Shankar Vedantam
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Appearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
In 1946, Riley Shepard released a cover of the hit song, Atomic Power.
It was inspired by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
He had dark good looks, a soft southern twang, and the guitar skills to make a go of it.
He seemed like he was headed somewhere.
But Riley Shepard never achieved stardom.
Instead, his life took a series of detours.
Music researcher and writer Kevin Coffey tracked Riley down many years ago.
Kevin was interested in preserving the stories of old-time country western performers.
He thought Riley might be worth profiling.
The conversation they had over a crackly phone line was friendly and nostalgic and full of insider names most people wouldn't recognize.
Gradually, Kevin pieced together Riley's backstory.
Richard Riley Shepard was born on a farm near Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1918.
He dropped out of school in the fifth grade and decided to try his luck at singing.
It was a heady time for music in the region.
Groups like the Maynard's Mountaineers were popularizing what was then called hillbilly music.