Father’s Day offers us a chance to recognize the role that dads and fatherhood have played in our lives. Enjoy our collection of stories celebrating father figures and the many ways they support and shape us.
Beat by Beat
In the 1980s, Ed Cage fell in love with beatboxing through the St. Louis hip hop scene. When he became a dad, his talent became a way to connect with his daughter, Nicole Paris. At StoryCorps, Ed and Nicole talk about how he passed the beat on to the next generation.
The Family Equation
Whenever Dr. William Lynn Weaver needed help solving a problem, he knew he could always count on his father, Ted Weaver, who was a janitor and chauffeur. In high school, Lynn was one of 14 Black students who integrated West High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. During this difficult time, Lynn was also trying to stay on top of his academics. At StoryCorps, Lynn told his daughter, Kimberly, how his dad showed him the way forward.
Double Major
When Wil Smith enrolled as a freshman in college, he brought an unusual roommate with him — his infant daughter. Wil and Olivia look back together on their days as college roommates.
Leading the Way
John Washington, 95, was born blind and with a severe loss of hearing. He sat down with his eldest child for a conversation about the pride he takes in his kids and to laugh over some of their childhood hijinks.
Driving Lessons
Muhammad Faridi talks to his father about what it was like to grow up as the son of a NYC cab driver. Though he was once embarrassed, Muhammad now takes pride in his father’s work.
My Aunties
Stefan Lynch remembers the community of gay men – lovingly nicknamed his “aunties” – who helped raise him, the dark days of the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, and the lessons that he learned from this powerful family.
More Stories for Father’s Day
Shared Wisdom
Yusuf Ali has spent his adult life working hard to be a father and a provider. Long before family life he was known as “Joe Cool,” respected by friends and colleagues for his boundless style.
Peter the Wolf
Judd Esty-Kendall’s father was an animal lover who filled their house with raccoons, hawks, and critters of every size. But there was one creature Judd’s father treasured above the rest: A gray wolf.
Transcending Blindness
Jason Romero suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that causes progressive blindness. But Jason was most concerned about how it would impact his family.
A Family Built On The Dance Floor
The first time Carl Levine did contra dance, a type of folk dance similar to square dancing, he was a college freshman in the 1970s. He didn’t realize, then, the pivotal role that contra would play in his life.
A Life Filled With Music
If you were looking around Jim Von Stein’s trailer in rural Tennessee today, you’d see that every notebook, scrap of paper, or napkin is scribbled with lyrics. 8,000 songs later, Jim sits down with his son to discuss the role of music in their relationship.
Road to artistry and Fatherhood
Tchin is an Indigenous artist and metalsmith with a distinguished career, having created designs for brands like Cartier. Growing up, he moved between foster homes in Rhode Island and Virginia. At StoryCorps, Tchin reflects on how his childhood made him the father and artist he is today.
Want even more stories? Sign up for our Story of the Week newsletter to discover a new voice every week.