The Cowboy Philosopher
The Cowboy Philosopher
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information.
Sign up for our newsletters
to stay up to date on the stories that matter.
In 2009, an old man died in a California nursing home. His obituary included not just his given name, but a long list of the pseudonyms he’d been known to use. In this episode, we trace the life of Riley Shepard, a hillbilly musician, writer, small-time con man and, perhaps, a genius.