Lyrics Of Their Life - The Music Biography Podcast

In this bonus mini episode we delve into the latest ground breaking information revealed just days ago by La Nej Garrison, the daughter of the "Billie Jean" stalker, Lavon Powlis who recently revealed in an interview with podcast host Sean McDowell what it was like growing up believing the king of pop was her real biological father, the devastating reality of her mother's mental health struggles,...

On this episode of Lyrics of Their Life , we delve deep into the story behind one of the darkest but greatest pop tracks of all time: Michael Jackson’s "Billie Jean." Come with me behind the scenes of a grueling recording process that saw Quincy Jones and Michael clash over creative differences. We'll revisit the literal trial by fire when Michael's car almost went up in flames as he was entirely...

In this episode of On The Rise, we explore the meteoric rise of Alabama’s own Ella Langley. From her humble beginnings in the small town of Hope Hull, where she once used her family’s herd of cattle as her adoring audience, to the massive arenas she commands today, Ella’s story is one of grit, determination, and raw talent. Together, we’ll trace her path from singing "Amazing Grace" in a Southern...

Did Phil Collins really watch on as a drowning man was refused help by a bystander and did Phil confront this bystander when inviting him to the front row of his show? For over 40 years, one of rock music’s darkest urban legends has surrounded the hit "In The Air Tonight.". However the misunderstood lyrics actually tell the true story of Phil's marriage breakdown and the bitterness, betrayal and a...

In this episode we take an in depth look into the albums Subtract, Autumn Variations & Ed's brand new album Play as the Loop Era begins. Following a period of loss, reflection and time away from the spotlight, this chapter explores how Ed Sheeran rebuilds his life and career both personally and creatively and what this new era says about the artist he’s become and the music he plans to create...

In this episode of Lyrics Of Their Life – The Story Behind , we delve into the powerful and deeply moving story behind The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II) by Rod Stewart. Released in 1976, the song was inspired by the real-life murder of a friend of Rod's and the band "Faces" — a young gay man who was killed by a New Jersey gang of youths during a time when homosexuality was still criminalised...

Over five years ago, I told the story of Ed Sheeran’s rise from small town boy to global superstar. Since then, his life has been completely transformed as we return to his story. In this episode we explore everything that’s happened since from Ed’s time away from the music scene to focus on starting his family, his return with the Equals album and Mathematics Tour, the plagiarism court cases invo...

We take a trip down memory lane in this episode from 2020 as we gear up to bring you 2 brand new episodes following Ed Sheeran's rollercoaster journey over the past 5 and a half years. In this episode we explore the life and music of the very talented singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. From his childhood through to his days busking and attempting to make it in the music industry as he battles and overc...

In this episode of Lyrics Of Their Life – The Story Behind , we delve into the story behind the classic rock anthem "Smoke On The Water" by Deep Purple and the 1971 Montreux casino fire that inspired the song. We also take a look at the challenging recording process for the track as well as the Machine Head album and the impact the song has had to this day. This episode was written, researched, na...

In the final part of the Meat Loaf story we journey through his last 25 years before his passing in 2022. As we take a look at Meat's struggle to stay relevant in an ever changing industry as the hit albums appear to dry up. We also touch on the infamous AFL grand final performance, Meat's health scares including multiple on stage collapses, the passing of friend and collaborator Jim Steinman and...

In this episode of Lyrics Of Their Life – The Story Behind , we delve into the devastating  tragedy that inspired one of the most moving ballads ever written, “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton. As we examine how the deeply flawed Eric Clapton confronted unimaginable grief after the tragic death of his four and a half year old son Conor,  who tragically fell 53 storeys from a New York apartment bui...

In Part 3 of the Meat Loaf story , we explore the turbulent years and meteoric comeback between Dead Ringer and Bat Out of Hell II .  As Meat Loaf’s partnership with Jim Steinman collapses once again after Dead Ringer fails to live up to expectation and Steinman is released from his recording contract. As Steinman finds new found success penning massive hits for other artists like Bonnie Tyler wit...

In this episode, we delve into the tragic and controversial story that inspired the Boomtown Rats’ haunting hit, "I Don't Like Mondays." We trace the origins of the song and how lead singer Bob Geldof and keyboardist Johnny Fingers came up with the idea, before taking listeners back to 1979 when 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer opened fire at a school in San Diego, California, killing two people and...

In this special episode, I catch up with an old mate and one of Australia's rising country music artists, Billy Gudgeon. We dive into everything from growing up in a small country town to the musical influences that shaped his sound. Billy shares some wild on-stage stories, opens up about the meaning behind songs like Back To Country , Husband & Wife , and Kiss My Glass , and even reveals whic...

Bat Out Of Hell would cement Meat Loaf as a household name and rising star of the music industry but fame hit hard. In this episode, we trace the whirlwind rise that led to physical collapse, creative clashes, and personal turning points. From losing his voice to butting heads with his creative partner Jim Steinman, the pressure would become all too much for Meat as cracks began to show on and off...

In this brand new series, we dig deep into the story behind some of the most memorable hits that we all know and love. In this episode of The Story Behind we uncover the unexpected and harrowing origin of the feel-good anthem “Dancing in the Moonlight.” What sounds like a carefree celebration of joy and unity under moonlit skies was, in fact, born out of a traumatic and violent experience. Songwri...

In this special episode I sit down for an interview with an up-and-coming indie artist out of Canada named Nova Wolf formerly known as Lil Wolf. Currently based in LA, Nova Wolf blends the genres of electronica, afro house and ambient soul creating warm melodic tracks with lyrics straight from the heart. During the interview we discover Nova Wolf’s musical influences, his struggles growing up incl...

In this first instalment of the Meat Loaf story we explore Marvin Lee Aday's childhood as he struggled with being raised in a strict Christian household alongside his abusive alcoholic father Orvis and his "angel" of a mother Wilma. As we discover the origin of the name Meat Loaf, the severe bullying Meat endured while attending school due to  his weight, his incredible interaction with President...

In this episode of "On The Rise" we delve into the story of rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter as we follow her rise to stardom from her early days raised in small town Pennsylvania in the USA as she graced the stage at her elementary school talent shows to touring with the likes of Taylor Swift, selling out her own headline shows, bagging chart topping singles and albums worldwide and taking home...

In this episode we delve into the story of Graeme "Shirley" Strachan and the Skyhooks members as we assess their rise to the top of the Australian music industry during the 1970's with hits like Horror Movie, Living In The 70's, Jukebox In Siberia, Ego Is Not A Dirty Word and All My Friends Are Getting Married. We also learn about all 5 members upbringings, how the Skyhooks formed, their attempt t...

In this episode of "On The Rise" we explore the music and journey so far of Amber Bain aka The Japanese House as we discover how Amber came up with her stage name, the meaning behind some of her songs including Something Has To Change, Saw You In A Dream, Lilo and more. We also delve into Amber's struggle with her sexuality, her musical influences, her biggest achievements so far and her interesti...

In the final chapter of the Tiny Tim story we delve into his final living years as Tiny battles with being tagged with the dreaded "has been" tag while he also battles serious health issues that threaten to end his career and his life. In this episode Tiny joins the circus, stars in a horror film, marries twice and attempts to launch his own children's tv show while he also makes appearances on th...

In Part 3 of the Tiny Tim story, we delve into Tiny's tumultuous relationship with Miss Vicky riddled with cheating scandals, emotional abuse and some physical. As the couple also suffer the devastating loss of a child that Tiny controversially named "IT" and celebrate the birth of their daughter Tulip. However as their marriage comes to an end, so to does Tiny's relationship with his daughter as...

In Part 2 of the Tiny Tim story, we jump right back in as Tiny begins his climb to fame, performing in the gay bars of Greenwich village, New York, before landing his first record deal with Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records. We analyse Tiny's struggles with money, fame and women as Tiny becomes involved in a number of scandals that almost cost him his shot at the big time. We also take an in depth l...

In Part 1 of this Halloween special, we delve into the real life horror story of Tiny Tim known best for his eerie rendition of Tiptoe Through The Tulips, accompanied by his ukulele and high falsetto vocal style as we explore the twisted origins of Herbert Butros Khaury and the trauma that he endured growing up, battling with his strict Marxist parents and his faith in god, to which Herbert claims...