‘Lady Bird’ podcast host speaks at LBJ Museum

LOCAL ARTISTS

This year’s annual LBJ Museum of San Marcos Summer Chautauqua featured the youngest speaker yet, having graduated from university in 2023. Despite her age, Jade Emerson has accomplished more journalistically than many do throughout their careers, having hosted a series that has 4.9 stars on Apple Podcasts.

The Drag, University of Texas’ audio production company, knew they wanted to tell the story of a UT grad and a Texan and decided to feature Lady Bird Johnson in their next podcast. Emerson had just transferred and joined the project; “Lady Bird” was born.

While researching, Emerson found a lot of similarities between herself and the former first lady – both small town women who had studied journalism at the University of Texas. Emerson spent so much time researching Lady Bird and writing her story, that she said she spent more time with her than anyone else during her college years. The producers of the podcast quickly noticed her investment and passion and asked her to be the host.

“There has been quite a bit of coverage on Lady Bird as a First Lady or Lady Bird at the Wildflower Center – these elements of it – but we wanted to tell her whole story from the beginning to end. She was born in 1912. She passed away in 2007. That is a huge scope of history and life to cover,” Emerson said. “I feel the podcast is a look at history through her eyes.”

Emerson explained the podcast-making process from start to finish, which began with information gathering.

“Where I started – which is where I always try to start any project I take on – is looking at what’s out there, what has already been done,” Emerson said. “I want to consume everything that has been written about her, everything that has been done, and the goal with that is, I think, to make sure that when you are telling a story … you are offering something new.”

Emerson interviewed many notable people for the podcast, including Larry Temple – White House Counsel to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Catherine Robb – granddaughter to Lyndon and Lady Bird, and Luci Baines Johnson – daughter of Lyndon and Lady Bird, to name a few.

“It was remarkable to see how many people were so enthusiastic to talk about Lady Bird and to share their stories … [about] her,” Emerson said. “I give her all the credit; people wanted to show up for her.”

After the Kennedy assassination, Lady Bird started recording a daily, audio White House Diary, which Emerson described as being composed of this “wonderful descriptive language that was the through line for the story.” The podcast uses that audio as a form of back and forth conversation between Lady Bird and Emerson – a unique and compelling approach.

“I remember feeling when I first started the project, she had done so much of the groundwork for us,” Emerson said. “It felt in some ways that she was waiting for somebody to come along and piece it together.”

“Lady Bird” can be found on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.