The Paul Leslie Hour

Jerry Kennedy is a retired record producer, guitarist and songwriter. A 4-time Grammy award-winner, his guitar and Dobro playing has been featured on albums from everyone from Elvis Presley, Johnny Hallyday, Kris Kristofferson, and Bob Dylan. As a producer, Jerry Kennedy worked with everyone from Reba McEntire, Tom T. Hall, Connie Smith and most of the country recordings of Jerry Lee Lewis. Jerry...

Benita Hill is a singer-songwriter and recording artist who believes "life is a song worth singing." She's a very diverse artist, in addition to collaborating with jazz musicians like Kirk Whalum and Isaac Hayes, she's written songs recorded by country artists like Crystal Gayle and Garth Brooks. Two well known songs Benita Hill wrote for Garth Brooks include "Two Piña Coladas" and "It's Your Song...

Daniel Baldwin is an actor of television and more than 100 films as well as a director and radio personality. He hosts the "Daniel Baldwin Show" which is broadcast on ESPN Syracuse. His famed brothers (in alphabetical order) Alec, Stephen and William are also actors. He's a very open and honest proponent of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and an alumni of SOBA Recovery Center. We're very...

It’s a very special episode as we are joined by one of the most legendary record producers of all time. Tony Brown is joining us to talk about many things including his new coffee table book, entitled ELVIS STRAIT TO JESUS . The book is a photographic journey of his 40 year career, featuring historical never before seen pictures, and contemporary portraits of the rock, country, and gospel music ic...

Tom Paxton is a folk singer-songwriter and one of the most enduring and important voices in American music. The songs he wrote have found their way to other countries and have been sung in different languages. A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, his most well known songs include "The Last Thing on My Mind," "Bottle of Wine," Whose Garden Was this" and "The Marvelous Toy." His songs have...

Gretchen Peters is a singer-songwriter and recording artist. Her songs have resonated with many. Peters has released 12 albums and in May of 2018 will release her album Dancing with the Beast . She's been called one of "Nashville's greatest talents." An inductee of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the songs of Gretchen Peters have been covered by everyone from Neil Diamond, Bryan Adams, and...

John Gorka is a world-renowned singer-songwriter who began his career at a coffeehouse in Pennsylvania called "The Godfrey Daniels." Rolling Stone magazine called him "the preeminent male singer-songwriter of the New Folk Movement." His work has been performed and recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Nanci Griffith just to name a few. We meet the respected yet very humble artist and among other t...

Norbert Putnam is a record producer and bassist and is considered one of music's absolute treasures. One of the Muscle Shoals session musicians, as a bass player he recorded with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Henry Mancini, Linda Ronstadt and Al Hirt just to name a few. As a record producer he produced some of the most beloved albums of artists like Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Jimmy Buffett, Brewer &a...

Jonathan Wolff is a composer and musician. It's safe to say that every single day, many times a day, his music is playing on television somewhere in the world. He created the music for 75 primetime network television series, including 44 TV themes. Jonathan Wolff is best known for composing and performing the theme song for the hit television show Seinfeld . Jonathan Wolff spent 29 years as an ins...

Earl Bud Lee is a songwriter and sometimes a live performer. He wrote songs that were recorded by Loretta Lynn, Blake Shelton, Joe Cocker, Moe Bandy and George Strait. Earl Bud Lee's most successful song "Friends in Low Places," was recorded by Garth Brooks and it's become a county anthem. It's a pleasure to welcome a rare interview with Earl Bud Lee, one of the great writers in music. Support The...

Amanda McBroom is a singer-songwriter, recording artist & actress who talked about her latest album "Voices," which features original songs as well as her interpretations of other artists' material. Included is a duet of Amanda McBroom and Vince Gill of "The Rose," the song made popular by Bette Midler. It's an enjoyable caffeine-fueled chat. Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to the...

Danny Rubin is a screenplay writer. He's most known for the film Groundhog Day . He wrote the story and co-wrote the script with Harold Ramis. The film starred Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell and Chris Elliott. Groundhog Day is considered one of the greatest comedy movies and was added to the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Rubin also cowrote...

Bryan Kennedy is a singer-songwriter, recording artist, author, playwright, entertainer, actor, public speaker and certified professional life coach. A former Ole Miss football player, Kennedy comes from a very musical family. He's penned countless songs, including many recorded by Garth Brooks (three of which were #1 hits). Some of his well known compositions include "The Beaches of Cheyenne" and...

Jon-Erik Kellso is a New York City based trumpeter, concert and recording artist. He is a leader of the Earregulars band and a member of Vince Giordano's Nighthawks. Kellso has worked with many iconic artists including Linda Ronstadt, Levon Helm, Wynton Marsalis, and Leon Redbone, to name a few . As a recording artist, Jon-Erik Kellso has contributed to over 100 albums. We're pleased to welcome Jo...

Jack Phillips and Caleb Quaye , two talented musicians are joining us on The Paul Leslie Hour. Jack Phillips is a pianist, songwriter and vocalist and Caleb Quaye is a guitarist and composer noted as being a member in Elton John's first band. They're joining us to talk about their musical collaboration on the Jack Phillips album "Down in the Jungle Room," a blues rock album. After the interview, w...

Jean-Jacques Kraif is a musician who checked in with us from his home on the French-speaking Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy. Kraif is a bassist, songwriter, member of the band Alerte 2B and a surfer. Alerte 2B performs in St. Barth and even co-wrote a song with singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Kraif joins us for a talk about his ancestry, passions and an insider's look at the island he calls...

Gordon Lightfoot is one of the most legendary singer-songwriters of all time. A prolific recording artist and concert performer, he has performed around the world. Lightfoot is an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame most known for his songs "Sundown," "If You Could Read My Mind," "Early Morning Rain," "Carefree Highway," and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." His songs have been recorded b...

Anson Williams is a beloved actor who is widely known for playing the role of Warren "Potsie" Weber on the acclaimed television series Happy Days . He went on to work as a television director on such television programs as Melrose Place , Beverly Hills, 90210 , Lizzie McGuire , The Secret Life of the American Teenager among others. Recently, he has dedicated himself to something that could save yo...

Don McLean is America’s Troubadour. A singer-songwriter, performing and recording artist, McLean has written and recorded some of the most iconic songs in recorded music: “American Pie,” “Vincent,” “And I Love You So,” and “Castles in the Air,” to name a few. An inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Don McLean’s songs have been performed and recorded by singers ranging from Madonna, Garth Broo...

Evan Christopher is a New Orleans-based clarinetist and composer. His performances and recordings preserve and perpetuate the tradition of the New Orleans clarinet style, with influences from greats like Sidney Bechet, Omer Simeon and Barney Bigard. After meeting the clarinetist Tony Scott at a Rome night club, Evan Christopher asked him for an autograph. Scott wrote "Good luck on 'Clarinet Road.'...

This interview with Elliot Mintz was recorded in January of 2011. It is being brought out today as a podcast in celebration of Elliot Mintz's 73rd birthday. Elliot Mintz made his name as a radio and television personality, interviewing thousands of people, among them: John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Jack Lemmon, Alan Watts, Jack Nicholson, Salvador Dali, John Wayne, Groucho Marx and many others. Mintz wen...

Sam Lewis is a singer-songwriter. Although in the genre of country music, Sam Lewis writes songs that are soulful, meaningful and true to heart. He's worked with everyone from John Prime to Kacey Musgraves. Chris Stapleton called him "a modern Townes Van Zandt." Rolling Stone magazine called him one of the 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know. May 2018 will see the release of his third album "L...

George Benson is a household name. His abilities as a guitarist and vocalist safely ensure his place as a legend in the world of pop, jazz and R&B. A ten time Grammy award-winner, George Benson's career has been a prolific one: 36 studio albums, and 5 live albums. Some of his songs are perpetually on the radio years and years after being recorded. From instrumental compositions like "Breezin'"...

Orange Kellin is a Swedish clarinetist, traditional jazz concert and recording artist based in New Orleans. Kellin has performed with his own ensembles as well as in bands comprised of New Orleans musical legends. It's a great honor to present this interview with a passionate and talented artist. Orange Kellin's story shows that truly great music will be found by people anywhere, and truly great s...

Sammy Nestico is a composer and arranger who has worked with the most legendary artists in music. Loras Schissel of the Library of Congress said "Sammy Nestico and his music are a national treasure." Involved in all aspects of the music industry, he's most known as a composer and arranger, although he is also a conductor and has recorded albums under the banner of "The Sammy Nestico Orchestra." Ne...