{"id":14881,"date":"2024-10-17T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/?p=14881"},"modified":"2024-10-24T15:27:44","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T19:27:44","slug":"beloved-singer-and-creator-of-the-local-routes-theme-song-passes-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/2024-10-17\/beloved-singer-and-creator-of-the-local-routes-theme-song-passes-away\/","title":{"rendered":"Tribute to beloved singer and creator of the Local Routes theme song"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-small-font-size\"><em>Originally published <\/em>May 24, 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-small-font-size\"><em>Updated on October 5, 2023 adding Full Episode video and video segment about Voices; A Folk Opera<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25% ; height: 0;\">\n\n<iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0;\" id=\"partnerPlayer\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/player.pbs.org\/partnerplayer\/EMDYgqX3xkXVkPz4-50dXg==\/?start=0&amp;end=0&amp;topbar=false&amp;autoplay=false&amp;muted=false&amp;endscreen=false\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Local Routes dedicated an entire episode to the talented Singer\/Songwriter on the October 5, 2023 episode.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em><strong>Kathryn Belle Long was 42 years old<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"848\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mezzanine_258-cropped-848x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A woman sitting on a stage\" class=\"wp-image-14884\" style=\"width:323px;height:390px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mezzanine_258-cropped-848x1024.jpg 848w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mezzanine_258-cropped-248x300.jpg 248w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mezzanine_258-cropped-768x928.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mezzanine_258-cropped-696x841.jpg 696w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mezzanine_258-cropped-348x420.jpg 348w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mezzanine_258-cropped.jpg 894w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kathryn Belle Long, author and singer of the WFSU Local Routes Theme Song died May 23, 20223.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>We loved her music, enjoyed her smile, and appreciated the joy and beauty she found in life and in Tallahassee.&nbsp;Kathryn Belle Long, the author, and singer of <a href=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/2017-10-26\/belle-and-the-band-local-routes-theme-official-vid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WFSU\u2019s Local Routes theme song<\/a>, passed away Tuesday, May 23, 2023, from astrocytoma brain cancer.&nbsp;Those of us at WFSU Public Media who knew her, as well as the many lives she touched throughout our community, are saddened by the loss of such a talented singer-songwriter who was so committed to this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I first met Kathryn through WFSU Producer Rob Diaz de Villegas.&nbsp;We had put Rob, who had worked with musical groups in our community for years, in charge of finding someone who could create a theme song for a new WFSU broadcast show we were in the process of putting together back in 2015.&nbsp;We were still figuring out the details, but at that point, we had the title: \u201cLocal Routes.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;We like the idea that we could pronounce Routes like \u201cRoots\u201d which would reflect our goal to journey through the area as well as dig deep into the stories of our community. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"pbs-viral-player-wrapper\" style=\"position: relative; padding-top: calc(56.25% + 43px);\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.pbs.org\/viralplayer\/2365658776\/\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>We initially knew this song as Tallahassee Waltz and it is what inspired WFSU to contact Kathryn.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Rob had been hearing this relatively new group called <a href=\"http:\/\/belleandtheband.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;Belle and the Band\u201d <\/a>(consisting at that time of Kathryn, Mickey Abraham, Kevin Robertson, and Mike Snelling) and their song \u201cTallahassee,\u201d all around the area for months. Kathryn had grown up in Tallahassee on land that had been in her family for 100 years.&nbsp;She told me it wasn\u2019t until she moved away and came back that she realized how beautiful and special this place was to her. That love of our community came through in her words and performance of \u201cTallahassee.\u201d It inspired Rob to contact Kathryn about writing the theme song for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25% ; height: 0;\">\n\n<iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0;\" id=\"partnerPlayer\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/player.pbs.org\/partnerplayer\/3mIKEuuszCGw8LHOK1803Q==\/?start=0&amp;end=0&amp;topbar=false&amp;autoplay=false&amp;muted=false&amp;endscreen=false\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Behind-the-scenes of polishing up and recording the audio tracks for Local Routes them<\/em>e song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI started thinking about all the things around, not limiting it to Tallahassee, but the area as well,\u201d Kathryn told me in a 2016 interview on Local Routes. \u201cThomasville, Apalachicola, the hills, the beach, just everything that\u2019s right around here and it just came out. One Sunday afternoon I sat down and wrote it and it was there and showed it to these guys. The rest is history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"598\" src=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1610827_10153719030340799_5348937922942358165_n.jpeg\" alt=\"A group of people posing for the camera\" class=\"wp-image-14885\" style=\"width:480px;height:299px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1610827_10153719030340799_5348937922942358165_n.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1610827_10153719030340799_5348937922942358165_n-300x187.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1610827_10153719030340799_5348937922942358165_n-768x478.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1610827_10153719030340799_5348937922942358165_n-696x434.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1610827_10153719030340799_5348937922942358165_n-674x420.jpeg 674w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Belle and the Band performing at the premiere party for Local Routes Program in 2015. (L to R Mike Snelling, Mickey Abraham, Kathryn Belle Long, Kevin Robertson)   <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Rob was there to record a video of the moment the band put the finishing touches on the song and created the official audio recording. It was (and is) the perfect song! It has introduced the start of the program for all 8 seasons and more than 100 episodes. We loved the song so much, WFSU entered it into the Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards in the \u201cMusical\/Composition\/Arrangement\u201d category.&nbsp; When it was officially nominated, the band was shocked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I first told the band that we were entered, everyone kind of laughed and started making fun and saying \u2018Now we can put on our bio we are an Emmy Entered Band. Ha. Ha. Ha.\u2019.\u201d&nbsp; Kathryn told me with a chuckle. \u201cBut then when we got nominated. It was a huge deal to me and I couldn\u2019t get anyone on the phone.&nbsp;The only person I was able to tell was Mike. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25% ; height: 0;\">\n\n<iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0;\" id=\"partnerPlayer\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/player.pbs.org\/partnerplayer\/yO0_rfMHrq0i7hJ4hi6ZLg==\/?start=0&amp;end=0&amp;topbar=false&amp;autoplay=false&amp;muted=false&amp;endscreen=false\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(L to R) <em>WFSU Producer Rob Diaz de Villegas, Mickey Abraham, Kathryn Belle Long,  Kevin Robertson, and Mike Snelling at the Suncoast Regional Awards.<\/em> <em>(award video and photo courtesy: Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/11826021_10153676861340799_9109140557164978573_n.jpeg\" alt=\"A group of people sitting posing for the camera\" class=\"wp-image-14886\" style=\"width:390px;height:237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/11826021_10153676861340799_9109140557164978573_n.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/11826021_10153676861340799_9109140557164978573_n-300x183.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/11826021_10153676861340799_9109140557164978573_n-768x468.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/11826021_10153676861340799_9109140557164978573_n-696x424.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/11826021_10153676861340799_9109140557164978573_n-689x420.jpeg 689w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hanging out at Log Cabin Studios before recording the Local Route Theme Song.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tallahassee.com\/obituaries\/tad051805\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mike Snelling<\/a>, who died in 2020 from glioblastoma brain cancer, said he was sitting in his car at the post office in Lloyd, Florida when he got the call.&nbsp; Kathryn remembered the moment she reached him. \u201cI think I might have been screaming into the phone and I was two octaves higher than my normal speaking voice. \u2018WE HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN EMMY!\u201d<br><br>They didn\u2019t just get a nomination. They won the Suncoast Regional Emmy in that category.&nbsp; The whole band was able to attend the awards ceremony in Orlando.&nbsp; \u201cI don\u2019t think I have ever experienced anything quite like it.\u201d She told me after the ceremony. \u201cI was really happy and just felt really proud to be part of such a cool thing, a great band, and a cool show.&nbsp; And I felt like I was going to explode.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathryn\u2019s name was the only one on the award and the Suncoast Emmy organizers had asked that only award winners get up on the stage.&nbsp; But as Rob remembers, Kathryn wanted to share the experience.&nbsp; \u201cRight before they announced, she said she wanted the band and I up there with her. That&#8217;s the kind of person she was. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25% ; height: 0;\">\n\n<iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0;\" id=\"partnerPlayer\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/player.pbs.org\/partnerplayer\/jga_84e9H8wBz7ht-VeQOw==\/?start=0&amp;end=0&amp;topbar=false&amp;autoplay=false&amp;muted=false&amp;endscreen=false\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>The band talks about winning the Emmy and adding a second verse to the Local Routes Theme Song.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Emmy judges and those of us at WFSU weren\u2019t the only ones who loved the song, our community did too. &nbsp;People would ask Belle and Band to play the song during their performances.&nbsp; Initially, it was only one verse and about 1 minute long. Kathryn said that playing the song always felt over before they really could begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter having the show on air for about a year, I wanted to add another verse,\u201d she said. \u201cFirst of all to give it length, but second of all because I felt I had a little bit more to say now that I knew about the show and I saw all the wonderful segments that you guys do and what the show really means to the community.&nbsp; It was a necessity but also an inspiration.\u201d &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25% ; height: 0;\">\n\n<iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0;\" id=\"partnerPlayer\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/player.pbs.org\/partnerplayer\/okaMPoHW54Slj1xdVj2esg==\/?start=0&amp;end=0&amp;topbar=false&amp;autoplay=false&amp;muted=false&amp;endscreen=false\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Official Music Video for the Local Routes Theme song<\/em>. You can see the version with the Alternate ending<a href=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/2017-10-26\/belle-and-the-band-local-routes-theme-unofficial-v\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathryn was one of Local Routes and WFSU\u2019s biggest fans. &nbsp;She always told the story of the song when she played it, even as recently as the <a href=\"https:\/\/suwanneespringreunion.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Suwannee Spring Reunion <\/a>in March 2023. During a Covid Zoom concert that she and Mickey Abraham hosted online during the pandemic, she told the audience how they could binge-watch Local Routes on the PBS app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19732170_10155551490050799_1564198762245508753_n.jpeg\" alt=\"A group of people standing in the sand\" class=\"wp-image-14888\" style=\"width:720px;height:540px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19732170_10155551490050799_1564198762245508753_n.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19732170_10155551490050799_1564198762245508753_n-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19732170_10155551490050799_1564198762245508753_n-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19732170_10155551490050799_1564198762245508753_n-80x60.jpeg 80w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19732170_10155551490050799_1564198762245508753_n-265x198.jpeg 265w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19732170_10155551490050799_1564198762245508753_n-696x522.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19732170_10155551490050799_1564198762245508753_n-560x420.jpeg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Behind-the-scenes of making the official music video for the Local Routes Theme Song.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We were one of her biggest fans too.&nbsp;&nbsp; We had her on the Local Routes program several times. Not only with <a href=\"http:\/\/belleandtheband.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Belle and the Ban<\/a>d, but also with another music group she was in, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.annabellelyn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Adventures of Annabelle Lyn<\/a>.&nbsp; Rob worked with Belle and the Band to create a special <a href=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/2017-10-26\/belle-and-the-band-local-routes-theme-official-vid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Music Video of the Local Routes song<\/a>, complete with a <a href=\"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/2017-10-26\/belle-and-the-band-local-routes-theme-unofficial-v\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fun alternate ending <\/a>featuring a special appearance by a \u201cSkunk Ape\u201d kidnapping Mickey.&nbsp; Rob was also following Kathryn and Mickey\u2019s current work-in-progress called \u201cVoices: A Folk Opera.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25% ; height: 0;\">\n\n<iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0;\" id=\"partnerPlayer\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/player.pbs.org\/partnerplayer\/BEMaVnuuBzA0DRh4OApPIg==\/?start=0&amp;end=0&amp;topbar=false&amp;autoplay=false&amp;muted=false&amp;endscreen=false\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Kathryn&#8217;s family and friends listen to Voices: A Folk Opera for the first time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathryn Belle Long was a woman who could touch your heart with her voice, her words, and her songs.&nbsp; Fortunately for us, she has left recordings of those things behind for us to enjoy.&nbsp; But even with these wonderful gifts to hold on to and look back on, we will always wish that this amazing woman was still here with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathryn, you are missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25% ; height: 0;\">\n\n<iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0;\" id=\"partnerPlayer\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/player.pbs.org\/partnerplayer\/0H2CmoAf1De6cxc3V4D_Dg==\/?start=0&amp;end=0&amp;topbar=false&amp;autoplay=false&amp;muted=false&amp;endscreen=false\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Kathryn Belle Long, Holly Riley on fiddle, Elizabeth Fravel on bass, perform  the song &#8220;Rest for Awhile&#8221; as the band &#8220;The Adventures of Annabelle Lyn.&#8221; <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remembering singer-songwriter Kathryn Belle Long who passed away May 23, 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":14883,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":135},"categories":[135,1522,136],"tags":[1137,4],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.3 - 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