Mississippi on the Map

In this episode, singer-songwriter, producer, and Country Music Hall of Fame member Mac McAnally reflects on his journey from the small town of Belmont, Mississippi, to playing sold-out shows around the world. A master storyteller with deep roots in the South, Mac talks about how Mississippi shaped his sense of melody, lyrics, and humility—and why he still carries that small-town spirit onto every stage.Along the way, he shares stories of playing with Jimmy Buffett, producing albums for other Mississippi greats, and why he believes music is both a map and a memory. It’s a conversation full of wisdom, warmth, and a deep love for the people and places that made him who he is.Mississippi places mentioned in this episode: Belmont, Grenada, Tishomingo County, Corinth, Tremont, Coastal Mississippi.People and groups mentioned in this episode: Jimmy Buffett, Speer Family, Blackwood Brothers, Kenny Chesney, Norbert Putnam, William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Paul Overstreet, Willie Morris, Robert Greenidge, Doyle Grisham, Tammy Wynette, Garth Brooks, Wynton Marsalis, Ralph MacDonald, Marty Stewart, B.B. King, Pops Staples, Jimmie Rodgers, Elvis Presley.

In Part 2 of Charlie Worsham’s conversation with Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, the focus deepens from lighthearted place-name rhymes to the soul-searching power of music. Ketch reflects on the stories behind songs like “Mississippi Saturday Night,” the roots of “Wagon Wheel,” and the long musical thread that runs from Arthur Crudup to Bob Dylan to himself. He also discusses cultural revival and the role music can play in reckoning with the past and reimagining a better future. The episode closes with a powerful performance of “The Brand New Mississippi Flag,” Ketch’s original song envisioning a banner that reflects the full richness of the state’s story.Places mentioned in this episode: Marty Stuart's Congress of Country Music, Turnrow Books, Viking Cooking School, Neshoba County Jail, Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Eudora Welty, Rowan Oak, Senatobia, Pontotoc, Kosciusko, Philadelphia, Greenwood, Meridian.People and groups mentioned in this episode: Jack Clement, George D. Hay, John Hartford, Phil Ochs, Skip James, Marty Stuart, James Cheney, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, Medgar Evers, Myrlie Evers, Bob Dylan, Arthur Crudup, Big Bill Broonzy, Johnny Cash, Jimmie Rodgers, Eudora Welty, Bo Carter, Otha Turner, Shardé Turner.

In Part 1 of this wide-ranging conversation, Charlie sits down with Ketch Secor, co-founder and current frontman of the band Old Crow Medicine Show, to explore the deep musical roots of Mississippi. Though not a Mississippi native, Ketch shares personal stories that connect him to the state, from learning to walk in McComb to organizing a pickup baseball game in William Faulkner’s backyard. Along the way, he reflects on the “rub” between black and white musical traditions, the legacy of Doc Watson and Mississippi John Hurt, and why Mississippi remains the spiritual crossroads of American music.Mississippi places mentioned in this episode: Rowan Oak, Pharr Mounds, McComb, Mississippi Delta, Booneville, Pontotoc, Bolton, Tupelo, New Site.People and groups mentioned in this episode: Ketch Secor, Old Crow Medicine Show, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Doc Watson, Chuck Berry, Merle Travis, Marty Stuart, Mississippi John Hurt, Charlie Patton, Gus Cannon, Papa Charlie Jackson, Leake County Revelers, Hoyt Ming and the Pep Steppers, Mississippi Sheiks, Elvis Presley, Charlie Pride, DeFord Bailey, Enrico Caruso, William Faulkner, Hernando de Soto.

Mississippi on the Map is a new podcast hosted by 2024 CMA Musician of the Year Charlie Worsham. The podcast explores why Mississippi is the Birthplace of America’s Music. You’ll hear conversations with special guests about the influence of Mississippi on American music and culture, and we’ll explore the state’s stories and storytellers to learn about all those who put Mississippi on the map.