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“Pass the Politics Pappy” explores the remarkable political rise of W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, a flour salesman who used his popular radio show and catchy slogans to rocket into becoming Texas Governor and then U.S. Senator in the late 1930s and 1940s. Part 2 of the series focuses on O'Daniel's time as governor and delivered very little on his grand promises. Ultimately O’Daniel’s story serves as a cautionary tale of media-driven political populism.

W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel was a flour salesman turned broadcaster who mastered early mass media to build a political machine. As host of a hugely popular radio show featuring his Hillbilly Boys band, he blended homespun entertainment with relentless self-promotion. He converted his audience into votes, winning the Texas governorship in 1938 and later a U.S. Senate seat. O’Daniel’s radio fame let him bypass party elites and critics, turning airtime into personal power and profit.

Pianist Jimmy Cheung and friends present two free concerts on Saturday and Sunday in Canyon Lake, and San Antonio. Hear their preview performance from KPAC 88.3 FM at the link.

Now through Saturday, scores of cellists are in Fredericksburg for a series of public concerts. You can preview some of their work at the link, as 8 stopped by our KPAC studios to perform.

Singers, you're invited to be a part of this musical celebration; if you can read music, and have ever wanted to be part of a huge concert with a full ensemble, now's your chance. Rehearsals take place on Saturdays this month.

This concert from January, 2026 featured two works by the American composer Amy Beach, plus Maurice Ravel's classic String Quartet. The Balourdet Quartet performs for the San Antonio Chamber Music Society.

The Orchestra San Antonio says this concert program was meant to be “a journey not by planes or trains, but through the music and imagination of summer adventures.”

Raven Harper is a senior at Hampton University and a summer 2021 engagement fellow at the Texas Tribune.

Izz Scott LaMagdeleine is a junior at the University of South Carolina and an engagement fellow at the Texas Tribune during the summer of 2021.

Elena Rivera is the health reporter at KERA.