Vicki Abelson's Broadcast: The Road Taken

If you weren't Live with us and 2019 Grammy Nominees, Teresa James and Terry Wilson (Best Contemporary Blues Album - Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps; Here in Babylon), about 15 minutes into the BROADcast, the camera shut down under heat distress in the studio built for 2, which four of us and a whole lotta instruments were crammed into, closed door, no windows, sans A/C, as it was making a racket… a gift in a way, as it was hotter than hades in there… a few more minutes and you might’ve read about us in the morning paper. Show abruptly halted was a major bummer for all. I was singing the blues without a Grammy nod, until we picked up at the baby grand in the cool living room. It was worth the disruption. Pete and I had a great time hearing tales of Teresa and Terry’s early years in Texas… then on the road––with Jimmy Reed & Lightnin’ Hopkins––making music in London, New York, first apart, and then together, landing in LA. Through soccer mommy and daddying, parenting and PTAing on the same day as singing

We were Live with Billy Idol drummer, Erik Eldenius, who killed it Monday at The Fonda Theatre, backing up Billy, Jack Black, Gavin Rossdale, Juliette Lewis, and everyone else he played with. I call him a full-body drummer, the way he attacks his kit. A monster. In the best possible way. We chatted about growing up Swedish, say what... yup, Swedish is his first language... getting his first kit at 4, playing Kiss, and then many years later playing a festival with Gene and Paul looking on... his first tour... session work, Cher's wondrous ass, touring with Donna Summer, his years playing with Billy, who's making a huge resurgence... playing with Steve Stevens, Jeff Young and Jackson Browne... don't let the mohawk fool you. Eric’s a sweetheart of a guy. He smells good, too. Here doing his thing, backing up Billy on Monday, with Dave Navarro, Carmine Rojas, and Billy Morrison. http://bit.ly/2kGWZJy Erik Eldenius Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson, Wed, 9/18/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET With Samantha Rae Liv

What was I thinking, or not thinking?!? How did I not make clear that we preferred to go to his place, where keys abound, so that we could have the best of the best, keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter, Mike Finnigan do his thing?!? How exactly?!? We opened with the video of his What a Life, with The LA Blues Alliance. It’s killer. I’ve been watching it in heavy rotation for weeks. We closed with the debut of Mike’s music video of a Merle Haggard cover, which has yet to be recorded, nor seen before publicly, and it’s sensational! But, as soon as we turned off the camera and left the cyber air, Mike started singing his a capella ass off. There’s nothing like the Live thing. Opportunity missed. We’ll have to have back at Chez Finnigan.

 What Mike did do was talk his days with Hendrix, Etta James, Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Dave Mason, Cher (I know), Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, kd lang, Manhattan Transfer, Bonnie Raitt... getting loaded, getting sober, being politically educated and active

We went Live with multiple Emmy award winning writer/producer, Jay Kogen ~ The Simpsons, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Malcolm in The Middle, School of Rock, and what a fun ride it 'twas! Had a blast and learned so much about the business of show. Jay has fabulous stories of getting there, being there, and working to stay there. Great humility, huge talent, terrific suggestions. Tales of Tracey Ullman, The Simpsons, James L Brooks, writing for Homer, choosing between Frasier and Seinfeld and landed at The Single Guy. Say what? Back to Sophie's choice and choosing Frasier, and why... Brad Hall, Larry David, Mike Meyers, Garry Shandling, 3 act structure, film school, Jonathan Silverman, his comedy writing, Emmy-winning, one less than Jay, dad, Arnie Kogen, Dean Martin, Totie Fields, Jan Murray, Carol Burnett, Michael Palin, The Tonight Show, Bob Newhart, The Groundlings, Jon Lovitz, Phyllis Katz, Tracy Newman, rhyming the damn improv. He even does Hank Azaria doing an Al Pacino impression. Crazy, high ene

Fabulous conversation with Obie Award winner, Drama Desk and SAG Award nominee, Jason Butler Harner, who's about to co-star with John Slattery in neXt on Fox. You may remember him from Ozark, Ray Donovan, The Blacklist, Scandal, Alcatraz, Changeling, Bernhardt Hamlet… screens large and small, stages from Broadway to the Geffen... here with stories of Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Janet McTeer, Sarah Paulson, Colleen Dewhurst, Ben Gazzara, Clint Eastwood, Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Geri Jewel.. and how he's managed to be a working actor for 20+ years. No Plan B. He had sage wisdom––the world reflects back to you what you give––you have to encourage yourself to fail, and he’s invented a couple of pretty interesting words, humbly and ignariant, which he ‘splaines. He didn't get naked but he did peel off lotsa layers. #Inspiring Jason Butler Harner Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wed, 8/28/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET With Pete George Full Show replay http://bit.ly/2ZxreRx All BROADcasts, as podcasts, a

Great fun with Golden Globe and Emmy Winning writer, producer, director, Cindy Chupack. We talked her just dropped Netflix feature, Otherhood, the ten years and effort it took to get to screen, and the people who brought it to life: Angela Bassett, Patricia Arquette and Felicity Huffman for three... Jake Hoffman, unbeknownst to me ~ Dustin's son... the close encounter with Meryl Streep. From elementary school poet to working writer's rooms, oft with her partner, the sole women... Coach, Everybody Loves Raymond; choosing a lesser money, less secure, less visible Sex and The City... chasing it, thanks to an assist from Phil Rosenthal, and landing it... the happy fruitful years which followed... Modern Family, Divorce, I'm Dying up Here. The feel of each. Walking through some unknowing insecurity to direct her first feature, and leaving space to see it all the way through... to the bucket list which remains. Loved every moment. I chose the kitchen, why? Cindy's writer's apartment living room faces the Marin

Wisdom, inspiration, and guidance from actor, writer, director, producer, Peter Paige, who chartered his course and did the work to live his dreams… even a few he didn’t realize he had. Growing up always moving, and starting over, he became a keen observer of human behavior. Finding his way in drama club, conservatory at Boston University, regional theatre, always doing the work, his best, securing his future and his next step forward. Using his fears to drive himself, there were signs from the universe that he was on course. Landing his first TV role on Suddenly Susan, from his first audition. From activist to actorvist, besting Billy Porter and many others to land the role of Emmett in Queer as Folk, groundbreaking television and a career making star turn. He didn’t get the role of Jack on Will & Grace but did land a guest appearance on the show, and later lost a few gigs for being “too much like Jack.” From actor to writer/director to Showrunner, Peter went on to co-create The Fosters, and currently,

From unknowing to extreme fandom in five easy minutes. For those in the know, this is a given. For those not, the opening of the show, where pianist composer, Mike Lang treats us to his Rural State of Mind, makes the case in certain terms. The man is a musical genius. From his gift at the keys, to his vast knowledge, expertise, finesse and collections, he’s a gift. I had the great good fortune to attend a Jazz concert at Zipper Concert Hall, two weeks past. Great good fortune and jazz in the same sentence have not oft been uttered by me. I went specifically to hear Mike, who trusted friend, writer and long time Women Who Writer, Cindy Begel, raved about. Mind blown! Mike’s recorded more than 2000+ film scores and played with Ray Charles, story told. Aretha Franklin, story told. Marvin Gaye, in absentia, InSync, Frank Zappa, Barbara Streisand, stories told. John Lennon, with May Pang, joined by Harry Nilsson and… Cher. I know. Only John took Yoko’s call. The results surprising. Story told. Mid-show, Mi

While the Democrats were debating, I was going flat hair to flat hair with 6 time Emmy Winner, Dan O’Shannon. I believe the victor is clear. He has more height, and 6 other Emmy nods. Whilst running the room at Cheers, barely 30ish, the boss of our Tracy Newman, he coined the phrase, “I’m sorry, was that out loud?” I didn’t believe it either, but it’s documented. I know. From a lightning bolt moment at the age 8, Dan made the decision that the next day he was going to make people laugh. It may have been hit or miss for a few years, but it’s been hit after hit since. From Cheers, Newhart, to Fraiser, that’s quite a story, to Modern Family…. Dan shares suggestions on what to do, and what not to do, if you’re new in the writer’s room. Fueled by his father’s disbelief, Dan set out to prove him wrong and boy, did he ever. Too bad about the Jaguar, pops. Getting serious about the funny, Dan took us through his standup self discoveries to segueing to TV and killing it, his only prep, 3 spec scripts. Bringing us up

Sandy Helberg, an original Groundling, sure's got the gift of the gab. From his early days coming over from Germany, there's his dad, who survived the camps and took over Toledo Ohio, boasting about his son, Spielberg's partner, not, Gopher on Love Boat, sorta; a great story teller, no doubt. Sandy sure is. The whole family's doing it... like his brother, the doctor. Not. But practicing. You can't make this shit up. Well, you could, but it wouldn't be as funny. Stories about Mel Brooks, Rick Maranis, Jeff Goldblum, Laraine Newman, Lorne Michaels, Lily Tomlin, Freddy Mercury and Queen, Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr... being the dad of the Big Bang's Simon Helberg, his casting director wife, Harriet, and their granddaughter, Lily, who they adopted and are raising as their daughter. There's booze, drugs, lies, neglect, great love, and the funny, always the funny. Sandy Helberg Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson, Wed, 7/24/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET With Michael Kohl Live on The Facebook Full show replay http://b

Fred Willard’s a national treasure. Spending time with him in his kitchen reminiscing about how he got to Fernwood 2 Night, and all that followed was a thrilling joyride. There’s no way to begin to assess the gazillions of laughs he’s responsible for. In my house alone. We talked about fun at Phil’s with current Emmy Nominee, Phil Rosenthal, Second City, Ace Trucking Company, Fernwood 2-Night, Martin Mull, Norman Lear, Charlton Heston, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, Spinal Tap, Roseanne, Tom Arnold, Laverne and Shirley, Lenny & Squiggy, Saturday Nigh Live. John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Devo, Bob Newhart, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, WALL-E, Real People, Albert Brooks, Burt Lancaster, Milton Berle, Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, Peter Boyle, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Charles Grodin, Elvis, Mama Cass, Jeffrey Ross, Anne Frank, God… so so much more... our combined memories were a tad challenged and too

Doing this show is always life-affirming, fun, and thrilling for me. Tonight I got all that, plus touched to my core. Sam Harris went balls to the walls and deep to the feet. Alright, shitty metaphor, shoot me. From the left. That's my good side. Yes, Sam, it's still all about me. Except this glorious time we spent together. As promised truths, heretofore kept private, came out in a thoughtful, loving pour. There was Liza, Frank Langella, being parented, parenting, falling in love, living with love, drinking too much, thinking too much, darkness, sadness, hitting the depths, and soaring to stupendous heights. There was great wisdom. "There is no obstacle we can't give our way out of." Sam ‘splains. I’ll be applying it. And, this Star Search, first ever champion, Tony nominated Broadway star, multi-platinum selling recording artist, star of screens large and small... while readying for his closeup in his latest star turn, the premier of his film, HAM: A Musical Memoir, based on his bestselling book, then play

Crazy fun with Alvino M. Bennett who's played with everyone from Muddy Waters, Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Bryan Ferry, LTD, to Dave Mason, and so many more along the way. Starting as a 10 yr old in inner city Chicago, playing in the drum and bugle corps, club gigging at 12, say what?!? Having a manager and playing pro by 14, Alvino told great stories, and included so many of the players beyond the front men and women he hit the stage and studio with. He listed his favorite drummers, starting with his soulful biggest influence, Buddy Miles, Talked of how he found his groove at the super Dome with LTD, when given direction during a sound check, what it felt like to play the first song he wrote for 100K people with Bic lighters, how the dancing of the Four Tops and the Temptations influenced his style to this day, how he learned to read music, play piano, and guitars, write music, and produce. Playing The Tonight Show with Stevie Wonder, who gifted Johnny, and with Sheena Easton, and what tourin

If you love the rock 'n roll, and who doesn't... Mitch Miller! (That story here.) Steve Resnik, creator, curator, and owner of the West Coast Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame Museum, and human encyclopedia of rock 'n roll, takes us through his growing up in Chicago in the 50s and 60s, coming alive as kid with the birth of said, rock 'n roll, walking us through the early days to the glory days. First as a passionate, obsessed listener and appreciator, to college radio program director, interviewer, where Stevie Wonder, Jim Morrison, and Led Zeppelin are a very few of his successes, and one of his perceived failures. Steve lived Cameron Crowe's life in Almost Famous, only more gloriously. The Whiskey and The Troubadour were his home. He saw, met and partied with everybody, and I mean everybody who was anybody. Hendrix, Joplin, Wonder, oh my. One of the great record promoters hisself, he worked alongside the greatest in his eyes... stories of Clive Davis, Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, John Lennon, and the beforementioned J

We had no fun at all when Sara Niemietz paid us a call *nose grows* How does a 20 something take on playing a young Carol Burnett opposite Linda Lavin on Broadway, Wanda in Carl Reiner's Enter Laughing at the Annenberg, sing with BJ Thomas at The Grand Ole Opry, do Ellen at her invitation, record with Richard Marx, co-write with Melissa Manchester, be a regular player on Glee, appear on Providence and Gilmore Girls, sing with PostModern Jukebox, tour the world, partner with Emmy winning composer, Snuffy Walden, to get not only her voice, but her music heard and seen, with over 24 million views on her YouTube channel, and still have time to devour Dostoyevsky, brussel sprouts and pizza, speak and sing fluent Mandarin, learn a bissell Russian, and still look and act like a fun-loving kid?!? It's called being Sara Niemietz. Hear about it all, how she did it, how she lives it, and hear that girl blow the roof off my rental. Yowza! This show comes with a fun back guarantee. Sara Niemietz on Game Changers With Vi

Sitting down with 24’s Bill Buchanan, James Morrison, was an entertainment, an edutainment and a spiritual revelation. Warmth and wisdom on art, humanity and life. I’d be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful person. Easy on the eyes, ears… did I mentioned he played… WOW! His Selfish Man has been on heavy rotation in my brain on my device since he played it last night. I cannot stop singing it. Lucky for all, I’m alone. Great pickin’, amazing singing, and stupendous storytelling. James’s adherence to being of service in all that he does in life and art, serves him, and all who are graced in his presence. And, he’s so fun! From a childhood in Alaska and Utah surrounded by addiction, he came to terms with his own. 38 years sober, there’s nothing self-righteous in his recovery, it’s generosity of actions and spirit, all the time. From theatre to TV spots: X-Files, Frasier, The West Wing, to being featured on Private Practice, 24, the newly reimagined Twin Peaks, and loads of others along the way… James has been

We went Live with Grammy nominated recording artist, sitcom (Mr. Belvedere), film (Ladybugs with Rodney Dangerfield), and Broadway star (I Love My Wife), plus author, Ilene Graff. She’s done it all, successfully. We dug in... Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Glenn Close, Harry Connick Jr, Tony Roberts, Bob Uecker, Christopher Hewett, Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams, Penny Marshall... and it was crazy fun. Ilene Graff​ on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wed, 6/5/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET With Pete George​ Live on The Facebook Full show replay http://bit.ly/2WdEGs0 All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3 Soundcloud http://bit.ly/2hktWoS Stitcher bit.ly/2h3R1fl tunein bit.ly/2gGeItj This week's BROADcast is brought to you by Rick Smolke​ of Quik Impressions​, the best printers, printing, the best people people-ing. quikimpressions.com And, Nicole Venables​ of Ruby Begonia Hair Studio Beauty and Products​ for tresses like the stars she coifs, and regular peoples, like me. I love my hair,

Little House on the Prairie's Alison Arngrim, NY Times bestselling author, stand-up comedian, activist, and TV history's #1 one bitch, according to Vanity Fair, was in the house. Nellie Oleson, the girl America loved to hate… is actually... nice… funny... and fun! A sweetheart. Shhhh… An advocate against child abuse following her own violation, an Aids activist, following the death of Steve Tracy, her Little House on-screen husband and co-star, is a… good person. Don’t tel! You ruin her jam. Alison’s memoir, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated chronicles her journey, as does this show, where she was forthcoming about starting in show biz at age 5, being a “has been” at 11, and then scoring the role of a lifetime at 12. Her industry family’s reaction to her perceived “failures” and soaring successes, the internal struggles, her mom’s iconic work as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Gumby and Davey of Davey and Goliath. Her manager father who’s clients includ

There aren't too many people who rock like my old pal, Steve Conte. This boy sings his ass off, and plays, like hell. In the best possible way. In town for Samantha’s graduation (surreal and fabulous), we were Live from New York. From my hotel room. Where the room was so cramped, and the hotel so unaccommodating, they wouldn’t loan me a second chair, thus the interview from my bed. Not as obscene as it sounds, or looks, Harry and Samantha were a few feet away. Steve opened the BROADcast with his OK DJ, a Coolest Song in the World on Little Steven’s Underground Garage… one of three of Steve’s solo work to earn that distinction. He also sang his Gimme Gimme Rockaway, also in the top five for the year, his Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight, was beaten only by Springsteen for the top spot of the year. Steve sang and played with such passion and gusto, the kids and I were waiting for the front desk to call, or send someone to bang on the door to tell us to shut the fuck up… it didn’t happen, even

From Comedian Tommy Moore: “This interview is a MUST SEE, after some pleasantries and shout outs it has the most intense, compelling, and riveting stories of courage and determination, wonderful people and horrible people, and obstacles of every kind, all told with remarkable humor, understanding, and compassion...Worth every minute of your time...God Bless Geri Jewell.” One of the most heart-warming, soul-filling, fun-having, sit downs I've been blessed to experience. Geri Jewell, the first visually disabled actor to be a series regular (Facts of Life, Deadwood) and co-star in the about to drop, Deadwood The Movie (we got an exclusive), HBO. May 31st, has insight, passion. faith, balls, smarts, courage, loyalty, vulnerability, depth, faith, intuition, love, and is one stupendous storyteller. From diagnosis to special ed, following her passion and living her dreams... years long letter exchanges with her idol, Carol Burnett, the meeting, with just lost Tim Conway, too… from standup to sitcom, being discove