Why did my father work so hard to get respect, fair treatment, and equal pay for hillbilly performers, only to squander his own money?

Dad was in his early 20s when the war broke out, healthy as a horse, tall, handsome, articulate. So why didn't he serve in that war?

As a kid, I called my father "Riley." I was allowed to call my parents by their first names, or Mom and Dad. Sometimes in this blog,...

I took a good look at my birth certificate. I wanted to see if my father put his real name down, Riley Shepard. He did not.

I could tell the man was elderly, and there was something in the tone of his voice that overwhelmed me with dread.