I know he missed his kids, and that my father had no idea how to stay in touch with them once his relationship with his exes was off

In the late 1950s, something went terribly wrong for Riley. So wrong that he dragged his wife (kicking and screaming) out of NY.

I found a page of my father's journal, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I read it over and over. I remember our talks about her.

*The role of Jo's cat in this blog will be played by Sarah Harlett's cat, Alfie... Alfie is a member of SAG/AFTRA and Equity.

Leslie repeated a story her mother told, that Harry Belafonte had come to their apartment for dinner, and sang to her when she was a baby.

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

Richard told me that the night of his birth at the Doctor’s Hospital in Manhattan, Riley had made a bet that Truman would win the Presidency

Victor Shepard had stories to tell. He loved to gossip. "You're father was the horniest man I've ever met," Victor said.

Here's what I grapple with. Did my father believe his lies sometimes, or lie so often that he became confused about reality?

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?

The most productive nation in the world, yet unable to properly feed, clothe, and shelter a third of its population. --- Riley Shepard 1938

This blog will fact check the"The Cowboy Philosopher" segment on "Hidden Brain" that it explored the life and career of Riley Shepard.