Life in Seven Songs
What songs tell your life story? Host Sophie Bearman asks this question of some of the world’s most fascinating people. Through seven songs, guests reveal the milestones—and the music—that have shaped their lives. New episodes every other Tuesday.
Episodes
April 29, 2025 • 36 mins
Damian Woetzel got addicted to dance when he was 11 years old. While his “dirty secret” is that ballet was never that hard for him, his experience as a young boy in the world of dance wasn’t always easy.
In this episode, Damian takes us backstage on his remarkable journey from being called “twinkle toes” in high school, to becoming a principal dancer and choreographer for the New York City Ballet, to his influential second act as...
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April 15, 2025 • 33 mins
At the age of 16, David Archuleta captured hearts as the runner-up on American Idol. But behind the charismatic performer on stage was a young man struggling to reconcile his Mormon upbringing with his queer identity. In this episode, David shares how he nearly got married to women several times, contemplated suicide, and ultimately let go of everything he’d been taught it meant to be “good.” Here are his songs:
Fast Car - Tracy ...
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David Sheff’s memoir Beautiful Boy became a #1 New York Times bestseller and a major film, chronicling his son Nic’s harrowing battle with meth addiction. But before that, David was a music journalist who interviewed legends like John Lennon and Yoko Ono—an encounter that unexpectedly shaped his future as a father. In this episode, David traces how music once brought him joy, then grief—and, ultimately, a way back to his beautiful...
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March 18, 2025 • 30 mins
Richard Misrach is one of the most influential photographers of his generation, known for his haunting, large-scale images of the American West. His work captures both the region’s breathtaking beauty and the profound ways humans have altered the landscape. His photographs are housed in the collections of MoMA, the Whitney, and the Getty—but for Misrach, they serve a deeper purpose: creating a historical record. Here are his songs....
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March 4, 2025 • 33 mins
Journalist, author, and playwright Sarah Shourd shares the songs that helped her though a childhood steeped in violence and poverty, and the 410 days she spent in solitary confinement as a political hostage in Iran. From screaming along to Rage Against the Machine as a teenager to belting out ‘Crazy’ by Seal in her prison cell, Sarah’s always used her voice. Now, she speaks out against the use of solitary confinement in U.S. prison...
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February 18, 2025 • 39 mins
Over the last three decades, Rufus Wainwright has released 10 studio albums, written two operas, and countless songs for TV and film. He’s been praised for his originality—Elton John once called him the songwriting GOAT. But in this episode, Rufus explains why having the confidence to be himself was really just about survival. Here are his songs:
1. Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland
2. Heart Like a Wheel - Kate & Anna McGarrigle
3....
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February 4, 2025 • 39 mins
Actor, producer, and director Rita Wilson is known for her performances in films like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Now and Then.” Her name can be found on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in credits for massive hits like “Mamma Mia!” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” (She's also been married to one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Tom Hanks, for the past 37 years.) But despite her success, Rita spent her entire career dreaming of a differe...
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January 21, 2025 • 37 mins
Writer and director Cord Jefferson charts his journey from being a rule-following kid to an angry teenager to an adult with depression. After a lifetime of rejection, Cord shares what helped him finally make "American Fiction," the Oscar-winning film that was always in him. Here are his songs.
Flamenco Sketches - Miles Davis
The What - Notorious B.I.G. (Feat. Method Man)
Boxcar - Jawbreaker
My Old School - Steely Dan
This Mus...
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January 14, 2025 • 65 mins
On this special episode, we’re featuring a conversation from our friends at the Professional Book Nerds podcast, a podcast from the book nerds at OverDrive.
Every week host Joe Skelley chats book recommendations on a theme with his friends and bookish experts, interviews authors and personalities, and encourages people to check out all the amazing resources their library has to offer. Ranked number 5 of the top 100 book podcasts...
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January 7, 2025 • 33 mins
Cofounder and CEO of Nextdoor, Nirav Tolia, looks back on his childhood in small-town Texas, and how an inner conflict about belonging may have led to him creating the first social network for neighbors. With his commitment to building community, it’s no surprise two of his seven songs include the words ‘home’ and ‘house’ in their titles.
Take me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
The Reflex – Duran Duran
World in My Eyes – De...
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December 17, 2024 • 32 mins
From Nirvana to BB King, The Rolling Stones to Radiohead, legendary rock photographer Jay Blakesberg has been documenting music icons for nearly 40 years. His work has been published in thousands of magazines, documentaries and books, but what he’s most known for is creating a seminal photographic archive of the Grateful Dead. Here are his songs.
Hey Jude – The Beatles
Black Water – The Doobie Brothers
Wooden Ships – Crosby ...
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December 3, 2024 • 35 mins
From her groundbreaking role playing one of the first openly gay characters on television, to her iconic appearances on David Letterman — where she repeatedly made the host speechless — actor and comedian Sandra Bernhard has always been unapologetically herself. And yet, decades into her career, she says she still discovers new layers every time she performs. Here are her songs.
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris ...
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November 19, 2024 • 36 mins
Lawyer Chesa Boudin’s professional life has been nearly as tumultuous as his upbringing. He was raised by family friends because his parents—members of the Weather Underground—were incarcerated for crimes committed when he was just 14 months old. Boudin eventually became a progressive San Francisco district attorney representing criminal justice reform. However, he was recalled a few years later. These are his songs.
Worlds Apart...
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November 5, 2024 • 32 mins
Rahsaan “New York” Thomas spent more than two decades incarcerated before being granted a commutation for his rehabilitation efforts behind bars. He shares how his life was shaped by growing up in Brownsville, “the murder capital of New York,” the music that got him through prison life and what he’s working on now. Here are his songs.
Rapper's Delight – The Sugarhill Gang
Survival of the Fittest – Mobb Deep
Do What I Gotta Do –...
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October 22, 2024 • 35 mins
Longtime journalist and media entrepreneur Kara Swisher has been covering Silicon Valley and the Internet since the days of dial-up. She’s taken nearly all of technology's titans to task with a fearless, no-nonsense style. But in this episode, she shows another side of herself: the “San Francisco liberal lesbian who loves country music and wanted to be in the military.” Here are her songs.
The Last Great American Dynasty – Taylor...
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October 8, 2024 • 39 mins
Billionaire businessman and investor Mark Cuban is known for making — or crushing — entrepreneurs' dreams on the TV show Shark Tank. But in reality, he's a big softie. Here, he talks about getting his start selling trash bags as a kid, opening a bar before he was even 21, and betting on the Internet early. Here are his seven songs, including his life’s “theme” and a song that brings him to tears.
Play That Funky Music – Wild Cher...
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October 1, 2024 • 38 mins
Today we’re sharing an episode of a podcast from our friends at PBS that we think you’ll really like – American Masters: Creative Spark.
It’s a show that interviews iconic artists across disciplines about their creative journeys in a way that is sure to inspire listeners. This episode features an interview between host Joe Skinner and Tony Award-winning actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The actor discusses the vast “spectrum of realism...
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September 24, 2024 • 30 mins
Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the groundbreaking company leading the development of AGI—artificial general intelligence. AGI aims to create machines that can think, learn, and understand the world like humans—or even better than we can. It’s a concept with the potential to transform every aspect of life, for better or worse. But in this episode, a rare glimpse into the human behind superhuman machine intelligence. Here are his s...
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September 10, 2024 • 30 mins
Rhodessa Jones is a performance artist who turned her life as a nude dancer into a theatrical revolution. From her days in a San Francisco peep show, where she danced to Prince’s “Soft and Wet,” Jones crafted her provocative experiences into a one-woman show that shook up the theater world. Ever since, she’s used her art to empower a generation of women to share their own stories. Here are her songs.
How I Got Over – Mahalia Jack...
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August 27, 2024 • 33 mins
A giant in the field of politics, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich—who stands just under 5 feet tall—has spent a lifetime fighting for, yes, the little guys. He shares how dealing with grade school bullies prepared him to battle for the middle class. Here are his seven songs.
Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael
Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops
Lady Madonna ...
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