Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Lonnie Jordan of the classic funk-rock band War, who plays the Lake Arbor Jazz Festival in Mitchellville, Maryland tonight, followed by The Tally-Ho Theater in Leesburg, Virginia on July 29. They spoke when the band played The Birchmere back in 2016, breaking down the band's catchiest hits like "Spill the Wine," "Low Rider" and "Why Can't We Be F...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley wishes a happy 70th birthday to Marky Ramone, drummer for the pioneering punk-rock band The Ramones. Jason tag-teamed this interview with WTOP colleague Neal Augenstein in 2015 when Marky Ramone released his memoir "Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone." (Royalty-Free Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Grammy winner Ashanti, who is publishing a new children's book "My Story is a Name" to encourage kids with unique names. They also discuss the 20th anniversary of her music career, including radio hits like "Foolish," "Always on Time," "Mesmerize" and "What's Luv?" (Royalty-Free Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad cho...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with actor/singer Michael C. Hall, drummer Peter Yanowitz and keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen of the "gothadelic" band Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum, which rocks Baltimore Soundstage on July 22. They discuss meeting on the set of Broadway's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Hall also shares memories of playing iconic TV roles in "Dexter" and "Six Feet...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley wishes Malala Yousafzai a happy 25th birthday today. Today's podcast features this 2015 conversation with filmmaker Davis Guggenheim about his documentary "He Named Me Malala," chronicling her journey from surviving a Taliban attack to becoming a global ambassador for girls' education and the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. (Royalt...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Living Colour frontman Corey Glover, who performs live tomorrow with Soul Asylum at City Winery in Washington D.C. They spoke in 2017 when Glover performed a Bill Withers tribute at the now-defunct Gypsy Sally's in Georgetown, breaking down Glover's film roles like "Platoon" and his timeless funk-metal hits like "Cult of Personality." (Royalty-Fr...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with rock legend Peter Frampton to mark the 50th anniversary of releasing his first album in the U.S. on July 10, 1972. They spoke in 2016 when he performed at the Kennedy Center, sharing memories of growing up with David Bowie, developing his signature talk-box style and recording hits like “Do You Feel Like I Do,” “Show Me the Way” and “Baby I Love...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with country star LeAnn Rimes, who performs live tonight at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia. They spoke in 2017 when Rimes performed with the NSO Pops at the Kennedy Center, discussing hits like "Blue," "How Do I Live" and "I Need You." (Royalty-Free Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with country music superstar Dierks Bentley, who performs live tomorrow night at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. They discuss his countless hits, including "What Was I Thinking?," "Settle for a Slowdown," "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do," "Drunk on a Plane" and "Burning Man." (Royalty-Free Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn mor...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Buffalo Springfield co-founder Richie Furay, who releases a new album of country duets tomorrow called "In The Country," featuring collaborations with Vince Gill and Timothy B. Schmit. He also shares memories of meeting Stephen Stills and Neil Young to form Buffalo Springfield for a string of iconic '60s songs like "For What It's Worth." (Royalty...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with celebrity chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio about their journey from Frederick, Maryland to competing against each other on TV's "Top Chef" to creating restaurants like Voltaggio Brothers Steak House at MGM National Harbor. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion")

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Asia Featuring John Payne before the band rocks Rams Head in Annapolis, Maryland on July 12. They discuss the 40th anniversary of the band's debut album with the hit song "Heat of the Moment," as well as the 30th anniversary of "Aqua," Payne's first album with the band. (Royalty-Free Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your a...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with "I Will Survive" disco queen Gloria Gaynor, who performs live in Washington D.C. this weekend at "A Capitol Fourth" on July 4. They spoke in 2017 when Gaynor headlined the Library of Congress' special disco series "Bibliodiscotheque" where she discussed her fan-fueled book “We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration and the Power...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Grammy-nominated country music star Mickey Guyton, who hosts "A Capitol Fourth" on PBS this weekend for the Fourth of July. They discuss the all-star lineup, as well as her own rise to stardom with hits like "Black Like Me," "Remember Her Name" and "What Are You Gonna Tell Her?" She even discusses her recent song "All American," perfect for Indep...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Béla Fleck, who performs live at Wolf Trap in Virginia on Saturday. They discuss his illustrious career from New Grass Revival to The Flecktones, racking up over a dozen Grammys along the way. (Royalty-Free Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Grammy-winning gospel great Yolanda Adams, who performs live at "A Capitol Fourth" this weekend for the Fourth of July. They discuss this year's lineup, including her admiration for host Mickey Guyton. (Royalty-Free Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with NBA legend and Hall of Famer Grant Hill about his new memoir "Game: An Autobiography." They discuss his life story, growing up in Virginia, throwing that iconic buzzer-beater pass to Christian Laettner at Duke University, and his stellar NBA career with the Detroit Pistons and beyond. He even names the toughest opponent that he ever had to guard....

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with two-time Grammy winner Peabo Bryson, who performs tomorrow at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club in Bethesda, Maryland. They discuss his career from solo hits to iconic duets, joining Celine Dion for Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and Regina Belle for "A Whole New World" in Disney's "Aladdin." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastch...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with the supergroup Voices of Classic Soul, which visits Washington D.C. this weekend to perform at the Mayflower Hotel on Friday and the Carlyle Room on Saturday. The group includes Joe Coleman (The Platters), Joe Blunt (The Drifters) and Theo Peoples (The Temptations and The Four Tops).Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Def Leppard's longtime lead guitarist Phil Collen as the band rocks Nationals Park tonight in Washington D.C. They spoke in 2018 when the band played Jiffy Lube Live in Virginia, breaking down hits like "Photograph," "Foolin,'" "Rock of Ages," "Hysteria" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Mary Badham, who played the original Scout Finch in Hollywood classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962). Starting today, she's starring in a stage version at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. They discuss the new play and her memories of working with Gregory Peck on screen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Myles Frost about becoming the youngest individual actor ever to win the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical thanks to his role as Michael Jackson in "MJ: The Musical." This is their second conversation in recent weeks, so be sure to scroll down and check out their first conversation in our archives to hear all about his journey from Maryland...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with three-time Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito, who performs at 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. on Wednesday night. He shares how his Virginia ancestry inspired his newest album "White Jesus Black Problems" and how a car accident and coma changed his perspective on life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley celebrates Father's Day by chatting with John Carter Cash, the only son of Johnny Cash and June Carter. They spoke in 2016 about publishing his father’s poetry in the book “Forever Words: The Unknown Poems.” You'll also hear a second interview with Johnny Cash’s daughter, Roseanne Cash, who performed country hits like "Seven Year Ache" at Strathmore in 2019...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Broadway legend Donna McKechnie to mark the 25th anniversary of "A Chorus Line" ending its streak as the longest-running Broadway production at 6,137 performances. They spoke in 2017 when McKechnie starred in "The Pajama Game" at Arena Stage in Washington D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices