Documentary on 50-year history of Ozark Mountain Daredevils band premieres June 30

News-Leader staff
·2 min read
Back row left to right: Ron Gremp, Dave Painter, Bill Jones, Nick Sibley, Kelly Brown and John Dillion; front row left to right: Ruell Chappell, Molly Healey and Michael Supe Granda pose for a portrait. The nine musicians make up the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, an American country rock band established in 1972.
Back row left to right: Ron Gremp, Dave Painter, Bill Jones, Nick Sibley, Kelly Brown and John Dillion; front row left to right: Ruell Chappell, Molly Healey and Michael Supe Granda pose for a portrait. The nine musicians make up the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, an American country rock band established in 1972.

A locally produced documentary explores how the Ozark Mountain Daredevils band rose from its Springfield roots and gained international stardom.

"The Ozark Mountain Daredevils — Backstage" will premiere at 8 p.m. June 30 on Ozarks Public Television, which produced the documentary.

The 90-minute presentation explores the band’s rich 50-year history from early days as a “a ragtag collection of hippies, bohemians and musicians of no fixed ambition” to their international recording success with chart-topping hits such as “Jackie Blue” and “If You Wanna Get to Heaven.”

“The Ozarks has an abundance of musical talent, from local bluegrass jams to community theater,” said Rachel Knight, OPT general manager, in a news release.

“And yet, it’s not every day that a local band hits it big across the country and on the international stage. That is a story worth telling with depth and detail and we’re honored to do just that.”

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils play at Nick Sibley's recording studio on South Campbell Avenue on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 before an unveiling of a 1973 'Quilt album' sign that once graced Tower Records in Los Angeles.
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils play at Nick Sibley's recording studio on South Campbell Avenue on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 before an unveiling of a 1973 'Quilt album' sign that once graced Tower Records in Los Angeles.

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Through concert footage, archival images, interviews with band members and music from the band’s expansive eight-album catalog, “The Ozark Mountain Daredevils – Backstage” tells the story of how a group of Springfield artists, with voices that produced harmonies often compared to the Beatles and the Eagles, became firmly established as one of the most iconic rock bands of the 1970s music era.

“The story of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils is multifaceted, from the band’s formation, their lyric writing, the vocal harmonies that led to national and international success, and their continued perseverance and popularity for 50 years,” said Brent Slane, OPT program producer, in a news release.

“It’s a journey that we are pleased to deliver for fans old and new alike.”

The documentary will air a second time on July 3 and will be available to stream on video.optv.org on July 1. DVD copies of the program will be available for purchase around the end of July.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Ozark Mountain Daredevils documentary premieres June 30 on OPT