College of the Ozarks to host Kitty Ledbetter co-author of Broadcasting the Ozarks for a book signin

POINT LOOKOUT, MO — College of the Ozarks is hosting Kitty Ledbetter co-author of Broadcasting the Ozarks: Si Siman and Country Music at the Crossroads May 3, at the Ralph Foster Museum. Ledbetter will give a presentation at 2:30 p.m. afterwards she will have books for purchase and signing until 4 p.m. The presentation is free. Regular ticket prices will apply for those who wish to visit the museum after.

Kitty Ledbetter is emerita professor of English at Texas State University. Before entering academia, she was a disc jockey at country radio stations in Houston, Charlotte, Shreveport, and Springfield, Missouri. She is a former editor of the Journal of Texas Music History. Ledbetter will be giving a talk on The Ozark Jubilee: Si Siman and the ABC Television Network.

"The connection of the Ralph Foster Museum to Si Siman and his family goes back decades,” said Tom Debo, Ralph Foster Museum Curator. “The Si Siman Music Room is an essential part of the experience of visiting the museum. Many of the displays in the room have recently been undergoing renovation and expanded interpretation. Kitty's program is the icing on the cake. Those attending will leave with a greater appreciation of what an incredible individual Si was, and they will do so with a laugh and a smile, as I'm sure Si wouldn't have had it any other way."

Broadcasting the Ozarks explores the vibrant country music scene that emerged in Springfield, Missouri, in the 1930s and thrived for half a century. Central to this history is the Ozark Jubilee (1955–60), the first regularly broadcast live country music show on network television. Dubbed the “king of the televised barn dances,” the show introduced the Ozarks region to viewers across America and put Springfield in the running with Nashville for dominance of the country music industry—with the Jubilee’s producer, Si Siman, at the helm.

Siman’s life story is almost as remarkable as the show he produced. He was booking Tommy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Glenn Miller during the mid-1930s while still a high school student and produced nationally syndicated country music radio shows in the decades that followed. Siman was a promotional genius with an ear for talent, a persuasive gift for gab, and the energy and persistence to make things happen for many future Country Music Hall of Famers, including Chet Atkins, Porter Wagoner, the Browns, and Brenda Lee. Although Siman had numerous opportunities to find success in bigger cities, he chose to do it all from his home in the Ozarks.

For additional information, contact Public Relations Director Valorie Coleman at (417) 690-2212.

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and financial responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 1 Most Innovative School in the Midwest and No. 1 Best Value Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-2024 and No. 3 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly, 2023. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — earns awards consistently, including the TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award 2023 and the Best of the Best and Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 from ConventionSouth magazine. The Keeter Center features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus. Follow College of the Ozarks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/collegeoftheozarks , on Instagram, @collegeoftheozarks, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/school/college-of-the-ozarks/, or on X,  @CofOHardWorkU.