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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To celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, Ross has assembled a new show featuring songs reminding us what America is and strives to be. -
For this edition of I Hear America Singing Classics, Ross has selected from the Archives a 2018 show all about folk heroes, real and otherwise, from Robin Hood to Tom Blasingame. -
Ross has pulled from the I Hear America Singing archives a 2016 Father’s Day show. -
In a special edition of I Hear America Singing, we're calling 'The Bonus Track', Ross Burns is joined by KWBU's Malcolm Foster to exchange a handful of favorite songs, and the reasons behind their inclusion. -
After years of digging into his vast library of music and knowledge to entertain and educate, Ross Burns is signing off with an episode of I Hear America Singing that is full of memories and personal requests. -
As Ross winds down the weekly shows of I Hear America Singing, he reminds us of his favorite groups. -
This week on I Hear America Singing, Ross shares American protest songs from the Colonial Days right up to today’s headlines. -
For Mother's Day Ross has assembled a bouquet of songs celebrating them. -
This week Ross shares songs by some of his favorite guys from Paul Robeson to Steven Fromholz. -
This week we have a passel of songs about well … uh … songs.
