23. Karen Morgan from a Trial Attorney to Nationally Touring Stand Up Comedian
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Release Date: 07/07/2026
27. Bertis Downs on R.E.M., Athens, and a Life Built Around Music
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Bertis Downs' life reads like a map of the last sixty years of American music culture — and if you've ever wondered how a law student ends up managing and giving legal advise to R.E.M. this episode is for you. Downs traces an extraordinary arc: a childhood shaped by his missionary family's years in Taiwan and the sudden loss of his father in a plane crash, followed by his mother raising three young boys alone. He landed in Clarkston, Georgia for his teenage years, then Davidson College, where a college radio show devoted almost entirely to the Allman Brothers Band planted the seed of...
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26. "The Art of Looking: Rebecca Wood (R. Wood Studio) on Color, Clay, and Nature”
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
"The Art of Looking: Rebecca Wood on Color, Clay, and Nature” There's something deeply comforting about sitting down with someone who has spent their entire life following what genuinely brings them joy, and this conversation with Rebecca Wood is exactly that kind of gift. Host Lesley Platek welcomes listeners into a conversation about creativity, patience, and the slow, unglamorous work of building something meaningful from scratch — a reminder that the most beautiful things in life rarely happen on a fast timeline. Rebecca Wood came to Athens in 1975 during the city's legendary...
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25. Terri Moody Hancock, From the Fairway to the Pickleball Court: A Conversation with Athens, Georgia Golf Legend.
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
This episode offers a warm and inspiring window into one of Athens' most celebrated athletes. Host Lesley Platek sits down with Terri Moody Hancock for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from golf fairways to pickleball courts — and reveals the quiet, quilting heart behind one of Georgia's greatest champions. Terri Moody Hancock is a true Athens original — a two-time All-American at UGA, the 1981 Broderick Award winner and National Golfer of the Year, the first woman in Georgia history to earn a full athletic scholarship and the first women at UGA to win a National...
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24. The 90 year History of Dick Ferguson's Clothing Store
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Dick Ferguson III shares the remarkable story of a family business that has weathered nearly a century of change, beginning with his grandfather Richard John Ferguson, who opened the store on Clayton Street in 1934. When his grandfather passed away unexpectedly, Dick's grandmother Mary Cloud stepped in to run the store — an extraordinary feat for a woman in that era — earning deep respect from the Athens community while raising her family and keeping the business alive. Episode Highlights: Dick's grandmother Mary Cloud ran the store as a widowed woman in the 1940s and '50s, a trailblazing...
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23. Karen Morgan from a Trial Attorney to Nationally Touring Stand Up Comedian
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
This episode is going to feel like sitting down with an old friend. Host Lesley Platek welcomes Karen Morgan, a born-and-raised Athens, Georgia native who has built a remarkable life straddling courtrooms, comedy stages, and now, Hollywood screenwriting. Karen Morgan is a former trial attorney turned nationally touring stand-up comedian, known for her two Dry Bar Comedy specials and her comedy album Shiny Happy People Laughing — recorded in her hometown and aired on four SiriusXM channels — with the title recorded with special permission from R.E.M. Karen and Lesley take a winding and...
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22. Legendary UGA Women's Tennis Coach Jeff Wallace
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
What better way to close out Season One of Classic City Rewind than with this conversation — especially with the NCAA Tennis Tournament coming to Athens May 14th–17th. Classic City Rewind returns with Season Two in July. If you've ever wondered what it looks like when passion, purpose, and place all come together, this conversation is for you. Host Lesley Platek sits down with legendary UGA women's tennis Coach Jeff Wallace — a Portland, Oregon native who arrived in Athens as a transfer student, fell in love with the Classic City, and never left. Jeff's journey from junior tennis player...
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21. Will Glenn – Trees, Tennis, and the Heart of Athens
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
If you've ever wondered what it looks like when a life is built on gratitude, grit, and genuine community, this episode is for you. Host Lesley Platek sits down with Will Glenn, partner and owner of Select Trees Enterprises, a Athens-area business that has grown over four decades into one of the larger tree nurseries in the country — with roots (literally and figuratively) that run deep in the Classic City. Will Glenn grew up in Athens, Georgia, shaped by family, faith, and a love of competition. After being cut from his YMCA soccer team , he found his path on the tennis court — eventually...
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20. Kelly Ward , PA Orthopedic Surgery and Finish Performance Health
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to take control of your health, this episode is a warm reminder that it's never too late — and that the right guide can make all the difference. Host Lesley Platek welcomes Kelly Ward, a longtime Athens fixture with over 30 years of expertise in orthopedic sports medicine, who is now channeling that experience into something deeply personal and forward-thinking: a wellness and longevity practice called Finished Performance Health. Kelly shares the unexpected moment — pushing through a rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike — that crystallized his...
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19. Alex Sams Tells The History Of His Family's Coca-Cola Bottling Company In Athens, Ga
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
Coca-Cola Has Proud Athens History This episode features Athens native Alex Sams, a real estate agent with 5Market Realty and recently moved to Berkshire Hathaway and who served as chair and a member of the Athens-Clarke County Historic Preservation Commission. He shares his family’s deep roots in Athens, dating back to 1922 when his great-grandfather, Walter Sams, became involved in the local Coca-Cola bottling company. Under his leadership, the business expanded across the Southeast and played a key role in supporting the University of Georgia, including helping underwrite the...
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18. Dave Mulkey: The History of Beechwood Shopping Center
Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek
The Man Who Bet His Life Savings on a 1961 Shopping Center. From selling menswear in the late 80s to owning one of Athens' most beloved community spaces, Dave Mulkey's connection to Beechwood Shopping Center runs deeper than business—it's personal. When this former apartment developer decided to invest his life savings in reimagining a tired shopping center, he wasn't just buying real estate. He was accepting stewardship of a place where generations of Athenians had celebrated birthdays at Longhorn, studied at Zims, and created memories that define what community means. Standing where a...
info_outlineThis episode is going to feel like sitting down with an old friend. Host Lesley Platek welcomes Karen Morgan, a born-and-raised Athens, Georgia native who has built a remarkable life straddling courtrooms, comedy stages, and now, Hollywood screenwriting.
Karen Morgan is a former trial attorney turned nationally touring stand-up comedian, known for her two Dry Bar Comedy specials and her comedy album Shiny Happy People Laughing — recorded in her hometown and aired on four SiriusXM channels — with the title recorded with special permission from R.E.M.
Karen and Lesley take a winding and wonderful walk through Athens memories, the craft of comedy, and what's next on Karen's horizon:
- Karen grew up in Athens, swimming competitively at Athens Country Club and spending summers at Beechwood Cinema — where she saw Star Wars 26 times
- After earning an art degree at UGA and working for legendary tennis coach Dan Magill, Karen spent seven years finding her way before attending Georgia State Law School at night while working full-time
- A stand-up comedy workshop she took just to "get out of the house" led to a finalist spot on Nickelodeon's Search for the Funniest Mom in America — launching a 20-year comedy career
- Karen describes her storytelling style as deeply observational and always true, explaining how she builds sets from "bits" to "chunks," taping every performance to refine her wordsmithing
- She is currently pursuing an MFA in screenwriting at UGA, has already written a sitcom and a feature film about Athens tailgating, and plans to wind down touring by 2027 to focus on writing full-time
Karen's journey is proof that no experience is wasted — every lap in the pool, every courtroom argument, and every punchline has led her exactly where she's meant to be. You can find Karen at karenmorgan.com or reach her directly on Instagram @ karenmorgancomedy