Dan Miller has reviewed Broadcasting the Ozarks: Si Siman and Country Music at the Crossroads by Kitty Ledbetter and Scott Foster Siman at Bluegrass Unlimited.
“Although this new book about the country music scene in Springfield, Missouri (from the 1930s through the 1960s) does not have a lot of direct connection to bluegrass music and its stars, I found it a very interesting and informative read for anyone who is interested in early country and string band music, early radio and early television. The details that are given about the business of early radio and television are fascinating and the stories about the radio and television music stars of the day are equally as captivating. This is a very well researched and well written book that will be of interest to anyone who enjoys reading about the history of music in rural America.”
Broadcasting the Ozarks explores the vibrant country music scene that emerged in Springfield, Missouri, in the 1930s and thrived for half a century. Central to this history is the Ozark Jubilee (1955–60), the first regularly broadcast live country music show on network television. Dubbed the “king of the televised barn dances,” the show introduced the Ozarks to viewers across America and put Springfield in the running with Nashville for dominance of the country music industry—with the Jubilee’s producer, Si Siman, at the helm.
Siman’s life story is almost as remarkable as the show he produced. He was booking Tommy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Glenn Miller during the mid-1930s while still a high school student and produced nationally syndicated country music radio shows in the decades that followed. Siman was a promotional genius with an ear for talent, a persuasive gift for gab, and the energy and persistence to make things happen for many future Country Music Hall of Famers, including Chet Atkins, Porter Wagoner, the Browns, and Brenda Lee. Following the Jubilee’s five-year run, Siman had a hand in some of the greatest hits of the twentieth century as a music publisher, collaborating with such songwriters as rockabilly legend and fellow Springfieldian Ronnie Self, who wrote Brenda Lee’s signature hit, “I’m Sorry,” and Wayne Carson, who wrote Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind.” Although Siman had numerous opportunities to find success in bigger cities, he chose to do it all from his hometown in the Ozarks.