.

In this episode, we explore how one river shaped the history of an entire county...from frontier settlement and sectional politics to Civil War battlefields, freshwater pearls, and one of country music's greatest tragedies.

Because Benton County isn't simply another stop along Interstate 40.

It's one of the places where the Tennessee River tells Tennessee's story.

📚 Sources

Interpretive materials and exhibits at Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park and the Tennessee River Folklife Interpretive Center and Museum.

Interpretive materials at the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum.

Historical markers in Benton County and entries from the Historical Marker Database (HMDB.org).

The Tennessee Encyclopedia.

Tennessee History for Kids.

American Battlefield Trust summary of the Battle of Johnsonville.

State of Tennessee, Genealogical Fact Sheets About Benton County.

Bob Fulcher, Tennessee's High Points (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation).

Additional historical maps, museum materials, local reference works, and field research conducted by the author throughout Benton County, including visits to Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park, the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum, downtown Camden, and the Patsy Cline crash site, as well as conversations with park staff.

🎙️ Credits

Hosted by Big John Summers

Produced by Summers Media Enterprises

Music by Big John Summers

📣 Follow & Support

Follow The Tennessee History Nerd on Facebook, Instagram, and X for additional content, including on-location videos, historical interpretation, and stories from across Tennessee.

🔗 Links

🧢 Merch & Apparel:
https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch

📘 Follow on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/

Advertise with us! John.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com

Visit birdsong.com or call 731-584-7880 for more information or to make reservations.

Check out our merchandise on the SME Website! New bumper stickers!

Check out our sister podcast Dauphin Island Diaries

Thanks for listening! Please check out our other episodes!

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with someone who loves history, and leave a review—it helps more folks discover the stories of the Volunteer State.

We'd love to hear what you think!

As a companion to Episode 8, I had the opportunity to sit down on-site at Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park with Keith Wimberley, the park manager.

Keith brings a unique perspective to the story of Old Stone Fort—not just from the standpoint of historical interpretation, but from daily, hands-on experience with the site itself. In this conversation, we discuss the fort’s construction, the long-standing questions surrounding its purpose, and how modern understanding of the site has evolved over time.

We also talk about the realities of preserving a place like this—how the landscape has changed, what has been lost, and what still remains for us to study and understand.

If Episode 8 is the story…

This is the conversation behind it.

🎙️ Credits
Hosted by Big John Summers

Produced by Summers Media Enterprises

Music by Big John Summers

📣 Follow & Support
Follow The Tennessee History Nerd on Facebook, Instagram, and X for additional content, including on-location videos, historical interpretation, and stories from across Tennessee.

🔗 Links
🧢 Merch & Apparel:
https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch

📘 Follow on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/

Advertise with us! John.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com

Visit birdsong.com or call 731-584-7880 for more information or to make reservations.

Check out our merchandise on the SME Website! New bumper stickers!

Check out our sister podcast Dauphin Island Diaries

Thanks for listening! Please check out our other episodes!

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with someone who loves history, and leave a review—it helps more folks discover the stories of the Volunteer State.