CooperTalk

Dave Thomas - Episode 923

Steve Cooper talks with actor/writer Dave Thomas. Dave is probably best known for being part of the duo the McKenzie Brothers from the sketch show SCTV that launched John Candy, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy and Rick Moranis.  The duo became a pop culture phenomenon in both the United States and Canada. They starred in the movie Strange Brew and the characters were later revived for an animated series, Bob & Doug. Some people know Dave from the TV show Arrested Development or the movie Rat Race. Some people know him from the nineties ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire.  Most people don't know he was also one of the writer / producers for Fox's TV show Bones or ABC's The Blacklist.  Or that he acted alongside Henry Fonda, Jonathan Winters, John Cleese, Richard Pryor, Zach Galifiankis, Whoopi Goldberg, Mary Louise Parker and Ashton Kutcher.  Or that he directed John Travolta, Jean Stapleton and Max Von Sydow in theatrical motion pictures. Or that he was friends with Bob Hope, Harold Ramis and Johnny Carson and wrote Spies Like Us with Dan Aykroyd and did voices on The Simpsons and Family Guy. 

Mike Binder - Episode 922

Steve Cooper talks with director/writer/actor/comic Mike Binder. Mike created and starred in the HBO series The Mind of the Married Man. He has directed, written and co-starred in various movies such as The Sex Monster, The Upside of Anger, Reign Over Me and Man About Town. He has written or directed (or both) on such projects as Blankman, Crossing the Bridge, Indian Summer, Black or White, Billions, Ray Donovan and Nashville. As a stand-up comic he has appeared on many shows including Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Pat Sajak Show, One Night Stand and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He also recently hosted the Showtime docu-series The Comedy Store.

Keren Woodward - Episode 921

Steve Cooper talks with singer Keren Woodward. Keren is one part of the duo Bananarama. Bananarama recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and their achievements speak for themselves. Two Band Aid appearances, an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful female band worldwide with the most charting singles, many of which were international hits, four hitting the US Billboard Top 10 including a No.1 with Venus. To date the duo have had 30 Top hits and they have released 12 albums and sold 30 million records. 

Tommy Chong - Episode 920

Steve Cooper talks with comedian/actor Tommy Chong. Tommy is best known for his invaluable contribution to American counter-culture as part of the iconic comedy duo Cheech & Chong. During their reign, the twosome recorded six gold comedy albums, including the 1973 Grammy winner Los Cochinos, and starred in eight films, most of which Chong co-wrote and directed. The first, Up In Smoke, was the highest grossing comedy of 1978, topping $100 million at the box office. Others were Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie (1980), Nice Dreams (1981), Things Are Tough All Over (1982), Cheech and Chong: Still Smoking (1983), and The Corsican Brothers (1984). Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, he began his entertainment career as a musician in a Canadian-based rhythm and blues band. Eventually, he landed a gig with the Vancouvers and co-wrote the band’s 1960’s hit, Does Your Mama Know About Me. From here, he eventually turned towards the life as an actor. The first step was forming City Works, an improvisational group where he consequently met his future comedic partner, Richard “Cheech” Marin. Throughout the 1970’s Cheech & Chong earned a massive following until eventually, the duo had run its lengthy and prosperous course and they both embarked on solo careers. Tommy has appeared in several films including 1990’s Far Out, Man! and National Lampoon’s Senior Trip. He has also starred, most notably, as “Leo” on Fox’s That 70’s Show, and has guest starred on ABC’s Dharma & Greg and The George Lopez Show.

Martin Fry - Episode 919

Steve Cooper talks with musician Martin Fry. Martin is best known for being lead singer of the band ABC. ABC’s debut The Lexicon of Love went to No 1 and sold over a million records. To date, ABC have released nine studio albums and their hits include Tears Are Not Enough, Poison Arrow, The Look of Love and All of My Heart, That Was Then but This Is Now, (How to Be A) Millionaire and When Smokey Sings.

 

Kenney Jones - Episode 918

Steve Cooper talks with drummer Kenney Jones. Kenney is a member of the Rock & Roll HOF with his bands Faces and Small Faces. He replaced Keith Moon and played with The Who from 1978-1983, 1985, 1988 and in 2014.  His other bands he has been in are The Law and The Jones Gang and he has performed in various record sessions with people such as Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Joan Armatrading, Roger Daltrey, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Colin Hay - Episode 917

Steve Cooper talks with musician Colin Hay. Colin is best known as being the lead vocalist and songwriter for the band Men at Work. That band would reach the heights of stardom—they took home a GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist and sold more than 30 million records worldwide on the strength of #1 singles like Who Can It Be Now? and Down Under but by 1985, they’d called it quits and gone their separate ways. Colin released his solo debut the following year and, over the course of the next three-and-a-half decades, went on to record twelve more critically acclaimed studio albums that would help establish him as one of his generation’s most hardworking and reliable craftsmen.

Diane Neal - Episode 916

Steve Cooper talks with actor/comedian Diane Neal. Diane is best known for her role as ADA Casey Novak on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and has had recurring roles in NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, Suits, The Following and Power. She also is a seasoned stand-up comic and hosts the podcast Hear. Say. Diane Neal. 

Suzi Quatro - Episode 915

Steve Cooper talks with musician Suzi Quatro. Suzi has sold over 55 million records worldwide and is also known from her role as Leather Tuscadero, who she portrayed from 1997-1979, on the huge ABC hit Happy Days. In 1973 her hit Can Can went to number one on the British charts and went on to sell two and a half million copies. Between 1973-1980 she featured on the British charts for no less than 101 weeks. She is a member of the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame, has written an autobiography and has recently released her second book of poetry. After the pandemic ended, she played a sold-out show at the legendary Royal Albert Hall and still performs at festivals across Europe.

  

Howard Jones - Episode 914

Steve Cooper talks with musician Howard Jones. Howard burst on the scene with his 1983 hit New Song. His first two albums, Humans Lib and Dream into Action, brought Howard a host of hits including Things Can Only Get Better, What is Love?, Pearl In The Shell, Like to Get To know You Well, Hide And Seek (performed at Live Aid), Look Mama and No One Is To Blame, which reached No.1 in the US. Howard has sold over 8 million albums across the globe. To this day he still tours the world to sold out crowds and his new album Dialogue will be coming out soon and is the third in a series of four electronic albums.

Joe Satriani - Episode 913

Steve Cooper talks with guitarist Joe Satriani. Joe is best known for his all-instrumental hit album Surfing with the Alien. For over three decades, the guitar virtuoso has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star “G3” guitar extravaganza. His studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. His side project, Chickenfoot, featuring former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9.

Danielle Nicolet - Episode 912

Steve Cooper talks with actor Danielle Nicolet. Danielle is best known for her roles as Cecile Horton in the CW hit The Flash, Caryn in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Jenna in Born Again Version and as Maggie in the The Rock/Kein Hart movie Central Intelligence. Some of her other Tv and film appearances include Family Matters, Loaded Weapon 1, Heartland, The Starter Wife, Elementary, Supergirl, The Game, Acrimony and Deidre & Laney Rob a Train. She also wrote the short film Black Karen that will be screened at Sundance.

John Doe - Episode 911

Steve Cooper talks with musician/actor/poet/writer John Doe. John is best known for being a co-founder of the legendary LA punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span rock, punk, country and folk music genres. As an actor, he has dozens of television appearances and several movies to his credit, including the role of Jeff Parker in the television series Roswell. In addition to X, Doe performs with the country-folk-punk band the Knitters and has released 14 records as a solo artist. He also wrote with co-author Tom DeSavia two books that compiled stories about the LA punk rock scene from 1977 to 1983.

Matt Simons - Episode 910

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Matt Simons. Matt has worked continuously for a decade now, achieving huge success – particularly in continental Europe – with music that comes straight from the soul. A West Coast talent who found success outside his homeland, his music has reached huge audiences, with both studio albums to date – Pieces and Catch & Release – moving across the continent, starting with the Netherlands until the whole of Europe knew his name. Last year’s After the Landslide was a particular landmark, and 2019 ended with a huge 40 date tour. But then the pandemic intervened. Relocating to California he found himself with the space – and the time – to reflect, and to look inwards. It’s sparked a shift in his music, too – singles such as Cold and Better Tomorrow have connected due to their introspection, and the brave frankness of his message. He recently released his new album, Identity Crisis, and has been on tour opening for 2CELLOS in both the USA and Europe.

Andy McCluskey - Episode 909

Steve Cooper talks with musician Andy McCluskey. Andy is best known as the lead singer and bass guitarist of the electronic band OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark), which he founded alongside keyboard player Paul Humphreys in 1978.  They are one of the earliest, most commercially successful, and enduring synth pop groups and are best known for the hits Enola Gay, Electricity and If You Leave which was top 5 in the US and was featured in the movie Pretty in Pink. They have recorded eleven studio albums and are currently on a worldwide tour.

Chad Coleman - Episode 908

Steve Cooper talks with actor Chad Coleman. Chad is best known for portraying Dennis "Cutty" Wise on the HBO crime drama series The Wire, the voice of Coach in the video game Left 4 Dead 2, Tyreese Williams on The Walking Dead, Mingo on the History Channel's re-imaging of Roots and Z on the comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He later starred in the science fiction series The Expanse and plays a recurring role as the alien Klyden on the Fox series The Orville.

Jim Piddock - Episode 907

Steve Cooper talks with actor/writer/producer Jim Piddock. As an actor, Jim starred in several Broadway shows in the 1980s, including Present Laughter, Design for Living, and the original production of Noises Off. Since then, he has appeared in numerous movies, such as Independence Day, Lethal Weapon 2, The Prestige, Best in Show, The Five-Year Engagement, A Mighty Wind, Kill Your Friends, and Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. He's also been seen in dozens of TV shows, like Modern Family, Mom, Two and a Half Men, Lost, Monk, Friends, ER, Mad About You, The Drew Carey Show, and Castle. He was also in the award-winning HBO series From the Earth to the Moon and starred in the CBS miniseries The Women of Windsor. In 2007 and 2012, he secured his reputation as one of the UK's most notable comedic exports when he starred on stage in Hollywood with Russell Brand, Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Eric Idle, Eddie Izzard, Jane Leeves, Emily Mortimer, Tracey Ullman, and Sophie Winkleman in What About Dick? As a writer/producer, Jim's films include Tooth Fairy, The Man, and A Different Loyalty. With Christopher Guest, he co-wrote and starred in the HBO series Family Tree and Mascots for Netflix.

Tom Arnold - Episode 906

Steve Cooper talks with actor Tom Arnold. Tom is best known for his roles in the movies True Lies and Nine Months and for playing Arnie Thomas on Roseanne, Jackie Thomas on The Jackie Thomas Show, and Tom Amross on The Tom Show. He has had countless movie and TV credits and was also the host The Best Damn Sports Show Period from 2001-2009.

Delaney Williams - Episode 905

Steve Cooper talks with actor Delaney Williams. Delaney is best known for his characters Sgt. Jay Landsman in the iconic series The Wire and Defense Attorney John Buchanan in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He has also had recurring roles The Punisher, Ray Donovan and Blue Bloods and guest starred on such shows as Veep, Cold Case, Bull, Elementary and MacGyver. He can currently be seen in HBO's We Own This City.  

Anson Williams - Episode 904

Steve Cooper talks with actor/director Anson WIlliams. Anson is best known for his role as Warren "Potsie" Weber on the iconic television series Happy Days, a role for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film. After Happy Days, Williams began a much more prolific career as a television director, starting with short programs for adolescent-age children, including afterschool specials No Greater Gift and The Drug Knot, and TV-movie Lone Star Kid. He has gone on to direct many episodes for a variety of television series, including The Pretender, Beverly Hill 90210, Melrose Place, seaQuest 2032, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Xena: Warrior Princess, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Charmed, 7th Heaven and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. 

Steven Brill - Episode 903

Steve Cooper talks with director/writer/actor Steven Brill. Steven is best known for writing The Mighty Ducks, D2: The Mighty Ducks and D3: The Mighty Ducks as well as writing and directing the Adam Sandler movie Little Nicky. He has also scripted movies such as Heavyweights, Ready to Rumble and Walk of Shame and directed numerous films including Without a Paddle, Mr. Deeds, Drillbit Taylor, The Do-Over, Sandy Wexler, Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh and Hubie Halloween.

  

Kevin Chapman - Episode 902

Steve Cooper talks with actor Kevin Chapman. Kevin is best known for playing Detective Lionel Fusco on the hit CBS series Person of Interest. He has also been a regular or had a recurring role in such shows as Brotherhood, City on a Hill, Kevin Can Go F*ck Himself, Sneaky Pete, Rescue Me and 24. His guest star roles include series such as Criminal Minds, Sons of Anarchy, Lost, Cold Case, Blue Bloods, The Punisher, The Equalizer, Billions and NCIS.  He recently appeared in the Oscar winning film CODA and numerous film credits such as Mystic River, 21 Grams, Slender Man, Black Dynamite, Sunshine Cleaning, Ladder 49 and 21 Grams.

 

Bill Smitrovich - Episode 901

Steve Cooper talks with actor Bill Smitrovich. Bill's first prominent role was in the 1980s series Crime Story as Detective Danny Krychek. He went on to star in the hit drama series Life Goes On. He later became the lead guest-star in the pilot film of the 1980s crime-drama hit series Miami Vice, and also appeared in the final episode of NYPD Blue. He has also been seen in The Henry Lee Project and Millennium. He is perhaps best known for his roles on the A&E series A Nero Wolfe Mystery as Inspector Cramer, and on the ABC hit series The Practice as Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Walsh. Smitrovich then went on to star in Without a Trace, where he portrayed the recurring character of Chief Alex Olcyk. He has also portrayed a number of characters in military roles. These include roles on Independence Day, Air Force One, Thirteen Days, Fail Safe, and Eagle Eye. In addition, he has made many guest appearances on various TV shows, most notably Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 24, NUMB3RS, NYPD Blue, Touched by an Angel, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds, and Castle.

Jim True-Frost - Episode 900

Steve Cooper talks with actor Jim True-Frost. Jim is most known for his portrayal of Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski on all five seasons of the acclaimed HBO series The Wire and as James Woodrow in Treme. He has been an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago since 1989 and his numerous TV and movie credits include Singles, American Rust, Homicide: Life on the Street, The Hudsucker Proxy, Boardwalk Empire, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Good Wife, Elementary, Hostages, American Odyssey, Manifest, The Blacklist and Yellowstone.

Steven Weber - Episode 899

Steve Cooper talks with actor Steven Weber. Steven is best known for his role as Brian Hackett in the long-running NBC sitcom Wings. He has played a stream of comedic and dramatic recurring roles on such TV programs as Without a Trace, Brothers & Sisters, Dallas, Murder in the First, Helix, iZombie, House of Lies, NCIS: New Orleans, Ballers, Get Shorty, 13 Reasons Why, Indebted and Chicago Med. Guest star credits include series like The D.A., Will & Grace, Monk, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Desperate Housewives, Hot in Cleveland, Parenthood, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sleepy Hollow and This Close. He also has given voice to a few animated programs including Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble, The bravest Knight and Puppy Dog Pals. 

Dan Dworkin - Episode 898

Steve Cooper talks with TV writer/producer Dan Dworkin. Dan has co-created various TV series such as Matador, The Crossing, Scream: The TV Series and The Lost Symbol. His writing credits include Criminal Minds, Cold Case, American Horror Story, Star Trek: Discovery, Scorpion, Revenge, Dragnet and Surface.

Jon King - Episode 897

Steve Cooper talks with musician Jon King. Jon is best known as the singer-songwriter and founding member of the Leeds-based post-punk band Gang of Four. Gang of Four was one of the most influential and groundbreaking bands to rise from the British punk scene in the late '70s. Their 1979 LP, Entertainment, received triumphant reviews from critics and was a surprise hit in the U.K., while their third album, 1982's Songs of the Free gave them a commercial breakthrough in the United States as the single "I Love a Man in a Uniform" gained airplay on college radio and open-minded R&B stations. They folded after 1983's Hard, but periodically re-formed the band in the '80s, '90s, and 2000s for touring and recording projects that kept their singular sound alive. 

Pat MacDonald - Episode 896

Steve Cooper talks with musician Pat MacDonald. He is best known for being the singer, guitarist, and main songwriter for Timbuk 3, nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1987. They scored a huge hit with The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades. They briefly appeared in the 1988 Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan movie D.O.A. His songwriting credits include collaborations Cher, Keith Urban, Stewart Copeland and Peter Frampton. Songs he has written or co-written have been recorded by Aerosmith, Jools Holland, Billy ray Cyrus and Night Ranger to name a few. He has also recorded 8 solo albums.

Darryl (DMC) McDaniels - Episode 895

Steve Cooper talks with rapper Darryl McDaniels. Darryl is a legendary music icon who first impacted the world over 35 years ago.  From the first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine to the first to appear on MTV, Run-DMC changed music, culture, fashion, language and made American history. It would be hard to overstate his influence on popular culture. Forty million record sales and ½ billion song streams later, and twenty years since the untimely death of his bandmate Jam Master Jay, DMC continues to create, inspire and motivate.  In 2009, as a member of Run-DMC, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2016 he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy given to “performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.”

Denis O’Hare - Episode 894

Steve Cooper talks with actor Denis O'Hare. Denis is known for his award-winning performances in the plays Take Me Out and Sweet Charity as well as portraying vampire king Russell Edgington on HBO's fantasy series True Blood. He is also known for his supporting roles in such films as Charlie Wilson's War, Milk, Changeling, Dallas Buyers Club, Garden State, Michael Clayton and The Proposal. In 2011, he starred as Larry Harvey in the first season of the FX anthology series American Horror Story, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. He returned to the show in 2013 in American Horror Story: Coven and once more in American Horror Story: Freak Show the latter for which he earned a second Emmy Award nomination. For his performance in American Horror Story: Hotel as Liz Taylor, O'Hare received critical acclaim. Other TV credits include series such as The Nevers, The Good Fight, American Gods, Big Little Lies, This Is Us, The Good Wife, The Comedians and CSI: Miami. 

Mike Reno - Episode 893

Steve Cooper talks with musician Mike Reno. Mike is best known for being the lead singer for the rock band Loverboy. Loverboy has four multi-platinum albums, including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983’s Keep It Up and 1985’s "Lovin’ Every Minute of It." Their string of hits includes, in addition to the arena-rock anthem “Working for the Weekend,” such staples as “Lovin’ Every Minute of It,” “This Could Be the Night,” “Hot Girls in Love,” “Heaven in Your Eyes,” “Turn Me Loose,” “When It’s Over," “Heaven In Your Eyes,” and “Queen of the Broken Hearts.” He also had a hit as a duet with Heart's Ann Wilson on "Almost Paradise" from the Footloose soundtrack.

Dale Bozzio - CooperTalk episode 892

Steve Cooper talks with musician Dale Bozzio. Dale is best known for being the lead singer of the band Missing Persons. Missing Persons were an MTV favorite and their 1982 album Spring Session M went gold and included the hits Destination Unknown, Words, Windows and Walking in L.A. They broke up in 1986 but Dale has reformed the band on and off over the last 40 years.

Spencer Garrett - Episode 891

Steve Cooper talks with actor Spencer Garrett. Spencer recently has been seen in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood, Chicago P.D., Bombshell, Dirty John, For All Mankind, Heel, Goliath and will be playing Chick Hearn in HBO's new series Winning Time.  One of the busiest actors around he has been seen on Dice, Bosch, Room 104, Insecure, Timeless, Survivor's Remorse and played Bob Woodward in the movie The Front Runner. The year before that he was a regular on the shows Satisfaction, Aquarius and Murder in the First and co-starred in All the Way playing Walter Reuther. Other various TV credits include Franklin & Bash, Masters of Sex, Star Trek: Voyager, Judging Amy, The Practice, The X-Files, Carnivale, JAG, Law & Order, Cold Case, Luck, Mad Men, Major Crimes and Satisfaction. He is also a familiar face on the big screen appearing is such movies as Yes Man, Mississippi is Burning, Charlie Wilson's War, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Thank You For Smoking and Public Enemies.

Timothy Busfield - Episode 890

Steve Cooper talks with actor/director Timothy Busfield. As an actor, he has been a series regular or recurring character in 18 series including thirtysomething (four-time nominee and winner of the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama), The West Wing, Entourage, Designated Survivor, Sleepy Hollow, Secrets and Lies, ED, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Trapper John, M.D., The Byrds of Paradise, Champs, Family Ties, Without a Trace, The Paper Chase, Reggie, All My Children, Almost Family and One Dollar. He has also appeared in over 40 television movies and feature films including Field of Dreams, Stripes, Revenge of the Nerds, Nerds in Paradise, Quiz Show, Sneakers, Striking Distance, Little Big League, First Kid, National Security, 23 Blast, Strays and Trucks. As a director he has directed over 140 episodes of television including This Is Us and multiple episodes of The Fosters (for which he directed the pilot), thirtysomething, Sports Night, Damages, Lipstick Jungle, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Without A Trace, Las Vegas, The Night Shift, Secrets and Lies, The Glades, Designated Survivor, The Rookie and many more.

Dinah Manoff - Episode 889

Steve Cooper talks with actor/writer Dinah Manoff. Dinah is best known for her roles as Marty Maraschino in the movie Grease, Elane Lefkowitz on Soap, Carol Weston in NBC's Empty Nest and Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures for which she won a Tony Award. She has also written scripts for sitcoms and director 15 episodes of shows such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Sister, Sister and Empty Nest. She recently released her first novel titled The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold.  

Chip Z’Nuff - Episode 888

Steve Cooper talks with musician Chip Z'Nuff. Steve Cooper talks with musician Chip Z'Nuff. Chip is best known for being one of the founders of Enuff Z'Nuff a Chicago area band that is best known for their charting singles Fly High Michelle and New Thing. Enuff Z'Nuff has continually recorded and toured throughout their career of more than 30 years, releasing 16 studio albums and a total of 24 CDs to date. They have appeared on MTV, The Jenny Jone's Show, Mancow's Morning Madhouse and multiple times on The Howard Stern Show and Late Night with David Letterman. Their latest record is cover versions of their favorite Beatles songs called Hardrock Nite.

Gina Schock - Episode 887

Steve Cooper talks with musician Gina Schock. Gina is the drummer for The Go-Go's who were just inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Go-Go's debut album Beauty and the Beat went to number one on the charts and had two top 20 hits with Our Lips Our Sealed and We Got the Beat. Their next two albums, Vacation and Talk Show were big sellers as were the singles from them, Vacation, Head Over Heels and Turn to You. They released one more album, God Bless the Go-Go's, and have reunited through the years to sell out concert venues all across America. Gina released a self-titled album in 1988 with her band House of Schock and she later formed the short-lived group K-Five. She co-wrote the title track for Miley Cyrus's CD Breakout, which debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 Charts in the summer of 2008. She also co-wrote several tracks on the 2009 debut album Kiss & Tell by Selena Gomez & the Scene. 

Scott Rosenberg - Episode 886

Steve Cooper talks with writer/producer Scott Rosenberg. Scott has written numerous screenplays including Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Beautiful Girls, Con Air, Kangaroo Jack, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Venom and Jumanji: The Next Level. He has also created, written or been executive producer on various TV productions such as Tales from the Crypt, Going to California, Life on Mars, Happy Town, Zoo and High Fidelity.

Chan Kinchla - Episode 885

Steve Cooper talks with Chan Kinchla. Chan is best known for being the lead guitarist of Blues Traveler. While Blues Traveler is best known among fans for their improvisational live shows, the general public is most familiar with the group from their top 40 singles Run-Around, Hook, and But Anyway. They gained mainstream popularity after their fourth studio album, four, which was released in 1994 and have released 14 studio albums and are one of David Letterman's favorite bands.

William Sadler - Episode 884

Steve Cooper talks with actor William Sadler. William is best known for his roles as Heywood in The Shawshank Redemption, the Grim Reaper in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Bill & Ted Face the Music, Jack McGarrett in Hawaii Five-0 and Jim Valenti in Roswell. He has also been seen in countless TV shows and movies including Die Hard 2, Iron Man 3, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Hunters, The Grudge, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bull, Power, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Madam Secretary, The Flash, Homeland and many, many more. He also recently did voicework for the animated series Our Cartoon President.

Jerry Casale - Episode 883

Steve Cooper talks with musician/director Jerry Casale. Jerry's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, co-lead vocalist, and bass player of the band Devo, which released a Top 20 hit in 1980 with the single Whip It. He is the main lyricist and one of the main composers of Devo's music and directed most of Devo's music videos. He also has a solo project under the name of Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers, has directed music videos by The Cars, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Silverchair and many others and has directed several television commercials, including ads for Diet Coke and Honda Scooters featuring Devo, as well as for Coco's restaurants and Miller Lite.

John Corabi - Episode 882

Steve Cooper talks with musician John Corabi. John is best known as replacing Vince Neil in Motley Crue from 1992-96 and with them did lead vocals and helped write their self-titled follow up to the album Dr. Feelgood and their EP Qaternary. He has earned a reputation as a go-to frontman and collaborator, amassing a solid résumé as a singer and guitarist with
acts like The Eric Singer Project (ESP), Union, Ratt and The Dead Daisies. He currently tours as a solo act and recently released the single Cosi Bella (So Beautiful).

Dedee Pfeiffer - Episode 881

Steve Cooper talks with actor Dedee Pfeiffer. Dedee currently co-stars in the ABC hit series Big Sky. She is also known for playing Cybill's daughter, Rachel, on the sitcom Cybill, Sheri on the sitcom For Your Love, and her film appearances as Val in The Allnighter and Sheila in Falling Down. Some of her other credits include appearances in Friends, Wings, Ellen, ER, Burn Notice, CSI: NY and Seinfeld.

Carmine Appice - Episode 880

Steve Cooper talks with drummer Carmine Appice. Carmine is a legendary drummer who first came to prominence with the late 1960s band Vanilla Fudge. After 5 albums he left to join the popular band Cactus and then joined the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice. He later joined Rod Stewart's backing band and co-wrote the hits Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? and Young Turks. Through the years he has recorded albums with artists such as KGB, Paul Stanley, Ted Nugent, King Kobra, Blue Murder, Sly Stone, Pink Floyd, Michael Schenker and many others. He also penned the best selling drum instructional book The Realistic Rock Drum Method and recently released his biography Stick It!: My Life of Sex, Drums and Rock 'n' Roll. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2014.

Midge Ure - Episode 879

Steve Cooper talks with musician Midge Ure. Midge is best known for being the front man for Ultravox. He was in the band from 1979–1987, and then again from 2008–2013. During his first stint they released hit singles such as Vienna, Dancing with Tears in My Eyes and Reap the Wild Wind and also co-wrote the Band Aid hit Do They Know It's Christmas with Bob Geldof.  In his early career he played with Rich Kids, Visage and Thin Lizzy. As a solo artist he has recorded nine albums with his debut, The Gift from 1985 placing number 2 on the UK charts.

Yul Vazquez - Episode 878

Steve Cooper talks with actor Yul Vazquez. Yul is best known for his roles as Yunis Sablo in The Outsider, Victor Lazaro in Magic City, John Reyes in Russian Doll and John Gavin in Narcos: Mexico. He has been seen on such TV shows as Seinfeld, SEAL Team, Midnight Texas, I Am the Night, Divorce, Madam Secretary, Bloodline, Louie, Treme and many more. He has appeared in many movies including Runaway Bride, The Cobbler, O.G., Gringo, Crown Heights, The Infiltrator, Captain Phillips, American Gangster and The A-Team. He is also an accomplished musician, photographer and artist and received a Tony for the play Motherf*cker with the Hat.

    

Steve Kilbey - Episode 877

Steve Cooper talks with musician Steve Kilbey. Steve is best known for being the singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for the rock band The Church. The Church are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave, neo-psychedelia, and indie rock, their music later came to feature slower tempos and surreal soundscapes reminiscent of dream pop and post-rock. They have recorded 17 studio albums and are best known for the hit single Under the Milky Way. As  solo album or in collaboration with other artists Steve has recorded over 20 albums and in 2011 was inducted to the Australian Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Amanda Wyss - CooperTalk 876

Steve Cooper talks with actor Amanda Wyss. Amanda was discovered by an agent as a teen while starring in the play, The Bad Seed at a local LA theatre and then went on to work in many commercials and landed her first television role, recurring on Universal's When the Whistle Blows as Dolph Sweet's daughter. Some of her film performances are in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Better Off Dead, Silverado, Hunter's Moon, Badland, Triggered, The Sandman, The Hatred and the award-winning Powwow Highway. She's also worked extensively in television, with roles on St. Elsewhere, Cagney & Lacey, Highlander, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dexter, Major Crimes, Cold Case, The Division, Murder in the First, All Rise and The Resonator: Miskatonic U. 

Pete Byrne - Episode 875

Steve Cooper talks with musician Pete Byrne. Pete is best known as the lead singer for the pop/new wave duo Naked Eyes. Naked Eyes rose to prominence in the early 1980s. The band had four US top 40 singles. The group's first hit, Always Something There to Remind Me was a cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David standard. The band had subsequent hits with more of their own compositions, Promises, Promises, When the Lights Go Out and (What) In the Name of Love. On June 8, 2021, Naked Eyes released its latest album, Disguise The Limit.

Brad Gillis - Episode 874

Steve Cooper talks with musician Brad Gillis. Brad is a guitarist most famous for playing with the band Night Ranger. Since forming in 1979, him and drummer Kelly Keagy are the only members to have appeared in every incarnation of the band and all studio releases. Having sold over 17 Million albums worldwide, performed across more than 4000 stages, and captivated a radio audience that exceeds 1 Billion, Night Ranger has both epitomized and transcended the arena rock sound and style well beyond that era. They have earned widespread recognition that includes both multi-platinum and gold album status all while leaving their indelible mark on the music industry with a long list of best-selling albums (Dawn Patrol, Midnight Madness, 7 Wishes, Big Life and Man In Motion). Their popularity is fueled by an impressive number of instantly recognizable hit singles and signature album tracks, including legendary titles such as Sister Christian, Don't Tell Me You Love Me, When You Close YourEyes, (You Can Still) Rock In America, Sentimental Street, Goodbye, Sing Me Away, and Four in the Morning.