Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Michael and Tanya Trotter, the husband-and-wife duo of The War & Treaty, which comes home to perform live at The Hamilton in Washington D.C. on Thursday night. They discuss their D.C. roots before falling in love, getting married, raising a son and launching a Grammy-nominated music career, including a nod for Best New Artist earlier this year. (Theme Music: Scott Bu...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Angela Patton and Natalie Rae, co-directors of the inspiring new documentary "Daughters," which won an Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival and just premiered on Netflix this week. They discuss the emotional journey of chronicling a daddy-daughter dance at the D.C. Jail. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews comedian Iliza Shlesinger, who cracks up The Hall at Live! Casino & Hotel in Arundel Mills, Maryland tomorrow night. She called in to preview the show and her upcoming standup special on Amazon Prime, as well as to reflect on some career highlights. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews jazz icon Wynton Marsalis, who brings The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia tomorrow night. They discuss his journey from New Orleans to New York, from Grammys to Peabodys, receiving the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush and the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Cla...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Collective Soul bass player Will Turpin as the band brings its 30th anniversary tour to Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia this Saturday. They discuss the band’s biggest hits like “Shine,” “December” and “The World I Know.” (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP's Jason Fraley catches up with Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, who bring their farewell tour to Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland on Aug. 15. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer discusses the cinematic impact of his biggest hits, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (“Top Gun”), “Unchained Melody” (“Ghost”) and the Oscar-winning “Time of My Life" (“Dirty Dancing"). (Theme Music:...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Emily Saliers of the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls, who will join Melissa Etheridge on a double bill at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia on Aug. 24-25. They discuss the duo's journey from Georgia to the Grammys with transcendent hits like "Galileo" and “Closer to Fine," the latter returning to the zeitgeist last summer in Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster film “Barbie.” (Theme Mu...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews drummer Rob Mailhouse of Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar, which rock the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia this Friday night. Mailhouse discuses his early days in D.C. at American and Catholic Universities before meeting Keanu Reeves at an L.A. grocery store in 1991 to form Dogstar, which recently reunited after a two-decade hiatus. (Theme Music: Sco...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page, who rocks Rams Head in Annapolis, Maryland exactly "one week" from today on Monday, August 12. They discuss the band’s Canadian roots and their biggest hits from “The Old Apartment” to “One Week,” from "It’s All Been Done” to “Pinch Me,” as well as his favorite songs from his solo career since. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley...

WTOP's Jason Fraley celebrates what would have been the 100th birthday of influential author and activist James Baldwin by flashing back to a 2018 interview with actress KiKi Layne, who starred in Barry Jenkins' brilliant film adaptation of Baldwin's 1974 novel "If Beale Street Could Talk." Rounding out this episode is a replay of Jenkins' conversation from a previous podcast, but it deserves to b...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Tom Johnston of The Doobie Brothers as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band rocks Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia this Sunday. Johnstone describes forming the band as its original lead singer before teaming with Michael McDonald to play countless hits from the band’s different eras, including “Listen to the Music,” “Long Train Runnin,’” “China Grove,” “Black Water”...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews comedian Tom Papa, who cracks up Maryland Hall in Annapolis, Maryland this Friday night. He reflects on his journey in standup comedy and teases his latest standup material as he prepares for his upcoming Netflix special. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Hootie & The Blowfish lead guitarist Mark Bryan as the band rocks Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland this Saturday night. He discusses growing up in Maryland before forming the band with Darius Rucker in South Carolina to release their breakthrough album "Cracked Rear View," which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clari...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Zachary Levi & Zooey Deschanel, who visit Washington D.C. for a sneak peek at their new movie "Harold and the Purple Crayon" tomorrow night at the Library of Congress. They discuss the magic of the family-friendly flick adapted from the classic children’s book, as well as Zooey’s memories of “Elf,” “500 Days of Summer” and “New Girl.” (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "C...

WTOP's Jason Fraley flashes back to his interview with Hugh Jackman as "Deadpool & Wolverine" opens in movie theaters nationwide today. They spoke in 2017 shortly after the release of "Logan" when Jackman visited the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. for "A Night of Laughter and Song." You'll also hear Bob Roth, President of the David Lynch Foundation, which hosted the event to promote Transcenden...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW star Jeff Jarrett, who visits Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick, Maryland tomorrow night. They discuss his journey as a third-generation star in professional wrestling, from his father’s territory days to his own successful runs in the WWF, WCW, TNA and now AEW. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis as the Grammy-nominated metalcore band rocks The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland this Friday night. They discuss the band’s evolution across all of their albums, as well Lambesis' own personal journey seeking redemption, forgiveness and a second chance. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices....

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Joey Fatone of NSYNC who teams with AJ McLean of The Backstreet Boys for a special boy-band combo concert at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland this Saturday night. They discuss potential singing mashups like "Tearin' Up My Heart" vs. "Quit Playing Games with My Heart," as well as similarities between the dance choreography of NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me" and B...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews actress Haley Bennett about her new movie 'Widow Clicquot,” which opens nationwide tomorrow. She called in to discuss Clicquot’s female entrepreneurial spirit and the uphill battle to get the film made, as well as her reaction to on-screen brother J.D. Vance in “Hillbilly Elegy” becoming the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters as the legendary singing group performs at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on July 26. She discusses her place as the group's last surviving founding member and how she's carrying on the group's legacy with her daughter and granddaughter, singing hits like “Slow Hand” and “I’m So Excited.” (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews comedian Patton Oswalt, who performs live at The Lyric in Baltimore, Maryland this Friday night. Oswalt reflects on growing up in Northern Virginia before moving out west for an Emmy and Grammy-winning comedy career, as well as voicing the Oscar-winning Pixar animated film “Ratatouille.” (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

WTOP's Jason Fraley marks the start of the 2024 Republican National Convention by flashing back to a conversation with Dana Perino, former White House Press Secretary to George W. Bush, when she visited Warner Theatre in Washington D.C. a week before the 2017 inauguration. You'll hear them try to make sense of Hillary Clinton's 2016 election loss to Donald Trump, who survived an apparent assassina...

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews country music star Sam Hunt, who brings his “Locked Up Tour” to Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia this Friday night. They break down his biggest hits from “Take Your Time” to “House Party,” from “Body Like a Back Road” to “Outskirts.” (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews D.C. go-go legend Sugar Bear as his band Experience Unlimited (EU) celebrates 50 years by rocking Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia this Friday, followed by Bethesda Theater in Bethesda, Maryland on July 26-27. They discuss his journey from growing up in D.C. to recording the smash hit "Da Butt" on the soundtrack of Spike Lee's "School Daze." (Theme Music: Scott B...

WTOP's Jason Fraley marks the Fourth of July by interviewing Margaret Colin, who starred in the 1996 sci-fi action blockbuster “Independence Day," in which she played Jeff Goldblum’s ex-wife and the White House Communications Director for Bill Pullman’s president. They discussed the film's 20th anniversary back in 2016 when she visited Washington D.C. to perform in the Arena Stage play “The City o...