Tom Ball
Host and Marketing RepresentativeTom Ball is the host of 'Homespun' on WCMU, and is also a marketing representative for the station. He is responsible for securing program sponsorships for both WCMU Public Radio and WCMU Public Television.
Tom has been married for nearly 20 years to his lovely and talented wife Diana. They have one cat, and a yard full of beautiful flowers (no thanks to him!). Tom has been associated with WCMU for over 35 years, doing everything from fundraising, to filling in for vacationing staff members, to even taking out the trash!
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…This week’s Homespun has special meaning as it’s my birthday, AND Bill Monroe cut some legendary recordings on this day in 1946! We’ll hear some of those along with new music form Mighty Poplar, The Round Creek String Band, Lori McKenna, and others! Tune in Saturday evenings at 6PM! -
…..On this long last look of Summer, this week’s Homespun looks at the music of the Lonesome River Band, Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe and The Onlies! We’ll also honor Labor Day with Pete Seeger, The Red Clay Ramblers , and John Lennon! Tune in Saturday evenings at 6PM! -
…We are long past St. Patrick’s Day, but on this week’s Homespun we’ll raise a glass to the sounds of The Chieftains, Delores Keane, The Bothy Band, and The Greenfields of America! We’ll also hear Celtic influences from the music of Norman Blake, and Scots singer Dick Gaughan covers the Rolling Stones! -
…As we inch closer to the end of summer, the sun still shines on Homespun this week with music from Alan Munde, Michael Cleveland, Blue Highway, and The Schrock Bros! We’ll also celebrate the birthday of Geoff Muldaur with music from The Texas Sheiks, Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band and Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers! Tune in Saturday night at 6PM on WCMU! -
…As this past week developed, we learned of the passing of one of the Master Storytellers in music, songwriter and guitarist for “The Band”, Robbie Robertson. The next edition of Homespun celebrates his life through music with The Band and his solo career, plus we’ll revisit The SteelDrivers debut from 2008! Tune in Saturday evenings at 6PM! -
…On the next edition of Homespun, we’ll turn to the Instrumental sounds of the Bluegrass Album Band; new music from Special Consensus and Shannon Leigh Reynolds, plus an unreleased track from Alison Krauss! We’ll swing with Ann Arbor’s Dick Siegel, Toronto’s Original Sloth Band, and slide back to 1995 for EmmyLou Harris’ brilliant left turn album “Wrecking Ball”. Tune in Saturday Evenings at 6PM!! -
…Something Auld and Something New could be the theme on this week’s Homespun! Representing “OLD” is The Siegel-Schwall Band, Bill Keith, Rick Nelson and Geoff Muldaur! “NEW” is represented by Tim O’Brien, Special Consensus, The Milk Carton Kids, and more! Tune in Saturday evenings at 6PM! -
…The birthday of folk icon Woody Guthrie is one that’s not forgotten, and the next edition of Homespun features music by Woody himself and some artists who were influenced by him - Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Richard & Mimi Farina, his son Arlo Guthrie, and of course, the bard himself, Bob Dylan! Tune into Homespun Saturday evenings at 6PM! -
…New music abounds this week on Homespun as we sample the sounds of Tim O’Brien, Tommy Prine, Eilen Jewell, The Schrock Brothers, Haas, and Rodney Crowell! Whew! Tune in Sunday evenings at 6! -
…Bluegrass music recently lost two members of the original first class generation-Bobby Osborne, and Jesse McReynolds; passing within days of each other. On this week’s Homespun, we’ll play music from these pioneers, along with celebrating Doc Watson’s 100th birthday, and an album released this week in July 1968-The Band’s “Music from Big Pink”! Tune in Saturday evenings at 6PM!
