Kennedy Free Press

The Kennedy Free Press is the publishing arm of Spartanburg County Public Libraries’ local history and genealogy program. It was created in 2012 to connect modern readers with the community’s rich history through research materials found in the Libraries’ Kennedy Room collections. Its first book, “Awake with Drake: Conversations with a Radio Institution” was published in October 2012.

Available Titles

The Kennedy Free Press is pleased to announce that its inaugural publication, “Awake with Drake: Conversations with a Radio Institution,” is available for sale in The Library Store at the Headquarters Library and through this mail-order request form. Join author Perry Allen Wood as he turns the tables on Bill Drake and provides a guided tour through the veteran radio host’s life. From his collegiate days hobnobbing with Harrison Ford to his long stint on South Carolina airwaves, Drake has seen trends come and go. He spun music from the British Invasion to polka, covered sports from the Green Bay Packers to the Gamecocks and perfected what he calls “relationship radio.” And for 29 years, he was the voice of WSPA-AM, the oldest radio station in South Carolina.