The Paul Leslie Hour

Bill Shapiro is a best-selling author and editor. The former Editor-in-Chief of LIFE magazine, he went on to be the founding Editor-in-Chief of LIFE.com and won the 2011 National Magazine Award foro digital photography. His most recent work is a book co-authored with Naomi Wax entitled What We Keep: 150 People Share the One Object that Brings Them Joy, Magic and Meaning. It's nice to speak with so...

Bill Frisell is a virtuoso guitarist, composer, arranger, and Grammy award-winning recording artist. Considered one of the greatest jazz guitarists, Frisell interprets his own compositions as well as songs from throughout the musical landscape including American Songbook classics, country, rock, etc. He is a prolific recording artist having released dozens of studio and live albums including the a...

Mark Chatterley is an accomplished visual artist. With 30 years experience in figurative sculpture, his work is nationally and internationally renowned. In addition to being a sculptor, Chatterley occasionally works in the 2D realm. Roaming through Chattanooga, Tennessee may bring you to an enchanting place called the "River Gallery Sculpture Garden," with a scenic view of the Tennessee River. Pro...

Shelby Kennedy has worn a lot of hats. He's a songwriter who has had his songs recorded by everyone from Reba McEntire, Mel McDaniel to Ray Charles. Kennedy has also worked in the business side of music and has signed many great writers to both ASCAP and BMI. He's the Vice President of Entertainment Relations for Tune Core, a service that provides independent musicians and songwriters with tools t...

Alan & Marilyn Bergman , two of the most important song lyricists in the entire world are here on The Paul Leslie Hour to talk about their storied life in music. Alan & Marilyn Bergman wrote songs with some of the greatest composers in music: Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel, David Shire, Sérgio Mendes, Dave Grusin, John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch and others. Their songs have been sung by the...

John D. Loudermilk was a legendary songwriter who lived from 1934 and passed away in 2016. I was interested in interviewing him and was told by one of the foremost experts on Loudermilk that he does not give interviews and that's all there is to it. A letter sent to his home was replied to by telephone and he agreed to be interviewed. Although he did make records under his own name, Loudermilk's s...

Robert Davi is a singer-extraordinaire. This interview was taped back in 2014 and broadcast on the radio and was published in La Revista, a bilingual international magazine. The interview focused in part on his 2011 debut studio album "Davi Sings Sinatra: On the Road to Romance" produced by the legendary Phil Ramone. Of course many know him for the versatile actor that he is, but in my heart and m...

Hugh Prestwood is a songwriter. He's also a recording artist in his own right. Prestwood writes primarily in the country genre, although his first hit song was "Hard Times for Lover." He's had many recording artists in the world of country, folk and Americana record his songs: Trisha Yearwood, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Michael Johnson, Jimmy Buffett, and Don Williams just to name a few. Enjoy t...

Mac McAnally is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and inductee in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. A respected recording artist, he's released more than a dozen albums. He's won the CMA Musician of the Year award 9 times now, tying him with the late Chet Atkins for most wins in that category. Mac McAnally is also a record producer and has produced for such acts as the band Sawyer B...

Gino Vannelli is a singer, songwriter, musician performing and recording artist. Hailing from Montreal Canada his signature songs include his biggest hit single “I Just Wanna Stop” written by his brother and collaborator Ross Vannelli and Living Inside Myself Which he wrote himself. Unlike the lyrics of his famous song, Vannelli has never stopped. With close to 2 dozen studio and live albums many...

Tom T. Hall has been called a country music legend or as he is commonly called The Storyteller. Known for such iconic songs as Old Dogs Children and Watermelon Wine , I Love, Harper Valley PTA, That’s How I Got to Memphis and so many others. Tom T Hall is an inductee if the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame among other distinctions. In addition to his own succes...

Michael S. Harper was a poet and professor. He lived from March 18, 1938-May 7, 2016. He was Poet Laureate of Rhode Island from 1988 to 1993. Harper published ten books of his poetry and was considered one of the most prominent people in African-American literature. Many of his poems were influenced heavily by jazz music. After reading and being touched by a couple of his poems, I wrote Harper a l...

Bert Thornton is the former President and COO of Waffle House, Inc. He retired in 2011 as Vice Chairman Emeritus and is a published author. To you, Waffle House may be more than a 24 hour restaurant chain, some call it an institution, and one of the prevalent menu items is Bert’s Chili. There is a real life Bert and he is the special guest on this episode of The Paul Leslie Hour . Bert Thornton st...

Peter and Will Anderson have been called "virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone" by The New York Times. These twin brothers are jazz musicians, composers, arrangers, performing and recording artists. Not only known for their distinct interpretations of classic jazz songs, they also record and perform their own compositions. Peter Anderson and Will Anderson are in the middle of their monthlong "Songb...

John Murray is a writer and actor. A native of Wilmette, Illinois he has appeared in such motion pictures as Moving Violations , Scrooged , and Caddyshack and has written for television projects including The New Show for Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. This is a light-hearted conversation with John Murray about growing up in a big family, his years as a bartender and how he sees life...

Randall King is a singer-songwriter, performing and recording artist from West Texas. King's debut self-titled album and live performances have garnered respect and acclaim from music lovers. King has appeared in Rolling Stone magazine and has written with top songwriters and worked with Nashville's great studio musicians. Garth Brooks has gone on record saying “This kid is what country music is a...

Jimmy Webb is a songwriter, composer, singer and recording artist. An inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Webb's famed songs include "Galveston," "Witchita Lineman," "All I Know," "MacArthur Park," and "Up, Up and Away" just to name a few. The songs of Jimmy Webb have been recorded by everone from Elvis Presley to Frank Sinatra. In this interview re...

This episode of The Paul Leslie Hour features an exclusive interview with Allen Reynolds , a legendary record producer and songwriter. We're happy to welcome a surprise "opening act" special guest before the main interview begins. Allen Reynolds is a highly accomplished record producer who has produced such artists as Garth Brooks, Don Williams, Crystal Gayle, Emmylou Harris, Kathy Mattea and othe...

Mike Hagerty is a prolific actor of film and television. A native of Chicago, Mike Hagerty is an alumni of Second City theater. He's appeared in countless movies including Overboard , Wayne's World , So I Married an Axe Murderer , and Austin Powers , just to name a few. Hagerty has appeared in the most popular television series of our time: Friends , Seinfeld , Boston Legal , Desperate Housewives...

Kalie Shorr is a singer-songwriter and country music performing and recording artist. She's been called "one of the female artists who are changing the music game." Her music has been receiving national airplay on FM radio and Sirius XM satellite radio. Her third and most recent EP entitled Awake was released in 2018. Shorr says she's anticipates a debut full length album in the future. On this ep...

Arlene Dahl is an iconic actress and tomorrow happens to be her birthday! By her own admission, Arlene Dah has had an "amazing life” and her zest for living is evident in this interview. Arlene Dahl has starred in 30 films, 19 stage plays, and authored 16 best-selling books on topics ranging from beauty to relationships. She is forever known as one of the great beauties in motion pictures with her...

Rhubarb Jones was a legendary country music radio personality. He held the distinction of being the longest running morning radio personality in Atlanta, having been a fixture at 106.7 FM on the radio dial for more than 23 years. Rhubarb Jones held many honors including being an inaugural inductee of the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. He was also well known for his charity efforts, raising money and...

Johnny Pizza , along with his business partner Roger Diaz, own the charming Hoboken Cafe on Whitlock in Marietta, Georgia. They’ve become famous for their amazing meatball sandwiches, their delicious salads and cheesecakes and especially for the most tender fresh mozzarella cheese you’ll ever taste. Mr. Pizza makes it himself, every morning, and he cooks with joy and passion for his faithful custo...

Earl Rose is a pianist, composer, conductor, performing and recording artist. An Emmy award-winner and 14-time Emmy nominee, Rose has also won 3 ASCAP awards. Earl Rose is a popular performer at The Carlyle, the landmark hotel located at 35 East 76th Street in the Upper East Side of New York City. In the pop music world, Rose is the co-writer of some multi-platinum selling songs. Every Beat of My...

Ed Murray a retired financial consultant and radio station owner gives great insight on a lot of things from golf, caddying, financial health, his radio station and the city of Chicago. He comes from a family that includes past interviewees John Murray and Joel Murray. Ed Murray will inspire you! This interview originally aired on the radio and is being brought out as we dedicate this episode of t...