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Bobby Rydell is one of rock n’ roll’s early pioneers and an original teen idol. Scoring numerous hits of the late Fifties / early Sixties, like “Wild One,” “Swinging School,” “Volare” and “Forget Him.” He starred in the 1963 film Bye Bye Birdie alongside Ann Margaret and Dick Van Dyke, he’s also appeared on television and made the successful transition to playing the supper club circuit in Las Veg...

Rhonda Ross has some very famous parents - the only daughter of legendary singer Diana Ross and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. Yet, she’s always walked to her own beat - first making a name for herself as an actress - garnering a Daytime Emmy Nomination for her role on the NBC soap opera Another World, and being named one of the “10 Most Fascinating Television Stars” by People Magazine. But, she e...

The Bangles first received national attention with their debut album, All Over the Place in 1984, and the MTV hit, “Hero Takes a Fall.”  The followup album, Different Light, would go triple platinum and spawn three massive hits with “Manic Monday,” “If She Knew What She Wants,” and “Walk Like An Egyptian.”  The Bangles have just issued Ladies & Gentlemen…the Bangles on Omnivore Records featuring t...

Holger Peterson started Stony Plain Records 40 years ago at his kitchen table with partner Alvin Jahns. It’s grown into one of the most respected independent labels in history, balancing a roster of legendary artists like Maria Muldaur, Ian Tyson and Long John Baldry with up and coming acts. To celebrate, they’ve released 40 Years of Stony Plain, a 3-disc set highlighting artists on the label, plu...

Bruce Channel wrote and recorded one of the most iconic songs of the early rock n’ roll era with “Hey Baby” - a number one hit in 1962, featuring harmonica from Delbert McClinton. That one song has endured, being included in movies like Dirty Dancing, TV shows like Mad Men, and has been covered by many other artists. During his early success, Channel had a chance to tour Europe - and played a gig...

Our conversation with Ting Markulin, rhythm guitarist for the Human Beinz, continues.  After the success of their lone hit, “Nobody But Me,” how did they try and follow it up?  Markulin also talks about how Capitol Records misspelled their name, how the band toured with the Beach Boys, and met someone who would go on to be one of the most notorious criminals of the last 50 years. The Human Beinz a...

The Human Beinz emerged from Youngstown, Ohio in 1968 scoring a #8 hit with their cover of the Isley Brothers’ song “Nobody But Me.”  Ting Markulin, the band’s rhythm guitarist, is the only remaining original member.  In part one of our interview, Markulin talks about the band’s early days, including the unlikely story of how they got signed to Capitol Records, and how “Nobody” happened by acciden...

Guitarist Makana plays in an interesting style native to his home of Hawaii – slack key guitar. It’s a dazzling method that sounds like 3 guitars are all playing at once: the bass, rhythm and melody.  He’s performed on three Grammy-nominated albums, including the soundtrack to the Descendants, starring George Clooney. He’s received acclaim from contemporaries like Joe Satriani and Kirk Hammett of...

BJ Thomas is a 5-time Grammy winner who’s sold over 70 million records worldwide.  His hits endure to this day – songs like “Hooked on a Feeling,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Another Done Somebody Wrong Song,” and “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.”  He remains active, still recording and playing shows to this day.  Thomas tells us the stories behind some of his biggest songs, and about touri...

Gary Lucas wrote songs for Jeff Buckley and played guitar with Captain Beefheart. His latest project is a pairing with acclaimed vocalist Jann Klose for a stripped-down, acoustic-based album called Stereopticon. Lucas tells us how he got hooked up with Klose and the stories behind several songs on the new record. He also talks about meeting Buckley for the first time and writing songs for the Grac...

Carlos Calvo is known as "Hollywood's Guitar Teacher."  He's taught Maroon 5's Adam Levine, and actors David Duchovny (X-Files, Californication) and Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure) how to play.  Plus, he's worked as a guitar coach, teaching actors how to portray musicians on the big screen. Calvo also writes and records his own music and has just released his first new album in 15 years called Furt...

Craig Chaquico was the guitarist for Jefferson Starship during their Seventies’ heyday, providing solos on such hits as “Count on Me,” “Miracles” and “Find Your Way Back.” He’s now trying to recover a guitar that he used to record many of those hit songs. Originally thought to be lost during a riot in Germany in 1978, Chaquico’s prized guitar was recently discovered in the hands of a collector. We...

Resonance Records has just issued a pair of archival releases from legendary saxophonist Stan Getz, recorded at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco.  The first, Getz/Gilberto ’76, captures a rare performance between two giants of bossa nova, Getz and vocalist Joao Gilberto.  The second, Moments in Time, features Getz with a phenomenal trio of musicians.  We chat with label Vice President Zev Feld...

David Lanz is a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum artist, who’s been a frequent guest on our show.  Recently his career has taken a different path, collaborating with vocalist Kristin Amarie.  Their latest project is called Silhouettes of Love, and it sees the pair adding elements of classical, soul and smooth jazz for a uniquely romantic album.

Author Robert Rodriguez returns to the show to discuss Beatles 1 Plus…a repackaging of the best-selling Fab Four hits collection, featuring all 27 of the Beatles #1 hits, accompanied by a DVD of those same songs in video form (read our review of the set here). We talk about the origins of many of the video clips, the improved audio quality, and what things were omitted.  Rodriguez has written seve...

Geoff Tate fronted Queensryche for 30 years, selling millions of albums, including the multi-platinum smash Empire. He also set the standard for concept albums with 1988’s Operation: Mindcrime. After an acrimonious split with his former members, Tate has emerged with a new project and a familiar name – Operation Mindcrime. The first new release is called The Key, and it’s part one of an ambitious...

How many #1 hits did the Beatles have? How long did Thriller stay on the album charts? Did Milli Vanilli really have that many charting singles? These are all questions that have been answered thanks to the staff of Record Research. Joel Whitburn began compiling the chart data of Billboard magazine back in the early Seventies. Since then, his company has released hundreds of books, covering the po...

Peter Case has had a long and diverse career, which began in the mid Seventies with his first band the Nerves. They didn’t sell a lot of records, but ended up being very influential on many bands that came after. Case fronted the Plimsouls through the mid-Eighties, scoring an MTV hit with “A Million Miles Away.” After his band broke up, and right in the middle of the BIG Eighties, he embarked on a...

2Ton Bridge is Alexander Wright, a hands-on troubadour with a voice of reason, digging deep into rich musical soil. We reviewed the new music and said it has the ability to “take you out of your current surroundings.” Wright sings, and plays acoustic guitar & banjo, and he’s backed by a crack band of seasoned veterans. Wright recently released a Digital 45 of two songs – “Pennies on the Shore” and...

Guitar Player Magazine described Omar Dykes – “his guitar playing slices like a freight train pullin’ a load of Texas tone, and his voice has the kind of delivery that could shatter a beer stein.” Dykes has been making music for over 50 years, and he’s showing no sign of slowing down. 2014 was a particularly emotional year for him – he lost four dear friends that had been a part of his career. Usi...

Webb Wilder has been described by 20th Century Guitar Magazine as “a master at scrambling the sounds, songs and threads of country, blues, British rock, rockabilly, and the freedom and emotion of soul music.” We talk to the Mississippi native about his first new record since 2009, Mississippi Moderne, and writing with legendary songsmith Dan Penn.

In Texas, everything is larger than life, and that includes Kinky Friedman, the cigar-smoking, self-proclaimed Jewish cowboy, who first got noticed with his debut album, Sold American from 1973. He toured with Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, and he’s even been on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. He’s a songwriter, satirist, author, politician, entrepreneur, and animal lover. Yet, it’s been an eternity...

It was 60 years ago that James Dean, his star just beginning to rise, died in an auto accident. The crash, and the events surrounding Dean’s death have been shrouded in mystery. Author Keith Elliot Greenberg attempts to put some of those pieces together in a new book, Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: James Dean’s Final Hours, from Applause Books. We talked with Greenberg back in 2010 about anot...

Legendary vocalist Jon Anderson led the progressive rock band Yes for almost 40 years – his soaring voice can be heard on such classic albums as Fragile, Close to the Edge and 90125. The work he did with that band brought a level of sophistication seldom heard in popular music. Anderson stepped away for a solo career in 2008. His latest project returns him to a band format – and has been a long ti...

Johnny Mathis has spent 60 years singing and recording the music he loves. He’s enjoyed unprecedented worldwide success and his hits have included “Chances Are,” “Wonderful Wonderful,” “Misty,” and “It’s Not For Me to Say.” He’s also been a pioneer at the same time – in ways you might not even realize. For instance, he was the first artist ever to release a Greatest Hits album. He’s getting ready...