Kansas Music

Despite its sparse population, Kansas is well represented in the annals of music history. The state claims some of the most popular acts from the past century, including Kansas, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, Martina McBride, Melissa Etheridge and Charlie Parker. A wide variety of genres plays and prospers here, from blues to bluegrass. Beloved venues from mega-festivals like Walnut Valley to jam sessions just off the front porch preserve the state's tuneful heritage. Join Deb Bisel in celebrating this lyrical legacy, from Home on the Range to Dust in the Wind and beyond.

Deb is the resident historian at Historic Topeka Cemetery and is co-host of the weekly TV show Around Kansas. Her co-host, Frank Chaffin, is a long-time radio personality and is a partner in the internet reincarnation of WREN. He counts among his friends Randy Sparks, of the New Christy Minstrels, who wrote and performed the theme song for Around Kansas. Deb has appeared in numerous documentaries including the recently released Road to Valhalla and the Gunslingers on the American Heroes Channel.