Covering every hamlet and precinct in America, big and small, the stories span arts and sports, business and history, innovation and adventure, generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love, past and present. In short, Our American Stories tells the story of America to Americans.
About Lee Habeeb
Lee Habeeb co-founded Laura Ingraham’s national radio show in 2001, moved to Salem Media Group in 2008 as Vice President of Content overseeing their nationally syndicated lineup, and launched Our American Stories in 2016. He is a University of Virginia School of Law graduate, and writes a weekly column for Newsweek.
For more information, please visit ouramericanstories.com.
Matthew Carey: The Irish Immigrant Who Shaped Early America
When Oregon Blew Up a Beached Whale With Dynamite
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1970, a 45-foot sperm whale washed up on the Oregon coast near Florence, leaving officials with a problem they did not know how to solve. The carcass was too large to move and too dangerous to leave as it began to decompose along the shoreline.
The state decided to use dynamite to remove it, but nothing went as planned. The blast sent whale blubber high into the air and across the beach, damaging cars and forcing onlookers to run for cover.
Jesse Edwards shares the wild and true story of the Oregon exploding whale.
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How George Lucas Made the First Star Wars Against the Odds
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early 1970s, science fiction films were a tough sell in Hollywood. George Lucas set out to make Star Wars anyway, drawing on old adventure serials to shape a story many studios struggled to imagine on screen.
After its release in 1977, the film found its audience through word of mouth and steady growth at the box office. Before long, theater lines were filled with new viewers wanting a taste of the experience and fans returning to see it again.
Chris Taylor, author of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, tells the dramatic story of how Star Wars became the iconic franchise it is today, and why it so easily could have failed.
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Zoro the Drummer's Career Started With Nothing
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became Zoro the Drummer, he was a kid named Daniel Donnelly trying to find his place in the world. Music gave him the direction he needed. A chance encounter at school opened a door, and one connection led to another as he worked his way into the music industry.
Over time, he built a remarkable career, performing with artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Frankie Valli, Bobby Brown, and New Edition. Along the way, his mother’s faith remained a guiding force in his life and career.
Zoro shares the story of how he made it in music and the lessons that shaped him along the way. Be sure to check out his phenomenal book, Maria’s Scarf.
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Into the Vast Unknown: The First American Ascent of Mount Everest
On this episode of Our American Stories, Broughton Coburn, author of The Vast Unknown, shares the story of the first American expedition to Mount Everest in 1963, when a team of climbers set out to reach the world’s highest peak during the height of the Cold War.
Facing deadly icefalls, extreme altitude, and brutal conditions, the team accomplished something remarkable, reaching the summit not once, but twice, including a daring ascent along the West Ridge. Coburn shares the harrowing tale of how the expedition became a defining moment of American perseverance, teamwork, and daring ambition.
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Locks of Love: How One Mother Built a Hair Donation Nonprofit
On this episode of Our American Stories, Madonna Coffman had already experienced hair loss once as a young woman. Years later, when her four-year-old daughter began losing her hair, she didn’t need a diagnosis to know what was coming or how difficult it would be. What she couldn’t find was something designed for a child trying to live a normal life, so she set out to create it herself. That effort became Locks of Love.
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Rediscovering My Dad Cy Walter: The Art Tatum of Cocktail Pianists
On this episode of Our American Stories, Cy Walter played piano in bustling New York City during the years when tunes from the Great American Songbook filled smoke-filled rooms and carried late into the night. He built a following at places like the Drake Hotel, where people came as much for him as for the music itself, becoming something of a local legend.
After his death, his son Mark set out to piece together his father’s story. After all, he had only known his dad for a short time. Along the way, he discovered a buried legacy that had been carried forward by those who remembered him best.
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What Happened When Buck O’Neil Missed the Hall of Fame by One Vote
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2021, former Negro Leagues baseball player Buck O'Neil was finally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, years after being denied by just one vote, a decision that surprised many of his friends and supporters.
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, tells the story of how Buck handled that loss, in Kendrick’s words, “like a man.”
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Before Billy Graham, There Was Billy Sunday
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became evangelist Billy Sunday, William Ashley Sunday played professional baseball in the major leagues, known for his speed and energy on the field. In the 1890s, at the height of his athletic career, he walked away from the game and turned to preaching, eventually becoming one of the most influential evangelists of his time.
Drawing on his background as an athlete and his dynamic speaking style, Sunday delivered sermons that drew massive crowds and resonated with everyday Americans. Robert J. Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, shares the story of how Billy Sunday’s message spread across the nation and why it had such a powerful impact.
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Paul Revere’s Ride: The Poem That Made a Legend
On this episode of Our American Stories, on April 18, 1775, a Boston silversmith set out on horseback with a warning that would travel from town to town in the dark. The ride itself was real, but the version most Americans remember came later, shaped by a poem that gave it a place in the national memory.
In this dramatic reading, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalizes Old North Church and Paul Revere in American folklore.
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