The Midnight Special, July 11, 2026

By Marilyn Rea Beyer |

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Playlist

  1. Lead Belly: The Midnight Special THEME (excerpt 2); Lead Belly; Midnight Special; RCA Victor LPV-505
  2. The Kingston Trio: Desert Pete; The Kingston Trio; Desert Pete – single 45RPM; Capitol 5005
  3. Willy Porter: Human Kindness; Willy Porter; Human Kindness; Weasel WSL-1401
  4. Geoff Bartley: One Kind Word; Geoff Bartley; One Kind Word; Waterbug WBG CD 0046
  5. Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster: “Where Trouble Was…”; Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster; Interview Excerpts 9.13.1971; WFMT Studs Terkel Archives 1965988-3-1
  6. Kirk Mann: “Say Their Names”; Kirk Mann; Say Their Names; kirkmann.hearnow.com 130820
  7. Amythyst Kiah: “Black Myself”; Amythyst Kiah; Songs of Our Native Daughters; Songs of Our Native Daughters Smithsonian Folkways/SF CD 40232
  8. Brooks Williams: Jackson Greyhound (Noakes); Brooks Williams & Aaron Catlow; Ready for the Times; Red Guitar, Blue Music RGBM2201C
  9. Phil Ochs: Freedom Riders; Phil Ochs; The Best of Broadside, Disc 3; Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40130
  10. Crys Matthews: Call Them In; Crys Matthews; Single Honoring John Lewis; Single Honoring John Lewis | self released [2021]
  11. Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt: I Wish I Cared Less; Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt; Esperanza; Crooked Cyclone 7.3.2026
  12. Jubal Lee Young: Kind All the Time; Jubal Lee Young; Squirrels; Seven Bridges Entertainment 7BE0002
  13. The Kennedys: “Kindred Spirits”; The Kennedys; Better Dreams; Appleseed Recordings APR CD 1107
  14. Heather Pierson & Bernice Martin: Waves of Kindness; Heather Pierson & Bernice Martin; Heart Songs & Circle Songs: Heather Pierson & Bernice Martin; Vessel Recordings VSL 011
  15. John Sebastian: “I Had a Dream”; John Sebastian; Woodstock (soundtrack); Cotillion SD 3-500
  16. Joni Mitchell: Impossible Dreamer; Joni Mitchell; Misses; Reprise 9 46358-2
  17. Stephen Schuch: Midnight Special (Piano Only); Stephen Schuch; single; Stephen Schuch [2022]
  18. Cheryl Wheeler: Summer Fly; Cheryl Wheeler; Half A Book; Cypress Records 661 123-2
  19. Cheryl Wheeler: Silver Lining; Cheryl Wheeler; Driving Home; Philo CD PH 1152
  20. Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster: “Women’s Suffrage”; Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster; Interview Excerpts 9.13.1971; WFMT Studs Terkel Archives 1965988-3-1
  21. Keb’ Mo’ feat. Rosanne Cash: Put a Woman in Charge; Keb’ Mo’ feat. Rosanne Cash; Oklahoma; Concord CRE01019
  22. Cardboard Ox: The Ballad of Ida (Allain); Cardboard Ox (Tracie Potochnik & Steve Allain); Cardboard Ox; Carboard Ox 7 00261 43201 4
  23. Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster: “Reported on Lynchings”; Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster; Interview Excerpts 9.13.1971; WFMT Studs Terkel Archives 1965988-3-1
  24. Billie Holiday: Strange Fruit (Meeropol/Duncan); Billie Holiday; Ken Burns Jazz: Billie Holiday; Verve 314 549 081-2
  25. Woody Guthrie: Hang Knot; Woody Guthrie; Struggle; Smithsonian Folkways SF CD40025
  26. Tom Chapin: Woody Guthrie’s Dream (Chapin/Kahn); Tom Chapin; Hold Our Ground; Sundance Music single
  27. Dana Robinson: “What Would Woody Do?”; Dana Robinson; Avenue of the Saints; Avenue of the Saints | Threshold Music TM0007
  28. Cosy Sheridan: “Woody Guthrie Watch Over Me”; Cosy Sheridan; Sometimes I Feel Too Much; Cosy Sheridan 00261 43774
  29. Tipps & Obermiller: So Far From Alone; Tipps & Obermiller; Little Kid Heart; Tipps & Obermiller 8 4512105171 1
  30. Neale Eckstein: Mr. Ashe; Neale Eckstein; Build Our Dreams; Fox Run Studio 1 95269 41481 8
  31. Lance Cowan: Where’d They Go?; Lance Cowan; The Air That You Breathe; Patio Records 7 85104 73148 6
  32. Magpie: Raise Your Voice; Magpie; Raise Your Voice; Sliced Bread Records CD-SB 75110
  33. Andrew Beyer: “The Midnight Special – organ”; Andrew Beyer; Midnight Special Collection; Midnight Special Collection AABeyer/MS 008
  34. Tish Hinojosa: Colton’s Perfect Heart; Tish Hinojosa; With A Guitar & A Pen; mundotish.com 10.18.2024
  35. Bonnie Raitt: Just Like That; Bonnie Raitt; Just Like That; Redwing Records RWR083
  36. Crys Matthews: Selfless; Crys Matthews; Changemakers; Changemakers | crysmatthews.com 3.23.21
  37. Ella Jenkins: Keep Your Hands on the Plow (instrumental); Ella Jenkins; Ella Jenkins and a Union of Friends; Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 45046
  38. Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster: “Visit to Arkansas Prison”; Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster; Interview Excerpts 9.13.1971; WFMT Studs Terkel Archives 1965988-3-1
  39. Mahalia Jackson: Keep Your Hand on the Plow; Mahalia Jackson; Gospels, Spirituals and Hymns; Columbia/Legacy C2K 47083
  40. Clark Paterson: Farmhand; Clark Paterson; Are You Lonely Like Me?; Clark Paterson 7 55491 37321 7
  41. Patty & Craig: Oh, Won’t You Lend Me Your Cane? (Armor & Sturtevant); Patty & Craig; One Person; Larrea PC1281
  42. Paula Boggs Band: We All Fall Down; Paula Boggs Band; Elixir; Boggs Media LLC
  43. Maya de Vitry: Bachelorette Lessons; Maya de Vitry; All My Faith; Mad Maker Studios mms006
  44. Fox Crossing String Band: Melody (Pafralides); Fox Crossing String Band; Anywhere With You; foxcrossingstringband.com 5.15.2026
  45. Friction Farm: Everything Will Be All Right; Friction Farm; Stone By Stone; frictionfarm.com 9.2025
  46. The Broadside Singers w/Len Chandler: Carry It On (Turner); The Broadside Singers w/Len Chandler; The Best of Broadside, Disc 3; Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40130
  47. Janis Ian: “This Train”; Janis Ian; Shout, Sister, Shout! A Tribute to Rosetta Tharpe; Shout, Sister, Shout! A Tribute to Rosetta Tharpe | M. C. Records MC-0500
  48. Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster: “What I remember most…”; Studs Terkel/Alfreda Duster; Interview Excerpts 9.13.1971; WFMT Studs Terkel Archives 1965988-3-1
  49. Vance Gilbert: “A Change is Gonna Come” (Sam Cooke); Vance Gilbert; WFMT’s Folkstage Vance Gilbert (Oct. 22, 2005), Disc 2; Folkstage 10-22-05 2 of 2
  50. Laura Love: I Still Believe (Unplugged); Laura Love; She Loved Red; Laura Love 88295 68276
  51. Andrew Beyer: “The Midnight Special – cigar box slide”; Andrew Beyer; Midnight Special Collection; Midnight Special Collection AABeyer/MS 004