Ann Delisi's Essential Conversations

Ann Delisi's Essential Conversations

For decades, Detroit radio host, Ann Delisi, has been talking with people whose creative spirit drives them. With some Midwest charm, she talks with everyone from Saxophonist Dave Mac Murray, Musician Iggy Pop, NPR Correspondent Don Gonyea.

Episodes

Ted Hawkins: Folk Singer, Busker (Rare 1994 Interview)

July 30, 2021 • 12 mins
In this rare 1994 interview with folk singer Ted Hawkins – recorded one year before his death – Ann Delisi speaks with Hawkins about going from busking on Venice Beach to getting a major label record deal, and appreciating the past to look forward to the future.
Mark as Played

Ida Mae Brings British Americana Across the Pond

July 16, 2021 • 24 mins
Husband and wife duo Ida Mae (Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean Ward) join Ann Delisi to talk about their blues influences, relocating to the U.S. from London, and their 2019 album “Chasing Lights,” recorded at Real World Studios.
Mark as Played

Joshua Henry: Tony-winning Performer on the Joys of Working with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and his Debut EP, "Guarantee"

June 25, 2021 • 23 mins
Joshua Henry has been in every one of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musicals, starting with In the Heights (2008), and including his role as Aaron Burr in the first U.S. tour of Hamilton (2016). Henry talked with Ann Delisi about his career, and his new EP, Guarantee.
Mark as Played

Robert Stiles: Solving Mysteries in Music History

June 11, 2021 • 35 mins
Nearly 20 years ago, Robert Stiles discovered 29 unknown works by virtuosic bassist and composer Serge Koussevitzky. Now, Stiles is the Principal Librarian for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, where he puts his knowledge of music history and U.S. copyright law to work. Stiles spoke with Ann Delisi about his early career, discovering Koussevitzky’s works, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how orchestra find and obtain the music f...
Mark as Played

“Rough Cut Stone”: Family is Foundational for Gregory Porter

May 28, 2021 • 32 mins
Gregory Porter is an accomplished singer and songwriter, but he didn’t do it on his own. In this episode of Essential Conversations, Ann Delisi talks with Porter about how his brother and mother were foundational in his career, which includes two Grammy wins for Best Jazz Vocal Album (Liquid Spirit, 2014; Take Me to the Alley, 2017). Plus, Don Was tells the story of how signing Gregory Porter was his first act as president of Blue ...
Mark as Played

Al Sutton: Award-winning Record Producer at Rust Belt Studios

May 14, 2021 • 42 mins
Al Sutton talks with Ann Delisi about his award-winning career as a music producer. They talk about Sutton’s creative process working with some of rock music’s top talent at Rust Belt Studios, including Greta Van Fleet and Kid Rock. Sutton also tells the story of the “Wolfbox,” a key component of the Motown sound.
Mark as Played

Joanne Shaw Taylor: British Blues Guitarist and Singer

April 30, 2021 • 29 mins
British blues rocker Joanne Shaw Taylor spoke with Ann Delisi about being discovered by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, performing alongside Paul McCartney and Elton John, idolizing Stevie Ray Vaughn, and moving to Detroit from the United Kingdom.
Mark as Played

Ani DiFranco Is Still Fighting the Patriarchy With Her Music, 30 Years Later

April 16, 2021 • 29 mins
Prolific musician and activist Ani DiFranco joins Ann Delisi to talk about her new single, “Do or Die,” how activism and social movements have defined her career, and why she chose to shave her head (again).
Mark as Played

EP 28: Laurie Anderson: Performance Artist, Author, Musician, Filmmaker

November 27, 2020 • 26 mins
In this rare 1994 interview, Ann Delisi talks with avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson about her decades-long career as a performance artist, her love/hate relationship with technology, writing a retrospective on her career, and getting out of creative ruts.
Mark as Played

EP 27: Jeff Mills: Electronic Music Pioneer and Co-founder of The Underground Resistance

November 13, 2020 • 34 mins
Jeff Mills is one of the pioneers of electronic music. He talked with Ann Delisi about co-founding The Underground Resistance in Detroit, the early days of radio, and the challenges of working with Classical musicians.
Mark as Played

EP: 26 John Sinclair: Revolutionary activist, poet, and writer

October 30, 2020 • 38 mins
John Sinclair co-founded the White Panthers, managed the MC5, and was at the center of a landmark 1972 wiretapping case that went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. Sinclair joined Ann Delisi to talk about his revolutionary life and work in Detroit as an artist and activist.
Mark as Played

EP 25: The War and Treaty

October 16, 2020 • 26 mins
The War and Treaty are a vocal powerhouse with a story as moving as their music. The husband/wife duo spoke with Ann Delisi about how they met, writing music while deployed in Iraq, and playing Saddam Hussein’s piano. Blue Note Records president Don Was also joins the conversation and remembers the first time he heard them sing.
Mark as Played

EP 24: Remembering the day Jeff Buckley played at WDET

October 2, 2020 • 25 mins
Since his tragic death in 1997, Jeff Buckley's music and legacy has only increased in popularity. Those who worked with him remember an incredibly talented, charismatic artist. In this episode, Ann Delisi talks with former WDET staffers about the day in 1994 that Buckley and his band performed live at WDET, and what it took to get him there.
Mark as Played

EP 23: Billy Mann

September 17, 2020 • 38 mins
Billy Mann has worked with pop heavyweights like Carole King, P!nk, Cher, and Ricky Martin. In this episode of Essential Conversations, Ann Delisi talks with Mann about his longstanding songwriting relationship with P!nk, working with iconic musicians, and the bets big record companies make on new talent.
Mark as Played

E22: Adam White, Author of “Motown The Sound of Young America”

September 4, 2020 • 28 mins
Adam White co-wrote this book with Barney Ales, who was Berry Gordy’s partner at Motown Records. While Berry handled the artistic and creative side of Motown, Barney Ales made sure the records got played on the radio, that they were distributed to the buying public and that Motown got paid.
Mark as Played

EP 21: Journalist, News Anchor, Documentarian Emery King

August 13, 2020 • 36 mins
Emery King recalls covering the Carter and Reagan Administrations as the NBC White House Correspondent, how race played a role in the trajectory of his career and moving to Detroit to cover local news.
Mark as Played

EP 20: Tina Sinatra

April 27, 2020 • 24 mins
Episode Description In December of 2015, Frank Sinatra would have turned 100 years. His daughter, Tina Sinatra, talked with Ann Delisi about her famous father. TinaSinatra
Mark as Played

EP 19: Alice Cooper, Jack White and Detroit Tiger, Kirk Gibson

April 16, 2020 • 26 mins
These 3 Detroiters sat down in front of an audience to talk with Ann Delisi about music and sports at the Shinola Hotel in Detroit to benefit the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s
Mark as Played

E18: Iggy Pop & Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch

March 27, 2020 • 29 mins
In October of 2016, Ann Delisi talked with Iggy Pop & Jim Jarmusch in front of an audience at the Detroit Film Theater following the premiere screening of the film “Gimme Danger” about The Stooges.
Mark as Played

E17: Rock and Blues Guitarist Billy Davis

March 19, 2020 • 44 mins
Ann Delisi talks with Billy Davis about his friendship with James Brown, his history working with Hank Ballard and the Midnighters and meeting an unknown aspiring guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, who learned not only guitar playing techniques, but some of his signature stage moves, from Billy Davis.
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    The Bobby Bones Show

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.