East Texas UNFILTERED!

Deidra "The Color Girl" joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker. She is one of the most sought after hair color professionals in East Texas. Deidra grew up in Corpus Christi and Rockwall. She got her hair done as a teenager, and it changed everything. She knew right then that she wanted to do hair the rest of her life. Deidra found her way into the business the hard way. Her pare...

Rosie Bowie joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker. They talk about her life in Tyler. They also talk about the Juneteenth parade she helped build to what it is today. Rosie grew up in Flint, Texas. Her mother raised seven children alone. Rosie graduated from Emmett Scott High School in 1968. It was an all-Black school. Rosie went to work at the GE plant in 1972. Later she went back to sc...

The Restaurant Whisperer, Scott Williams, joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker for a conversation about building restaurants in East Texas and growing them the hard way. Scott talks about his childhood in a military family, moving around the country, and working in restaurants at a young age. He explains how those early jobs shaped the way he thinks about the business. For Scott, taking...

Andrea Wilson-Lobaugh joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker for a look at the work PATH is doing in East Texas. She explains how the organization helps local families who are struggling with food, rent, and basic daily needs. She shares how PATH has grown into a major lifeline for people who have nowhere else to turn. This episode gets into the real numbers behind the need. Andrea shares...

Parker Clark joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker for a behind the scenes look at how an independent movie gets made. Parker explains how a conversation in Tyler turned into the feature film 3.  He talks about how he went from helping on the sidelines to becoming one of the film’s executive producers. Parker tells us how the project came together through local connections, hard work, an...

Tyler mayor candidate John Nix joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker to talk about his run for mayor and the experiences that shaped his view of city government. John shares his background growing up in small towns and coming to Tyler with a carpentry trade. He explains how construction and development gave him a close view of infrastructure, budgeting, and long-term planning. John speak...

Stuart Hene, a candidate for mayor of Tyler, joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker for a conversation about public service, city government, and the future of the city. Stuart talks about growing up in Tyler, graduating from Robert E. Lee, and finding his calling in political science at Baylor after first starting on a pre-med track. He shares how that path led him to work at the Texas C...

Welcome to another episode of East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker. In this episode, Chad sits down with Nancy Rangel, President and CEO of the Hispanic Business Alliance in Tyler. Nancy shares her family story, how her parents came to Texas, and how she grew up between Houston and East Texas. She talks about building the HBA from a small program into a strong nonprofit that trains business o...

In this episode of East Texas UNFILTERED, J. Chad Parker sits down with his longtime friend Sandra Bailey-Crowe for a real and heartfelt talk about kidney failure, dialysis, and the search for a living kidney donor. Sandra shares her story from growing up in Tyler and spending 30 years as a teacher, to the health struggles that changed everything after COVID and years of fighting diabetes, high bl...

In this episode of East Texas UNFILTERED, host J. Chad Parker sits down with Craig Berry of Berry Marble & Granite. Craig shares how a Tyler-based company grew into a highly respected name in stone fabrication. He talks about learning business from his father and starting young. He explains how the industry shifted from cultured marble to granite, quartzite, and porcelain. He also explains why...

Bonnie Varner joins host J. Chad Parker on East Texas Unfiltered for a candid conversation about a topic that touches nearly everyone's family. As CEO of the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County, Bonnie explains what Alzheimer’s and dementia can look like in real life. She talks about why early screening matters and the heavy emotional and financial burdens caregivers carry. She also shares h...

In this episode of East Texas Unfiltered, host J. Chad Parker sits down with Steve Barnhart, owner of Prime 102 in downtown Tyler, for a real conversation about what it actually takes to run a high-end restaurant—and what it cost him to get his life back. Steve’s story starts early: working in restaurants at 12 years old after his dad left and his mom had three kids to support. From Lower Greenvil...

On this episode of East Texas UNFILTERED, host J. Chad Parker sits down with special guest Taylor Fitzgerald, REALTOR® for a wide-ranging conversation on the Tyler-area real estate market, local growth, and what it really takes to help buyers, sellers, and investors make smart moves in East Texas. Taylor was born and raised in Tyler, comes from a multi-generation real estate family, and shares how...

Scott Martinez joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker for a clear look at how jobs, growth, and new business happen in Tyler. Scott explains what economic development really means and why it matters to families across East Texas. He shares how this work helps bring jobs, raise wages, and support the future of the community. One part of the discussion focuses on Tyler Junior College and wo...

Nick Pencis joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker for a great conversation about the story behind Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q. Nick shares how he got into the restaurant business, the hard lessons he learned early, and how those lessons helped shape him as an owner. He opens up about mentors, risk, and the long road that brought him back to Tyler. This episode highlights the legendary s...

Local music legend Robin Hood Brians joins East Texas UNFILTERED with J. Chad Parker. Robin Hood talks about how music came naturally to him from the start, and that gift shaped the course of his life. Robin Hood breaks down how he built his studio on Sunnybrook Drive in Tyler. He explains how that studio became the place where ZZ Top recorded its first albums. He was a key part of shaping the ear...

On this episode of East Texas UNFILTERED, J. Chad Parker sits down with Tyler native Ed Moore. Ed is a former Division I basketball player who decided later in life to try stand-up comedy. He talks about walking into Rose City on his birthday and signing up for an open mic with nothing but a few ideas and a lot of nerve. The conversation covers the grind of late nights, driving to Dallas and Austi...

East Texas pride runs deep in this episode of East Texas UNFILTERED. J. Chad Parker sits down with Bill Coates, a voice that has been part of Texas radio for decades. Many people may not know his face, but they know his sound. Bill shares how a kid from John Tyler High School chased a dream and made a life in sports broadcasting. From TJC to the University of Texas, his path shows what hard work a...

In this episode of East Texas UNFILTERED, host J. Chad Parker sits down with Alan Wharton. Alan is a lawyer, a surfer, and a man who has lived with type 1 diabetes since he was seven years old. He shares the real highs and lows of that fight and how he has kept a positive attitude through it all. Chad and Alan also talk about Alan’s gift for joy and the way he shares it with other people. They exp...

J. Chad Parker sits down with Elysia Reineck for a heartfelt East Texas UNFILTERED conversation about the powerful bond between people and animals. Elysia shares the story behind Therapet, a Tyler-based nonprofit that brings therapy animals into hospitals, schools, rehab centers, and other places where comfort is needed most. She explains how these animals help people feel calmer, stronger, and le...

Todd Gable joins childhood friend J. Chad Parker for conversation about growing up in Tyler, building a career, and finding his way into acting later in life. He talks about the long road from East Texas to film sets, the early small projects that helped him learn the craft, and the steady work it took to keep moving forward. Todd also shares what it was like to land a major supporting role in Dea...

Harley Hooper joins East Texas UNFILTERED w/J. Chad Parker for a real conversation about business, style, and building a name in Tyler. Harley has been part of the local clothing scene for more than 40 years. In this episode, he shares how he got started and how people came to know him simply as Harley. The episode also looks at what it takes to last in one town for decades. Harley talks about rel...

Mundo Villapudua joins J. Chad Parker to talk about family, hard work, and the path that brought him to Tyler. His parents come from Durango, Mexico.  They taught him respect, discipline, and a work ethic that would shape his family. He talks about building restaurants with his brother Carlos. The episode covers long hours, early struggles, and the real work behind Villa Montez, 1836 Texas Kitchen...

In this episode, J. Chad Parker sits down with lifelong friend Stephen “Smitty” Smith for a wide-open conversation that stretches from their childhood in Tyler to Smitty’s three-decade journey through the Western apparel industry. Smitty talks about stumbling into the business in the late 80s through Cavender’s, learning retail from the back room forward, and eventually becoming a rep traveling ac...

In this episode, J. Chad Parker sits down with Jacksonville, Texas rapper Cico P for a raw, unfiltered conversation about where he came from, what shaped him, and how he turned a childhood surrounded by public housing, limited opportunities, and generational struggle into a breakout rap career. Cico talks about growing up in the “bricks” and “the park,” watching his family make music, learning fro...