Oral History: Interview with Alex Zayne

Alex Zayne is a 27 year old alternative hip hop artist. Born and raised in Lexington, KY, he continues to reside there, hanging out with Travis Berry, aka Shadow Clone, another hip hop artist. He has one album out, spends his days in the studio, hanging out with friends, and dong odds jobs here and there, and some weekends doing shows, mostly at anime conventions. I have chosen to interview Alex because he is someone that I look up to. He has the courage to put himself out there in a way that I would like to learn how to do. I also want to know about his background, how he got his start, and what things in his life made him the person he is today.

Listening to the interview, there is a lot of background noise that could not be edited out. I have also chosen to leave in some of these instances because the comments made are important to Alex as a person. Some of the noises include people walking around upstairs, as we were in the basement, the ice in Alex's cup being shaken, and at two points during the interview people actually walked through the room.

 This interview is rated PG-13 for some foul language. Listener discretion is advised.

Oral History: Interview with JJ. Schulte

My father, Jerome John Schulte Jr. was born in 1957. He grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and graduated with an accounting degree from the University of Michigan. After spending several years in the accounting field, and hating them, Dad decided to go back to school. He applied for an Air Force scholarship and was accepted into medical school at Wayne St University. He is now a psychiatrist and has retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel. He met and married my mother, Heather, in 1988 and is now the father of four children. They both live on a farm in rural Ohio where my father still practices medicine.

TASCAM 0038 JOEY

Oral History: Interview with Peggy Bicknell

Born in the fall of 1942, Peggy Bicknell has had the privilege of truly seeing the world change around her. Growing up in Berea, Kentucky as the youngest daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher she had to work for everything that she wanted to do or achieve. Graduating High School as valedictorian she went on to become a teacher. It wasn’t long after that she married her first love, Rudy Bicknell (the couple remained married until Rudy’s passing in 2012). Together they raised three girls (Kimberly, Jennifer-Gayle, and Cheryl) while simultaneously opening businesses and procuring land all over the East Coast. Now in her mid-seventies, Peggy has had the chance to travel the world many times over and live a life that most people can only imagine.

Oral History: Interview with Calvin & Reba Wills

Mammaw, Pappaw, and Me.

Photograph taken December 2010 at their
60th wedding anniversary.

Calvin Wills is my grandfather (my father’s father) and Reba Miller Wills is my grandmother (my father’s mother). They currently live in Carlisle (Nicholas County), Kentucky but Pappaw is originally from Paris (Bourbon County), Kentucky. Both are 82 years old. They will be married 63 years in December. Mammaw and Pappaw, as I call them, are two of the most special people in the entire world to me. They have been there for me throughout my entire life and have taught me so much during our time together. In the background of this interview, you may notice a bubbling sound -- my mammaw was making homemade apple butter and that sound is it boiling.

Oral History: Interview with Pete Seagriff

Pete in his "cave," seen here with his cat, Pooh Bear.

Pete Seagriff is a retired Sergeant Major in the Marines. He was born in 1943 in Brooklyn, NY where he lived with his parents, his sister and his brother. Here he also attended Catholic School where he played sports such as track and basketball, notably the latter against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Immediately following high school he enlisted in the military. He was active in the marines for 28 years, going to many places such as Vietnam, Panama, Greece, Italy and France. He later worked at a boot camp, in Las Vegas, in conjunction with the local prison as a rehabilitation program for non-violent first offenders. He has lived the last 14 years in Georgetown with his wife Regina, who is from Georgetown, to be close to her family. Pete who just turned 70, has lived a long life filled with many interesting encounters, such as meeting Wayne Newton, and scaring marines as a drill sergeant at boot camp.

Pete and I, sitting on his favorite chair, shown in front of his many DVDs and his prized leg lamp.

Oral History: Interview with Bob Walling

Bob Walling was born in 1945 in Estill County where he resided until he turned eighteen. When he turned eighteen he moved to Lexington and soon joined the Army. After returning from an inactive service in the Army Bob opened an Italian restaurant, but realized that restaurant business was not for him. He began working for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as an engineer and is still an engineer to this day. Bob had only one child, a daughter named Lisa which in turn gave him two grandchildren. He remarried and gained a step daughter and another grandchild. Bob spends his free time doing outdoor activities and being in the company of friends.

Oral History: Interview with Jack and Barb Faulkner

Barbara and Jack Faulkner live together on their farm in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. They have been married for over half a century and have raised three children and four grandchildren. They started from  little, but have moved on to owning their own house and farm and overcoming all kinds of struggles along the way. Both born in incredibly different backgrounds, but it is clear that opposites attract and stay together.