Vicki Abelson's Broadcast: The Road Taken

It's only taken us 35 years to sit down and have a conversation, but it was worth the wait. Bette Sussman and I yakked for two hours and the time flew with nary a moment of dead air. Bette's served as Musical Director/Pianist for Cissy Houston, Bette Midler, Whitney Houston, Carly Simon, Darlene Love, Patti LuPone, Rev. Al Green, Martin Short, and so much and many more. We talked about all of them. I forgot to ask about Carly, but she did come up. Bette's worked with pretty much everyone and had great stories about all of the above, plus Aretha, Stevie Wonder, Keb' Mo', Cyndi Lauper, Paul Schaffer, Cher, and unbeknownst till tonight shared experience with then-President Bill Clinton, running for senate Hillary (we both have the pics to prove it), Nathan Lane, the beforementioned Cher, DeNiro, Cruise, Affleck, Paltrow, the list goes on... so fun to reminisce it. We talked Allee and The Color Purple, Waitress, playing the Garden to the World Cup. Gold Records, I forgot the Emmys! Bette's Diner... surviving CO

Pedro Segundo, just what the corona doctor ordered. Killer percussionist, drummer, beautiful soul, Pedro treated us to magnificent sounds, gentle humility, and a heartfelt message about human connection through music. From classical to jazz, Pedro studied, honoring his gifted craft with the passion and unique vision he presents through it. Ever since seeing Pedro at NAMM, I’ve been obsessed. I couldn’t take my eyes or ears off him. Pedro is the embodiment of dynamism. Equally, at home behind 18th-century-style kettle drums and a five-piece drum kit, Pedro makes every object he touches a channel for his incredible musical energy. Pedro’s been the house drummer for Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club for the past 10 yrs. He’s toured Europe, North America, and the Far East with Dennis Rollins Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields, as guest timpanist with Sir Neville Marriner, Murray Perahia, and Joshua Bell and more recently with his own Solo Segundo, Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Trio, Judith Owen, and his Hammond Organ an

Chicken soup for the COVID soul. Seventy minutes in heaven with impressionist, comedian, actor, icon, John Byner. A hero of mine for as long as I can remember, he exceeded all my hopes, as a talent and a human. What a lovely, lovely man. I suspect his fabulous attitude had much to do with his wonderful career and the spectacular life he lives. He appreciates and cherishes it all. John's a power of example. We talked his early days at The Vanguard in the Village, getting his first TV break on a Merv Griffith talent show and then, Ed Sullivan, for John, a life changer. He treated us to his iconic Sullivan impression with Topo Gigio, including my favorite, "Kiss me goodnight, Eddie." Swoon. Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Frank Sinatra, Georgie Jessel, Walter Brennan, John Wayne, Johnny Mathis, Mel Torme... a comic feast. John talked about Get Smart, The Carol Burnett Show, Hollywood Squares, Soap, hosting Something Else, The John Byner Comedy Hour, Bizarre, Super Dave writing his memoir, Five Minutes, Mr. Byner! h

For an hour + I forgot there's a pandemic and that I haven't heard live music in 5 months. Liberty Devitto filled the air and my heart with rock 'n roll. One of the greatest drummers of all time, Billy Joel's, Liberty Devitto, now bestselling author of LIBERTY, Life, Billy & the Pursuit of Happiness (https://amzn.to/2CP8qrg ) sat down and banged it out with me. We talked Billy, of course, the reconicliation, the angry years, the beginning, 30 yrs of crazy fun and brilliant creativity, to growing up and cooling down. We talked his whacky, wild, family of origin, his beautiful successful daughters, and his baby, at 3, a Beatles aficionado ... Vanilla Fudge, touring with Mitch Ryder as a teen, arenas, stadiums, Steve Winwood, The Lords of 52nd Street, Richie Cannata, Russell Javors, NYC Hit Squad and Clean Getaway with Ricky Byrd, Little Kids Rock, writing a bestseller and now playing Drive-ins, the new not normal concert venues. Affable, entertaining, warm and real, I love this man, and can't wait to see h

Spectacular chat with Butch Patrick, from pre-Eddie Munster... a cute sister and a charming mom helped pave the way to his first film at 7, with Eddie Albert, Jane Wyatt, and Soupie Sales, on The Two Little Bears. His resume is a time capsule of my youth. We talked about his guest starring roles on Ben Casey, Bonanza, My Favorite Martian, Mister Ed, Rawhide, The Real McCoys, and General Hospital, leading to The Munsters. The fun there with mentors Al Lewis and Fred Gwynne, and movie star at the time, Yvonne DeCarlo. How life changed and led to roles on My Three Sons, I Dream of Jeannie, and a week on The Monkees having the time of his life. Passing on a starring role in unknown George Lucas's American Grafitti, missing the draft by thismuch... partying himself into some troubled times, becoming a pop star with Whatever Happened to Eddie Munster, which led to MTV's Basement Tapes. Some more partying and trouble followed, leading to gettting sober and finding his niche. He's survived cancer, is COVID comfortabl

Nancy Allen On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

Herman Matthews On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

Sam Harris, singer/songwriter, Tony-nominated, film &, TV star, writer, director, producer, author, 1st Star Search Winner, gave his all, as that's all he knows how to do. What a spectacular time. Opening with song, at my beg-quest, he picked the perfect COVID lead-in and treated us to the skinny on his just dropped, The Substance of All Things, which I am in the middle of, and must hurry through this recap to jump back in. It's masterfully written, thrillingly engaging, moving, disturbing, and immensely entertaining. Sam treated us to a delicious read of the prologue, goose-bump city. I love having my own experience with words, but I will be buying the audiobook when it lands. Sam took us through his beginnings, Oklahoma, an outcast with a gift, through his triumphant life-changer, being the inaugural winner of Star Search. There's Lucy, Sammy Davis Jr., Whitney Houston, Liza, Sinatra, Billy Holiday... stories, stories, stories. Plus, current events! In addition to his just dropped novel, he sold a TV sho

Jay Moriarty On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

Kathleen Wilhoite On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

Drew Nieporent On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

Anson Williams On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

Timely, inspiring, powerful, conversation from today's arrests to the need for protests, new thinking, actions, and much more conversation, with actress, activist, and advocate, Monica Horan Rosenthal of Everybody Loves Raymond. Monica walks her talk and has in big ways for years. From Inner-City Arts, where's she's a fierce advocate and facilitator for arts in the schools, The Rosenthal Theatre, which is a creative home for innovative and diverse performance, education and artist engagement which seeks to nurture and illuminate the creative spirit of young people and adults by enabling them to create, present and experience new work, Homeboy Industries, working alongside Jane Fonda, producing Deaf West Theatre, and championing a young Barak Obama while still a senator, are just some of her passions. We talked her path as a young girl outside Philly, with a forward-thinking father, going to Hofstra and a fated meeting with another alum, a Mr. Phil Rosenthal. Great stories about their parents, kids, and how

We're so lucky he's so funny. Wow, that was fun! Somebody Feed Phil's Phil Rosenthal started at the top, of his life that is... taking us from being 5 yrs old and only wanting to make people laugh, hating Hebrew school, getting the leads in his High School and college plays, surely destined to be a star, but... working odd jobs, co-writing and co-creating a smash stage show (which ran for decades), but screwed Phil royally... heading to Hollywood to be a star... not so much. To hear Phil tell there've been lots of failures, and disappointments, downtime... and yet... there was Coach which led to Everybody Loves Raymond, which Phil got on his terms through his moxie, then to Russia and Exporting Raymond which put him at last in front of the camera... then some failed pilots, culminating in his life's dream... all the things he loves... travel, family, food, and the funny. Season 3 of Somebody Feeds Phil debuts on Netflix this Friday, May 29th. If you missed seasons 1 and 2, no matter. You can watch these in

Wanna forget there's a pandemic? No one funnier or more fun than American Comedy and Cable Ace Award Winner, PAULA POUNDSTONE. The time flew... talking COVID, Trader Joes, being a Sanitation worker, dogs, Mo specifically, cats, all 12 of them, which she names, albeit with some effort, mask tests, nirvana eating, cutting back, losing weight - now, really? Yes, she is. Reading to her daughter, now, sleeping on the bus, then, bleaching her frequently touched surfaces, memory issues, stress, Sister Bertrille hair, that would be me, Silkwood showers, me again, missing talking in front of people and mingling with them afterward, busy-ing the time with her podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, prepping a game show, the idiot in chief, whom she believes is faking the hydroxychloroquine thing for profit, skills being learned in the time of corona, changing lightbulbs, making cameos ... being funny. Always being funny. For two hours I forgot. Everything. How I adore this human. You can find all things Paula,

Everything happens for a reason, as it's meant to. Tech challenges allowed actress, author, self-creation healer, Dee Wallace​, to see us, not vice versa. We pushed on. Perhaps it was for the best, as she suggested. No distraction getting lost in her magnificent blue eyes or gazing at her adorableness. We heard her words, powerful beyond imagination. Dee provided tools for all us to joyfully live beyond our dreams, with love. And it's simple. She channeled and told me my dream is close at hand... she's not said that to me before in all the years I've known her. She told Sharon Daniels Rothberg​ fairly specifically the success which awaits her... and told Carol Soskin how to move past a creative block, and Carole Garcia a personal one. Dee gave us all a tool to be happy and successful. inspiring, heart-filling, empowering. I feel like a gazillion bucks. And sweet viewers, Dee said it was one of the best sessions she's done. She loved it, too. To sign up for Dee's webinar on May 27th, or book a private sess

Judith Owen​ Live On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson 5/6/20 by Vicki Abelson

We were Live for the first successful COVID edition of Game Changers with a guest. And what a guest she was. Birthday Person, Writer, Producer, Cindy Begel​, whose credits include: Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Joanie Loves Chachi, The Jeffersons, Head of The Class, Alice, Married With Children, Mama's Family, The New Leave It To Beaver, The Days & Nights of Molly Dodd, The Martin Short Show and most recently the Muppet Babies on Disney Channel, and, Ed McMahon to my Johnny... was sensational. The birthday part was unknown bonus! If you've been watching the daily LIve you know how funny Cindy is, and boy did she live up to my hype. We got stories about Lucy, Carol Burnett, Robin Williams, Garry Marshall, Penny Marshall. Cindy Williams, Linda Lavin, and Bill Cosby, pre #METoo but #MeTooish. Talked Cindy into opening her BF's birthday gift on the air, gloves, fear, and all. And, of course, we talked the days COVID news and had a visit with her fab mom, Roberta. Spectacular fun in the time of cor

My guest tonight was COVID-19. Game changer, if ever there was one. We talked about whether we think we'll forever be changed. Will we ever shake hands again, good question on the thread. Will we be cooking more moving forward? When will we feel safe to mingle? Gather? Go to a Live event? Kiss? Have... sex? When will we be in the mood? How's your mojo through this? Non-existent, or oddly stimulated? COVID-19 wasn't in the living room with me (spots through fingers), but we talked about the conflicting advice? What do we believe? Heed? What are we doing differently? What's caution and what's crazy? IS there crazy in this time of corona? We compared notes and made some sense of it together. Loved the conversation, your thoughts... and your good company. Thanks for shooting the shit with me. Game Changers Live with Vicki Abelson AKA Shooting the Shit With Vicki Wed, 3/25/20, 7 pm PT. 10 pm ET Live on the Facebook Replay here https://bit.ly/2UA2WWA All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on iTunes

I was Live, shooting the shit. Stop! #ToiletPaperCrisis ~ Had a lovely time connecting and chatting (Ms. TalkAlot) with y'all about how we're navigating the new normal... which it turns out is no longer 98.6 for many of us. Shared strategies... Zoom meetings for recovery of all kinds, workshops, business, support- in fact, join us on Zoom every Tuesday at 11 am PT for the Women Who Write Support Group... you don't have to be a writer, and maybe not even a woman... checking with the consensus...hit me up for deets... what I know for sure is that Facebook, Facetime, Zoom, calls, texts, and emails are saving me, gracing me, and giving me a strong sense of love, support, connection, and community, whilst I sit alone in my pajamas. Shared some stories, y'all did too, through the thread... please continue to add additional ideas and suggestions. The Facebook isn't enabling me to throw Watch Parties anymore to continue these... guess I'll just keep doing 'em. Leaving the home studio set, so I'll see you the next tim