Brandon's Buzz

A longtime friend of Brandon's Buzz, the incredible Laura Bonarrigo --- best known for her role as Cassie Callison Carpenter Buchanan on ABC's classic soap One Life to Live --- has put show business on the back burner and transitioned into a new role as a life coach.  Inspiried in part by the dissolution of her own relationship, Bonarrigo has recently created an online course to help her clients navigate the treacherous waters of divorce, and she is stopping by the Buzz to give us all the details! LINKS: doingdivorceschool.com laurabonarrigo.com @laura_bonarrigo -- Twitter @laura_bonarrigo -- Instagram  

A soap sensation in the early 1990s with her starring role as Darlene 'Luna' Moody Holden on ABC's One Life to Live, the incredible SUSAN BATTEN left the suds grind far behind two decades ago in search of fulfilling other facets of her creative spirit.  Now a burgeoning mover-and-shaker behind the scenes, Batten's latest project --- a charming Lifetime film entitled Showing Roots, which takes a personal look at continuing racism in a small Louisiana town in the late 1970s --- has just arrived on DVD, and she is stopping by the Buzz with her former One Life co-star --- and fellow Roots co-producer --- KASSIE DePAIVA to discuss Showing's roots and to dish on their daytime television salad days. 

On the occasion of Guiding Light's heart-wrenching series finale in 2009, the show's fiercely brilliant former headwriter PAMELA K. LONG --- who sent the soap's ratings into the ionosphere throughout the 1980s with her incredible, inspired characters and couplings --- stopped by the Buzz for a rollicking two-hour gabfest which continues to rank among our top ten most downloaded episodes ever.  Long has been laying low of late in the entertainment world, but a couple of years ago, fate tossed her into country icon Dolly Parton's orbit when the opportunity to adapt Dolly's classic smash 'Coat of Many Colors' into a television movie for NBC landed in her lap.  The film was an instant hit, and a sequel quickly followed; both films have just been released on DVD, and now Long is returning to Brandon's Buzz to discuss how these projects came to life and to (hopefully!) clear up a few lingering soap-related questions from our first conversation. 

In 1980, partly spurred on by the advice of his pal Dabney Coleman, who urged him not to dismiss acting on a soap opera as beneath him, the great ERIC BRAEDEN --- who had already made quite a name for himself throughout the 1970s playing featured roles in films and guesting on the prime-time series of the day --- accepted what was originally intended to be a three-month role as a villain on The Young and the Restless.  Little did Mr. Braeden know at that time that his short-term part --- that of ruthless billionaire corporate raider Victor Newman --- would catch fire with the audience, and that Victor would still be the primary mover and shaker among the Genoa City society elite a full thirty-seven years later. Eric has just documented the story of all of the above --- as well as how he made the journey from war-torn Germany, where he was born, to the wilds of Hollywood --- in his brand new memoir, I’ll Be Damned, a spectacularly dishy, rip-snorting read which has just landed in bookstores via the HarperCollins, and he is stopping by the Buzz to talk about why he decided this was the right time to a publish an autobiography, to reflect on various of his co-stars from throughout his four decades on Y&R, and to discuss how he feels about the current turbulent political climate in this country in the months since last November's stunning presidential election!

With six Daytime Emmy wins for Outstanding Lead Actress, she is easily the most decorated and most respected performer in the history of American soap opera, and her four decades spent standing in Victoria Lord Riley Burke Buchanan Carpenter Davidson Banks Buchanan's regal shoes have made her a television icon.  Now, in part two of her first-ever longform podcast interview, the Queen of Llanview herself --- One Life to Live's incredible, electrifying ERIKA SLEZAK --- comes to Brandon's Buzz for an extended conversation full of reflections and memories regarding forty years of co-stars (Phil Carey, Robin Strasser, and Nathan Fillion, among many others) and producers (Paul Rauch, Linda Gottlieb, Frank Valentini, anyone?).  PLUS: Slezak reveals how she got the word about One Life's cancellation, and spills more than a little tea on the chaotic and ill-fated 2013 online reboot of the classic soap.

With six Daytime Emmy wins for Outstanding Lead Actress, she is easily the most decorated and most respected performer in the history of American soap opera, and her four decades spent standing in Victoria Lord Riley Burke Buchanan Carpenter Davidson Banks Buchanan's regal shoes have made her a television icon.  Now, in part one of her first-ever longform podcast interview, the Queen of Llanview herself --- One Life to Live's incredible, electrifying ERIKA SLEZAK --- comes to Brandon's Buzz for an extended conversation about her early life growing up in the shadow of her Tony-winning father, why she decided to forge her own path as a performer, and how she made her way --- fortunately for us all --- to the world of daytime television.  

Brandon's Buzz hits the century mark in high style with a two-part blowout spectacular, as TV Guide Magazine's vaunted soaps guru MICHAEL LOGAN stops by for a rare in-depth conversation about the just-celebrated twenty-fifth anniversary of his employment at one of America's premier publications. In the second half of our conversation, Logan reminisces about some of his most fascinating interview subjects, offers his view on some of the more controversial moments that have occurred in his column over a quarter of a century, and offers his take on the current goings-on across the soap landscape!

Brandon's Buzz hits the century mark in high style with a two-part blowout spectacular, as TV Guide Magazine's vaunted soaps guru MICHAEL LOGAN stops by for a rare in-depth conversation about the just-celebrated twenty-fifth anniversary of his employment at one of America's premier publications.  In tonight's first installment, Logan discusses how he made his way to TV Guide in the fall of 1989, how he got lucky in landing a couple of key early interviews that put his column on the showbiz map, and how he feels about the evolution of soaps throughout his quarter-century tenure covering the troubled genre!

A balls-to-the-wall suds sensation in the late-'70s and early-'80s for her role as hell-on-wheels schemer Raven Alexander Whitney on ABC's legendary soap The Edge of Night, Emmy-nominated icon SHARON GABET bounced around the daytime landscape for another half-decade after Edge came to an end, before heading out to California to heal her wounded soul.  Now a published author, with a terrific new tome --- the just-released Spiritual Magic (available as an e-book from Amazon and iBooks) --- on tap, the glorious Gabet is stopping by Brandon's Buzz for a fun conversation about her scandalously soapy past and her spectacularly centered present.

The 2014 Daytime Emmy Awards are being handed out this coming weekend --- in a ceremony that, for the first time in over three decades, will not be televised --- and in honor of the big event, Brandon's Buzz offers this exclusive presentation:  a loving look back at a time when the Emmys were a respected celebration of television excellence.  Exactly twenty years ago, the most justified and well-earned Emmy victory we at the Buzz have ever witnessed --- that would be the divine Hillary B. Smith's much-deserved win as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her grueling, superlative work as embattled defense attorney Nora Gannon the previous season on One Life to Live --- took place, and as we prepare to see which lucky actors will be taking home this year's golden trophies, we asked Hillary to reminisce about the staggering storyline that helped her win the coveted statuette, about hearing her name called on Emmy night in 1994, and about the rest of her electrifying, extraordinary career.

Twenty-five years beyond the chart-topping success of his breakthrough smash Cristofori's Dream, the brilliant DAVID LANZ is still going strong, with a terrific new record --- the lush Movements of the Heart --- on tap, and he is coming by the Buzz to discuss the staggering breadth of his career, as well as his thoughts on the current music scene.  PLUS: Oprah's favorite designer --- the incredible NATE BERKUS --- stops by to spill some dish on his fun new NBC competition series, American Dream Builders!

You may or may not recognize JEFF GILES' name on sight, but if you're a die-hard fan of ABC's late, great classic soap opera One Life to Live, get ready to wonder how the hell you ever lived without his electric, earth-shattering new book for so damn long.  The tome is called Llanview in the Afternoon, and it is an oral history of the soap's extraordinary four-decade run, made up of brand new interviews --- over fifty of them, in fact --- that Giles himself conducted with everybody who was anybody connected with the show, from creator Agnes Nixon and producers Joe Stuart and Linda Gottlieb, to stars like Erika Slezak, Robert S. Woods, Kassie DePaiva, Judith Light, Brynn Thayer, Michael Storm, and countless others.  Llanview is an utterly extraordinary read, and Jeff is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to break down for us in glorious detail how the idea for this book popped into his head to begin with, and how he set about the momentous task of compiling this magnificent masterpiece.

Early in his career, he seemed bound for the life of the typical dime-a-dozen character actor, but fate clearly had other plans for the dashing, magnificent A MARTINEZ.  And when his destiny finally revealed itself --- in the form of a true-blue good guy cop called Cruz Castillo on NBC's singularly offbeat soap opera Santa Barbara --- Martinez suddenly became one of the most beloved and most popular performers in all of television. Never one to rest on his laurels, Martinez is keeping busy these days on both sides of the camera:  as an actor, with a recurring role on A&E's hit series Longmire and a supporting role in the latest Chucky film, and as a writer/director, with his latest project, a heartfelt family affair entitled Before Your Eyes.  And he's stopping by the Buzz to discuss his decision to leap into the director's chair for the first time, as well as his adventures in daytime television, and why HE mourned the loss of his character Cruz every bit as much as we, his ardent fans, did!

An entire generation of us crazy soap fans will forever adore her for her work as the original Lorna Devon --- the badass chick with the tough exterior above and the tender heart below --- on NBC's late, lamented daytime classic Another World, but a great many of us never understood the full extent of the pain that has driven her rich, riveting work in her two-plus decades as an actress.  But the brilliant ALICIA COPPOLA has just peeled back the veil of her personal pain with a shattering new memoir, Gracefully Gone --- which details her father's brutal decade-long battle with brain cancer, via alternating entries from his journal and from her own --- and she is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to discuss the rigors of hopping a rocketship to Another World while fighting like hell to just keep putting one foot in front of the other in this one.

Slip this one in the "better late than never" slot:  earlier in the spring, the glorious actress JOAN VAN ARK returned to the proverbial scene of the crime when she briefly reprised her most iconic and most beloved television role:  that of ever-agitated Valene Ewing on TNT's vaunted reboot of the classic prime-time soap Dallas.  Van Ark was my seventh guest all the way back in this show's nascent early days, and I was thrilled to welcome her back to Brandon's Buzz for a sneak preview of the action, and though a series of crazy events in my life prevented me from getting this interview edited and assembled prior to the aforementioned Dallas episode's premiere, I suspect you'll still enjoy hearing Joan's invaluable insights about reuniting with her television family, about honoring the memory and incredible legacy of the peerless Larry Hagman, and about how it felt to slip back into poor Val's shoes some thirty years after she first donned them. 

It's always a blast whenever the glorious LINDA DANO pays a visit to the Buzz, and in honor of her long-awaited return to QVC --- with whom she begins celebrating her 20th anniversary of dazzling us with her innovative designs this week --- we have managed to wrangle her back here as well for her sixth appearance, whereupon she shall regale us tales of winter weather, sudsy soaps, and the arduous process of bringing us the greatest line of home decor accessories that television home shopping has ever seen.

The soaps are dwindling in number, but the ever-opinionated Marlena De Lacroix soldiers on, and her fabulous alter ego --- the crazy-cool CONNIE PASSALACQUA HAYMAN --- is popping into Brandon's Buzz for her ninth appearance to discuss the thrilling relaunch of her website --- http://www.marlenadelacroix.com --- as well as her thoughts on the "new" General Hospital, the One Life to Live gang's seamless entry into Port Charles, the turmoil across the daytime landscape, and the riveting return of that old dinosaur, the primetime soap!

Three years ago, the esteemed Lee Phillip Bell --- widow of the legendary Bill Bell, creator of the classic CBS soaps The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful --- hand-picked veteran soap journalist Michael J. Maloney to write her husband's long-overdue authorized biography, and with the book finally set to arrive in bookstores later this week, Michael is stopping by the Buzz with an exclusive sneak peek at the daunting process of distilling the real story behind the life of one of the world’s masterful tellers of televised tales.

The gloriously gorgeous NIA PEEPLES makes her fourth appearance on Brandon's Buzz to discuss the latest iteration and evolution of her online self-help series The Elements of Life, as well as to drop a little dish on this week's hotly-anticipated second season finale of ABC Family's smash teen soap Pretty Little Liars!

A brand-spankin'-new DVD box set of classic episodes of the legendary soap As the World Turns has just been released, and since my new pal SUSAN BEDSOW HORGAN --- who was the head writer for World Turns for a time in the mid-'80s, and whose May 2011 appearance on Brandon's Buzz has been far and away my most popular installment of this year --- has some work included in this set (and since I'd been dying to have another chat with her anyway), I was thrilled to invite her --- and, as luck would have it, her great friend THOM RACINA, whose early-'80s work on General Hospital and Days of Our Lives is the stuff of soap legend, and who just happened to be visiting Susan the day I interviewed her --- back to Brandon's Buzz for another chat about a life spent spinning suds!

Regular Buzz listeners know it's always a fun time when the amazing LINDA DANO stops by for a chat!  An Emmy-winning veteran of more soaps than I have fingers to count, she is now a staple on QVC, for whom she designs a mega-selling line of affordable accessories for the home.  She returns to the network this week with a second iteration of the popular Christmas decor line which she premiered during the holiday season last year, and she is returning to the Buzz to offer us an exclusive sneak peek at the goods!

A tragic victim of inevitable cost-cutting and magnificently poor network (mis)management, ABC's classic soap "All My Children" signs off tomorrow afternoon after forty-two years and some 10,700 episodes.  And returning to the Buzz to help me mark such a wrenching occasion is the soap journalism icon CONNIE PASSALACQUA HAYMAN, who has written crisp, compelling commentary for over two decades now using the nom de plume of Marlena De Lacroix, and who just happens to measure "AMC" as the finest soap opera in television history.  Talking turkey about daytime --- and bidding adieu to a television landmark --- with a true master, exclusively on Brandon's Buzz!

He burst onto the pop music scene in 2007 with his arresting major-label debut record Indiana, and followed that up with a high-profile performance on the 2008 Academy Awards telecast, and a pop masterpiece called OK Now, released later that year.  He's back on the block after an extended hiatus with a terrific third album, Forever If Ever, and singer/songwriter JON McLAUGHLIN is stopping by the Buzz to discuss both the making of the album and how liberating it is to be on his own again in the music business.  PLUS:  celebrity chef CURTIS STONE stops in for a quick chat about food, fun, and the art of life.

She has covered the crazy, kooky world of soaps for some two decades and more now, and her sarcastic and blisteringly brilliant Soap Opera Digest column "It's Only My Opinion" has one of the most readerships in daytime.  She is now taking on the world of publishing, with a brand new book called Afternoon Delight: Why Soaps Still Matter, in which she reminds us why this uniquely American genre of television earned its significance within the culture, and analyzes the ways the soaps can propel themselves into the future.  And to celebrate the book's debut in stores, the captivating CAROLYN HINSEY is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to give us an exclusive sneak peek!

Brandon's Buzz is thrilled to welcome back the fabulously irreverent Marlena De Lacroix herself --- the captivating CONNIE PASSALACQUA HAYMAN --- for a special live event!  With all the recent head-spinning developments in soapland, and the news that her old favorites "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" will soon be going off the air, you just KNOW Miss Marlena's got LOTS of opinions about the state of daytime these days, and she is making her seventh visit to the Buzz to gab with the fans and to tell ALL!

As a member of Michael Malone's Emmy-winning head-writing team on "One Life to Live" in the early '90s, she actually created (and named!) the soon-to-be-iconic character of Todd Manning, and as the series' executive producer from 1994-96, she was instrumental in shepherding and executing some of the most important, most memorable, and most compelling storylines --- Joey and Dorian's illicit affair, Asa and Alex's whirlwind courtship (and crazy Egyptian-themed wedding!), Viki Lord Carpenter's irrevocably shattered psyche, the staggering revelation that Todd was in actual fact Victor Lord's long-lost son, and the arrival in Llanview of dashing Irishman Patrick Thornhart --- in the classic soap's rich, riveting history.  Now, with the recent announcement that "One Life" will be wrapping up its four-decade run next January, the spectacular SUSAN BEDSOW HORGAN is stopping by the Buzz to reminisce. and to remember the incredible years she spent hanging out with the folks in Llanview, PA.

She wrote for some of the most beloved couples --- John & Marlena, Patch & Kayla, Shane & Kim --- in "Days of Our Lives'" rich history, and now she is constructing a trilogy of novels around those classic characters.  Now, the remarkable SHERI ANDERSON returns to Brandon's Buzz to offer a sneak peek at the second novel in the series, "A Stirring from Salem," and to discuss her thoughts on the future of the soap opera!

His magnificent music has been a big part of the soundtrack of our lives for some three decades now; best remembered for his classic 1984 smash "Missing You," he has just released his tenth studio album, "Rough and Tumble," and now, singer/songwriter JOHN WAITE is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to discuss the new record and to reflect on one of pop music's most enduring careers.  Plus:  chef LORENA GARCIA --- one of the four judges on NBC's hot reality competition series "America's Next Great Restaurant" --- pops in to preview Sunday night's exciting finale!

She toiled away in the daytime grind for nearly three decades --- with one Emmy statuette and a slew of nominations to show for it, thank you very much! --- so you just know the magnificent LINDA DANO has lots of opinions on the state of soaps these days, and as we prepare to face life without All My Children and One Life to Live, both of which ABC has just cancelled, she is returning to the Buzz to really let it rip. (Oh yeah, and she's also dropping by to give us a special sneak peek at the latest additions to her massively successful collection of home decor accessories for QVC, and she's revealing how she feels about the upcoming royal wedding.) Compellingly candid views from a beloved daytime icon, in a riveting Brandon's Buzz exclusive.

He became a suds sensation nearly ten years ago, first by playing opposite the legendary Kim Zimmer as noble Dr. Noah Chase on "Guiding Light," and later as the slimy serial killer Daniel Colson on "One Life to Live." He has moved behind the scenes of late, having formed a new independent film production company entitled Shake the Tree Productions, and now, actor-turned-auteur MARK DOBIES is stopping by the Buzz to fill us in on all he has been up to since leaving the world of daytime behind!

He willingly walked away from a high-profile career in the world of New York City law to spend more time with his family and to return to his first love: writing. And now, author CAMERON STRACHER stops by the Buzz with an exclusive sneak preview of his fascinating first piece of full-length young adult fiction, "The Water Wars." PLUS: Academy Award-nominated actor ERIC ROBERTS checks in to discuss his participation in the latest cycle of VH1's smash reality series "Celebrity Rehab," and to preview what lays ahead for his character on "The Young and the Restless" in the new year!

They are three determined stars each making names for themselves in the cutthroat world of young Hollywood, and they've all three come to Brandon's Buzz to tell their amazing stories: JEROME ELSTON SCOTT discusses the making of his new directorial debut "Anderson's Cross"; TYNE STECKLEIN discusses working with the great Michael Jackson just prior to his tragic passing, as well as her role in the new smash musical "Burlesque"; and TANNA FREDERICK breaks down her collaborations with famed film director Henry Jaglom, and describes their latest project, "Queen of the Lot." Scott, Stecklein, and Frederick, in a Brandon's Buzz "Rising Stars of Hollywood" special presentation!

She was my fourth guest, some twenty-one months ago, and I'm so thrilled to welcome her back for episode *seventy*-four: as sensitive Blossom Russo, she was once America's favorite teenager, and now that she's a smash as natty neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS' hit comedy "The Big Bang Theory," the magnificent MAYIM BIALIK returns to Brandon's Buzz to discuss Sheldon, science, and success the second time around. Plus: Emmy- and Academy Award-winning actress CHRISTINE LAHTI stops by the Buzz to break down her recurring role on "Law and Order: SVU" and the rest of her glorious career!

NBC's classic soap "Days of Our Lives" hit the airwaves in November 1965, and forty-five years later, the show is still cooking with gas, and to help mark the soap's landmark anniversary, a quartet of the series' stars --- JAMES REYNOLDS (Salem's top cop Abe Carver), ARIANNE ZUCKER (scheming bad girl Nicole Walker), JUDI EVANS (family gal Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis), and SUZANNE ROGERS (heart-of-gold grandmother Maggie Horton) --- are stopping by the Buzz to reminisce about the show's glorious past, and to offer a sneak peek at the next forty-five years in the life of Salem, U.S.A.!

As an Emmy-winning daytime writer, she helped create and write for some of the most iconic characters and couplings --- Luke and Laura, Shane and Kim, Patch and Kayla, Jake and Vicky --- in soap history. Now, the spectacular SHERI ANDERSON is heading back to the suds scene with a trilogy of novels based on former characters from the rich forty-five-year history of "Days of Our Lives." Book one --- "A Secret in Salem" --- is due in bookstores on November 9, and in the runup to its release, the amazing Anderson is stopping by the Buzz to give us an exclusive sneak peek at the action, as well as to reminisce about the days of her life behind the soap scenes!

November 1, 2010 is the third annual "Give Up Your Shoulds" Day, and We Love Soaps' divine Damon L. Jacobs is continuing his crusade to convince us all to live a "should-less" life! The recent rash of gay-related teen suicides has alarmed a great many of us, and Damon is returning to Brandon's Buzz for a very special LIVE event to give us an exclusive sneak peek at his plan of action, as well as to dish about all the hot topics in soapland (including "One Life to Live's" quasi-renewal and Stephanie Forrester's brave battle with stage four cancer!) and whatever else crosses our crazy minds! Tired of thinking you SHOULD join a gym, you SHOULD look for a better job, you SHOULD be a better person, you SHOULD be a positive example in today's world? Ditch the "shoulds" and come join us as a true master teaches us how to take the first step toward a happier existence!

Still fondly remembered for her legendary, Emmy-garnering seventeen-year run as wacky, wonderful Felicia Gallant on NBC's classic soap "Another World," she left daytime behind to return to her first loves --- decorating and design --- and on the eve of her return to QVC with her first-ever collection of Christmas collectibles, the extraordinary LINDA DANO returns to the Buzz to give us an exclusive sneak peek, as well as to reminisce about how it felt to win that elusive Emmy, and to explain why she almost turned down the role that made her a globally-beloved superstar!

Regular listeners of Brandon's Buzz know that I got my start working on Stardish Radio, a BlogTalkRadio show hosted by my good pal JoAnn Kubasek. I still work with JoAnn often, and occasionally, I even pop in and guest-host Stardish. And with JoAnn's very generous blessing, I am presenting a compilation of conversations I have conducted over the past couple of years on Stardish with four of our favorite soap stars past and present, including: "One Life to Live" hunk MATT WALTON (who discusses how he nabbed the role of Llanview legal eagle Eli Clarke); former "General Hospital" star MICHAEL SUTTON (who talks about his recent return to the show as tragic hero Stone Cates); former "Another World" heroine SANDRA ROBINSON (who recalls working opposite daytime legends like Doug Watson and Victoria Wyndham, who portrayed her character Amanda Cory Fowler's parents); and legendary "One Life to Live" returnee KIM ZIMMER (who discusses the turbulent final days of "Guiding Light," as well as how thrilled she is to return to Llanview after nearly three decades). The best of the best, in a Brandon's Buzz special presentation!

His fabulously infectious 1980 smash "Steal Away" earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and has become one of the most enduring, most popular hit singles of the past three decades. He has just released his latest album, "Time and Tide," and to mark the event, acclaimed singer/songwriter ROBBIE DUPREE is stopping by the Buzz to discuss his career, to tell the story behind his most famous hit, and to explain precisely why Katy Perry beats Lady GaGa in his eyes!

He shot to fame in the late '60s as romantic werewolf Quentin Collins on the beloved daytime soap "Dark Shadows," and later became a global television icon as charming rogue Richard Channing on CBS' classic prime time drama "Falcon Crest." Now, he is front and center among the ensemble of fall's most talked about film "The Social Network," and the incredible DAVID SELBY is stopping by the Buzz to discuss his staggering career and his role in the year's hottest movie!

The "World" turns no more, but Marlena remembers: we sent "As the World Turns" off to soap heaven last week, and the peerless CONNIE PASSALACQUA HAYMAN --- Marlena De Lacroix herself --- is making her sixth appearance on Brandon's Buzz to help me put the iconic series' 54-year run in proper perspective, to discuss her memories of and experiences with folks like Douglas Marland, Liz Hubbard, and Eileen Fulton, and to offer her exclusive thoughts regarding the noteworthy developments on the six remaining daytime soaps!

No second acts in American lives? Don't tell that to this guy: he rose to fame playing alcoholic rich kid A.J. Quartermaine on ABC's "General Hospital," and lost that job under --- to say the least --- tough personal circumstances. But he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and landed the star-making role of bona-fide bad boy Deacon Sharpe on "The Bold and the Beautiful," and never looked back. He crossed Deacon over to "The Young and the Restless" last year, and in his spare time, he produces and stars in independent films, performs stand-up comedy, and tries to instruct young men across the world how to become 21st century gentlemen, and now the amazing SEAN KANAN is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to discuss all of this and so much more!

She first broke through in the early '80s as a superstar in the burgeoning contemporary Christian music movement, then crossed over to the pop world in the '90s with a massive radio hit called "Everything Changes." She still moves back and forth between the genres with relative ease, and she has just released her latest album --- a collection of classic pop covers entitled "Heartsongs," on which she tackles legendary tunes from the likes of The Beatles, Elton John, Jim Croce, and others --- and now, the captivating KATHY TROCCOLI is coming by the Buzz to discuss the highs and lows of her triumphant career, and to reveal what she REALLY thinks of the state of pop music today!

Brandon's Buzz steamrolls over the summer doldrums with a thrilling doubleheader featuring two of music's most exciting new talents! First up, the incredible ALEX BAND --- former lead singer and chief creative force behind the band The Calling, whose classic smash "Wherever You Will Go" remains one of pop radio's most-played tracks --- stops by to discuss his latest album, "We've All Been There," to reminisce about his past work, and to explain in simple English why digital piracy MUST be stopped. Then Texas-based artist JONATHAN CLAY pops in to introduce his latest record, "Everything She Wants," and to explain why there has never been a better time to be a DIY musician!

Brandon's Buzz returns from a month-long hiatus with an exciting doubleheader, as the legendary rock icon MEAT LOAF --- whose classic 1977 album "Bat Out of Hell" has sold some 40 million copies worldwide since its release --- stops by to chat about his brand new record "Hang Cool Teddy Bear," and HENRI MAZZA and GREG MacLENNAN --- the creators of the Alamo Drafthouse's insanely popular Action Pack series --- explain how their nutty idea became the hottest ticket in Austin, Texas, and to reveal what's on tap at the Alamo this summer!

He rocketed to fame six years ago when one of his songs ended up on the mega-selling "Garden State" soundtrack, but record label pressures soured him on the music scene for a time. He's back, though, and doing it on his own terms this time around: he has just released his second full-length CD, "Under Control," and now, the incredible CARY BROTHERS is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to talk music, movies, and how making it big is so much sweeter the second time around!

She has spent the last six decades as a working actress --- and the last two-and-a-half of those playing what is most likely her best-known role, that of brave matriarch Caroline Brady on "Days of Our Lives" --- and has yet to show any signs of slowing down, and now, the incredible Emmy-winning legend PEGGY McCAY is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to discuss an amazing life lived, literally, before the camera!

She took a brief hiatus at the beginning of the year, but the irrepressible Marlena De Lacroix has come roaring back with her signature sassy soap criticism, and her alter ego, the amazing CONNIE PASSALACQUA HAYMAN, is heading back to Brandon's Buzz to offer her unique take on "All My Children's" glorious renaissance, the staggering "One Life to Live" cast bloodbath, and all of daytime's other hot-button issues!

Whether he is seducing vulnerable young co-eds or producing the latest reality show hit, he has made quite a splash portraying bad boy lothario Robert Ford on ABC's "One Life to Live," and now, the show's new resident hunk DAVID GREGORY is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to discuss his amazing transition from struggling actor to soap stud!

He has had pivotal roles in such primetime hits as “The Facts of Life” and “Murphy Brown” and “Popular,” and has appeared in various films and theatrical ventures, but he’s no doubt most fondly remembered for his iconic, Emmy-nominated work as dastardly charming rogue Craig Montgomery on “As the World Turns.” He has recently shifted his attention behind the scenes, working as a director and producer on a new online project, a comedic takeoff on the daytime world entitled "Steamboat," and now the incredible SCOTT BRYCE is stopping by the Buzz to give us the inside scoop!

He might just be the best-kept secret in American popular music, even a full twelve albums into his incredible career. His emotionally-charged music has been heard on such television series as "One Tree Hill" and "House"; he has worked and toured with the likes of Nanci Griffith, Steve Earle, and the legendary Lucinda Williams, and his own work undoubtedly stands strong alongside the best of all of theirs. His latest album, Dear Lover, has just hit stores across the country, and now, the blisteringly talented musician MATTHEW RYAN is stopping by Brandon's Buzz to give us the inside scoop!