Episodes

Wayne cherishes his independence. And having had ALS for 33 years, he has to fight for it everyday. But his disease is only one of the seemingly insurmountable challenges he’s faced. Credits: Edited by Emily Siner, Mack Linebaugh and Anita Bugg. Production assistance by Caleb Shiver. Music by Kell…

When Denice Hicks has to step unexpectedly into the role of King Lear, in some ways, she’s doing what she’s always done: living life like it’s her last day. What happens when you do that everyday over the course of a life?   Credits: Edited by Emily Siner, Mack Linebaugh and Anita Bugg. Production…

Eddie and Mary Helen live in Chattanooga, Tenn. — a city, like many in the country, that still feels the effects of segregation. They started examining their hometown through the lens of race and ended up throwing a party. Credits: Edited by Emily Siner, Mack Linebaugh and Anita Bugg. Production a…

Dave Hayes is a “social media-rologist”. He has no meteorology degree, but posts dense and poetic weather updates on Facebook where he’s grown quite a following. Hear how one man uses his computer to bring Western Massachusetts together and protect them from the elements.

Bethany embalmed bodies for a living, but she couldn’t help but empathize with every corpse she worked on, seeing her job as one final gift—one that was taking its toll. It turns out, some professions require a certain detachment. Edited by Emily Siner, Mack Linebaugh and Anita Bugg. Music by Podi…

Hannah has a rare genetic disorder that causes her to stop breathing when she goes to sleep. She wears a ventilator at night. How does having to constantly monitor a basic human function change how Hannah and her family approach life?     Music by Podington Bear, Chris Zabriskie, Jason Goforth…

In 2011, Rinker Buck crossed the Oregon Trail — yes, that Oregon Trail — in a covered wagon pulled by a team of mules. He traveled with his brother Nick and a Jack Russell Terrier named Olive Oyl. The journey forced Rinker to confront his greatest fear. Music in this episode by William Tyler, Podi…

Hey Everyone, a new season of Neighbors starts Tuesday April 4th. Tell your friends, tell your family, the party starts Tuesday.    www.podcasts.wpln.org

The season 3 finale is a little different. It is a personal story of Jakob’s told by taking a musical journey all around Nashville. Together, you will experience an Irish session, an Indian jam in a Mexican restaurant, a Jewish musical Shabbat, Beer and Hymns, and sacred harp singing.

In 1969, Leroy and Gloria Griffith got married in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It would have been an ordinary event, except that they are believed to be the first interracial couple to legally wed in the county. We hear the story of why they opened up their wedding to the public, despite racial tension …

Two men walk over a mile once a week just to give each other a high five. It's a seemingly meaningless act, but one that can take on a powerful meaning over time. We examine why they do this and check back in with one of them a year later. Editors: Rob McGinley Meyers, Tally Abecassis, and Emily S…

Like part one, this is a story of a barber who followed an unlikely path to the grooming profession. Stephen Mason's journey took him from 20 years on the road, playing guitar in a Grammy-winning Christian rock band, to a one-chair, one-man barbershop called The Handsomizer. Edited by Emily Siner, …

Ronnie Clardy grew up near the barbershop he owns in Nashville, but the path that led him to his current life is anything but short and straight. He started dealing drugs at 13 and relapsed into a life of crime and prison several times, before he finally redirected his entrepreneurial spirit.     E…

On a rainy night in 1949, a young woman arrived by train in Franklin, Tennessee, and walked off into the night. The next morning, her body was found near an incinerator by the high school. Her throat had been cut. The murder has become a fixture of town lore, yet its victim lies in an unmarked grav…

We want to do right by the people we care about. But sometimes, honoring someone's wishes can put us at odds with social norms, our own values, or even the law. In this episode of Neighbors, three stories where the desire to honor wishes pushes us into uncomfortable territory.    Neighbors is fro…

Most people might think it’s not worth the trouble to intervene in someone else's life. But in this episode of Neighbors, we get to know a woman who sees that obstacle—and will do everything she can to jump over it. Photo provided by Beth Mathews Neighbors is from Nashville Public Radio and Pro…

Michael Kearney is a genius — he holds the Guinness World Record for being the youngest person to graduate from college, at age 10. Now he's 32, and he's not curing cancer or solving world hunger. He's running an improv comedy company in Nashville. Why did this child prodigy decide to use his geniu…

We meet Gin Thawng. The 66-year old is a refugee from Burma living in a Nashville apartment with his ailing wife, a baby grandson, his daughter-in-law and son. A graduate of an innovative ESL program-on-wheels, Thawng shows us something about the power that language has and how human connection is …

What keeps you up at night? For some, it's the shape-shifting song of a mockingbird outside the bedroom window. It turns out, not everyone is amazed by this bird's musical feats. What is a wonder of nature to some, to others is the sound of torture. This time on Neighbors, a guest episode from our …

It's an odd scene: A man, playing a sousaphone, stands inside a tunnel on a busy Nashville road during rush hour. Is he crazy, divinely inspired or something else entirely? In this episode of Neighbors, we go inside the world of "tuba man" Joe Hunter and discover what brings him and his instrument …

Sam Tucker is a gifted baker, but the one thing that is his greatest passion just might put his family in danger. With the premiere of Season 3, I am thrilled to announce Neighbors' partnership with Nashville Public Radio.    Some music by: Podington Bear Editing help from: Rob McGinley Myers, Emil…

This is a small bonus story about how the Christmas tree from your curb disappeared.

A story of how one clown turns his sorrow into connection. Some music by Podington Bear Editors: Tally Abecassis and Rob McGinley Meyers Production Help: Bailey Robbins Sponsors: Yazoo Brewing Company www.yazoobrew.com Baja Burrito Neighbors is a part of The Heard www.theheardradio.com

Why do two grown men walk a mile and a half every week, rain or shine, to give each other a high five? Editors: Bailey Robbins, Rob McGinley Meyers, Tally Abecassis Music: Podington Bear and Dan Burns AKA Dop Shrah Sponsors: Yazoo Brewing Company and Baja Burrito