On The Sofa With Esther: Where Legends and Stars Hang Out

"On the Sofa with Esther" takes a trip down memory lane with a special interview with the legendary Little Anthony from The Imperials, originally recorded in 2018 . Little Anthony, born Jerome Anthony Gourdine on January 8, 1941, is a legendary American singer and the lead vocalist of the iconic R&B group Little Anthony and The Imperials. Known for his smooth falsetto and emotionally charged p...

'On the Sofa with Esther' is a talk show hosted by Esther Austin, featuring interviews with various personalities. In this episode, she interviewed Felton Pilate and Michael Cooper, members of the legendary funk band Con Funk Shun. During the interview, they discussed their musical journey, the evolution of the band, and their experiences in the music industry. Con Funk Shun, formed in the...

On the Sofa with Esther: Basil Bankston Join Esther as she sits down with the talented Basil Bankston, a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and renowned trumpeter. Discover the stories behind his music, his journey through the world of performance, performing with some of the top lead Tribute Bands i.e The Dynamics, The Platters etc and the inspiration fueling his artistry. Whether you're a music e...

Here's a refined, engaging introduction for Sarah Brown's appearance on On the Sofa with Esther: Joining On the Sofa with Esther is the extraordinary Sarah Brown, who released her debut album Sarah Brown Sings Mahalia Jackson in 2023. This heartfelt collection showcases Sarah's unique interpretations of timeless classics by Mahalia Jackson, one of the most iconic gospel singers of the 20th century...

Joining 'On the Sofa with Esther is Opera Singer Capri Compton with her first single 'The Song of the Butterfly' from her HipHopera album, where she collaborates with rapper Dre infinite where she sings Opera Arias, which has been released on Enthrone Records Ent. Capri's love for opera and wanting to find a way to share the beauty of the music with mainstream audiences lead her to create the Hip...

On the Sofa with Esther : Shirley Jones, of the iconic group The Jones Girls, joins me to share the heartfelt story behind her tribute album Reflections: In Loving Memory . This deeply personal album honors the legacy of her two late sisters, blending nostalgia and love into every track. Tune in for an intimate conversation about music, family, and remembrance. Intro Voice Over: Darnel Alexander I...

On the Sofa with Esther : C.A.L Alston, son of music legend Gerald Alston, joins me to discuss his eclectic album Rebirth and Reverberation . In this deep and insightful conversation, C.A.L, son of legend Gerald Alston of The Manhattans, shares the story of his personal growth and how it profoundly shaped his creative journey and this transformative album. Tune in for an inspiring exploration of m...

On the Sofa with Esther : Join me in a heartfelt conversation with June Carryl, a talented USA actor and playwriter, as we delve into the inspiration behind her bold and thought-provoking play Blue , which tackles the complexities of policing. Tune in for insights, powerful storytelling, and a glimpse into her creative journey. June Carryl, the playwright behind BLUE , also takes on the role of De...

Welcome to On the Sofa with Esther Podcast with Voice Over by Diane Mathis, Singer, Actor, Songwriter and featuring music legends The Late Sonny Turner from The Original Platters and Lamont McLemore from The Fifth Dimension; Roy Hamilton Jr, the son of Roy Hamilton who was known as The Golden Boy of Song; Wayne Vaughn Producer and Keyboardist and husband of Wanda Vaughn of The Emotions; William 'M...

Legend Freda Payne, known for 'Band of Gold' talks about her friendship with the late Lamont Dozier, (June 16, 1941 – August 8, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Detroit, Michigan, known as the Motown master craftsman who created miracles under pressure.  Freda shares about his influence in her life and her career.

On the Sofa with Esther Formed in London, UK, Brand New Heavies are a pioneering jazz collective who helped create the sound of acid jazz, fusing funk, soul and hip hop production ... Here Esther talks to Andrew Levy, Founding member from Brand New Heavies ahead of their live stream gig at The Jazz Café in February 2021 about their album TBNH.

We are all on our own individual journey. Each day is a new day, a new start, a new awareness of who we are of where we want to go in our lives. This podcast seeks to inspire and encourage us all, myself included to reach for the skies to be the best for ourselves, to know it's ok to look at the man in the mirror knowing it's ok to look at ourselves and to dig deep and heal and understand and expa...

On Wednesday 18th August 2021, all roads led to the the Odeon Luxe and Dine in Islington, as members of the Press congregated to celebrate the launch of Marshayne's latest single 'I Kneel for You' (formerly known as Wayne 'G-Spot' Marshall).  Another sassy, sexy track of pure sexual indulgence that could make anyone grow weak at the knees and which also came with a titillating video, full of...

"The Jones Girls were an American R&B vocal trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Consisting of Brenda, Shirley and Valorie Jones, The Jones Girls first signed and recorded for GM Records in 1970. The trio were best known for their singles during the late–1970s through the 1980s; most notably 1979's "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else." Wikipedia The Legendary Shirley Jones,...

Whittington Still is one of the most incredible Soul/Rnb/Jazz Singers/Songwriters I have come across in a long time. Her velvety, sultry, deeply rich vocals is able to take you on a journey beyond yourself.  Likened to Phyllis Hyman, Whittington takes you on an incredible journey.  Whittington has been crafting her art for a long time and has produced some incredible tracks such as: Miss...

Esther talks to Jon about his upcoming album 'We Are' to be released on 19th March.  Jon and his band are performing live at The Brooklyn Bowl on March 11th. Jon is an American musician, bandleader, and television personality.  'We Are' is an eclectic mix of a compilation of various genres of song and music, along with Jon's deeply rich, melodic voice of consciousness - as he ranges from...

John 'The Bossman' Hall joins me on the sofa with an eclectic story of his life in the entertainment industry and all the amazing artists and legends he has worked and performed with. John 'The Bossman' Hall is from Philadelphia and is a performer, singer, dancer and actor who has had an eclectic career in the entertainment industry.  He comes from a family of entertainers.  He is an inc...

Another great conversation with an incredible person.  Apt for celebrating Valentine's Day.  Here Chris talks about his late brother Eddie, his passion for music.  He gives an insight into the journey of The Real Thing and more. Remember tunes such as: Can you Feel the Force?  Children of the Ghetto? You to me Are Everything? Also you will hear Five Minutes of Health Motivation...

Freda Payne is an American singer and actress and is best known for her career in music during the mid–1960s through the mid–1980s. Her most notable record is “Band of Gold“  her 1970 hit single. Freda was also an actress in musicals and film, as well as the host of a TV talk show and she is the older sister of Scherrie Payne, a former singer with the American vocal group The Supremes. On the...

Valentine's Day has been celebrated for centuries.  The music of Marvin Gaye is legendary for that of love and sensuality.  On today's show I talk to his sister the wonderful Zeola Gaye who has written a book 'My Brother Marvin.'  Zeola Gaye shares candidly brief excerpts of her life growing up and what her father was like as well as Marvin.  She touches briefly on the relation...

Esther interviews The Three Degrees, Valerie Holiday, Helen Scott and Freddie Pool who are a female Philadelphia soul and disco vocal musical group , formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The threesome have retained all three of their major qualities — their beauty, their sparkling choreography and their precise vocal qualities. The Three Degrees have been in the business for over 50...

Benidito King is the eldest son of Legend Ben E King.  Benidito is a Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Musician at Torrienti's Enterprises.   Ben E. King was Famous for his songs Stand By Me, Spanish Harlem, and I Who Have Nothing.  Here we talk briefly about his father, Ben E King and memories from his childhood.  A fabulous discussion with an incredible artist about his music, hi...

Darryl F. Walker is a Singer/Saxophonist/Percussionist/Songwriter and International Recording Artist.  I've had the pleasure of interviewing Darryl on several occasions.  Darryl is an incredible artists with stunning vocals.  In this interview he talks about wisdom gained from his journey and his passion for music.  Listen to this interview and some of his tracks such as 'Hold...

"The Brand New Heavies’ debut album first strutted its way into the public eye with a winning funky formula that would go on to earn them sixteen Top 40 hits and three million worldwide album sales, not to mention two UK Platinum albums? Emerging at the heart of the Acid Jazz scene, they made an instant impact with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, and over the last three decades the band h...

Gregory Williams is the founder/leader of former Motown Recording group SWITCH to President/CEO of Switch Entertainment LLC to date, musician/vocalist/songwriter Gregory Williams. Winner of ASCAP’s Top 100 R&B Songwriters for the years of 1979 and 1980; Gold and Platinum Album Awards as artist/producer/writer for Switch and Switch II; Gold Album Awards for Best of  Switch and Multi Platinum Album...