Ross Burns
Host, I Hear America SingingA native of Austin, Texas, Ross grew up in the midst of the Urban Folk Revival of the 1950s and 60s. His first introduction to folk music was the Kingston Trio with their million selling albums. From there, he went forward, backwards and sideways collecting music all along the way. He is a retired librarian and a student of history.
As a historian, he loves researching the stories behind the music and the performers. He has worked as a librarian in public, academic and corporate libraries around the state of Texas. He combines his love of both folk music and history to research the stories of the performers as well as of the songs that they sing. He has been a guest lecturer in English and Folklore classes at the college level and has had articles published in newspapers and professional journals.
In 2006 Ross began his broadcasting with Marfa Public Radio. He retired and moved to Waco with his wife Betty. Ross is the volunteer host and mastermind behind I Hear America Singing which has been airing regularly on KWBU since August, 2014.
I Hear America Singing - Saturdays at 7pm, Sundays at 9pm - is live streamed at KWBU.org and through the KWBU mobile ap. Due to music licensing restrictions we cannot archive programs on line.
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This week Ross shines the spotlight on the late, great songwriter, storyteller, poet, and playwright Billy Edd Wheeler. His songs have been recorded by over 160 artists -
This weekend, Ross remembers Mexia’s Sunday School teaching songwriter Cindy Walker. She wrote songs that became hits and standards for singers from Bing Crosby to John Legend. -
This week, Ross celebrates the whimsical world of cartoonist, children’s author, poet, and singer-songwriter Shel Silverstein. Expect the unexpected from the sad tale of The Unicorn to being Killed by a Coconut, from A Boy Named Sue to the haunting Marie Laveu to the prescient On the Cover of the Rolling Stone. -
This week we remember songwriter, singer, actor Kris Kristofferson on I Hear America Singing. -
Kickstarting a season dedicated to songwriters, this weeks edition of I Hear America Singing see's Ross burn dig into the work and influence of John Stewart. Music this week comes from Roseanne Cash, Nanci Griffith, The Monkees, and more. -
In 2023, the group Music Industry How To reviewed over 2.2 million Spotify playlists to see what names appeared most often in song titles. With over 2,000 hits was John followed by Mary, Maria, and Johnny. Ross has found songs featuring the top five men and women's names. -
This week on I Hear America Singing, Ross Burns digs into the history of the New Christy Minstrels. -
Longtime listener Rafael suggested that Ross go traveling outside the United States, so we’re traveling around the world this week on I Hear America Singing. -
When Ross attended his high school reunion, he saw all those old folks that he went to school with and started thinking about aging and rounded up a bundle of songs reflecting that idea. -
This week on I Hear America Singing, we explore the many ways music says goodbye.
