The Midnight Special takes a tour of The United States in folk songs. This special episode is an all-American extravaganza that the whole country and every generation can enjoy for the July 4th holiday or any time we get together. Host and producer Marilyn Rea Beyer has dug into the archives and her personal collection for songs that mention every state from A though W – because we don’t have states that start with X, Y, or Z – some funny, some bluesy, some downright sincere. Pete Seeger, Paul Simon, Guy Davis, Joni Mitchell, Perry Como, Gillian Welch, Andrew Vasque, Willie Nelson all show up on the playlist alongside a bunch of songwriters you’ve probably never heard before. Come along for close encounters with The Folks of These United States on The Midnight Special.
About the Host:
Marilyn Rea Beyer hosted her first concert in junior high as the school band emcee. She got on board The Midnight Special listening to WFMT as a Chicago teenager. She has had careers in arts education, PR, and high tech. In 1995, Marilyn became on-air host and music director at Boston’s premiere folk station, WUMB-FM where she was best known for the daily “Live at Noon” show, conducting more than 1,000 artist interviews on the air. She also served on the board of the legendary Club Passim and emcee’d countless concerts in greater Boston. Returning to Chicago, Marilyn joined in 2020 as host of The Midnight Special and now Folkstage on WFMT. She says that judicious risk-taking, nurturing artists, falling in love with new music, and engaging with the lively national audience make the job fun. Marilyn was inducted into the 2023 Folk Alliance International Folk DJ Hall of Fame.
