Vicki Abelson's Broadcast: The Road Taken

Steve Conte Live on Game Changers with Vicki Abelson What a great time, as always, when old pal Steve Conte sits down to chat and sing. That voice! Those songs! The stories! Steve played his latest Coolest Song in the World, Fourth of July, co-written with Andy Partridge of XTC, which was a dream come true for Steve and anyone fortunate enough to hear it. He opened the show with that tune, and then almost at the close, after hearing the back story of his admiration, their meeting, growing friendship, and how it bloomed into co-writing 5 of the songs on Steve’s upcoming LP coming soon from Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records, and the particulars of this one in particular, after a bit of coaxing, we got to hear it again, with new meaning and appreciation. It’s not oft such an opportunity presents. Worthy. And rockin’ fun! Steve, who started out on drums, courtesy of his obsession with The Beatles, and Ringo, had a couple of great tales about that, how he switched to guitar, bouncing brother John to bass, exa

Max Gail Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson What a thrill it is when someone whose work I admire, adore, and respect exceeds all my expectations as a human. Max Gail, actor, director, advocate, songwriter, two-time Emmy Award Nominee, for Barney Miller, and two-time Emmy Winner for General Hospital did just that. Spending time in his most excellent company felt like a giant hug, like going home. Max took us back to his childhood homes in Detroit and Florida, his six siblings, five of whom are twins, including his twin sister… crazy, the music his father instilled in him, his academic science “nerd” education, the songwriting, with rhyming lyrics of which he treated us to a delicious taste, backing into acting, a gift from his mother, co-starring in the original stage production of One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest as Chief Bromden in San Francisco, and reprising the role in his New York stage debut. He did his first film role in Dirty Harry, small parts on TV, and in commercials, till he got to Barney M

Tom Arnold Live On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

taken years to get Danny Kortchmar alone in the Game Changers guest seat, having paid us a couple of previous visits with his Immediate Family brothers. This Danny is kinder, gentler, and oh, so fun. He’s been leaning more and more in this direction to my view since falling in love with Lisa Roy, even after surviving the devastating loss of her life. She was the love of his, and it appears she did him a world of lasting good. Danny will be the first to admit he can be serious and… cranky. No sign of that guy this evening… just great stories of some of the greatest musicians of our time, from one of them, all wonderfully, entertainingly, told. We may have even heard a few previously undocumented firsts… starting as a kid discovering early rock ’n roll, to very soon playing it, summering on Martha’s Vineyard, and the early teenage friendship that would change his life. Jamie, as Kootch calls James Taylor, who talked him into some questionable behavior, then blamed him, classic! Not something I’d imagine or asso

Percussionist Luis Conte- I love him! What a delightful sit down with this young man who escaped Castro’s Cuba to meet The Beatles and ended up playing with everybody else. Fabulous stories about his homeland, hitting Hollywood, Rockin The Boat, The Supremes, Doc Severinsen, hitting the big time with Madonna at the height of her day, Phil Collins at the height of his and the last 20 years with James Taylor. That’s not to mention Elton, Rod Stewart, Clapton, Chaka, Barbra, Randy Newman and way too many more to mention. I loved every single second with this warm, charming, fun, talented, Scorpio brother man. More please! Luis Conte Live on Game Changers with Vicki Abelson Wed, July 26, 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET Streamed Live on the Facebook Replay here: https://bit.ly/43HtS8b

Tony Braunagel Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson What a long great trip it’s been. Grammy and Blues Music Award Winner, Tony Braunagel, took us through his early days in Houston, playing nightclubs at 15 with soul bands, to connecting with a certain Snuffy Walden and Terry Wilson a few years later, playing together on and off over the next 50 + years, including next Wednesday at The Write Off Room with the amazing Teresa James. Tony told great stories about Johnny Nash, London, Rabbit, Bob Marley, New York, Ahmet Ertegun, Paul Kossoff, Back Street Crawler, opening for Foreigner, Kansas, and Robin Trower, LA, Eric Burdon, thrice over the years, including producing three of his albums, Michael Ruff, Katy Segal, Rickie Lee Jones, Bette Midler, Etta James, 8 years with Bonnie Raitt when she rose to superstardom, Buddy Guy, Keb Mo, The Blues Brothers, he’s still doing those gigs, 8 years on According to Jim as a player and an actor, Taj Mahal with whom he still plays in the Phantom Blues Band, winning th

Singer/songwriter, Tony-nominated, film &, TV star, writer, director, producer, author, 1st Star Search Winner, Sam Harris, is a real person with real issues and we talked… real. About struggles with weight, Sam’s conquered his, losing upwards of 30 pounds in recent months, and he told us how he’s done it. Inspiring! We talked about life, as it is now, post pandemic, for him, Danny, and their son, Cooper, and the toll it took on each of them. Sam, hasn’t sung publicly in two years, and he explains why, although, he did close the show with a chilling Donny Hathaway covered tune, inspiring goosebumps. Sam took us back to his Oklahoma childhood, his encouraging, talented, yet, tough father, leaving home at 15, gaining success, how he chose that Star Search victory song, Patti LaBelle’s reaction to Sam doing her rendition of Over The Rainbow, great story there, developing some bad habits––alcoholism, and a food disorder for two, getting sober and healthy, choosing love and parenting at the height of his succes

Jason Scheff Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Rock Star! Jason Scheff’s got the chops, the voice, the lineage, the career, and the hair! And I’m not sure he could be a more lovely, gracious, humble guy. As if thirty years with Chicago weren’t enough, Jason takes us through that experience from the rumors, the auditions, the close race, getting it, the faux pax, righting it big time, the glories of it, the joys, to why he left three decades later. We started with his dad, the iconic bassist, Jerry Scheff, who’s played with countless legends and is one himself. Jason told amazing stories about Jerry and the Fifth Dimension, Elvis, and The Doors. Mind-blowing, and fantastic! He spoke of some of his other champions and heroes, his mother, a singer, who made him a pro at 16, Elton John, Bobby Caldwell, Robert Lamm, getting sober, Bill Champlin, David Foster, Tamara Champlin, the all-stars Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Micky Dolenz, and Joey Molland with whom he performed The Beatles White Album, m

CJ Vanston Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson I could have laughed all night and still have laughed some more! What fun! Composer, producer, songwriter, keyboardist, CJ Vanston––great bit on his name to start, had me laughing to tears story upon story. Oh boy, I needed the eggs. From his musical beginnings, locked in and listening to his dad’s cool jazz band through the floorboards, burning an oven full of their pot at age 4, the tales kept coming, one topping the next… convincing a young Richard Marx to keep and record what would become his biggest hit, when all he wanted was to sell the thing… working with Prince, sorta, blowing away Barbra… Streisand, that is… and Dolly Pardon, seemingly not impressing Don Henley, CJ making a choice that cost him but ultimately made him, and Don coming back around through Katey Segal… how Russ Kunkel introduced him to Christopher Guest, changing everything, leading to touring with Spinal Tap and scoring his films, touring and recording with Joe Cocker, a story abou

Cheri Oteri Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Fun, fun, fun, and more fun. A long-time huge fan of Cheri Oteri’s work - I’m now a huge fan of the human. I loved every second in this Emmy nominees’ great company. As animated as Cheri is on screen, she’s all that and a truck full of fun in conversation. From early days in Philly imitating soap actors, her nana, and Laura Ingall’s, aspiring to rock stardom, landing at A& M Records in publishing and promotion, moonlighting studying at The Groundlings, eventually making the company, until her manager insisted she quit her day job and focus on auditions. Her first gig… Saturday Night Live! Getting there with fellow Groundling, Will Ferrell, soon to be joined by Chris Kattan, Cheri tells the tale of the journey in all his magnificence. From her audition (Jennifer Coolidge was also part of their Groundlings entourage), her callback, the character she brought with, Rita! And how she worked Joy Lipton in, writing her own sketches, writing with Will, how the c

AJ Benza Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson We couldn’t sit further apart on the political spectrum, or how we approach and present what we do, and yet columnist, TV correspondent, talk show host, actor, author, award-winning producer, and podcaster, AJ Benza, is a cherished friend. What we do share is a quest to tell the truth, a platform to do it, a passion for writing, and a great appreciation for celebrity and the people we admire. Starting with today’s scoop––Johnny Depp helping Amber Heard, as AJ long ago predicted he would, AJ dished us some Harvey Weinstein, I winced more than once during that, Chris Noth, Michael Jackson––a story he broke––some sweetness about Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Gabe Kaplan, his acting class audition and how a young Carrie Fisher came to his aid, his SNL near-disaster saved by next week’s GC’s guest, Cheri Oteri, and Jimmy Fallon, and how Seinfeld and Bowie made it a memory to savor forever… he got current again with Jamie Fox and his take on what’s going on there… a

Felix Angel Solis Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson If a good man is hard to find, a great one’s murder. Felix Solis, currently killing it in The Rookie: Feds, and who killed, literally, as Omar Navarro in Ozark, the role which broke him out of actors actor/working actor to famous actor. Deserved. All over the place. Felix’s stunning performance in the Pulitzer-winning, The Cost of Living, is forever seared in my soul. As is his Navarro. How the hell did he make that unconscionable murderer likable and even at times… sympathetic! Chilling and thrilling. We talked about fame, which first found him mid-pandemic when he and we were masked. Here he was on the most talked about show on television, with the most talked about part, and he was hiding in his house avoiding people and life, invisible walking amongst us when he wasn’t. Felix’s reentry into living includes being recognized daily, which he views with humility and recognition, citing an example of his own stargazing awe. His return to “normal,”

Korel Tunador Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson It was such a treat to sit down again with treasured friend, Korel Tunador. I’ve sure missed him. Crazy talented and oh, so fun, quintuple threat––guitar, keyboards, sax, accordion, and vocals, Korel, who’s been playing with Rob Thomas the last many years, spent a dozen + with the Goo Goo Dolls, toured with Katy Perry, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Wicked Wisdom, and prepped to tour with Hanson, filled us in on how he got each, how the experiences played out, from never making it on the road (the latter) to the Ted Lasso almost religious experience he’s currently living with Rob Thomas and company. Now focused on vocal coaching - pros to unknowns, Korel took us on his journey from piano at 5 in Pittsburgh to stadiums and TV. Explaining how anyone can sing… on key, and learn to harmonize… it’s all about patience and perseverance. Even me? I may have to take him up on that. Korel’s primary instrument of choice is his voice. As if to punctuate the point, he

Friends who used to be 30 Something, Wingnuts, and Field of Dreamers, lend me your ear (s), and your eyeballs. Emmy-winner Timothy Busfield is a scream! His Burt Lancaster alone is worth the watch. Hysterical, and right on point. Tim’s amazing bride, Melissa Gilbert joined us for a sec, she’ll be back! But she was a big part of the conversation––how they met, and where––great story. I love how he loves her, and her, him. Their togetherness is epic. We talked how they do it, handle challenges, and resolve them, so quickly. Merging their families - both married for the thrice time… co-parenting and grandparenting, building a home, and a life. Ain’t love grand. We talked Tim’s early years in Michigan, his mother, her challenges, his father, and his. Tim getting the bug after seeing Burt Lancaster on the big screen, and going full circle co-starring with him in Field of Dreams so many years later––the challenges of that film. First, theatre out the wazoo… Actors Theater of Louisville to Circle Rep… being Matt

Michael Ruff Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson In his first ever interweb interview, perhaps interview period, 3rd Zoom of his lifetime, and that includes 2 with his family, multiple Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter, BMI Award and Cable Ace Award winner, Michael Ruff, tried to be a little ruff, deflecting and avoiding answering questions about his past but ultimately, answering my questions he did. Even the really tough ones. And the password was FUN! I’ve had a bit of a run with bad boy musicians who are a tad unpredictable and contrarian- I love a good challenge. Well, I’m actually getting too old for that shit, but Michael’s worth it. HIs story hasn’t been told. Research for the show came up with a bio he’d written himself on his website, or had written for him, a few brief liner notes on a couple of videos, and 3 really short blogs, I mean really short. The end. No Wiki, no articles, no interviews for background. I was tightrope walking without a net of any kind for the first time myse

Like fine wine gaining depth, strength, and taste with age, so is Grammy-winning comedian, actor, writer, director, cannabis activist, Tommy Chong. After a lifetime of adoring this man and his art, having spent countless hours laughing over and over and over again at his funny, I’ve been struck by his warmth, generosity, intelligence, centeredness, spirituality, self-awareness, business acumen, and intuitive good sense, since first meeting him in the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant 3 years ago. This Tommy––a pandemic, a book, tango lessons, massive product output, and some health issues later, I found to be even more thoughtful, profound, emotional, and vulnerable. I sit here reflecting, very moved. What a beautiful thing. Before we went Live we talked about last weekend’s Willie Nelson 90th Birthday Celebration and why he and Cheech weren’t there. Of course, they were asked! A work conflict prevented it - but man! That’s the only topper I could imagine for those 2 nights. Talk about a match striking wee

Snuffy Walden Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson There are no accidents. House stand-in as he so aptly named hisslef, Emmy-Winning Composer, Snuffy Walden, was just what the doctor ordered. Live from the dining room, with Rufus for the most part chillin’ between us, Snuffy got down, got real, letting us in as he seamlessly weaved through music, alcoholism, geographics, hitting big, breaking bad, highs, lows, getting sober, switching gears, success beyond his imaginings, the pandemic abyss, to slowly stepping back out amidst life’s challenges. From piano to trombone, finding guitar, playing with BJ Thomas at 14 and strip clubs at 17, DJing, to living in a park with a roadie, Aphrodite in Denver to fronting Stray Dog, rocking like hell, and opening for Emerson, Lake & Palmer around the world, a near-miss with me in ’74, drinking and debauchery, recording Songs in The Key of Life with Stevie Wonder, earning a platinum record, being in the passenger seat when Stevie drove––oh yes, he did; playing with Da

What a smile! What a sweetheart! Oh yeah, Walfredo Reyes Jr. is also a spectacular drummer/percussionist. Seeing Wally in action last month killing it with Chicago, and then meeting him afterward clinched that he’s the trifecta. This time with him on Game Changers makes clear all three, even if he didn’t lift a stick or slap a cajón. Wally brought his A+ game, treating us to stories about his musical royal family. From his maternal grandfather, his brilliant and accomplished father, Walfredo Reyes Sr., who played with Josephine Baker, Louie Bellson, Bobby Darin, Dionne Warwick, and Debbie Reynolds to name a few, and passed on the percussion/drummer whiz gene to his talented son, who also played with Debbie Reynolds, as well as Ricki Lee Jones, Richard Marx, Sergio Mendes, Smokey Robinson, Boz Scaggs… but we got the stories about his time with Santana, Traffic, then Steve Winwood, Lindsay Buckingham and how he got to Chicago, with a little help from his brother, Daniel, of the Zach Brown Band. We talked Wall

Barbara Feldon Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson The best? Certainly none better. I’m not sure anyone has ever exceeded my very high expectations greater than Barbara Feldon did this day. As much as I admired and adored Get Smart’s Agent 99 for her sophistication, intelligence, knowingness, sly, perfectly delivered humor, demure yet smoldering sexiness, and downright gorgeousness… Barbara is all that, and a truckload of Cheetos. It was so overwhelmingly powerful and thrilling to deep dive with this wise, self-effacing, self-aware, thoughtful, beyond-imagining age-defying beauty, I was filled to the brim with emotion, electricity, excitement, and enlightenment. I got answers to questions I’ve been seeking for years, and I just used more adjectives than I did in my entire novel. That’s what Barbara’s done to me. In the middle of her unputdownable just-dropped memoir, Getting Smarter, I had intended to speedread it but found I couldn’t skip a word, and I can’t wait to finish these liner notes so I can

Happy Happy Joy Joy. Well, Happy Happy Paula Paula. That’s how it feels whenever Paula Poundstone’s around. It was another grey rainy day in SoCal, but the sun was sure shining on the interweb. I laughed pretty much non-stop, my cheeks hurt, in the good way, and a drop of water or two squirted out mine eyes, again, in the best possible way. We talked Paula’s care back out in the world and on the road for well over a year and a half now. Doing loads of gigs, flying everywhere, she’s more cautious than this COVID crazy, masks’ everywhere, and I mean everywhere (some crazy funny stories), and she thankfully remains free of the dreaded thing. We talked health care. For Paula that would be Diet Pepsi, Hostess donut gems, Ruffles potato chips, about 300 situps, and a long walk with her two dogs, as well as caring for her ten cats, to whom she may now be allergic. With Paula, everything’s funny––including her take on parenting, parental controls, her TV viewing, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, MSNBC, getting guest