Kyle Kellams: For decades, Mike Shirkey has produced and hosted the Pickin’ Post on KUAF every Saturday night, and this Saturday night there will be a very special edition of Pickin’ Post.
Longtime friends of Mike, Kelley Mulholland from Still on the Hill, and Dennis Collins, a longtime fill-in host for the Pickin’ Post, have put together two hours of Mike’s favorite music, moments and plenty of discussion about Mike and his impact on folk music in Arkansas and beyond, not just here, but nationwide.
Dennis Collins: Here’s just a short segment lifted from the program, as Mike, Kelley and Dennis talk about the history of Good Folk. So, Mike, it’s just great to have you here. Dennis and I have really been looking forward to this. And, you know, a lot of folks might not know that besides the Pickin’ Post, you also ran a venue called Good Folk for some 40 years. How in the world did that ever get started?
Mike Shirkey: So it was walking on the floor trying to think of a place to have concerts. And what happened then was that I talked with Sylvia, Nadia’s mom, Sylvia Stewart. And so we were pondering, and she had this house where the interior walls had been taken out, and it was a dance studio.
Collins: Yeah. The Good Folk house.
Shirkey: This was what we called it. Yeah. So she said, well, just do them here. And so I said, OK.
Collins: And so that’s how it started.
Shirkey: That’s how it started. And I built a stage on one end of it. And then acquired some sound equipment. And then what happened to kind of really boost it along was going to get the chairs.
Collins: Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. Every time you had to bring the chairs in and out. Every time we would use my truck and we’d go get those chairs from the AA hall down there underneath that church. Remember that? We would get like 50 chairs from down and throw them in the back of my truck, take them and set them up. That was before you had your own show.
Shirkey: When the money started rolling in, I got some chairs, so took that burden off. And also another thing was Nadia and Willow. They both and some others helped me. I made postcards.
Collins: Oh, yeah, that’s right. I’d forgotten about your postcards. Yeah, folks you had to remember that we’re talking long before the internet was conceived of.
Shirkey: Oh, yeah. I had put a little blurb about the band.
Collins: And that’s how you advertised it.
Shirkey: Yeah, there’s not much room. And then 15 cents for a stamp. I don’t know how much they were back then, but it paid off, I think.
Collins: Well, that brings back memories. I had completely forgotten about the postcards. Yeah, that’s another era. So this all must relate to you going to Winfield. Is that true? Is that kind of where it all started for you?
Shirkey: Yeah. Pickin’ Post came after Winfield.
Collins: OK. So here’s what I’m trying to get down to, is you were personal friends with almost every folk singer and bluegrass player in the country. And so did you get to know them at Winfield and you invited them to play the Good Folk after you got to know them?
Shirkey: Yeah. You know, Doc Watson would come and stay and got to play a harp guitar, mostly. Yeah. Steve Bennett. Yeah.
Collins: Steve Bennett. Oh yeah. And some of those virtuoso guitar players.
Shirkey: Oh, yeah. And then Marley’s Ghost came and played there. In fact, they flew their jet into Springdale.
Collins: Marley’s Ghost has a jet?
Shirkey: Well, the leader of the band does. Actually, he’s since sold the jet and bought a big old truck like Willie has. And so they go from the West Coast, go to Kansas City and come to Winfield, come to Fayetteville. Real talented, too.
Collins: So tell me, that whole crew and Marley’s Ghost stayed at your house?
Shirkey: Yes.
Collins: That must have been a scene.
Shirkey: Oh, well, it really was a scene, actually. But those guys are known for their harmony singing, for their things and good writing.
Collins: Well, how about we have a listen to some Marley’s Ghost? This is ‘Travelin’ Shoes.’
(“‘Travelin’ Shoes.’” by Marley’s Ghost plays.)
Kellams: We heard Mike Shirkey, longtime host of the Pickin’ Post, speaking with Kelley Mulholland and Dennis Collins. You can hear much more of this discussion during Saturday’s special edition of Pickin’ Post from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on 91.3 KUAF.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a rush deadline. Copy editors utilize AI tools to review work. KUAF does not publish content created by AI. Please reach out to kuafinfo@uark.edu to report an issue. The audio version is the authoritative record of KUAF programming.
