Spotlight Conversations

In Los Angeles today with acclaimed author, journalist and screenwriter Amy Ephron (A Cup of Tea: A Novel of 1917 and One Sunday Morning) talking about her tenth novel Unseasonably Cold - which chronicles the mysterious disappearance of a popular socialite who vanishes without a trace - set against the backdrop of 1939 New York. Join us as Amy discusses everything from her unique writing style, creating characters, to growing up in...

In the Houston studio today local entrepreneur Pete Owens, talking about his new concert venue Coffee House Houston. Not just any venue however; this place is happening and Pete is here to tell you why! The volunteer-run nonprofit organization has brought a whole new vibe to the community - by bringing in live music and arts to the heart of Houston. Along with info about upcoming singer-songwriter acts such as Marshall Crenshaw and...

Visiting with journalist Annie Zeleski (Lady Gaga: Appplause; Pink: Raise Your Glass) about her new book 'I Got You Babe: A Celebration of Cher'. Featuring a  forward by Cyndi Lauper, Annie writes in depth about the fearless, down-to-earth "Goddess of Pop": how Cher started in the entertainment business, key moments in her life and career; her 50-year friendship with fellow diva Tina Turner, the Bob Mackie "...

In the studio today with rock journalist Alan Light, who drops by to talk about his new book 'Don't Stop - Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac's Rumours' (available now wherever books are sold) and I gotta say, prior to this interview, I had my studio turntable rockin' with every Fleetwood Mac/Buckingham Nicks song ever made! The former senior writer at Rolling Stone and author of The Holy or the Broken: Leon...

It's the start of baseball season and what better way to bring in this American rite of passage than to invite a writer to the podcast to talk about - you guessed it - baseball! Writer Mike Vance's new book 'Comedians Talking Baseball' features 40 professional stand-up comedians (including Robert Wuhl and comedy celebs from Seinfeld, Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show) sharing poignant stories about comed...

Revving up the 'way back machine' today with one of my fave 60s rock groups Strawberry Alarm Clock (Incense and Peppermints; Rainey Day Mushroom Pillow) with bass player for the band, George Bunnell! We start off talking about their new album 'Monsters' (and catch their follow up tune 'Blow Your Mind', also available at their website). Listen in as we talk about the early days of their music (where did...

In the Big Apple today to chat with the smart and savvy talent agent Albert Bramante of Bramante Artists - and he covers it all when it comes to the present AND future state of the voiceover industry! Not only is he a hypnotherapist, he also holds a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology (his dissertation - "Correlation between Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Personality, Fear of Success, and Self-Defeating Behaviors of Performing Artists&qu...

Starting the New Year with more than a few laughs with two talented entertainers, who've written a new children's book 'The Magic Maze Trilogy': actor Phil Proctor (founding member of the Grammy nominated Firesign Theatre; Window of Opportunity, God Help Us - AND he's also the voice of 'Howard' on the animated series Rugrats!) along with writer Samuel Warren Joseph (Off Your Rocker, Campaign, Wind...

Historian and biographer Ted Widmer is the editor of Paul McCartney's new book  "Wings: The Story Of A Band On the Run' - is not only a vivid account of Paul's music after the Beatles broke up, but it's also about his second act of life on the road - and in the studio - with his new band Wings. As a respected historian and writer, Widmer shapes McCartney's story into an engaging narrative (I couldn&apo...

Nick Heyward, frontman of Haircut 100, is currently touring the US alongside Howard Jones as part of Jone's 2025 'Dream Into Action" anniversary tour, and Nick stops by the studio to talk 80's music, tourning with Howard and more! Nick discusses all the excitement at the start of the tour, held at the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, along with talk about the classic Haircut energy style of music he and his...

In the studio with Kody Frederick, Director and Head of Marketing at Julien's Auctions, and we are talking about a special 'Played, Worn & Torn' auction featuring the personal collections of Adam Clayton, Kirk Hammett and Tommy Lee (just imagine if U2, Metallica and Motley Crew all in one concert!! Whew!) The auction takes place November 20 and 21 ONLY (limited time) with not only memorabilia from the above menti...

Welcome back subscribers! We are flight deck ready in the studio today for my interview with Michelle 'Mace' Curran, the second woman in history to serve as lead solo pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds! Courage and strength is the focus of our interview today - and with 2,000 hours of F-16 flying time, Michelle  knows what really leads up to that character trait of 'being brave' in her new book 'The ...

Hanging out in Florida today with the always entertaining comedienne, television personality and actress Rhonda Shear! It's a few days before that last night in October, and let me tell ya - the holiday just got a whole lot more thrilling when Rhonda starts talking about the all-new revival of 'Up All Night'. Join me when I sit down with Rhonda - aka THE Scream Queen - as she talks about her 'reVAMPed'...

In Los Angeles today with Rex Broome and Christina Bulbenko of Big Stir Records, who have created the ultimate Halloween mix 'o music! Listen in as we talk about their full on, freaky music double LP "Chilling, Thrilling Hooks and Haunted Harmonies"! This ultimate Halloween soundtrack, with loads of spine chilling audio, blends into spooky vibes with irresistible rock 'n' roll charm that you'll want to...

In North Carolina today to talk with indie pop rock band 'Secret Monkey Weekend' and yes, if you are taken in by the name, wait till you hear their story - it's even better! Jeff Hart (formerly of Jeff Hart and The Ruins) has now teamed up with his step-daughters Ella Hart and Lila Brown Hart, put together some new music, and came up with a new album 'Lemon Drop Hammer'. As they bring in new fans while wrap...

Back in Houston today to talk with Michael Casiano and Andrew Rubio, who make up the dance music band of darkEntity. Their story - college students' planning to compose music and maybe do some music scoring - turned out to change a little - ok A LOT - to being club DJ's and going the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) route! Listen in as we talk about their music, how they started, how being a DJ in a club is not anything like ...

Just outside Lenoir, North Carolina today to chat with singer/songwriter Chris Church, who's been a part of the global pop indie rock music scene for over 30 years. Inspired by Carolina bands The dB's and Let's Active from Winston-Salem, Chris's diverse path to the songwriting studio comes together in his new CD 'Obsolete Path', which we talk about inside the interview. We also discuss his earliest mus...

In Queens today, talking with Christopher Martin, also known as 'Play' from the successful hip-hop group 'Kid 'n Play'! Christopher shares the stories about their contributions to a vibrant musical genre of hip-hop, which brought not only great music from the duo - 'Fun House', 'Rolllin' with Kid 'n Play' and 'Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody' - but who could forget those...

Martin Page, the acclaimed songwriter behind hits like "We Built This City" and "These Dreams," is back with a new CD "First And Last Freedom" (available now on Bandcamp) which showcases not only his gift for songwriting, but offers a familiar sound from his first hit ‘In The House of Stone and Light’. We talk about everything from his early days in the Los Angeles music scene, working with fellow accl...