Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek

About Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek

Welcome to "Classic City Rewind" — I'm your host, Lesley Platek. As a longtime Athen's resident, who first moved to Athens, Ga in 1992 with my husband Zach, a three year old son named Travis and a three day old daughter named Sydney -the moment we arrived, the city felt like a perfect place to raise our family. I've spent decades connecting with the people who make this community extraordinary. From producing heartfelt biographies through my company Lifefilms to spotlighting local sports legends, my mission has always been to share stories that matter. Each week, Classic City Rewind takes you behind the scenes of Athens' rich history through intimate, inspiring conversations with the people who lived it. You'll meet guests like: - Charlotte (Chot) Johnson, who reflects on life with her late husband — legendary UGA and New England Patriots football player Andy Johnson and on breaking barriers as one of Athens' first female home builders and Contractors. - Charlotte Thomas Marshall, a local historian and author of the book "The Tangible Past in Athens, Ga." - Loran Smith,Longtime Assistant Sports information Director for UGA. - Dan Aldridge, Author "Lasso the Cloud" the story of Ben Epps and early aviation in Athens. and - Peter Dale, Owner of 5 & 10 Resturant and celebrating the Resturant's 25th Anniversary . And so many more. Highlighting one non profit and one business is also important to my heart. This season, I'll be featuring the Athens Boys and Girls Club with Derrick Floyd, who also made a FInal ROur run beating UNC with Michael Jordan on the way in 82-but 83. As well as "Finish Performance Health" with Kelly Ward about her 30+ years of experience in Orthopedic sports medicine. Whether you're a lifelong Athenian or a newcomer discovering the city's soul, this podcast invites you to rediscover what makes Athens timeless. My hope is that this podcast will be an archive for the community as well as for the families of the folks who I interview. It's my way of giving back to my beloved Athens, Ga. Because remembering where we've been helps us see who we've become. Join me, Lesley, on Classic City Rewind — where Athens' past comes alive, one story at a time.

Publisher

Lesley Platek

Category

history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Dec 2025

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   38. The Love of the Cook: Rebecca Lang on Pimento Cheese and Passing Down Tradition

   Whether you're craving a taste of home or missing the person who first taught you to love food, we're so glad you're here for this week's episode of Classic City Rewind. Host Lesley Platek welcomes Rebecca Lang, a ninth-generation Southerner, Athens resident, and author of nine cookbooks, including her newest, Pimento Cheese The Southern Spread. A University of Georgia journalism graduate and Johnson & Wales-trained chef, Rebecca has judged Chopped Junior on Food Network and cooked at the James Beard House. In this warm and fun conversation, Rebecca takes us from her small-town childhood in McRae, Georgia, to the cookbook world. She shares how a cold call to Natalie Dupree's home phone led to an apprenticeship that shaped her career. She also talks about earning respect in a male-dominated culinary school, spending a spring break in Martha Stewart's kitchen, and waiting on the FedEx truck to see whether her book proposals came back. Along the way, she explains why she never lets fear of hearing "no" stop her from trying. In this episode: How a 411 call to Natalie Dupree launched Rebecca's career in food writing What culinary school taught her, including why everyone should work a dish pit once The persistence behind her first national book deal, and the stories behind QVC and David's famous happy dance Why pimento cheese is a food for every table, from mill workers to the Masters How her grandmother Tom's cooking, and her glass bowl, cast iron skillet, and table, inspired her to cook The second half of the episode turns to Pimento Cheese, which Rebecca says is as much about the stories as the recipes. She reads the book's heartfelt introduction about afternoons at her grandmother Tom's porch after swim practice. She also shares the surprising Athens connection to the pimento cheese sandwiches at Augusta National and the family behind them. Rebecca closes by talking about her kids, her next "big book," and the heirlooms she hopes to pass down.

2. 

   13 Oct 2026

   37. Athens, Ga's Most Interesting Man: The Fred Birchmore Story

   Whether you've called Athens home for decades or just arrived, it's a joy to discover a local legend you may have walked past without knowing his story. In this episode of Classic City Rewind, Lesley  sits down with Libba Beaucham, guest services specialist and museum educator, and Luis Vicent-Vazquez, tour guide and researcher, both of the Historic Athens Welcome Center, to celebrate the remarkable life of Athens' own Fred Birchmore. Many Athenians remember Birchmore (1911-2012) from the YMCA or the trail that bears his name, but few know the full extent of his adventures. As a young exchange student in 1930s Germany, he bought a single-speed bicycle and kept pedaling, covering roughly 25,000 miles through Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Libba and Luis share how the kindness of strangers carried him through desert crossings, a Burmese jungle, and even a Matterhorn climb, and why he never carried a weapon. In this episode: The "Athens' Most Interesting Man" exhibit, created for Twilight Criterium week as an interactive, kid-friendly journey around the Welcome Center, with a scavenger hunt and thrifted props Highlights from Birchmore's memoir, Around the World on a Bicycle, including his humanitarian outlook and his bike, Bucephalus, now in the Smithsonian's collection Birchmore's later adventures, from a tandem-bike honeymoon through Latin America to hiking the Appalachian Trail in his 70s and building the famous Birchmore Wall The difference between Historic Athens (preservation) and the Athens Historical Society (storytelling) How to get involved, including membership The exhibit will return every year during Twilight, and the hosts invite anyone with Birchmore stories to share them with the Welcome Center. They also tour the Church-Waddel-Brumby House, believed to be Athens' oldest surviving home, built in 1820, and highlight upcoming events and self-guided audio tours. To keep exploring, visit athenswelcomecenter.com for tours and exhibits and historicathens.com for preservation news, or follow both organizations on Instagram and Facebook. The Welcome Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. 

   6 Oct 2026

   36. From Between the Hedges to Hospitality: The David Dukes Story

   Whether you're feeling nostalgic for the Athens of your childhood or simply need a warm story today, we're so glad you're here. In this episode, host Lesley Platek sits down with David Dukes, an Athens native, former Georgia Bulldog quarterback and wide receiver, and Senior Vice President at Benson's Hospitality Group. David begins with his late father, Leroy, who grew up in a small southeast Georgia community, spent time in an orphanage, and was mentored by a high school coach before becoming the oldest player on Vince Dooley's first Georgia team in 1964. David says his father's empathy and respect for people shaped his own approach to life and work. From there, David shares memories of growing up at the Athens YMCA, playing a quarter of football in Sanford Stadium before Georgia home games, and idolizing Andy Johnson. He also recalls a recruiting visit with Coach Bryant at Alabama and his decision to stay home and play for Georgia. His stories include the 1984 G-Day alumni game, where his own father suited up, lined up across from him, and jumped offsides to try to tackle him for a photo. David also explains how he ended up lettering at four positions. In this episode: How Leroy Dukes's childhood, military service, and football career shaped his family's values Growing up at the Athens Y, and the lessons David took from a childhood of team sports The 1984 G-Day game, when David's dad suited up and jumped offsides to tackle him Coach Dooley's focus on education, and how it led to a 15-year career in aggregates and a decade with Caterpillar and Yancey Brothers How a professional analysis at age 45 pointed to hospitality, leading to 16 years at Benson's, a family business founded in 1918 The conversation also covers David's love story with his wife, Evelyn, which began as a friendship in middle school. They discuss his competitive golf career, including a top-15 finish at the 1994 Georgia State Amateur, and why he believes the human connection will always matter in hospitality. David also describes the Benson Hospitality scholarship at UGA and the behind-the-scenes hotel tours the company gives hospitality students.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Contact Classic City Rewind with Lesley Platek

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  Fresh Air

• 

  All on the Table with Katie Lee Biegel

• 

  Hidden Brain

• 

  The Big Boo Cast

• 

  The Ramsey Show

• 

  Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)