Archiver

Fountain City Frequency

Archiver is a tour through the most important moments in history with host, Sam Zeff. Using archival tape, our show will pull you into the world of these events while explaining how they still affect us today.

  1. 08/12/2025

    Episode 6: Queen Comes Home

    In the season finale of Archiver: Queen Bey from KCK, we return to the historic Gem Theater, where Queen Bey—at 83—sings “Misty” in a pandemic-era tribute concert. Though the crowd is sparse, the emotion is rich. This episode reflects on Queen’s final years, her role as a mentor, and her unwavering commitment to Kansas City jazz. Through intimate stories from Kelley Hunt, Curtis Smith, Chuck Haddix, and Kevin Willmott, we see Queen not just as a performer, but as a teacher, a champion of women in jazz, and a spiritual guide to younger artists.  Her generosity, grit, and refusal to give up defined her life. In her own words, she was “a soldier,” and her legacy is one of courage, joy, and deep musical truth.

  2. 08/12/2025

    Episode 5: Ambassador Bey

    In this episode, we follow Queen’s journey across continents—from singing in Saudi Arabia and performing for royalty in Bahrain to captivating audiences in Germany, Costa Rica, and beyond. Despite early struggles in California, Queen Bey found her voice on the global stage and eventually returned home to Kansas City, where she flourished. Named Kansas City Jazz Ambassador in 1980, she became a fixture in the city’s vibrant jazz and theater scenes, mentoring young artists and performing in productions like Ain’t Misbehavin’. Through interviews with Kevin Willmott and Chuck Haddix, we see how Queen’s international experiences and hometown pride shaped her final chapter.

  3. 08/12/2025

    Episode 4: Queen Bey the Actor

    Queen Bey wasn’t just a singer—she was a natural-born performer whose acting career added another layer to her story. In this episode, we explore her work on stage and screen. Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott reflects on Queen’s soulful presence and instinctive talent, and how he wrote roles specifically for her in films like Ninth Street,Confederate States of America, The Only Good Indian and Jayhawkers. Musician Kelley Hunt recalls her emotional depth and raw honesty, especially in live performances. Whether gleefully cursing on screen or singing “Motherless Child” with heartbreaking intensity, Queen Bey epitomized a powerful life experience in every performance.

  4. 08/12/2025

    Episode 3: From Classical to Jazz

    Queen Bey’s artistry didn’t emerge in a vacuum—it was nurtured by a rich musical legacy rooted in Kansas City, Kansas. In this episode, we trace the deep cultural and educational foundations that shaped her, from ragtime pioneer Charles Johnson to the groundbreaking music programs at Sumner High School and Western University, the first historically Black college west of the Mississippi. Historian Curtis Smith and music expert Chuck Haddix reveal how KCK’s unique blend of classical training, gospel, and jazz created a fertile ground for Black excellence in music. Queen Bey inherited this artistry and carried it to the stage, screen, and Broadway, standing on the shoulders of legends like Eva Jessye, Etta Moten Barnett, and Nora Holt.

  5. 08/12/2025

    Episode 2: The Artistry in Me

    Queen Bey’s musical genius emerged early—so early, in fact, that she wrote a sultry R&B hit for Linda Hopkins while still a teenager. In this episode, we explore Queen’s formative years as a songwriter and performer, shaped by the legendary club scene of Kansas City’s 18th and Vine. From jazz ballads to blues shouts, Queen Bey absorbed the styles of the greats and made them her own. Through interviews with fans like musician Kelley Hunt and KCUR’s Chuck Haddix, we learn how Queen’s hardscrabble upbringing and fierce determination forged her into a consummate entertainer.

  6. 08/12/2025

    Episode 1: Queen Bey from KCK

    In this premiere episode, we meet Queen Bey—born in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1937—via the final interview she gave before she died in 2024. Raised in a Muslim household in a segregated city, Queen Bey found her calling in music early, performing in legendary Kansas City clubs by age 12. She crossed paths with icons like Billie Holiday and Richard Pryor, but she never had an agent who could launch her into national stardom. Despite the challenges of single motherhood, discrimination and poverty, she became a vibrant performer and mentor.

  7. 07/03/2024

    TranScript: Trans Teachers

    In many states teachers are being attacked by politicians who oppose public education. In many states trans people are being attacked by politicians for, well, who really knows. So imagine you’re a transgender, public school teacher. How hard is that? In this episode we find out from Riley Long, a trans high school teacher in Kansas.

  8. 07/03/2024

    TranScript: Trans Issues in the Media

    Chances are whatever you know about trans issues in education came from reporters who cover the issue. The best education reporting starts with students and works its way out to larger issues. Few things have complicated education reporting more than trans issues. The reporting is complicated by state lawmakers and school board members who use it as a campaign issue. On this issue, we speak with veteran reporter and editor Barb Shelly who has been a journalist in Kansas City for decades.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Archiver is a tour through the most important moments in history with host, Sam Zeff. Using archival tape, our show will pull you into the world of these events while explaining how they still affect us today.

Information

  • Creator
    Fountain City Frequency
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Archiver