Over the course of almost three decades on the airwaves, Thacker Mountain Radio Hour has evolved to become one of northern Mississippi’s best-known cultural exports. The radio show was launched in 1997 by Richard Howorth, owner of beloved Oxford institution Square Books, with local musicians Caroline Herring and Bryan Ledford. The inaugural program was broadcast from the back room of Off Square Books (an offshoot of Square Books), and the rest, as they say, is history.
Local Show, International Reach
Today, Thacker Mountain Radio Hour can be heard on stations from Memphis to New Mexico. From its inception, the program’s blend of live musical performances, author readings, and literary conversation has provided a vital platform for musical artists and literary figures alike. Each week, show host Jim Dees and resident house band, The Yalobushwhackers, create a warm welcome for both up-and-coming artists, and more established figures, and built a community of listeners that extends across the country. Thacker Mountain Radio Hour has hosted guest performances by artists including Songhoy Blues, Lenny Kaye, Elvis Costello and Suzi Quatro. Literary luminaries who have appeared include Greenwood native Donna Tartt, DeLisle-raised Jesmyn Ward, Orhan Pamuk, and Lincoln in the Bardo author, George Saunders, among many others.
Regular episodes of Thacker Mountain Radio Hour are recorded in front of a live audience at Oxford's Powerhouse Community Arts Center.
An Oxford Institution Expands
Thacker Mountain Radio Hour is now recorded for television broadcast, too. “Spring 2026 was the first season filmed,” said Lucy Gaines, the show’s executive director. “Our first season will begin on Fridays on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, on September 18. It’s pretty great, as we've got the support of the state on our side. Mississippi Public Broadcasting is a fantastic resource. It's really important that we keep stuff like this free and accessible in Mississippi.”
Thacker Mountain Radio Hour currently broadcasts from the Powerhouse Community Arts Center, in a studio that seats around two hundred audience members for each taping. Once a season, the show returns to its original digs at Off Square Books. “We call it our homecoming show,” Gaines says. “At the Powerhouse, we've got two hundred seats. At Off Square books, I think we’ve got about eighty-five.” The show’s devoted fanbase means that the homecoming show draws many more listeners than can fit in the venue. “Oftentimes, they open the windows in the front so that people can stand on the sidewalks and still hear. It’s fun, because it's on the Square, so people walking by are like ‘Oh! What's that?’ ”
While it’s free to attend the weekly tapings of the show, availability operates on a first come, first serve basis. But be sure to arrive at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center early; the shows are in-demand events, and seats fill up fast. Learn more about Thacker Mountain Radio Hour, and how to become a supporting member of its work, here.
