Podcast Summary: So Supernatural

Episode: HAUNTED: Bobby Mackey's Music World

Host: audiochuck | Crime House
Release Date: September 5, 2025

Overview

This episode dives into the infamously haunted Bobby Mackey's Music World in Wilder, Kentucky—a dive bar and honky tonk venue with a notorious reputation for ghosts, violence, and alleged demonic activity. Hosts Ashley Flowers, Sam Foreign, Yvette Gentile, and Racha Pecorero retrace the bar’s bizarre and tragic history, from its 19th-century slaughterhouse days to the recent demolition in 2024. They explore true crime, supernatural legends, and the boundary between skepticism and belief while unpacking the stories (and controversies) that made Bobby Mackey’s one of America’s spookiest bars.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Haunted Reputation of Bobby Mackey’s (02:23–06:28)

• Setting the Scene: Bobby Mackey’s was an unremarkable white building by the train tracks, which inside was full of classic honky tonk energy—rows of vinyl, a mechanical bull, and a lively dance floor.

• Supernatural Claims: Numerous patrons and staff have reported a litany of supernatural events—disembodied voices, self-operating lights and doors, sudden chills, and physical touches from unseen hands.

• Infamous Sign:

  “This establishment is purported to be haunted. Management is not responsible and cannot be held liable for any actions of any ghosts or spirits on the premises.”
  (Sam Foreign, 06:05)

• Most Chilling Legend: The jukebox sometimes played "The Anniversary Waltz" on its own—while unplugged and unprogrammed for the song.

• Violent Encounter (1993): A doubting patron in the men’s room was severely beaten—by what witnesses believed was a ghost.

  "There was a strange man standing right in front of him... and then faded into nothing like he'd never even been there."
  (Yvette Gentile, 07:47)

The History of Violence: Slaughterhouses, Murder & Curses (08:36–16:05)

• Origins: Originally a slaughterhouse in the 1800s with grisly conditions—animal blood routinely poured into a well and into the Licking River.

• The Pearl Bryan Murder (1896):

  • Pearl, a young Indiana woman (five months pregnant), was found decapitated near the future Bobby Mackey’s site.
  • Her boyfriend, Scott Jackson, and his roommate Alonzo Walling—both dental students—became suspects after a botched abortion attempt with cocaine.
  • Conflicting confessions led to both being convicted and executed by hanging.
  • Both proclaimed innocence at the gallows and Alonzo cursed the town:

    "His spirit would return to haunt and curse them all."
    (Yvette Gentile, 20:16)

Blood, Mobsters, and Tragic Love: The Club’s Twisted 20th Century (21:04–23:08)

• Mob Ties & Prohibition:
  • In the 1930s, the site transitioned from inn to mob-run speakeasy and casino.
  • Johanna Jewel Legend:
    • Mob boss’s daughter and nightclub dancer Johanna fell in love with a performer; her father killed the lover, after which Johanna died by suicide in her dressing room surrounded by roses.
    • After her death, rumors abounded of a lingering curse—businesses constantly failed and sometimes sold for as little as $1.

Bobby Mackey’s Era: More Hauntings & Possessions (23:19–41:53)

• Bobby Mackey Buys the Bar (1978): With wife Janet—who was six months pregnant.
• Carl Lawson Joins: The quirky 19-year-old maintenance worker claims to be "friends with all of the ghosts," starting a new chapter of chilling tales.

Janet’s Brush with Death (26:17–28:43)

• Janet experiences physical attacks:
  • A ladder nearly falls on her;
  • She is pushed down stairs by "invisible hands," triggering early labor.
  • She hears a voice telling her:

    "Get out. Get out."
    (Yvette Gentile, 28:36)

The Investigation & Exorcism (33:06–44:29)

• Doug Hensley: Paranormal enthusiast validates Janet and Carl's sightings with historical photos and research.
• Carl discovers a secret well beneath the property—possibly the infamous "gateway to hell."
• Carl claims he was possessed; a local psychic agrees. An exorcism is performed and videotaped—Carl is heard speaking Latin:

  "I don't want to leave and I don't have to go anywhere. This body is mine."
  (Carl Lawson during exorcism, ~43:00)
  Translation: "I am Satan."
  (Yvette Gentile, 43:09)

• Despite the exorcism, hauntings persist.

Skepticism & Controversy (44:29–47:14)

• Historical Inaccuracies:
  • No evidence Pearl Bryan was killed in a satanic ritual; the well does not align with police records—no remains were found.
  • No verified record of Johanna’s suicide or even her existence in local records.
• Possible Motive for Fabrication:

  "There’s a lot of money to be made in the paranormal world. ... Bobby spent an awful lot of time promoting Music World as a haunted location."
  (Sam Foreign, 46:04)

• Bobby Mackey embraced the haunted reputation, capitalizing on it for tours and paranormal TV.

Ongoing Ghost Stories & Demolition (47:14–49:02)

• Many visitors, independent of the original trio, report seeing ghosts—including Pearl (headless), Alonzo, and Scott.
• Claims of injuries and physical attacks during tours add to the bar's lore.
• Supernatural elements persist:

  “What in the hell pushed Janet down the stairs and triggered her early labor?... Maybe the ghosts are real after all.”
  (Yvette Gentile, 48:22)

The End of an Era: Demolition & The Future (49:02–End)

• In 2024, Bobby Mackey, citing structural decay, demolished the original bar; new construction is underway, set to reopen in 2026.
• Open speculation about whether the hauntings will return:

  “Will the ghosts return after the bar opens, or could the renovation be the exorcism the building truly needed?”
  (Sam Foreign, 50:36) “They would have to bless that land over and over and over again.”
  (Yvette Gentile, 50:39)

  • Racha’s answer on returning:

    “Ah hell no.”
    (Sam Foreign, quoting Golden Brooks, 50:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Physical Hauntings:

  “I've never heard of a ghost beating someone up. Now, anytime you have a place that's allegedly this haunted, there are certain questions that arise.”
  (Sam Foreign, 08:36)

• Curses and Just Desserts:

  “If the people in the town refuse to see that, he will make sure to haunt them forever.”
  (Yvette Gentile, 15:00 on Alonzo Walling’s gallows curse)

• Exorcism Horror:

  “He’s shouting things like, 'I don’t want to leave and I don’t have to go anywhere. This body is mine.' At one point, he even mumbles something in Latin ... 'I am Satan.'”
  (Yvette Gentile, 43:09)

• The Core Question:

  “So, are you—will the ghosts return after the bar opens, or could the renovation be the exorcism the building truly needed?”
  (Sam Foreign, 50:36)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Introduction to the Location and Hauntings: 02:23–06:28
• Pearl Bryan’s Murder and Historical Curses: 10:55–16:05
• Mobsters and Johanna’s Tragic Legend: 21:04–23:08
• Bobby Mackey Era: Physical Hauntings and Possession: 23:19–44:29
• Skepticism & Monetization: 44:29–47:14
• Modern Ghost Sightings & Demolition: 47:14–49:02
• Speculation About the Future: 49:02–End

Tone & Final Thoughts

The episode maintains an engaging mix of matter-of-fact crime reporting, playful skepticism, and genuine creepiness—balancing believers’ tales with strong investigative diligence and historical fact-checking. Regardless of whether listeners lean toward skepticism or the supernatural, the legend of Bobby Mackey’s Music World remains chilling, ambiguous—and possibly unfinished.

For more haunting history and supernatural investigations, tune in to So Supernatural every Friday.

End of Summary