CooperTalk

Dave Meniketti - Episode 789

Steve Cooper talks with musician Dave Meniketti. Dave is the singer, songwriter and lead guitarist for hard rock/heavy metal band Y&T. He has also released three solo efforts, one of which is more blues-oriented. He currently tours worldwide with Y&T. Y&T has a discography of 18 albums, three greatest hits collections, plus a boxed set and has sold over four million albums since their 1974 inception. They have received extensive airplay with hits such as Forever, Rescue Me, Mean Streak, Don’t Stop Runnin’, and Summertime Girls—which played in heavy rotation on MTV. Their songs have been featured in a multitude of movies and television shows, including Real Genius, Out of Bounds, Baywatch, and Hunter. After five top 100 albums, songs that tipped into the 40s, two Bammie Awards, and many international television appearances, their hits are still played on VH1 Classic and classic rock radio stations worldwide.

Rob Paulsen - Episode 788

Steve Cooper talks with voice actor Rob Paulsen. Rob is best known for Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius, and most of the other animated projects that he has been part of as a voice actor for nearly three decades.  With over 2,000 half-hour programs and dozens of films, video games, and other animated media to his credit, he has been one of the hardest working, most in-demand, and most beloved voice artists in the industry, earning a Daytime Emmy, a Peabody and three times winning the Annie Award (for voice actors).

Phil Solem - Episode 787

Steve Cooper talks with musician Phil Solem. Phil is best known as one half of The Rembrandts. In 1990, Phil and Danny Wilde got together to record some demos in Danny's Southern California garage/studio. The demo was released 'as is', as The Rembrandts. The album landed in the Billboard hot 100, thanks in part to the Top 20 hit Just The Way It Is, Baby. The follow up single Someone, with Phil on lead vocals, also ended up on the Billboard Top 100. In 1992, The Rembrandts received more critical acclaim for their follow up album, Untitled. In 1995, The Rembrandts became most famous for a song that was never intended to be on an album. Although the duo had recorded the 42 second theme I'll Be There For You for the show Friends, it was never intended to be a full length song. But the label insisted the duo record a full length version and include it at the end of the already finished album, LP. 

Ace Von Johnson - Episode 786

Steve Cooper talks with guitarist Ace Von Johnson. Ace is the rhythm guitarist and tours nationally with the popular band L.A. Guns. Before that he was the lead guitarist for Faster Pussycat. He was also member of metal bands such as Cheap Sex, Madcap, The U.S. Bombs, The Generators, Unwritten Law and Murphy's Law. He recently started a career as a voice over actor and has recorded documentaries, cartoon, TV series and spokesperson spots.

D.B. Sweeney - Episode 785

Steve Cooper talks with actor D.B. Sweeney. D.B.'s many films include Gardens of Stone, Memphis Belle, Fire in the Sky, The Cutting Edge, No Man’s Land, Spawn, Roommates and Eight Men Out (as Shoeless Joe Jackson). The Steven Spielberg produced Captive State was released March 2019. His latest, Manson Brothers Midnight Zombie Massacre will be released in early 2020. On Television he played Dish Boggett in the landmark Lonesome Dove miniseries and the memorably oblivious Larry opposite Jon Cryer on Two and a Half Men. His other extensive credits include Sharp Objects, Ice, Criminal Minds, 24, CSI, Crash, Jericho, House, Harsh Realm, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and the multi-Emmy winning Miss Rose White. He also just co-starred, directed, produced and wrote the multi-award winning short Two Dum Micks. 

Rob Mailhouse - Episode 784

Steve Cooper talks with actor/musician Rob Mailhouse. Rob appeared on Days of Ours Lives in the early 90's and has guest starred in a number of TV shows including Bones, Seinfeld, Picket Fences, Melrose Place, Caroline in the City, Sports Night, Dharma & Greg, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Judging Amy and The Larry Sanders show. He has also co-starred in the series Easy to Assemble with Illeana Douglas and the popular TV movie The Christmas Pageant. As a musician he is the drummer for the band Dogstar whose bassist is Keanu Reeves.

Alan Frew - Epsiode 783

Steve Cooper talks with musician Alan Frew. Alan is best known as the lead singer of Glass Tiger. He has also released three solo albums. Glass Tiger is a Grammy-nominated Canadian rock band from Newmarket, Ontario that formed in 1983. The band has released five studio albums. Its 1986 debut album, The Thin Red Line, went quadruple platinum in Canada and gold in the United States and included the top 10 hits Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) and Someday.

Chris Bauer - Episode 782

Steve Cooper talks with actor Chris Bauer. Chris is best known for his roles as Frank Sobotka in The Wire, Andy Bellefleur in True Blood and Bobby Dwyer in The Deuce. He has been a regular in series such as For All Mankind, Law & Order True Crime, Survivor's Remorse, American Crime Story and Third Watch and also has guest starred in numerous shows including Brooklyn Nine-Nine, FBI, Modern Family, Full Circle, Parks and Recreation, Elementary, The Office, Hawaii Five-0, The Good Wife and New Amsterdam.

Ritch Shydner - Episode 781

Steve Cooper talks with comic Ritch Shydner. Ritch has made numerous appearances on TV, including Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno and has done an HBO comedy special. He also played Al Bundy's co-worker on Married with Children, made guest appearances on shows such as Roseanne and Designing Women was seen in movies like Roxanne and Beverly Hills Cop II. His writing credits include The Mind of the Married Man, Roseanne and The Jeff Foxworthy Show and recently wrote the movie adaption for Bill Maher's book True Story. In 2010 he produced and starred in the award winning documentary I Am Comic and in 2016 he released his second book Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life as a Stand-up in the 80's Comedy Explosion. He currently is touring the country performing his one man show, America's Reflection in the Fun House Mirror: A History of Stand-up Comedy.

Danny Goldberg - Episode 780

Steve Cooper talks with Danny Goldberg. Danny has worked in the music business as a personal manager, record company president, public relations man and journalist since the late 1960s. He wrote Serving The Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain (2019), Bumping Into Geniuses (2008) and How the Left Lost Teen Spirit (2005), which appeared in a shorter form as Dispatches From the Culture Wars (2003). Earlier in his career he formed and co-owned Modern Records, which released Stevie Nicks’ solo albums including her number one album Bella Donna. Prior to that he was Vice-President of Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song Records and worked with the band from 1973 through 1975. In 1980, he co-produced and co-directed the rock documentary feature, No Nukes starring Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, and Jackson Browne among others. He was also CEO of Air America Radio from 2005 until mid-2006; chairman and CEO of Mercury Records, a division of Polygram from 1995 to 1998; chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Records in 1995; president of Atlantic Records from 1993 to 1994; and founder and president of Gold Mountain Entertainment, whose clients included Nirvana, Hole, Sonic Youth, Bonnie Raitt, The Allman Brothers and Rickie Lee Jones from 1983 to 1992. He began his career as a music journalist at the age of 18, writing for Rolling Stone, Billboard and The Village Voice. He is currently is the president of Goldve Entertainment (GVE), an entertainment company representing artists in music, touring, books, films and other media.

Lisa Lisa - Episode 779

Steve Cooper talks with singer Lisa Lisa. Lisa in one of the greatest RnB/Pop divas to come out of the 1980's music scene. She and her band, Cult Jam, produced 5 albums and scored top 10 hits with songs like I Wonder If I Take You Home, All Cried Out, Let The Beat Hit Em, Lost In Emotion, Little Jackie and Head to Toe. After disbanding in 1994, she released the funk-soul album LL77 which included the Top 40 hit Skip To My Lu and her first Spanish-language track Cuando Me Enamore which peaked at #1 on Puerto Rico radio stations. In the 90's she starred in Broadway and off Broadway plays such as Barrio Babes and West Side Story and in 2001 starred in the Nickelodeon series "Taina" playing Gloria Morales, Taina's young and sharp witted mother. She also made a guest appearance on Law & Order's 300th episode in 2003. She is currently recording new music and tours with Taylor Dayne and Jody Watley.

George Pelecanos - Episode 778

Steve Cooper talks with writer/producer George Pelecanos. George was the co-creator of the HBO series The Deuce and was nominated for an Emmy and a WGA Award for his work on The Wire. He has served as a producer/writer on shows such as Treme, The Pacific and Bosch and is the author of twenty-one novels set in and around Washington, D.C. His short fiction has appeared in Esquire, Playboy, and the collections Unusual Suspects, Best American Mystery Stories of 1997, Measures of Poison, Best American Mystery Stories of 2002, Men From Boys, and Murder at the Foul Line and is also an award-winning essayist who has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, Sight and Sound, Uncut, Mojo, and numerous other publications.

Joe Pantoliano - Episode 777

Steve Cooper talks with actor Joe Pantoliano. Joe has amassed an impressive catalog of classic American film, theater and television titles, collaborating with some of Hollywood’s most prestigious filmmakers including Christopher Nolan (Memento), Steven Spielberg (The Goonies, Empire of the Sun), The Wachowskis’ (The Matrix), Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Steal Big Steal Little), Michael Bay (Bad Boys), and Martin Brest (Midnight Run). His theater credits include John Patrick Shanley’s Italian American Reconciliation, Lyle Kessler’s Orphans, and Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune. His television appearances have included the hit TV series The Sopranos, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He can also be seen in the recently released Bad Boys for Life alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

Bruce Watson - Episode 776

Steve Cooper talks with musician Bruce Watson. Bruce is best known for being a guitarist in Big Country. Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although it retained a cult following for many years after. They have recorded nine studio albums and had hits with the singles Big Country, Harvest Home and Fields of Fire (400 Miles.) Currently Bruce is with the band WKW which includes his son, Jamie. They just released the album Men of Steel and are playing live dates.

Chris Hayes - Episode 775

Steve Cooper talks with musician Chris Hayes. Chris is best known for being lead guitarist for Huey Lewis and the News. As well as playing guitar and singing backing-vocals, he became an established rock songwriter, and would often put Huey’s lyrics to music. He left the band in the year 2000, to spend more time with his family; although has occasionally filled in for the News’ current lead guitarist, Stef Burns.

Josh Pais - Episode 774

Steve Cooper talks with actor Josh Pais. Josh had a very busy 2019. He brought back his character Stu Feldman in Ray Donovan, was recurring as Barry in HBO's Mrs. Fletcher and appeared in the hit movies Joker and Motherless Brooklyn. He got his first big break playing Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and has constantly worked since then. He has been seen in shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Maniac, Younger, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, The Good Wife, Psych, 2 Broke Girls, How to Make It in America and Law & Order and in many movies including Confess, Reunion, Adventureland, Price Check, Arbitrage, I Saw the Light and Going in Style. He can soon be seen in the HBO mini-series The Plot Against America and also heads up the acting school Committed Impulse. 

Richard Barone - Episode 773

Steve Cooper talks with musician/songwriter/producer/professor/author Richard Barone. Richard pioneered the indie rock scene in Hoboken, NJ as frontman for The Bongos and then helped launch the chamber pop movement with his solo debut cool blue halo. He has also produced countless studio recordings and worked with artists in every musical genre. Collaborators have included Tony Visconti, Beach Boy Al Jardine, Sean Lennon, Dion, John Sebastian, Alejandro Escovedo, Donovan, Moby, the late Lou Reed, and American folk icon Pete Seeger. He has scored shows and staged all-star concert events at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and New York’s Central Park. His memoir Frontman: Surviving The Rock Star Myth was published by Hal Leonard Books and is affiliated with the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University and The New School University of Jazz & Contemporary Music. Plus he serves on the Board of Governors of The Recording Academy and on the Board of Advisors of Anthology Film Archives.

Jamie Kennedy - Episode 772

Steve Cooper talks with actor/comic Jamie Kennedy. Jamie is best known for playing Randy Meeks in the Scream franchise and playing various characters in The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. He wrote and starred in the movie Malibu's Most Wanted and has been seen in other films such as Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, Tremors 5: Bloodlines, Extreme Movie, Son of the Mask, Boiler Room, Bowfinger, Three Kings and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. His TV credits include Criminal Minds, Lucifer, Heartbeat, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Kingdom, The Cleveland Show, Entourage and Ghost Whisperer.

Taylor Nichols - Episode 771

Steve Cooper talks with actor Taylor Nichols. Taylor is best known for his roles in the Whit Stillman movies Metropolitan, Barcelona and the Last Days of Disco. He also appeared in the films Boiler Room, Congo, The American President, The Big Easy, Chappaquiddick and Jurassic Park III, as well as episodes of several TV series such as Murder She Wrote, NewsRadio, Chicago Hope, Judging Amy, The Mind of the Married Man, NCIS Criminal Minds, Dirty John, PEN15, The Rookie, Bones, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Mentalist, Perry Mason and many more.

 

Dana Olsen - Episode 770

Steve Cooper talks with writer/producer Dana Olsen. Dana is best known for writing the The 'Burbs that starred Tom Hanks. He has written the story or screenplay for such movies Inspector Gadget , Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Going Beserk and George of the Jungle. He also wrote for Laverne & Shirley and co-starred in the in the film Making the Grade. Most recently he was the creator of the Nickelodeon hit Henry Danger.

 

Bobby Moresco - Episode 769

Steve Cooper talks with director/producer/writer Bobby Moresco. Bobby is best known for winning an Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay for the movie Crash. He created the TV series Falcone, The Hundred Code and The Black Donnellys. He has also written for the shows Millennium and EZ Streets and co-produced the Oscar winning film Million Dollar Baby.

 

Michael Kostroff - Episode 768

Steve Cooper talks with actor Michael Kostroff. Michael is best known for his five seasons on HBO’s The Wire and a long list of TV appearances, including recurring roles on The Blacklist, The Deuce, The Good Wife and Law & Order:SVU. He has toured nationally with The Producers, understudying the lead role of Max Bialystock, and with Les Misérables, as the comically evil Thénardier, a role he later reprised for the reimagined 25th anniversary production. He’s also performed at some of the nation’s most respected regional theatres and in March can be seen in the HBO mini-series The Plot Against America.

 

Deran Sarafian - Episode 767

Steve Cooper talks with director Deran Sarafian. Deran is best known for his work on FOX's hit show House where he was co-executive produced for over forty episodes and directed twenty-three of the first one hundred episodes. For his work on the series, he won an AFI Award for Best Director and was nominated for two Primetime Emmys. Other TV directing credits include numerous shows including Swamp Thing, Blue Bloods, Rosewood, CSI: Miami, The Strain, Dominion, Hell on Wheels, Hemlock Grove, CSI: NY, In Plain Sight, Lost, CSI: Crime Investigation Scene, The District, Without a Trace, Nash Bridges, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cold Case. He has also directed feature films such as Alien Predator, Interzone, Death Warrant and Terminal Velocity.

Robert Tepper - Episode 766

Steve Cooper talks with musician Robert Tepper. Robert is best known for his hit song No Easy Way Out from the Rocky IV motion picture soundtrack. He started to get recognition as a song writer with his first Top 40 hit recorded by Paul Anka, This Is Love which went on to earn an ASCAP award. He later he teamed up with fellow singer Benny Mardones to help with his hit album Never Run, Never Hide. On that record was the iconic song Into The Night. Since then he has recorded 5 solo albums and music has appeared in such hit films and TV shows such as Cobra, Get Hard, South Park and Breaking Bad.

Brian Nash - Episode 765

Steve Cooper talks with musician Brian Nash. Brian is best known for being lead guitarist for the 80's band Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Their first album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome which was released in 1984 included the three hits; Relax, Two Tribes and The Power of Love which all hit number 1 on the UK charts. They also received Grammy and MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best New Artist. The group broke up shortly after their second album was released in 1986. From 1987 to 1997 Nash worked as a guitarist and songwriter for various bands and then he began a solo career, releasing music as Nasher.

Chris Eigeman - Episode 764

Steve Cooper talks with actor/director/writer Chris Eigeman. Chris is best known for roles in the films Metropolitan, Barcelona, and The Last Days of Disco which were written and directed by Whit Stillman. He has appeared in many movies including Kicking and Screaming, Maid in Manhattan, Mr. Jealousy, Highball, Crazy Little Thing and The Treatment. A familiar face to TV he has been seen in shows such as It's Like, You Know..., Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, Homicide: Life on the Street, Fringe and Girls. He also has written and directed the features Turn the River and Seven in Heaven and acted and directed an episode of Bunheads.

Denny Laine - Episode 763

Steve Cooper talks with musician Denny Laine. Denny is best known as a founder of two major British rock bands: The Moody Blues, with whom he played from 1964 to 1966, and Paul McCartney and Wings, with whom he played from 1971 to 1981. He has worked with a variety of artists and groups over a six decade career, and continues to record and perform as a solo artist. In 2018, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Moody Blues.

Marshall Crenshaw - Episode 762

Steve Cooper talks with musician Marshall Crenshaw. Marshall is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as Someday, Someway, a US Top 40 hit in 1982, and Whenever You're on My Mind. He got his first break in 1978 playing Jon Lennon in Beatlemania and has recorded 10 studio albums since then. He portrayed Buddy Holly in the hit film La Bamba and appeared in the movie Peggy Sue Got Married and wrote the title track from Walk Hard which got nominated for a Golden Globe and a Grammy. Currently he occasionally sings lead vocals for The Smithereens and tours with the Marshall Crenshaw Trio.

Alan Rosenberg - Episode 761

Steve Cooper talks with actor Alan Rosenberg. Alan has been a regular on TV series such as Civil Wars, L.A. Law, Cybil and The Guardian. He has been a recurring character on Chicago Hope, Luck, Suits, Bosch and Shameless and has been a guest star on countless shows including The Good Fight, Elementary, Training Day, Harry's Law, House, NYPD Blue, Numb3rs, Touched by an Angel, Murphy Brown and many more. In 1995 has was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in ER.

Sophie B. Hawkins - Episode 760

Steve Cooper talks with musician Sophie B. Hawkins. Sophie is best known for her hit singles Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover and As I Lay Me Down. In 1993 she was nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy and her record Whaler was certified gold. She had released a total of 5 studio albums and in 2012 starred as Janis Joplin in the hit play Room 105. She is currently working on new music and enjoys painting in her free time.

Wally Stocker - Episode 759

Steve Cooper talks with musician Wally Stocker. Wally is best know for being lead guitarist of the band The Babys. Between 1977 -1980 The Babys recorded 5 albums and had a string of successful singles including Isn't It Time, Every Time I Think of You, Head First, Back on My Feet Again and Midnight Rendezvous. They reformed with a new line-up in 2013 and recorded the new album, I'll Have Some of That. In between 1980 and 2013 Wally toured with the likes of Rod Stewart, Humble Pie and Air Supply.

Brad Roberts - Episode 758

Steve Cooper talks with musician Brad Roberts. Brad is the lead singer and guitarist for the band Crash Test Dummies. They are best known for their international hit Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm that peaked at No. 4 on the US Hot 100. Crash Test Dummies have recorded 9 studio albums, have been nominated for 3 Grammys and 11 Junos. (Winning one Juno.) The band still keeps a busy touring schedule and Brad released a solo record in 2011.

Steven Page - Episode 757

Steve Cooper talks with musician Steven Page. Steven is best known for being one of the founding members of the musical group Bare Nakedladies. He was with the band from 1988 - 2009. During that period they recorded 11 studio albums, won 2 Billboard Music Awards and were nominated for 2 Grammys. They also won 7 Juno awards and scored a number one single with the hit One Week. Since becoming a solo artist, he has been carving out a diversified niche for himself that expands beyond recording and performing through an array of projects in music, film, theatre and television. He has composed six Stratford Festival scores, has collaborated and toured North America with Toronto’s innovative Art of Time Ensemble and performs with his rock star pals as a member of the Trans-Canada Highwaymen.  Steven journeyed across Canada and the U.S. as host of TV’s The Illegal Eater, became a Chopped Canada Champion and will appear as a judge on Iron Chef Canada in their 2019/20 season.  

Josie Cotton - Episode 756

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter/bandleader Josie Cotton. Josie is best known for her international hit Johnny Are You Queer? which was included on the soundtrack of the seminal film Valley Girl.  She also appeared in the film with her band the Party Crashers as well as Jackass Number Two.  She is known for her quirky stylizations and musical experimentation from pop to rockabilly, electronica, swamp, lounge, Western, garage rock and beyond.  She has to date recorded seven albums including Invasion of the B-Girls, a collection of B-movie theme songs (great songs from bad movies) from the 1960s and ‘70s. She also is a record company mogul with the formation of Kitten Robot Records. The first release is a single of two brand new songs with a Russian theme: Ukrainian Cowboy and Cold War Spy which was followed by Everything is Oh Yeah which was to be her third record for Elektra back in the ‘80s.  It has been re-mixed and mastered and was released in partnership with Cleopatra Records. 

Prescott Niles - Episode 755

Steve Cooper talks with musician Prescott Niles. Prescott is best known for being bass player for the band The Knack. Their hit single My Sharona went Gold in thirteen days and was the #1 song of 1979 and their debut album Get the Knack sold over six million copies worldwide. Prescott was lucky to have had the rare privilege to work with George Harrison for the soundtrack Shanghai Surprise and did an album with Josie Cotton which was in the movie and soundtrack Valley Girl. Since 2013 he has been touring with Missing Persons and is also in a new version of Gary Myrick & the Figures.

Rick Roberts - Episode 754

Steve Cooper talks with musician Rick Roberts. Rick is best known for being a founding member and lead singer of the band Firefall as well as his work with The Flying Burrito Brothers. He was in Firefall from 1974 to 1981 and then again from 1989 to 1992. During his years the band was known for hit singles such as You Are the Woman, Just Remember I Love You and Strange Way and recorded six studio albums. Since then he has recorded two solo albums and played with the likes of Randy Meisner, John York and Rick Danko. He is currently touring with former fellow Firefall member Larry Burnett.

 

John Ashton - Episode 753

Steve Cooper talks with actor John Ashton. John is best known for his Detective Sergeant Taggart in the first two installments of the Beverly Hills Cops trilogy and as the rival bounty hunter to Robert DeNiro's character in Midnight Run. Throughout his career he has appeared in countless movies including Some Kind of Wonderful, She's Having a Baby, Breaking Away, King Kong Lives, Trapped In Paradise, The Shooter, Instinct, Little Big League, Curly Sue and Gone Baby Gone. He is also a veteran of TV working on such series as Dallas, The A-Team, Starsky & Hutch, M*A*S*H, The Twilight Zone, Police Squad, Hardball, JAG, King of the Hill, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and many more.  

Nick Feldman - Episode 752

Steve Cooper talks with musician Nick Feldman. Nick is best known for being co-founder of the band Wang Chung. Between 1983 and 1987 Wang Chung had five Top 40 hits including Dance Hall Days, Everybody Have Fun Tonight and Let's Go. The band recorded the soundtrack for the film To Live and Die in L.A. and had a song in John Hughes' movie the Breakfast Club. They recently released Orchesography which is a greatest hits compilation recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and still have a very active touring schedule.

David Jenkins - Episode 751

Steve Cooper talks with musician David Jenkins. David is best known for being a singer/songwriter and guitarist for the band Pablo Cruise. Pablo Cruise was formed in 1973, and released eight studio albums over the next decade, during which time five singles, including Love Will Find a Way and Whatcha Gonna Do, reached the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. From 1975 to 1983 the band recorded eight studio albums including two that went platinum. They also appeared on shows such as Dick Clark's American Bandstand, The Merv Griffin Show and the Dinah Shore Hour and in 1979 they broke Elvis Presley's attendance record at the Sahara Tahoe in Lake Tahoe and became the first rock band to grace the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

 

Chris Carter - Episode 750

Steve Cooper talks with radio personality/musician Chris Carter. Chris was one of the founding members of Dramarama who he played for from 1982 to 1995. During that time they recorded six studio albums with their biggest being Cinema Verite which included the hit Anything, Anything (I'll Give You). After the breakup he started managing bands and produced the critically acclaimed documentary The Mayor of Sunset Strip which was about legendary LA DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. In 2001 he won a contest to become the host of the popular radio show Breakfast With The Beatles and has been doing it ever since.

Juliana Hatfield - Episode 749

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Juliana Hatfield. Juliana is a musician from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock bands Blake Babies, The Juliana Hatfield Three, Some Girls, and The Lemonheads. She has also performed and recorded as one half of Minor Alps with Matthew Caws of Nada Surf. As a solo artist she has released 18 studio albums, her latest being "Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police."

Liz Astrof - Episode 748

Steve Cooper talks with writer/producer Liz Astrof. Liz has served as an executive producer, a co-executive producer, a supervising producer, a producer and a writer for sitcoms in Hollywood for almost twenty years. Some of the shows she has worked on include The King of Queens, Becker, Raising Hope, Whitney, Last Man Standing, Two Broke Girls, Trial & Error and The Conners. She also recently had her first book published, Don't Wait Up: Confessions of a Stay-at-Work Mom, which has been garnering great reviews.

 

Dave Pirner - Episode 747

Steve Cooper talks with musician Dave Pirner. Dave is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for the band Soul Asylum. Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983. in 1992, they released the triple-platinum album Grave Dancers Union, featuring their Grammy Award-winning single Runaway Train. The band played the Bill Clinton inauguration early the next year. They also scored a platinum record with the album Let Your Dim Light Shine. They also contributed to three Kevin Smith movies, Clerks, Clerks 2 and Chasing Amy. They have recorded eleven studio albums and still tour.

Robert Hays - Episode 746

Steve Cooper talks with actor Robert Hays. Robert is best known for his role as pilot Ted Striker in Airplane! and its sequel, and for his role as Robert Seaver in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. During his career that has spanned over forty years some he has appeared in countless TV shows and movies such as Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, Angie, Cat's Eye, Starman, FM, Cutters, Touched by an Angel, Dr. T & the Women, and Sharknado 2. He has also lent his voice to Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series and Iron Man.

Dan O'Shannon - Episode 745

Steve Cooper talks with Dan O'Shannon. Dan is an American television writer and producer who has worked on shows such as Newhart, Cheers, and Frasier. He was an executive producer of the ABC show Modern Family, but left the show at the conclusion of season five to accept a development deal at CBS TV Studios. He has won 6 Emmy awards and has been Oscar nominated.

 

Steve Thompson - Episode 744

Steve Cooper talks with writer/music producer/mixer/arranger/ re-mixer Steve Thompson. Steve is a 7 time Grammy winner and has worked with artists including Guns N' Roses, Life Of Agony Tesla, Madonna, John Lennon, Wu-Tang Clan, the Rolling Stones, Soundgarden, Public Enemy and Metallica. His Grammy awards come from his work with Aretha Franklin, Blues Traveler, Korn, Cutting Crew, Ziggy Marley and Whitney Houston. He started as a NYC DJ which led to Clive Davis taking him under his wing and mentoring him and still is very sought after in the music world.

Cherie Currie - Episode 743

Steve Cooper talks with musician Cherie Currie. Cherie is best known as being lead vocalist of The Runaways in the mid-to-late 1970s. After the Runaways, she became a solo artist and then teamed up with her identical twin sister, Marie Currie, and released 3 albums with her. She also had an acting role in the cult classic Foxes and recently released the album The Motivator with singer-drummer Brie Darling of Fanny.

Colin Blunstone - Episode 742

Steve Cooper talks with musician Colin Blunstone. Colin is best known for being the lead singer of The Zombies. The Zombies were inducted into the Rock & Roll HOF in 2019 hit the charts with the songs She's Not There, Tell Her No and Time of the Season. They were together from 1962 to 1967, then in 1990-1991, again in 1997 and have been reunited since 2004. As a solo artist Colin has released 11 solo albums and appeared on several albums by the Alan Parsons Project.

Scotty Morris - Episode 741

Steve Cooper talks with musician Scotty Morris. Scotty is best known for being the singer/songwriter for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. BBVD's originals rocketed the group into its first phase of stardom when You & Me and the Bottle Makes Three (Tonight) and Go Daddy-O were featured in the 1996 indie film landmark Swingers. The film launched the careers of Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau and established BBVD as a cultural force beyond their home base of L.A. They have built a career through relentless touring and an impressive discography that includes the platinum selling Americana Deluxe. Their music has appeared in countless films, television shows, and trailers including Swingers, The Wild, Despicable Me, Family Guy, Phineas and Ferb, Malcolm In The Middle, Ally McBeal and have been widely used for years as part of television broadcasts of high profile sporting events including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and PGA. They have had numerous television appearances include Dancing With The Stars, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brian, Last Call with Carson Daley. They have also has shown true bipartisanship having played private events for the three of the last four presidents as well as events at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions on multiple occasions and they had an appearance in front of millions during the halftime show of the 1999 Super Bowl. 

James Atkin - Episode 740

Steve Cooper talks with musician James Atkin. James  is responsible for singing one of the biggest hits of the 90s 'Unbelievable' with the band EMF. He went on to have massive success clocking up a No. 1 American single, platinum album sales and an Ivor Novello nomination for songwriting. EMF recorded three studio albums and broke up in 1995 but have had occasional reunions for live shows. James has been heavily involved with seminal dance act Bentley Rhythm Ace and has released three solo albums since 2014.