CooperTalk

Katrina Leskanich - Episode 679

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Katrina Leskanich. Katrina is best known for being the lead singer of Katrina & the Waves who had several international hits, including "Walking on Sunshine" (1985), which has become a summer anthem and "Sun Street" in 1986. They also received a Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist. The hits continued with "Do You Want Crying", "Que te Quiero", "Rock and Roll Girl" and "That's The Way" which reached No. 14 in the U.S.A. The band went on to win the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 for the United Kingdom with "Love Shine a Light," which went to No. 2 in the British charts and they performed an unprecedented four weeks running on the BBC 1 TV show Top of The Pops. After the Waves broke up in 1999, she launched a solo career, first as a DJ for BBC Radio 2 and then in 2001 she played the lead role in the musical Leader of the Pack. Since going solo she has released 7 albums and continues to tour around the world.

Eddie Brill - Episode 678

Steve Cooper talks with stand-up comic Eddie Brill. Eddie he worked as the audience warm-up on The Late Show with David Letterman for seventeen years and for eleven of those years he was the Stand Up Comedy Talent Coordinator and was the creative director of the Great American Comedy Festival which honors Johnny Carson. He has taped more than 100 TV shows in six different countries, including ten appearances on The Late Show.  His many acting roles include the FX hit series, Louie and the film 30 Years to Life with Tracy Morgan. He is also a 3-time MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) Award Winner for Outstanding Male Stand-up Comic in NYC.  In 2008, he received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award by the ECNY (The Emerging Comics of NY) and has been also honored with an Alumni Award of Distinction from Emerson College.

Albert Bouchard - Episode 677

Steve Cooper talks with drummer/singer/songwriter Albert Bouchard. Albert is best known for being one of the founding members of the legendary rock band Blue Oyster Cult who he played drums for an occasionally sang songs. In 1981 he left Blue Öyster Cult and began work on the music that would become the Imaginos record. In the late 80s, he performed with The Mamas & The Papas, Peter Noone (Herman's Hermits) and the Spencer Davis Group (Joe Bouchard was also a part of this). He has also played on records for Mike Watt (fIREHOSE, Minutemen) and Ritchie Stotts (Plasmatics) and produced records for amongst others Gumball, Heads Up and David Roter. In the 90s, his main musical project was The Brain Surgeons, with whom he has released several CDs on his own Cellsum Records label. Cellsum has grown to host a number of other artists, including Les Vegas, The X Brothers, David Roter and Helen Wheels. Most recently, he has reunited with his brother Joe and old friend Dennis Dunaway to form Blue Coupe, a power trio that gigs frequently in and around the Northeast US and Canada.

Graham Parker - Episode 676

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Graham Parker. Graham is best known as the lead singer of the popular British band Graham Parker & the Rumour who he recorded 5 albums with before their breakup and two after a reconciliation starting in 2012. He has recorded 14 solo albums and collaborated with such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Kate Pierson of the B-52s and Bill Janovitz on Buffalo Tom. In addition to his records, Parker published an illustrated science fiction novella, The Great Trouser Mystery in 1980. He published a set of short stories, Carp Fishing on Valium, in June 2000. His third book, the novel The Other Life of Brian, was realeased in September 2003. He also appeared in the Judd Apatow movie This is 40 and recently had a song appear on the HBO hit Crashing.

Brian Duffy - Episode 675

Steve Cooper talks with chef Brian Duffy. Brian is perhaps most recognized from his abundant television appearances on the wildly popular Bar Rescue, where he tours the country (sometimes on his Harley Davidson) reforming failing bars and restaurants with his “tell it like it is” style. He made his on-camera debut on the Food Network series Date Plate and has appeared on countless segments on the DIY Network, HGTV, NBC, and Fine Living Network. Chef Duffy is also a regular to judge the Food Network series Beat Bobby Flay and has appeared on The Today Show since 2006 for the St. Patrick’s Day Irish cook-off. He even has his own line of signature spices, Duffified Spices as well as a line of T-Shirts, Kitchen aprons, Hats & chef driven Hand soaps and hosts the popular podcast Duffified Live.

Richard Kind - Episode 674

Steve Cooper talks with actor Richard Kind. Richard is probably best known for his roles in the TV series Spin City and Mad About you and for his voice work in the hit movies A Bug's Life, Cars and Inside Out. His career has spanned over 30 years and he was recently awarded with a Carney which is a lifetime achievement award bestowed on the best character actors. His many TV credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Young Sheldon, The Commish, Just Shoot Me!, Scrubs, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Burn Notice, Luck, The Good Wife, The Middle, Glee, Elementary, Red Oaks, Gotham, I' Dying Up Here and The Goldbergs. Some of his movie appearances have been in Argo, Suburbicon, Paper Store, Sharknado 2, Bad Seed, Cars 2, Hereafter, Toy Story 3, A Serious Man, For Your Consideration, The Producers, The Station Agent andConfessions of a Dangerous Mind. He has also appeared on stage not only on Broadway but across the country.

Michael Saltzman - Episode 673

Steve Cooper talks with writer/producer Michael Saltzman. Michael has been writing and producing some of Hollywood's top TV series for years. An Emmy nominee and a 2 time Writers Guild of America nominee, his credits include Anything But Love, Wings, Murphy Brown, The Naked Truth, The Middle, Hell on Wheels, Mad Men and Halt and Catch Fire. He also created the series Baby Bob and wrote the screenplay for The Suite Life Movie and had story credit on the 2006 remake of The Pink Panther.

Randy Cross - Episode 672

Steve Cooper talks with former NFL star and anaylist Randy Cross. Randy is a 13-year NFL veteran and a three-time Super Bowl champion from the San Francsico 49ers. He is also a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He worked for CBS as a game analyst from 1989-93 and returned to CBS from 1998-2009 and also spent four years at NBC Sports. He currently hosts the popular podcast UnsafeSpaces USA.

Matt Starr - Episode 671

Steve Cooper talks with drummer/vocalist Matt Starr. He is currently filling in for MR BIG drummer Pat Torpey on their "...The Stories We Could Tell" World Tour.  He spent the past 3 years as the touring & recording drummer for KISS founding member Ace Frehley, playing on Ace's latest release Space Invader (eOne) which debuted at #9 on Billboard, selling 20,000 copies in it's first week.  He is also a member of Burning Rain (featuring Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich).  In the past Matt has worked with Kevin Dubrow (Quiet Riot), Dizzy Reed (Guns N’ Roses), Love/Hate (Sony), Beautiful Creatures (Warner Bros) & others. He is also the creator of  Who’s Next Publishing  where he creates exposure &  financial opportunities for emerging indie artists. Matt's songs have been placed in dozens of television programs & movies and he is a Modern Drummer contributor & producer.

This episode was sponsored by ROAM CORPORATION. You have to see it to believe it! www.roamcorporation.com

Chris Difford - Episode 670

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Chris Difford. Chris is best known as one of the founding members and lyricist for the band Squeeze who have recorded 13 albums. With Glenn Tillbrook he is half of a prolific writing team that has turned out such hits as Hourglass, Tempted, Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) and Black Coffee in Bed. He has also written songs for various artists in cluding Jools Holland, Elton John and Elvis Costello. He recently wrote his autobiography Some Fantastic Place: My Life In and Out of Squeeze and will do a solo storytelling musical tour to support it.

Nick Heyward - Episode 669

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Nick Heyward. Nick is best known as the lead singer for the band Haircut 100 who scored big hits with Love Plus One and Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) in the early 80's. He left for a solo career in late 1982. Early the following year he returned with a couple of chart hits, Whistle Down The Wind and Take That Situation. His debut solo album, North Of A Miracle was a solid effort that sold well and since then he has released 8 solo albums his latest being Woodland Echoes which has received critical acclaim. He will be embarking on a tour to support that album in the near future.

Bumblefoot - Episode 668

Steve Cooper talks with guitarist Bumblefoot. Bumblefoot is an award winning vocalist, songwriter, producer and world-renowned guitar virtuoso with over 20 years of releasing music, playing international festivals, headlining tours and gracing magazine covers as a solo artist. As lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses for 8 years he toured sold-out shows allover the world playing to crowds of up to 150,000. His unique fretless guitar can be heard through GNR's Chinese Democracy album. He is also an accomplished composer whose music is often heard in TV, film and video games including the theme song to VH1's That Metal Show. His recent collaborations include the rock group Art of Anarchy (featuring Scott Stapp and John Moyer), progressive-metal supergroup Sons of Apollo (featuring Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian, Billy Sheehan and Jeff Scott Scott) and Fragile Mortals (featuring DMC and Rob Dukes.) '5f6wstqg'

 

 

 

Bill Dawes - Episode 667

Steve Cooper talks with actor/comic Bill Dawes. Bill is a 3-time Broadway veteran and international headlining comic. Most recently, he appeared on Broadway as Mickey Mantle, and has toured as a stand-up comedian with the USO throughout Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. As an actor, he has appeared in several award-winning independent films, including Adam, Evenhand and Fiona. He’s had starring roles in two MGM Studio children’s films—Just for Kicks and Recipe for Disaster—and an acting role in the DVD cult hit I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. On TV, he has been on several hit shows, including Law and Order, Rizzoli and Isles, Sex and the City, OZ and Criminal Intent, As a stage actor, his first role was on Broadway with Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Durang in the play Sex and Longing. He also co-starred on Broadway in the hit Tony-nominated production of LOMBARDI, where he played a lead role as Green Bay Packer Legend Paul Hornung, the Golden Boy. The new movie he stars in Before the Sun Explodes has received rave reviews and can be found on Amazon Prime.

Jeff Scott Soto - Episode 666

Steve Cooper talks with singer Jeff Scott Soto. Jeff began his career with Yngwie Malsteem's Rising Force in 1984 and hasn't stopped working since. Some of the other bands he's been singer for include Talisman, Soul SirkUS and a brief stint as frontman for the legendary group Journey. He has also recorded many solo albums and performed with the original living members of Queen. He currently sings for Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the supergroup Sons of Apollo.

 

David Ellefson - Episode 665

Steve Cooper talks with bassist David Ellefson. David is best known as the second-longest serving member of the American thrash metal band Megadeth from 1983 to 2002 and again from 2010. As a member of Megadeth he has been awarded 10 Grammy nominations, countless gold & platinum records and toured the world for the better part of 3 decades. In addition he has lent his playing and writing abilities to several other recording and touring projects including Soulfly, F5, Temple of Brutality, Altitudes and Attitude (With Frank Bello of Anthrax) and Metal Allegiance, the supergroup formed by Mark Menghi with Mike Portnoy, and Alex Skolnick who released their eponymous debut in 2015 on Nuclear Blast. He has also ventured out into other related forays, as president of record label EMP Label Group and with his own coffee brand Ellefson Coffee Co.

 

Mindi Abair - Episode 664

Steve Cooper talks with saxophonist/singer Mindi Abair. Mindi is one of the most recognized and sought-after saxophonists/vocalists and a two-time Grammy nominee. She has been electrifying audiences with her dynamic live performances and utter command of the saxophone since her debut album in 2000. She has garnered ten #1 radio hits, six Top 5 solo records and two #1 spots on the Billboard album charts.  In 2014, she received her first Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, followed by a 2015 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for her solo LP Wild Heart featuring Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Keb’ Mo’, and Max Weinberg. She was feautured on two seasons on American Idol and has toured/recorded with artists such as Aerosmith, Gregg Allman, Keb’ Mo’, Joe Perry, Bobby Rush, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Lalah Hathaway, Duran Duran, Adam Sandler, Lee Ritenour, The Backstreet Boys, Booker T. Jones, Jimmy Webb, Mandy Moore, Max Weinberg, Bill Champlin, David Pack, Mocean Worker, The Ides of March, Rick Braun, Teena Marie, Bobby Lyle, Jonathan Butler, and Peter White. She is currently touring and recording with her band Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers.

Amy Dresner - Episode 663

Steve Cooper talks with writer Amy Dresner. Amy is a former professional stand-up comic, having appeared at The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, and The Improv. Since 2012, she has been a contributing editor of the online addiction and recovery magazine TheFix.com. She’s also written for the Good Men Project, The Frisky, Refinery 29, and has been a regular contributor to Addiction.com and PsychologyToday.com, where she has her own addiction blog entitled Coming Clean. She just released her debut book My Fair Junkie: A Memoir of Getting Dirty and Staying Clean.

Jackie Martling - Episode 662

Steve Cooper talks with comic Jackie Martling. Jackie known as The Joke Man. He released three self-produced comedy lp’s, 1979’s What Did You Expect?, 1980’s Goin’ Ape!, and 1981’s Normal People Are People You Don’t Know That Well on his own label, OHR Records. In 1982, after founding Governor’s Comedy Shop in Levittown on Long Island and touring as a national headliner, on a suggestion from a Washington DC comedy club owner, he blindly sent his three LP’s to Howard Stern upon Howard’s arrival at WNBC-AM in New York City. Howard called him to make a guest appearance on his radio show. In 1986, he became a full-time cast member and the head writer of Stern’s show, and as they say, the rest is history. Remarkable radio as well as show business history. Jackie left the Stern show in 2001 after fifteen-year run as head writer of the radio show, four television series, and three Pay-Per-Views. He’s released six dirty joke CD’s … The Joke Man, Sgt. Pecker, Hot Dogs & Donuts, Come Again?!, F. jackie, and snart, as well as three videos, five joke books and countless joke gadgets of all kinds, for children as well as adults. He just recently released his autobiography The Joke Man: Bow to Stern.

James M. Connor - Episode 661

Steve Cooper talks with actor James M. Connor. James is best known for his role as Larry Culpepper the soda vendor at NCAA football games for the national Dr. Pepper ad campaign and as Seychelles in HBO's Vice Principals and Stephen on Lopez. His movie credits include Kong: Skull Island, About Schmidt, Blades of Glory, The Onion Movie, Meet Dave, Horrible Bosses 2 and Watchmen. He has also been seen on countless TV show such as New Girl, NCIS, Big Love, Medium, Desperate Housewives, Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scrubs, Rules of Engagement, Hawaii Five-0, Franklin & Bash, Community, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks & Recreation and the Last Tycoon.

Willie Nile - Episode 660

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Willie Nile.  Willie became a popular fixture in the Village’s folk clubs in the late 70's, while drawing equal inspiration from the emerging downtown punk scene. He won a deal with Arista Records, which released his first two albums, Willie Nile and Golden Down, to considerable acclaim in 1980 and 1981 respectively. Despite a series of legal disputes that caused him to walk away from the music business for nearly a decade, he resumed his recording career successfully in the ’90s, recording Places I Have Never Been for Columbia Records, before going the D.I.Y. route with such well-received indie albums as Beautiful Wreck of the World, Streets of New York, House of a Thousand Guitars, The Innocent Ones, American Ride, World War Willie and the low-key piano-based departure If I Was a River. Throughout his career he’s amassed an enthusiastic international fan base that includes such admirers as Bruce Springsteen, with whom he’s guested onstage on several occasions, and Pete Townshend, who personally requested him as the opening act on the Who’s historic 1980 U.S. tour. The list of avowed his fans also includes Bono, Lou Reed, Paul Simon, Ian Hunter, Graham Parker, Jim Jarmusch, Adam Duritz, Little Steven and Lucinda Williams. He recently his eleventh studio album, Positively Bob: Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan, a heartfelt, personally charged set of Dylan covers that honors its subject while exemplifying the same qualities that have distinguished his work since the beginning.

Freddy Negrete - Episode 659

Steve Cooper talks with tattoo artist Freddy Negrete. Freddy is known as one of the fathers of the Chicano style black and gray fineline tattooing. A Southern California resident, he got into tattooing at an early age while incarcerated. He ended up working alongside Jack Rudy (best known for inventing the single needle for the professional tattoo gun) at Good Time Charlie's. He has worked on feature films and has been consulted on a number of projects about tattoo culture and his autobiography Smile Now, Cry Later: Guns, Gangs and Tattoos-My Life in Black and Gray was recently released.

Rhonda Shear - Episode 658

Steve Cooper talks with comedian/designer/entrepreneur/actress/philanthropist/author Rhonda Shear. Rhonda is best known as being the host of USA's weekend show Up All Night. For more than four decades, she has acted on hundreds of television shows, posed for Playboy, headlined in Vegas, been Miss Louisiana, built a $100 million lingerie company, paraded down Bourbon Street, and married her childhood sweetheart and the love of her life, Van Fagan. She recently wrote her autobiography Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell to Lingerie Mogul, Life Lessons from an Accidental Feminist.

Jeremy Kagan - Episode 657

Steve Cooper talks with director Jeremy Kagan. Jeremy is an internationally recognized director/writer/producer of feature films and television and a tenured professor. Some of his feature credits include the box-office hits Heroes, the political thriller The Big Fix, The Chosen and The Journey of Natty Gann. Among his many television shows are Katherine: The Making of an American Revolution and HBO's Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8. His film Roswell, The UFO Conspiracy garnered a Golden Globe nomination and he directed the pilot for the hit series Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. Some other TV directing credits include The Guardian, The Handler, Boomtown, The West Wing, Resurrection Blvd. and Ally McBeal. His current movie, Shot starring Noah Wyle has been receiving critical acclaim.

 

Bill Mumy - Episode 656

Steve Cooper talks with actor/musican/writer/producer Bill Mumy. He has worked on over four hundred television shows and is best known by fans around the world for the creation of his memorable roles as the heroic boy astronaut, Will Robinson on the long running classic series Lost in Space, Anthony Fremont from The Twilight Zone and Lennier from in the popular science fiction series Babylon 5 which he co-starred in for five years. He is a prolific voice over artist who gave voice to President Abraham Lincoln in The History Channel’s Civil War: Blood and Glory miniseries and has narrated over 50 episodes of A & E ‘s  Biography series and his voice over acting talents can be heard on animated shows like Rescue Bots, Bravest Warriors, Ren and Stimpy, Scooby Doo, Batman: the Animated Series, Steven Spielberg's Animaniacs, Little Wizard Adventures, The Oz Kids and Disney’s Buzz Lightyear: Star Command.  He’s also voiced dozens of national commercials such as Farmer's Insurance ,Ford, Bud Ice, Blockbuster, Twix, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. He is half of the infamous novelty rock recording and short film making duo Barnes and Barnes who are best known for the classic demented song and film Fish Heads and has worked with the pop group America off and on for over thirty years, composing, producing and performing with the band.  He is currently finished up an album as part of a new rock trio, Action Skulls, featuring Vicki Peterson of the Bangles and John Cowsill of the Beach Boys and the Cowsills.

 

Mike Portnoy - Episode 655

Steve Cooper talks with drummer Mike Portnoy. Mike is one of the founding members of the group Dream Theatre and currently part of the supergroups Sons of Apollo and The Winery Dogs. He has won 30 awards from Modern Drummer magazine and has received accolades from many more publications. He is constantly working and has been part of numerous bands throughout his career including Liquid Tension Experiment, Transatlantic, Flying Colors and Adrelanine Mob. He has also released 3 instructional videos and was listed as #5 in Rhythm magazine's list of the Top 50 Drummers of All Time.

Ken Levine - Episode 654

Steve Cooper talks with TV writer/producer/director/major league baseball announcer Ken Levine. Ken is an Emmy winner whose career has spanned over 30 years. He has worked on the shows including M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, WIngs, Everybody Loves Raymond, Becker and Dharma & Greg and has co-created three series. He and his partner wrote the feature Volunteers. He has also been the radio/TV play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Sand Diego Padres and Dodger Talk. He hosts the podcast Hollywood & Levine and has written and directed three plays.

 

 

Howard Jones - Episode 653

Steve Cooper talks with musician Howard Jones. Howard was one of the defining figures of mid-'80s synth pop. His music merged the technology-intensive sound of new wave with the cheery optimism of hippies and late-'60s pop. He racked up a string of hits in the mid- and late '80s before he retreated into being a cult figure in the '90s.  He released his first single, New Song, in England in the fall of 1983 and it became a big hit, peaking at number three. His second single, What Is Love, was released a few months later and it reached number two and his debut album was released in the spring of 1984 and quickly rose to number one in England. In 1985 he released Dream Into Action. The record became his most successful, reaching number ten and going platinum in the U.S. spawning the hit singles Things Can Only Get Better, Like to Get to Know You Well, Life in One Day and Look Mama. In the spring of 1986, he released Action Replay an EP of remixes that featured a new version of No One Is to Blame which became his biggest U.S. hit, peaking at number four. In 1989 his single Everlasting Love became a number one adult contemporary hit in America, reaching number 13 pop. Since then he has continued to release new music and constantly tours, whether it be his solo show or as part of the Retro Futura Tour.

Tom Keifer - Episode 652

Steve Cooper talks with musician Tom Keifer. Tom is best known for being the front man for the rock band Cinderella. Cinderella emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles that videos received heavy MTV rotation.  The band has sold 15 million records worldwide. Tom is about to present a special Deluxe Edition release of his critically acclaimed solo album, The Way Life Goes. It's a CD/DVD that features two new studio tracks as well as a 30 minutes documentary as well as videos and live footage.

Spencer Garrett - Episode 651

Steve Cooper talks with actor Spencer Garrett. Spencer returns to CooperTalk for a third time. One of the busiest actors around he has recently been seen on Dice, Bosch, Room 104, Insecure, Timelss, Survivor's Remorse and just finished playing 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. He got introduced to the entertainment field at a young age, his mother was an actress and his father was a talent agent. After college he gravitated towards the industry and studied with the legendary teacher Sanford Meisner. Throughout his 25 year career he has consistently worked on many different projects. His 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.

Todd Newton - Episode 650

Steve Cooper talks with host Todd Newton. Todd is one of the most recognized and respected faces on the air today and a Daytime Emmy winning personality. Often referred to by industry insiders as The Host with the Most, his amiable persona on E! Entertainment Television brought viewers face to face with Hollywood's biggest stars for over a decade. Since entering the world of game shows in 1999, he has awarded contestants over thirty million dollars in cash and prizes on shows such as Family Game Night, Whammy, Hollywood Showdown and Monopoly Millionaire's Club. He also serves as host of The Price Is Right Live stage show, performing to sold out crowds across North America and is the author of multiple books including Life in the Bonus Round: A Game Show Host's Road to Success & Fulfillment.

Chris Barron - Episode 649

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Chris Barron. Chris is best known as the front man for the band the Spin Doctors. They were best known for their popular album Pocket Full of Kryponite that peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. It produced the big hits Two Princes and Little Can't Be Wrong. The band has recorded six albums over the years and continues to tour. Chris recently finished up a solo album titled Angels and One Armed Jugglers and will hit the road in support of that.

Matt Pinfield - Episode 648

Steve Cooper talks with music personality, TV host, and video deejay Matt Pinfield. Matt is best known for his years working at MTV and VH1.  In 1984, he became a radio DJ on the Jersey Shore rock alternative station WHTG-FM and was the main DJ at the innovative Melody Bar in New Brunswick, NJ. In 1995, he began his television career hosting MTV’s 120 Minutes. Within a year, he hosted a variety of MTV shows including MattRock, Pinfield Suite, Pinfield Presents, Rocks Off and MTV Live and he has also hosted over 100 MTV specials. His music knowledge was showcased on TRL's Stump Matt and in 1999 he joined Universal Television to host and co-write a live television show about music called farmclub.com. In 2001, he became Vice President of A & R and Artist Development for Columbia Records and in 2006 he returned to VH1. He later took over the morning drive slot for WRXP in New York City and a similar position on KFOG in San Francisco. In 2016 he published a memoir, All These Things That I've Done: My Insane, Improbable Rock Life. He currently hosts 2 Hours with Matt Pinfield which is syndicated worldwide.

Doug Aldrich - Episode 647

Steve Cooper talks with guitarist Doug Aldrich. Doug started playing professionally in Los Angeles with the band Lion in 1986. Since then he has played with groups such as Bad Moon Rising, Burning Rain, Dio and Whitesnake. He currently plays for two supergroups, The Dead Daisies and Revolution Saints. He has also recorded a few solo projects and gigged in Vegas with Raiding the Rock Vault.

Lita Ford - Episode 646

Steve Cooper talks with musician Lita Ford. Lita shredded the stereotypes of female musicians throughout the 1970s and ’80s, starting with the world’s first major all-female rock group, the Runaways, then as a platinum-selling solo artist who shared the bill with the Ramones, Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, and others—and who gave Ozzy Osbourne his first Top 10 hit. After a hiatus from the music industry she is back touring and penned the best-selling book Living Like a Runaway: A Memoir.

Kelly Carlin - Episode 645

Steve Cooper talks with writer/teacher/speaker/radio host Kelly Carlin. Kelly has written a best selling book titled A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up With George and recently toured with her critically acclaimed solo show of the same name. She has hosted two radio shows―The Kelly Carlin Show on SiriusXM and Waking from the American Dream on SModcast Network, and blogs for the Huffington Post. She is about to teach her online seminar Unplug With Kelly Carlin - 2017 Autumn Cycle. Receive a 20% discount with the code https://app.ruzuku.com/courses/23828/about?price_point=24959&url_hash=fac1ee41d870c9300fe2e8840d40e7

Curtis Armstrong - Episode 644

Steve Cooper talks with actor Curtis Armstrong. Curtis started his show business career with Risky Business. It was the first in a string of classic comedy films and TV shows, including Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, Moonlighting and, most significantly, Revenge of the Nerds, in which he played the iconic role of Booger. Since then he has  appeared in films and TV shows including Supernatural and New Girl. He co-created and co-hosted the hit comedy-reality show, King of the Nerds, which brought his nerd narrative full circle and just released a book titled Revenge of the Nerd: Or...The Singular Adventures of the Man Who Would Be Booger.

 

Vicki Peterson - Episode 643

Steve Cooper talks with musician Vicki Peterson. Vicki is best known for being one of the founders and lead guitarist for The Bangles. The Bangles formed in Los Angeles in 1981. They scored several mega hits as the decade continued including Walk Like an Egyptian, Manic Monday, Hazy Shade of Winter and Eternal Flame. After they broke up Vicki went on to play with the Continental Drifters and The Psycho Sisters and also played for the Go-Go's 1994-1995 tour. She currently plays with a new band Action Skulls that features her husband John Cowsill and Bill Mummy and she still tours and records with The Bangles.

Dan Lauria - Episode 642

Steve Cooper talks with actor Dan Lauria. Dan is best known for playing Jack Arnold, the father on The Wonder Years. A familiar face to TV, movies and the stage he has been constantly working for over 35 years. Some of his television and film credits include Growing Pains, LA Law, Cagney & Lacey, Amazing Grace, Party of Five, From the Earth to the Moon, Costello, The Hoop Life, Law & Order, JAG, Ed, Big Momma's House 2, Independence Day, The Bronx is Burning, Psych, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, Harry's Law, Sullivan & Son, Hot in Cleveland, The Good Wife, Perception, Blue Bloods, Pitch and many, many more. He is also an accomplished stage actor appearing on Broadway in Lombardi and A Christmas Story plus other theatre productions across the country.

John Parr - Episode 641

Steve Cooper talks with musician John Parr. John is best known for his 1985 US number one hit single St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) and in 1984 for his US number one rock single Naughty Naughty. He has sold 10 million albums worldwide, and has written and performed 12 Hollywood movie themes, including for Three Men and a Baby, Running Man, Quicksilver and Near Dark. He has also written for artists such as Roger Daltrey, Meatloaf, Tom Jones and The Monkees. After ten years out of the music business he returned in 2007 and joined Canadian pop-rock artist Bryan Adams on his tour and later was a special guest of Journey on their entire UK tour. In 2011 he was a guest on ESPN show SportsNation where he sang a special rendition of St. Elmo's Fire replacing the words with Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. A reworking of the song's lyrics with the title Tim Tebow's Fire, went viral on YouTube and has received over a 1,000,000 views. 

Michael Des Barres - Episode 640

Steve Cooper talks with musician/actor/radio host Michael Des Barres. Michael currently is the host of Little Steven's Underground Garage on SiriusXM Radio Channel 21 and is heard by more than six million listeners, five days a weeks. He has appeared in over 150 hours of American television and more than 40 feature films, and has sold over 7 million albums as both a recording artist and songwriter. Over the past five decades, he has appeared in numerous feature films such as To Sir With Love with Sidney Poitier, Pink Cadillac with Clint Eastwood, The Man From Elysian Fields with Mick Jagger and Diary of a Sex Addict with Rosanna Arquette as well as countless television shows such as NCIS, Bones, CSI, Seinfeld, Frasier, Roseanne and Melrose Place, and as the infamous assassin Murdoc on MacGyver. He was also the touring singer for the Duran Duran spin-off group, The Power Station, performing at Live Aid with one of the most iconic live acts of the mid-1980s. From 1982 to 1984, he was a member of Chequered Past, which included Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols, and Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison of Blondie. In 1983, he penned the song Obsession, a number one hit in 27 countries for LA new wave group Animotion.

Don Most - Episode 639

Steve Cooper talks with actor/singer/director Don Most. Don is probably best known for his co-starring role as Ralph in the long running television series Happy Days. Recently, he was seen in a recurring role on the hit TV show Glee, as well as starring roles in the indie film  The Yankles and Chez Upshaw starring Kevin Pollack and Illeana Douglas. He just finished starring in Campin Buddies, along with a role in the independent film Remember Isobel and the short film Duality. His other feature film credits include ED TV, directed by Ron Howard: Crazy Mama, directed by Jonathan Demme, and The Great Buck Howard, starring John Malkovich. In television, his other guest starring roles include Men Of A Certain Age, Century City, Star Trek: Voyager, Yes, Dear, The Crow, Sabrina, Sliders, Dark Skies and The Family Guy. Following in the footsteps of some of his peers, Don has now directed three feature films. His first, The Last Best Sunday, had its World Premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival, and was a feature film winner at the Telluride IndieFest. Moola, starring William Mapother, Shailene Woodley, Treat Williams, Daniel Baldwin, and Curtis Armstrong, premiered at The Newport Beach Film Festival, where it earned Most The Outstanding Achievement In Directing Award. He also directed Harley's Hill, his first family film, which was recently seen on Showtime, Starz and Encore. In another area, he has recently gone back to his first love - singing. He has always loved the standards/swing/big band style of music, and has just mounted his show Donny Most Sings And Swings. He recently performed it at Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood, CA and Vitello's Jazz Club in Studio City, Los Angeles to great acclaim.

Cathy Ladman - Episode 638

Steve Cooper talks with comic/actor Cathy Ladman. Cathy has not only appeared on The Tonight Show nine times, but was also the only female comic to appear on the last two of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show Anniversary shows. She made four appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, did her own HBO One Night Stand comedy special, and was awarded the American Comedy Award for Best Female Stand Up Comic. She is an acclaimed television and film actor. Her film credits include Charlie Wilson’s War, The Aristocrats and White Oleander. Her TV appearances include Mad Men, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Everybody Loves Raymond and NCIS: Los Angeles and has had recurring roles in Caroline in the City, Pretty Little Liars and I'm Dying Up Here. She also appeared regularly on ABC's Politically Incorrect and Comedy Central's Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist. Besides writing her standup act and original scripted projects, she was on the writing staffs of The Caroline Rhea Show, Caroline in the City and Roseanne. She also wrote an episode of King of Queens and other sitcoms. Her theatre credits include a successful run Off-Broadway in, The JAP Show: The Princesses of Comedy, the 25th Anniversary production of Last Summer at Bluefish Cove in Los Angeles, which was nominated for several GLAAD awards, and she and HBO developed her first solo show, Scaredypants and took it to the Aspen Comedy Festival. Her second solo show, Does This Show Make Me Look Fat? is in the works.

Robert Romanus - Episode 637

Steve Cooper talks with actor/musician Robert Romanus. Robert is an American film/television actor and musician. He is best known as ticket scalper Mike Damone in the 1982 comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Natalie Green's boyfriend Snake on The Facts of Life. He starred in the 1983 series The Best of Times as Pete Falcone. He also starred in the 1985 film Bad Medicine. His other TV roles include Fame as Miltie Horowitz in 1986-1987, and two short-lived shows: the 21 Jump Street spin-off Booker as Tony DeAngelo in 1989, and as Jeff Foster in Maggie Winters in 1998. He has starred on soap operas such as Days of Our Lives as Marvin 'Speed' Selejko from 1983-1985, and The Young and the Restless as Lou in 2002. He has guest starred on many shows, including CHiPs, 21 Jump Street, Alien Nation, MacGyver, Providence, Will & Grace, My Own Worst Enemy, Code Black, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Cougar Town, Family Guy, Touch, Cold Case and Legit. He directed the 2008 drama Grapefruit Moon and had a small part in American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, as himself. In 2010 he played the guitar teacher in The Runaways.

Tony Luke Jr. - Episode 636

Steve Cooper talks with entrepreneur/restaurateur/actor/musician Tony Luke Jr. Tony recently has started a national campaign that deals with heroin addcition that is rampantly spreading across the USA called #brownandwhite. He opened a sandwich shop in South Philadelphia in 1990 and Tony Luke's has turned into an international brand with stores currently open in Bahrain, the Mid-Atlantic region and Florida. Tony Luke's has twice been hailed by Gourmet Magazine for quality and innovation, renowned by GQ Magazine, The New York Times and is a member of Philly Mag's Hall of Fame. The sandwich shop is featured on episodes of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, Dinner: Impossible, Man v. Food and Food Wars. Tony a man of many hats has appeared in many feature films including Invincible, 10th & Wolf and The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone, which he co-wrote and co-produced. He also has written and produced songs for Billy Paul, A&M Records and even topped the CD Baby charts with his song, Right Here and was a series judge on SpikeTV's first culinary based reality show, Frankenfood.

Matthew Quick - Episode 635

Steve Cooper talks with writer Matthew Quick. Matthew is the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, which was made into an Oscar-winning film, The Good Luck of Right Now, Love May Fail, The Reason You're Alive and four young adult novels: Sorta Like a Rock Star, Boy21, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and Every Exquisite Thing. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, received a Pen/Hemingway Award Honorable Mention, was an LA Times Book Prize finalist, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, a #1 bestseller in Brazil, a Deutscher Jugendliteratur Preis 2016 (German Youth Literature Prize) nominee, and selected by Nancy Pearl as one of Summer’s Best Books for NPR. The Hollywood Reporter has named him one of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors. All of his books have been optioned for film.

Billy Sheehan - Episode 634

Steve Cooper talks with bassist Billy Sheehan. Billy started in his hometown of Buffalo, NY in the early ’70’s with the now legendary hard rock trio Talas, he went on to join David Lee Roth in the summer of ’85 when Dave quit Van Halen to go out on his own. Along with Steve Vai & Gregg Bissonette, the legendary Eat ‘Em and Smile record and tour went on to platinum status and sold out shows everywhere. Leaving in 1987 to start his own new band, he founded Mr. Big, who went on to achieve a number one hit in fourteen countries, staying number 1 in the USA BillBoard charts for 3 solid weeks. Along with Mr Big members Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert and Pat Torpey, they recorded and toured the world for a decade more, till disbanding in 2002. During that time he found time to start Niacin a fusion/blues trio based around the Hammond B3 sound that featured drummer Dennis Chambers. He rejoined his old bandmate Steve Vai for several tours as well as Steve’s Real Illusions record and tour. After he released several solo records and much more, Mr Big reunited in 2009 and performed a sold-out world tour, and then recorded What If… in 2011 to rave reviews and another sold-out world tour. Most recently he joined Mike Portnoy and Richie Kotzen to form The Winery Dogs. Their first release in July of 2013 entered the BillBoard Top 200 Albums at #27 and has been received everywhere with spectacular reviews and sold-out shows.

Judith Scott - Episode 633

Steve Cooper talks with actor Judith Scott. Judith can be currently seen playing the role of Claudia Crane in FX's hit drama Snowfall which takes a look back to the early days of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles during the beginning of the 80s. She began her career as part of the legendary Second City improv troupe out of Chicago. Her acting credits include recurring roles in shows such as Dexter, Castle, Jake 2.0, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and has guests starred on series including The X-Files, Frasier, The Bernie Mac Show, 24, Monk, ER, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, Numb3rs, House, Franklin & Bash, CSI: Miami and Murder in the First. She has also been seen in the movies The Santa Clause, Opportunity Knocks, Dunston Checks In and Flightplan to name a few.

Todd Lowe - Episode 632

Steve Cooper talks with actor Todd Lowe. Todd is best known for his role as Terry Bellefleur on HBO's True Blood and and as Zach Van Gerbig on Gilmore Girls. He can currently be seen on the USA series Shooter and has appeared on shows and movies such as Criminal Minds, Cold, Ave 43, Bunheads, CSI:Miami, NCIS, Without a Trace, The Princess Diaries , Walker, Texas Ranger and more. He also has been a singer and guitarist for Pilbilly Knights a country-rock band based in Los Angeles and a member of another rock country band, The LA Hootenanny.

Desmond Child - Episode 631

Steve Cooper talks with songwriter/producer Desmond Child. Desmond has reigned as one of music's most successful creative forces for four decades. His accolades include Grammy awards, over 70 Top 40 singles and songs that have sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. His career has been highlighted by a stunning array of diversity. His collaborations run the gamut from Aerosmith to ZEDD, Bon Jovi to Ricky Martin, KISS to Kelly Clarkson, Cher to Katy Perry, Garth Brooks to Carrie Underwood, and from Megadeth to Mickey Mouse and Kermit The Frog. Despite having worked for nearly forty years in the music industry as a songwriter, producer and artist, he remains energized and enthusiastic ready to create hits indefinitely. In 2008 he was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 2012 he co-founded the Latin Songwriter Hall of Fame.

Chip Z'Nuff - Episode 630

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 13 studio albums and a total of 21 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.