Waynesville Native Rick Gibson combines his talent of writing and playing music, with his masterful story-telling ability, to bring to life his Grandfather’s journey in the new audio Drama “The Life and Times of Curtis Lee”
Much of the story takes place in 1941 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri….a brand new military base growing at a feverish pace. Rick discusses the thousands of hours he spent bringing his Grandfathers story to life, and shares with us a sneak peak into the audio drama.
The Fort NOT Lost in the Woods Podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media. For guest or sponsor opportunities, email tracy@oquinnmarketing.com
This episode is sponsored by Security Bank of Pulaski County, Nexthome Team Ellis and TK’s Pizza in St. Robert.
— Automated Transcript —
**Intro**
Host: Thank you for joining me for another episode of the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast. This episode really highlights how not lost in the woods we are. And it tells the story of someone who found us somehow a long time ago and probably changed the lives of a lot of people including their ancestors, who we have one of those on the phone with me right now.
We’re going to talk to Rick Gibson on this episode. And if you feel like, wait, I know that name, you do because Rick was a guest last year on season 4. It was the August 26th episode. It was right at the end of our season.
And at that time, Rick, you were working on this super cool project and it was so interesting to me and I thought it was so neat. But I’m not sure I fully grasped not just the scope of what you were doing, but the talent that it took to do it.
And exactly what it was until you now have it, well, I don’t know, can I say it’s not completed, right? I started to say now you have it completed, but you’re still, it’s kind of still a work in progress, right?
Rick: Well, yeah, it’s kind of a bit of a saga, so yes, season one, seven episodes, season one is done, but the story still remains to be told.
Host: Oh, it’s so exciting. Okay, so what we’re talking about, and please correct me if I word this wrong. You’ve talked about how The Book of Ozark is basically the title of the CD of music that you did. It’s all, it’s all original music that you put together.
I have to be honest, I wasn’t expecting how much I liked this music. I wasn’t expecting to not like it. I just hadn’t really thought about how much I would like it. I generally love the music even without the story, the life and times of Curtis Lee that goes with it.
But you started with this CD that of all this music that you wrote and it backs up the story of Curtis Lee. Correct?
Rick: Well, that’s that’s close to correct.
Host: Close? All right, I’m getting there.
Rick: Yes, I’ve, I’ve got something that’s going to brain twist your audience here. I, I like to say that the man begot the song, the song begot the story, the story begot the man who begot the song, who was begotten by the man.
Host: Rick, I’m a morning person and it’s not morning, so you’re going to have to-
Rick: It takes, it takes a lot of coffee, a lot of coffee to unpack that.
Host: It does, it really does.
Rick: The simple answer is, I wrote a song 12 years ago called Curtis Lee about my grandfather. And it was a, uh, one song in a body of, uh, other songs that was about the Ozarks. It was people’s reflection on that song that inspired me to take another step to actually write a story about my grandfather.
And as I started writing that story, then I started writing the other songs, The Book of Ozark to go with it.
Host: Songwriting amazes me anyway. Wow, I’m, I’m blown away by that. But to be able to think about this story of your grandfather, which we haven’t touched on yet how this applies to our area, we’re going to do that in just a second.
But to be able to think about your grandfather’s story and what he went through and just his journey, and then put that into music is crazy to me. But when you listen to the music, it fits so well that it’s like, ah, how does this guy do this? I mean, how long have you been writing music and performing music and all the things?
Rick: Well, I didn’t, I’ve been writing music since my, uh, days back in Waynesville, back in the late 60s. I started playing when as many kids did in the, in the 60s when you saw the Beatles. And within a few years, I was just writing my own melodies and songs. And I started writing poems and short stories in high school. So I’ve always written things. I’ve pinned over 300 songs and, um, produced about half of them into into CDs and such.
This one in particular was extremely personal and extremely fun because I just got to open up, let the music flow sort of el naturall, uh, you know, with my Ozark roots and feel and all the sounds that I, you know, bottled up inside my head from the, from the years with banjos and mandolins and acoustic guitars and I just let it flow and wrap it around the lyrics. It fit real well, as you said. Thank you.
Host: Amazing. It’s so amazing. So you kind of hinted there at your association with this area. You are a Pulaski County native?
Rick: Yes, I am. Actually born in Waynesville Hospital. One of the few.
Host: Wow. Where was that?
Rick: It was on top of Waynesville Hill back in 1955.
Host: How long were you in this area? How long did I know we covered this, but for those who may not have listened to the other episode yet, which I recommend that you go back and listen to that episode August of 2025 because this’ll all make a lot more sense. But how long did you live in the area, Rick?
Rick: I spent my youth there, uh, playing music in and around towns, graduated Waynesville High School. My wife is a native of Waynesville, as is her family. And we, uh, married in ’79 and moved to Texas in 1980.
Host: When did you sort of get the bug to tell your grandfather’s story? How did you know your grandfather’s story? Like, is this stuff that you heard a little bit about as you grew up or and you thought, wow, that’s really interesting? Or was this something that came about later? When did the idea to do this come into your mind?
Rick: That’s actually a great starting question because I think I’m like many other young people who, you know, I’m, I was around my grandfather a little bit. He lived three hours away, but we spent, you know, some summertime with him and he would come up, he and grandmother would come up and visit. But I wasn’t intuitive enough to really ask him about himself. So you just kind of got to know the shell of the man, so to speak, in a kind way.
And, uh, you hear things from your parents and and other, uh, relatives about things in their life. And you think, okay, that sounds kind of interesting. You know, but you don’t think about it. You don’t dwell on it. So I finally did reach a point as I was writing the songs, well, I know a little bit, but I don’t know a lot.
So that motivated me to start actually doing ancestral research and to dig down and to get the history and the facts and unpack the lore that went with it. And I was amazed at what I found.
Host: I know how it is from my standpoint not knowing your family or your grandfather. I find it very interesting. I wonder how your family feels when they listen to this. I mean, do they, you always have those family members that aren’t afraid to tell you, you know, what they really think. Do they say, hey, you got this right, you got this wrong? Or did they learn things themselves?
Rick: All the above. I got most of it right because I’ve been leading all the research and networking with historical societies and and with other relatives. But yes, it’s, it’s a goosebump moment for all of us because I’m, I’m unpacking things that we just didn’t know about this.
Now, I’m not saying my grandfather was exceptional because in the times of the early 20th century from 1900 through the 1960s in particular, as this story follows, it was a trying time for most anyone, especially those living in the Ozarks area. You had to figure out how to make a living and you had, you’re going through a lot of changes because you’re going through the Depression, then coming out of the Depression into a World War, and then coming out of the World War into, uh, a changing society.
Um, and so people have just navigated the best they could. So I would challenge anyone to sit down and find out more about what your parents and grandparents went through to get there. Curtis Lee had some exceptional experiences that we talk about in the story. They had some exceptional personal drama in their lives, which is also told in the story. So it was fun to write, fun to uncover and, um, and to listen to.
Host: Yeah, it’s really fun to listen to. Now, the story starts when the Halfords come to America, they, they go to Tennessee, right?
Rick: They do, but let me drop a bomb on you. You know, no one in, in my family knew this until, uh, I did my last bit of research. But from 1620 to 1640, it was called the Great Migration where Puritans moved from England over to the United States. And there was about 6,000 English people in, uh, the East Coast during that time frame. My ancestor, Thomas Halford, was on one of those ships in 1635.
Host: Wow.
Rick: So, doing this homework led me all the way back to 1635. And from there, the family ultimately migrated across Appalachia to Tennessee where Curtis Lee was born on the Tennessee River, and then ultimately wound up in the Ozarks and then the Bootheel of Missouri.
Host: One thing I’ve noticed, and this is a little bit sort of off topic, but when I was younger, I remember my dad trying really hard to talk all of us kids into coming to the family reunions and trying to talk to us about our history and this relative and that relative. And honestly, we didn’t care. We just, it just went right over our head.
And the older I get, the more I really, really am interested in knowing where I come from and what my ancestors did and, you know, what they faced in life. And now I don’t have my father with me anymore, but now when my mom tells me stories, I ask questions and I, I put down my phone, and I turn the radio down, and I listen because I, I want to retain that. I want to think that.
And I’ve talked to other people that feel the same way. Why do you think that as we get older, that history becomes more important and significant to us?
Rick: I wish I knew a good answer to that, and I wish it wasn’t so because I wish I had all this information years and years ago. There’s a lot to happen behind us and less that’s going to happen in front of us, I guess, is what, is my motivation.
I wanted to leave a legacy. I wanted my children and grandchildren and those that follow after to be able to trace roots back, to really understand. One thing I learned is the legacy of our ancestors, you know, over the past 200 and 300 years is hard to trace because you don’t have a digital footprint, right?
Uh, you had oral traditions, you had a few written records if they survived fires and and other things. You had a few physical artifacts and maybe some art, some drawings or pictures. And then some faded memories from parents and grandparents and cousins. And that’s how things got passed along. You know, that’s sad.
So one thing I do when I sit down and discuss this story live with people, I say there’s three things we need to take away is, where am I from, how did I get here, and what did they pass along to me?
Host: I do like that last one a lot. I don’t know, aging is a weird thing. You know, you get older and you feel wiser, but you also have so many questions still, so, yeah, let’s go back a little bit.
So the audio drama, The Life and Times of Curtis Lee, Curtis Lee, of course, is your grandfather. We talked about the fact that it starts with the Halford’s, you know, actually coming here in the first place. But let’s fast forward a little bit to episode six and seven. I know those episodes are really personal to you. Tell everyone why that is.
Rick: Well, that’s where literally my story began. Because through a set of circumstances, my grandfather and grandmother moved to Fort Leonard Wood when Fort Leonard Wood opened up. Um, 1940, 1941. Um, my mother was a young teenager at the time and began attending Waynesville High School where she ultimately met my father who was a resident of Devil’s Elbow at the time. So that’s where my story begins.
It was particularly of interest in in creating this story and putting together the historical facts along with the, uh, creating the fabricated elements of the story that you have to put it all together. What I really want the listeners to do is, it’s one thing if you’re from Waynesville Fort Leonard and think, wow, that was, that’s pretty wild that we were a, you know, military post just landed here out of middle of nowhere. There were prisoners of war here, etcetera.
But this story is meant to try to transport you to that time so you can kind of experience what may have been going on in the streets of a pretty much a dirt road called Route 66 that ran through the middle of Waynesville and a dirt road that was 8 miles long that led to the brand new, uh, military post being built out of the, out of the forests.
Host: Well, and how many people, like you, you said, you know, those episodes are personal to you because that’s where your story started. How many people’s story started there all because somebody read a headline in a paper that said jobs available at new army post. You know, and so they headed this way and wow, things like that are so interesting to me how that changed the course of so many people and impacted generations of people to this day, you know?
Rick: That’s correct. It absolutely did. I refer to it as the Waynesville Gold Rush days. It was, it was literally a boom town on the post and yet it it was, uh, rather dark and, um, difficult on the post at times for, for other reasons.
But it brought a Mecca of people here, whether you were military or whether you were in business, looking for, for jobs, etcetera. If you look back to the 1940s and, uh, those who were young and getting married or just married that moved here, then had kids. Yeah, there’s a, uh, long lineage of still Pulaski County residents who have, um, their ancestral roots because Fort Leonard Wood landed there in 1940.
Host: There is so much to this story. It’s, it’s so hard to even describe until you listen to it. We’re going to tell everyone how they can listen to it. I’m kind of chuckling at myself though. As I’m sitting here, I I’ve listened to several of the episodes all at once and then I got busy and you know, a lot of my days are spent recording and editing. And when I’m doing those things, I can’t listen to anything else.
So I would have to take a break and then come back to them and I took notes as we go. So I’m looking at my notes and I realize they really aren’t going to help with this interview at all because I have no idea why I wrote these. So my notes say, it starts at the top, Curtis Lee. Okay, I see why I wrote that.
And then I put storytelling or music. Do you love them both? I was probably going to ask you if you have a favorite, which one you like. So I’ll let you answer that. And then I’ll go to my next note that makes no sense.
Rick: Okay. They’re very similar. Writing a song is telling a story in a very short form and composing an emotional, musical element around it. And in this drama, I had never written a long form story before, but it just flowed like writing a song.
And then you get the, the fun part of taking music, your original music or other music and providing a sound bed of texture around that story. So, to be honest with you, that was great fun.
Host: I wrote the words Juicy Fruit. Tell me what that is about. Do you know?
Rick: I sure do. Yes. That, that was a little trademark, um, that my grandfather had going back. I recall first when I was a kid visiting him in the summers, but he was handing out Juicy Fruit gum to to the kids and a few people and it shows up in the story if you places as well.
Host: When you said Juicy Fruit in the story, I I wrote it down and then it hit me, wait, is he talking about the gum or did they actually have some really good fruit? I never went back and like finished my notes. So my next note says Miss Hargus, teacher’s name. For real? How did you know that? So answer of that one?
Rick: Yes, that’s a real teacher that was in the elementary school system in the early 1940s in the in Waynesville. This is what I refer to as a historical fiction, right? I have many, many, many historical facts that are blind beneath the story here of of Curtis Lee all the way through beginning to end, but there’s a lot of empty spaces that you have to fill. But where I could find the facts, I found the facts. So Miss Hargus is indeed a a teacher that was in the school system in Florida.
Host: Okay, and I also wrote here and probably this was more a note to myself, but I put, what an honor for a family member to take the time to do something like this. Because you’re honoring your grandfather, but what an honor also on the flip side of that for you to get to tell the story?
When my dad passed away, I was, I’m a daddy’s girl, very, very close to my dad. He’s been gone three years. And I did the eulogy at his funeral and so many of my family members said, I don’t know how you’re going to get through this. I don’t know how you’re going to do this. How are you going to do this? How are you going to do this?
And in my head, I felt so honored to be able to speak at my hero, because my dad was my hero, speak at his funeral. I almost took some of the emotion out of it just because I was so honored to do it that I wanted to do a good job. You’re honoring your grandfather, but did you also kind of feel like it was an honor to be able to tell the story?
Rick: No doubt. Makes me proud to be able to reflect back. It makes me feel closer to him. I’ve chronicled his journey from his childhood all the way through his in this story at least through the 60s where I spent time with him and it definitely makes me feel closer and I respect him so much more than I ever ever knew.
Host: So this audio drama is going to be released on your website, the first season, right? March 7th. They’re going to be able to find this on your website and then you’re going to leave that there and they’re going to be able to listen to that for free for 60 days, right? And then after that, they’re going to have to go to Audible or Spotify or Apple or somewhere else to to find this audio drama. Is that correct?
Rick: That is correct. Yes.
Host: Rick has been nice enough to let us feature some sort of mini sodes, little mini episodes from The Life and Times of Curtis Lee on the tail end of this podcast. So we’re going to have a special segment over the next coming weeks where we are going to actually feature little mini episodes from this audio drama so that you can kind of get a feel for it and learn more about his grandfather, Curtis Lee, but also, man, how strong this guy was, the courage he had.
It’s just such a cool story and for those of you living in the Pulaski County area or a lot of you, I know listen but you’re not here anymore. You’re going to love those episodes even more where Curtis Lee actually comes to this area, um, all because he got a job. He just got a job and he followed that and everything changed. And as Rick said, that’s where his journey began.
So on this episode, we’re going to start out with just a trailer of the audio drama at the end of this, so that you can kind of hear what it’s all about. And then we’ll have these mini episodes. But again, Rick, before we tell everyone where they can find it, I want to talk about who actually narrated this audio drama because it is perfection.
Rick: Well, thank you for asking, because he deserves a lot of credit. Many of you out there might know by name, Terry Wayne Sanders. Terry Wayne is a bigger than life character, literally, that, uh, has been associated with, uh, Branson with Silver Dollar City and Shepherd of the Hills for about 40 years.
Uh, you’ll see him on, uh, a lot of Springfield Television programming and if you go to Silver Dollar City, you’ll see him playing two or three different roles. He’s a phenomenal individual as well. When I was looking for a a voice that could deliver this story, I came across Terry. I didn’t know him before. I met him and we hit it off and it’s just a great match between the way he delivers the story and you’ll love it.
Host: I bet that was a goosebump moment. The first time that you, yeah, let’s talk about that. I know how hard it is to put a lot of work into something, especially when it’s something that other people don’t understand, you know, they don’t get what you’re doing. What was that like listening to the first, even just the first episode that he recorded?
Rick: Yeah. All along the way, there’s been major moments from the first time I started layering on the music together and it it came to life. It just kind of jumped out at you. But the narration, you know, I’ve pinned over 20,000 words in this narration to complete these seven episodes and it’s one thing to hear it in my head, but when you, uh, have he and his voice delivering it and sharing the emotions with it, it was just phenomenal. It made you feel good.
Host: Yeah, it’s perfect.
Rick: Very rewarding.
Host: And you know, you’re right. So many of us that have been around the area for a while, when you hear his voice, it just feels familiar. You know, you just feel like I don’t know, I can’t explain it. But it’s like home. It’s like, I think I emailed you and said, oh gosh, it’s just perfection because it it really is.
So Rick, for those that would like to go and listen to this audio drama and I know they will, especially after they hear the trailer. It’s so interesting. How can they find it?
Rick: Thank you. Uh, yeah, my website is OzarkAnthology.com. And on the website I have, um, the music room, which is where the music is, uh, is there for your listening. And then I have the audio theater where the episodes of The Life and Times of Curtis Lee is available to you. So you can go listen to the music and the stories.
Host: If you like podcasting, if you like audiobooks, if you like anything in that genre, you’re going to love this audio drama. I would not say that if it were not true. You are going to absolutely love it and I can’t wait to hear your feedback and I hope that you’ll give Rick your feedback as well. And Rick, they can follow you on Facebook too. I know you’re pretty active on there, right?
Rick: That’s correct. I, uh, I do have my own personal Facebook and Ozark Anthology Facebook and I’d love to hear your comments. Any stories that come to mind as you listen to mine, tell me yours. Because the whole purpose of Ozark Anthology as my entertainment label beginning with my productions is to unearth other people’s stories as well and maybe bring them to life either in a story or in a song. So let me hear your stories.
Host: That’s so cool. It’s so cool. Well, I would like to talk with you again as this progresses and just kind of follow your journey because I just find it so interesting and you are so talented and I just love all of it. I thank you so much for your time. We have been trying to make this interview happen and finally this morning, I said, okay, I’ve had a cancellation. Are you available? And I just knew you were going to say you weren’t. But then you were.
So then I was just getting ready to call you and the whole building goes dark and the power goes off and I’m like, you’ve got to be kidding me. But then it came right back on, but I had to reboot everything. And I thought, oh, I’m calling him late, you know, what if something has happened and he’s not going to be available now. But we finally made it happen, Rick.
Rick: Yeah.
Host: I’m proud of us. Determination just like Curtis Lee, right?
Rick: Yes, just like it.
Host: All right. Well, Rick, thank you so much. Rick Gibson. Folks, check out this audio drama. It’s super cool. And again, this episode is our very first episode of season 5 of the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast.
By the time you hear this, you should be getting close to the time that you can actually go to OzarkAnthology.com and start listening to these episodes. I’m so excited for everyone to hear them. And Rick, thank you for letting us do the, uh, trailer on this episode and then also feature some mini episodes coming up in the, in the coming weeks. I appreciate you for sharing those with us.
Rick: Thank you, Tracy, for having me.
Host: We’ll be right back with the trailer of Ozark Anthology’s audio drama, The Life and Times of Curtis Lee, in just a moment. Don’t miss it.
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**Audio Drama Trailer – The Life and Times of Curtis Lee**
Narrator: You are listening to an Ozark Anthology production. Not everyone is cut out to be a pioneer. Not everyone is willing to stare hardship in the face, and not everyone has the backbone to do the right thing. But there are a few. This story is about one of the few. His name, Curtis Lee Halford.
There are many stories out there about the past. You can read about some in the history books. Others, you might hear from family, friends or neighbors. Fact is, most are lost in time.
This story is historical fiction. It’s an American saga spanning four decades. His journey begins like many others. But then it takes a turn. What would you do if you were Curtis Lee?
When you stop to think about it, we take a lot for granted these days. You really can’t blame us though. After all, life in our day is a far cry from that of 50 years ago, and it’s nothing like life 100 years ago.
If you’ll stop for just a moment and think about life back then. Well, you might just gain a whole new appreciation for those hardy folks who came down a road much less traveled. Not everyone is cut out for pioneer lifestyle. Not everyone is willing to stare hardship in the face, and not everyone has the backbone to do the right thing. But there are a few.
This story is about a man who was one of the few. His name was Curtis Lee Halford. Curtis Lee lived a long and vivid 89 years. Many of those years were good. Some of them were unimaginable. This story is his story. The Life and Times of Curtis Lee.
(Singing)
In a field in Tennessee
Back in 1923
Life was hard, times were mean
Was a young man named Curtis Lee
Narrator: You are listening to an Ozark Anthology production. Thanks for stopping by.