Podcast appearances and mentions of Danny Thomas

Led by his mother Josefine, Alex Perry switches seats for one of his most personal conversations yet. In this deeply honest episode, Josefine guides her son through the emotional landscape of growth, vulnerability, and self-awareness. Together, they talk about anger not as something to suppress but as a tool for understanding and release. Alex opens up about his evolving relationship with his twin brother, his father's legacy in real estate, and the inner work that reshaped how he loves and lives. What begins as a mother interviewing her son becomes a raw and revealing exchange about compassion, family patterns, and the courage it takes to face yourself. It's a rare, heart-centered look at how healing begins—through presence, honesty, and the willingness to keep asking hard questions.  About Our Featured Charity: This season, Alex Perry On Fire is making a monetary contribution to each guest's charity of choice. The Perry's charity is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is to discover and develop cures and preventive treatments for life-threatening childhood diseases through innovative research and compassionate care. In keeping with founder Danny Thomas's vision, St. Jude ensures that no child is ever denied treatment because of their race, religion, or a family's financial situation. Your turn to start the fire. Like what you heard today on Alex Perry on Fire? Tell us about it. Want to share what has helped you on your journey? We want to hear about that, too. Comment on social, DM us or give us a call.  Instagram: @alexperryonfire     TikTok: @alexperryonfire Call: 214-506-8023 

In this impactful and inspiring episode of Unstoppable Mindset, host Michael Hingson sits down with Ronald Cocking—performer, educator, and co-founder of the Looking Glass Studio of Performing Arts—to reflect on a remarkable life shaped by rhythm, resilience, and love. Ron's journey into the performing arts began at just five years old, when his passion for tap dance ignited a lifelong commitment to dance and musical theater. From his first professional role at age 15 in My Fair Lady to founding one of Southern California's most impactful arts schools, Ron's story is one of dedication, creativity, and community.   But perhaps the most moving part of Ron's story is his 49-year partnership—both personal and professional—with the late Gloria McMillan, best known as Harriet Conklin from Our Miss Brooks. Together, they created a legacy of mentorship through the Looking Glass Studio, where they taught thousands of students across generations—not just how to act, sing, or dance, but how to live with confidence and integrity.   Ron also reflects on the legacy Gloria left behind, his continued involvement in the arts, and the words of wisdom that guide his life:   “Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” “To find happiness, take the gifts God has given you and give them away.”   This is more than a story of a career in the arts—it's a touching tribute to passion, partnership, and purpose that will leave you inspired.   Highlights:   00:48 – Hear how early radio at home shaped a lifetime love for performance. 03:00 – Discover why drumming and tap both trained his ear for rhythm. 06:12 – Learn how a tough studio change led to ballet, jazz, and tumbling basics. 08:21 – See the “sing with your feet” method that makes tap click for students. 10:44 – Find out how a teen chorus role in My Fair Lady opened pro doors. 13:19 – Explore the drum-and-tap crossover he performed with Leslie Uggams. 15:39 – Learn how meeting Gloria led to a studio launched for $800. 18:58 – Get the long view on running a school for 44 years with family involved. 23:46 – Understand how Our Miss Brooks moved from radio to TV with its cast intact. 32:36 – See how 42nd Street proves the chorus can be the star. 41:51 – Hear why impact matters more than fame when students build careers. 43:16 – Learn what it takes to blend art and business without losing heart. 45:47 – Compare notes on marriage, teamwork, and communication that lasts. 48:20 – Enjoy a rare soft-shoe moment Ron and Gloria performed together. 56:38 – Take away the “teach to fish” approach that builds lifelong confidence.   About the Guest:   My father was a trumpet player, thus I heard music at home often in the early 50's and was always impressed and entertained by the rhythms and beats of Big Band music… especially the drummers.  Each time I would see Tap dancers on TV, I was glued to the screen.  It fascinated me the way Tap dancers could create such music with their feet!   In 1954, at age 5, after begging my Mom and Dad to enroll me in a Tap class, my Dad walked in from work and said “Well, you're all signed up, and your first Tap class is next Tuesday.  I was thrilled and continued studying tap and many other dance forms and performing and teaching dance for all of my life.     In my mid teens, I became serious about dancing as a possible career.  After seeing my first musical, “The Pajama Game” starring Ruth Lee, I new I wanted to do musical theatre.  I got my first professional opportunity at age 15 in “My Fair Lady” for the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera Association and loved every minute of it… and would continue performing for this organization well into my 30's   I met Gloria McMillan in the late 60's while choreographing a summer musical for children.  Gloria's daughter was doing the role of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz”.  Then, about 3 or 4 years later I would meet Gloria again and the sparks flew.  And, yes, she was Gloria McMillan of “Our Miss Brooks” fame on both radio and television.  Wow, was I blessed to have crossed paths with her.  We shared our lives together for 49 years.   On November 4, 1974, Gloria and I opened a performing arts school together named “The Looking Glass Studio of Performing Arts”.  We would teach and manage the school together for 44 years until we retired on June 30, 2018.  We moved to Huntington Beach, California and spent 3 beautiful years together until she left to meet our Lord in heaven on January 19, 2022.   Ways to connect with Ron:   Lgsparon@aol.com     About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, hi there, wherever you are and wherever you happen to be today. Welcome to unstoppable mindset. I'm your host, Mike hingson, and today we get to chat with Ron Cocking, who is Ron. Well, we're going to find out over the next hour. And Ron was married for many years to another person who is very famous, and we'll get to that, probably not as well known to what I would probably describe as the younger generation, but you're going to get to learn a lot about Ron and his late wife before we're done, and I am sure we're going to have a lot of fun doing it. So let's get to it. Ron, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here.   Ron Cocking ** 01:59 Thank you. I'm so glad to be here. Michael, this. I've been looking forward to this.   Michael Hingson ** 02:04 I have been as well, and we're going to have a lot of fun doing it.   Ron Cocking ** 02:08 Do you one note on that last name? It is cocking. Cocking, he comes right? Comes from a little townlet in the coal mining country of England called Cockington.   Michael Hingson ** 02:20 I don't know why I keep saying that, but yeah, cocky, no   02:23 problem.   Michael Hingson ** 02:24 Well, do you go up to the reps recreations at all?   Ron Cocking ** 02:28 Oh my gosh, Gloria. And I know you and Gloria, did do you still do it? I've it's on my schedule for September.   Michael Hingson ** 02:35 I'm gonna miss it this year. I've got a speech to give. So I was going to be playing Richard diamond at recreation. Well, I'll have to be Dick Powell another time, but I thought that you you were still doing   02:50 it. I'm planning on it cool.   Michael Hingson ** 02:53 Well, tell us about the early Ron cocking and kind of growing up in some of that stuff. Let's start with that.   Ron Cocking ** 02:59 Well, the early part of my story was when I was born just a little before television came in, before everyone had a TV in their home. How old are you now? If I maybe, you know, I am now 76   Michael Hingson ** 03:12 Okay, that's what I thought. Yeah, you're one year ahead of me. I'm 75   Ron Cocking ** 03:16 I was born in 49 and so my earliest remembrances my mom and dad and my brother and I lived with our grandfather, and we had no television, but we had this big it must have been about three to four foot tall, this big box on the floor in a very prominent spot in the living room. And that was the Sunday afternoon entertainment. I remember my family sitting around, and I listened and I laughed when they did, but I had no idea what was going on, but that was the family gathering. And just, I know we'll talk about it later, but I I just have this notion that at that time I was laughing, not knowing what I was laughing at, but I bet I was laughing at my future   Michael Hingson ** 04:02 wife, yes, yes, but other things as well. I mean, you probably laughed at Jack Benny and Amos and Andy and   Ron Cocking ** 04:09 yeah, I remember listening to all those folks, and it was just amazing. Then when television came about and my father was a trumpet player, and I loved his trumpet playing, and he practiced often at home. He would sit in his easy chair and play some tunes and scales and that sort of thing. But what captured my ear and my eyes when I went to on rare occasions when I could go to his engagements, it was always the drummer that just stuck out to me. I was mesmerized by the rhythms that they could produce. And when TV came about, I remember the old variety shows, and they often would have tap dancers like. Had a stair gene, Kelly, Peg Leg Bates and the Nicholas brothers, and I just, I was just taken back by the rhythms. It sounded like music to me. The rhythms just made me want to do it. And so I started putting that bug in my parents ears. And I waited and waited. I wanted to take tap dance lessons. And one day, my dad walks in the back door, and I said, Dad, have you signed me up yet? And he said, Yep, you start next Tuesday at 330 in the afternoon. So I was overjoyed, and I went in for my first lesson. And mind you, this was a private tap class. Total Cost of $1.25 and we had a pianist for music, no record player, live piano, wow. And so I, I rapidly fell in love with tap dance.   Michael Hingson ** 05:56 And so you did that when you weren't in school. Presumably, you did go to school.   Ron Cocking ** 06:00 Oh, yeah, I did go to school. Yeah, I did well in school, and I enjoyed school. I did all the athletics. I played little league, and eventually would be a tennis player and water polo and all that stuff. But all through the years, after school was on the way to the dance classes.   Michael Hingson ** 06:16 So you graduated, or I suppose I don't want to insult drumming, but you graduated from drumming to tap dancing, huh?   Ron Cocking ** 06:24 Well, I kept doing them both together. I would dance, and then when my dad would practice, I would beg him to just play a tune like the St Louis Blues, yeah, and so that I could keep time, so I pulled a little stool up in front of an easy chair, and one of the arms of the chair was the ride cymbal, and the other one was the crash cymbal, and the seat of the chair was my snare drum. I would play along with him. And eventually he got tired of that and bought a Hi Fi for my brother and I, and in the bedroom I had a Hi Fi, and I started to put together a set of drums, and I spent hours next to that, Hi Fi, banging on the drums, and I remember it made me feel good. One day, my mom finally said to me, you know, you're starting to sound pretty good, and that that was a landmark for me. I thought, wow, somebody is enjoying my drumming,   Michael Hingson ** 07:18 but you couldn't do drumming and tap dancing at the same time. That would have been a little bit of a challenge. A challenge.   Ron Cocking ** 07:23 No, I would practice that the drums in the afternoon and then head for the dance studio later. And in this case, I was a local boy. I grew up in Riverside California, and my first tap teacher was literally maybe two miles from our house. But that didn't last long. She got married and became pregnant and closed her studio, and then I she recommended that I go see this teacher in San Bernardino by the name of Vera Lynn. And which I did, I remember walking into this gigantic classroom with a bunch of really tall kids, and I was maybe seven or eight years old, and I guess it was kind of an audition class, but after that evening, I she put me in the most appropriate classes, one of which was ballet, which I wasn't too excited about, but they all told me, If you're going to be a serious dancer, even a tap dancer, you need to get the basic body placement from ballet classes. And I said, Well, I am not going to put any tights and a T shirt on. But they finally got me to do that because they told me that the Rams football team took ballet class twice a week at that time. Ah. Said, no kidding. So they got me, they they got you. They got me into ballet class, and then it was jazz, and then it was tumbling, and so I did it all.   Michael Hingson ** 08:43 I remember when we moved to California when I was five, and probably when I was about eight or nine, my brother and I were enrolled by my mother. I guess my parents enrolled us in a dance class. So I took dance class for a few years. I learned something about dancing. I did have a pair of tap shoes, although I didn't do a lot of it, but I, but I did dance and never, never really pursued it enough to become a Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire. Well, few of us do. I didn't dislike it. It just didn't happen. But that was okay, but it was fun to, you know, to do it and to learn something about that. And so I even today, I I remember it, and I appreciate it. So that's pretty cool.   Ron Cocking ** 09:32 Well, you would understand what I always told my students, that tap dancing is like singing a song with your feet. Yeah. And I would sing, I would say, you all know, happy birthday, right? So I would sing it, and they would sing it along, and then I'd said, then I would sing it again, and I would sing it totally out of rhythm. And they would wrinkle their nose and look at me and say, okay, so what are you doing? And I'd say, Well, you don't recognize it because the rhythm is not correct. So then I would. Would tap dance Happy birthday, and I'd say, you sing along in your mind and I'm going to tap dance it. And that would always ring a bell in their mind, like, Oh, I get it. The rhythm has to be right on the button, or the people aren't going to recognize   Michael Hingson ** 10:16 that was very clever to do.   Ron Cocking ** 10:18 Yeah, thank you. And they got it, yeah, they got it, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 10:22 which is even, even more important. That's pretty clever. Well, so you did that, and did you do it all the way through high school,   Ron Cocking ** 10:30 all the way through high school? And I think when I was 15, I was, I think I was in the eighth grade, maybe ninth, but I was 15 and got my first chance to I was cast in a professional show for San Bernardino civic light opera Association. And the show was My Fair Lady, and it was my English and journalism teacher at the junior high who had been cast. He was a performer also, but something came up and he couldn't follow through, so he had given the association my name, and I was out in the backyard. My mom came out. Said, Hey, San Bernardino clo just called and they want, they want to see it tonight at seven o'clock. So I put on my dance clothes and went over, and the director, by the name of Gosh, Gene Bayless, came out, and he showed me a couple of steps. And he said, Yeah, let's do it together. And he said, Boy, you unscramble your feet pretty well there kid. And he he looked over into the costumers and said, measure this guy. Let's put him in the show. So I was beside myself. And long story short, I Gosh, I'm over the over the years, I my first show was at age 15 with them, and I participated, did shows with them, until I think my last show, I was about 38 years old, and that last show was anything goes with Leslie uggums, wow.   Michael Hingson ** 11:52 So what part did you play on my fair lady?   Ron Cocking ** 11:55 I was just a chorus kid. I remember in the opening when Eliza sings, that wouldn't it be lovely? Wouldn't it be lovely? I was a street sweeper. I remember I had a broom, and there were three of us, and we were sweeping up that street and working in and around. Eliza Doolittle, of   Michael Hingson ** 12:11 course, being really spiteful. You just said a little while ago, you were beside yourself. And the thing that I got to say to that, quoting the Muppets, is, how do the two of you stand each other? But anyway, that's okay, good in the original Muppet Movie, that line is in there. And I it just came out so fast, but I heard it. I was going, Oh my gosh. I couldn't believe they did that. But anyway, it was so cute, very funny. That's great. So and then you were, you eventually were opposite Leslie UB,   Ron Cocking ** 12:39 yes, that was one of the high points talking about dancing and drumming at the same time. In fact, I used to give a drum a basic drum summer camp where I would teach tappers the basics of music notation, quarter notes, eighth notes, 16th notes. And then we would put a tap orchestra together. Everybody had their own music stand and their own drum pad. I would conduct, and we would play little pieces, and they would they would drum a rhythm, tap, a rhythm, drum, a rhythm, tap, a rhythm. And so anyway, it came full circle. One of the highlights of my dance slash drumming career was this show I did with Leslie uggums, the director had done this prior, and he knew it would work, and so so did the conductor in the entre Act. The top of the second act, the pit orchestra starts and plays like eight measures. And then there were six of us on stage, behind the main curtain, and we would play the next 16 bars, and then we would toss it back to the pit, and then toss it back to us, and the curtain would begin to rise, and we were right into the first song that Leslie uggums sang to get into the second act. Then she wanted to add a couple of songs that she liked, and she was very popular in with the audiences in San Bernardino, so she added a couple of songs, and I got to play those songs with her and and that was just so thrilling. And I with the scene finished, I had to have my tap shoes on, on the drum set. I had to hop down from the riser, and came out, brought one of my Toms with me, and played along with another featured tap dancer that kind of took over the scene at that point. So it was, it was really cool.   Michael Hingson ** 14:31 So with all this drumming, did you ever meet anyone like buddy rip?   Ron Cocking ** 14:35 No, I never met any famous drummers except a man by the name of Jack Sperling, which was one of my drumming idols,   Michael Hingson ** 14:44 Donnie Carson was quite the drummer, as I recall,   Ron Cocking ** 14:48 yeah, he did play yeah and boy, his his drummer, Ed Shaughnessy on his on The Tonight Show was phenomenal. Yeah, he's another of my favorites, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 14:57 well, and I remember. I guess Johnny Carson and Buddy Rich played together, which was kind of fun. They   Ron Cocking ** 15:07 played together, and so did Ed Shaughnessy and Buddy Rich did a little competition on the show one time I realized, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 15:15 right, yeah. Well, and it's interesting to see some of the performers do that. I remember once trying to remember whether what show it was on, maybe it was also a Tonight Show where Steve Martin substituted for Johnny, but he and the steel Canyon, the Steve Canyon band, came out. Of course, he was great on the band, and then flat and Scruggs or flat came out. Or which one? Yeah, which one did the banjo flat, I think, but they, but they banjo together, which was fun?   Ron Cocking ** 15:51 Oh, wow, yeah, yeah. Steve Martin is a tremendous band. He is, Whoa, yeah. I,   Michael Hingson ** 15:56 I have a hard time imagining fingers moving that fast, but that's okay, me too. I saved my fingers for Braille, so it's okay. So where did you go to college?   Ron Cocking ** 16:07 I went to for two years to Riverside City College, Riverside Community College, and then I went for two years to San Bernardino Cal State, San Bernardino, and I was majoring in English because I thought I may want to do some writing. But in the meantime, I became married, I became a father, and so I was trying to work and study and maintain a family life, and I just couldn't do it all. So I didn't quite finish a major at Cal State San Bernardino. I continued actually a nightclub drumming career. And now, now we're getting up to where this our performing arts studio began between Gloria and I.   Michael Hingson ** 16:50 So was it? GLORIA? You married first?   Ron Cocking ** 16:53 No, okay, no, Gloria was married. Gloria was a prior, prior marriage for 20 some years, or 20 years, I guess. And I had been married only two years, I think. And when we first, well, we actually met while we were both. I'll tell you the story in a minute, if you want to hear it. Sure, the first time I ever met Gloria Macmillan, I had no idea who she was, because she her name was Gloria Allen at the time that was, that was her married name that she took after the arm is Brooks TV show. Well, she took that the new name before the TV show even ended. But I was choreographing a children's summer musical, and the director came up said, hey, I want you to meet this young lady's mom. So the young lady was Gloria's daughter, her oldest daughter, Janet. And I said, Sure. So he said, This is Gloria. Allen, Gloria, this is Ron. And we shook hands, and I said, Nice to meet you. And that was it. And so the show happened. It ran for a couple of weeks, and Gloria was a wonderful stage mom. She she never bothered anyone. She watched the show. She was very supportive of her daughter. Didn't, didn't stage manage   Michael Hingson ** 18:09 whatsoever, which wasn't a helicopter mom, which is good,   Ron Cocking ** 18:12 definitely that, which was just really cool. So and so I was maybe three, four years later, so Gloria obviously knew that I could dance, because she had seen me choreographed. So I got a phone call from Gloria Allen, and I said, Okay, I remember her. She wanted to meet because she was thinking about starting an acting school and wanted someone to teach actors some dance movement. So I went over for a interview and took my little at that time, about two and a half year old, daughter, three year old, and we chatted, and oh my gosh, I just this, this beautiful woman swept me off my feet. And of course, I by the end of the conversation, I said, Gosh, you know, we talked about how we would integrate the acting and the dance, and I said, Can I have your phone number? Nope, I got the old well, we'll call you. Don't call us. And so I had to wait for a few days before I got a call back, but I got a call back, and I don't remember a lot of details, but the sparks flew really, really quickly, and we started planning our school. And if you can believe that this was 1973 when we started planning, maybe it was early 74 and we invested a whole total of $800 to get ourselves into business. We bought a record player, some mirrors, some paint, and a business license and a little shingle to hang out front. We had a little one room studio, and we. Opened on November 4, 1974 and we would close the studio on June 30, 2018 Wow.   Michael Hingson ** 20:08 Yeah. So you, you had it going for quite a while, almost, well, actually, more than 40 years. 44 years. 44 years, yes. And you got married along the way.   Ron Cocking ** 20:20 Well along the way, my my wife always said she fell in love with my daughter, and then she had to take me along with her. Yeah. Well, there you go. So we were together constantly, just running the school together. And then eventually I moved over to San Bernardino, and it was, gosh, some 1213, years later, we got married in on June 28 1987 and but nothing really changed, because we had already been living together and raising five children. GLORIA had four from a private prior marriage, and I had my little girl. So we we got all these five kids through elementary and junior high in high school, and they all went to college. And they're all beautiful kids and productive citizens, two of them still in show biz. Her son, my stepson, Christopher Allen, is a successful producer now and of Broadway shows. And our daughter, Barbara Bermudez, the baby that Gloria fell in love with. She's now a producer slash stage manager director. She does really well at big events with keynote speakers. And she'll, if they want her to, she will hire in everything from lighting and sound to extra performers and that sort of thing. And she's, she's just busy constantly all over the world, wow.   Michael Hingson ** 21:43 Well, that's pretty cool. And what are the other three doing?   Ron Cocking ** 21:47 One is a VP of Sales for it's a tub and shower company, jacuzzi, and the other one is a married housewife, but now she is a grandmother and has two little grandkids, and they that's Janet, the one that I originally had worked with in that children's show. And she and her husband live in Chino Hills, California, which is about 40 minutes from here. I live in Huntington Beach, California now,   Michael Hingson ** 22:14 well, and I'm not all that far away from you. We're in Victorville. Oh, Victorville, okay, yeah, the high desert. So the next time you go to Vegas, stop by on your way, I'll do that, since that's mainly what Victorville is probably most known for. I remember when I was growing I grew up in Palmdale, and Palmdale wasn't very large. It only had like about 20 703,000 people. But as I described it to people, Victorville wasn't even a speck on a radar scope compared to Palmdale at that time. Yeah, my gosh, are over 120,000 people in this town?   Ron Cocking ** 22:51 Oh, I remember the drive in the early days from here to Vegas in that you really felt like you could get out on the road all alone and relax and take it all in, and now it can be trafficking all all the   Speaker 1 ** 23:04 way. Yeah, it's crazy. I don't know. I still think they need to do something to put some sort of additional infrastructure, and there's got to be another way to get people to Vegas and back without going on i 15, because it is so crowded, especially around holidays, that one of these days, somebody will get creative. Maybe they'll get one of Tesla's tunnel boring tools, and they'll make a tunnel, and you can go underground the whole way, I don't know,   Ron Cocking ** 23:32 but that would be, that would be great. Something like that would happen.   Michael Hingson ** 23:38 Well, so you you started the school and and that did, pretty cool. Did, did Gloria do any more acting after our Miss Brooks? And then we should explain our Miss Brooks is a show that started on radio. Yes, it went on to television, and it was an arm is Brooks. Miss Brooks played by e vardin. Was a teacher at Madison High, and the principal was Osgood Conklin, played by Gail Gordon, who was absolutely perfect for the part. He was a crotchety old curmudgeon by any standards. And Gloria played his daughter, Harriet correct. And so when it went from radio to television, one of the things that strikes me about armas Brooks and a couple of those shows, burns and Allen, I think, is sort of the same. Jack Benny was a little different. But especially armas Brooks, it just seems to me like they they took the radio shows and all they did was, did the same shows. They weren't always the same plots, but it was, it was radio on television. So you, you had the same dialog. It was really easy for me to follow, and it was, was fascinating, because it was just like the radio shows, except they were on television.   Ron Cocking ** 24:56 Yeah, pretty much. In fact, there were a lot, there's lots of episodes. Episodes that are even named the same name as they had on the radio, and they're just have to be reworked for for the television screen,   Michael Hingson ** 25:08 yeah, but the the dialog was the same, which was so great,   Ron Cocking ** 25:13 yeah, yeah. And to see what was I going to add, it was our Miss Brooks was one of the very few radio shows that made the transition to television with the cast with the same intact. Yeah, everybody looked like they sounded. So it worked when they were in front of the camera. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 25:33 it sort of worked with Jack Benny, because most of the well, all the characters were in it, Don Wilson, Mary, Livingston, Dennis day, Rochester, world, yeah. And of course, Mel Blanc, yeah, oh.   Ron Cocking ** 25:49 GLORIA tells a story. She she and her mom, Hazel, were walking down the street on the way to do a radio show in the old days in Hollywood, and here comes Mel blank, he says, he pulls over. Says, Hey, where are you girls headed because I know that he probably recognized them from being at at CBS all the time, and they said, We're headed to CBS. He said, hop in. Oh, that's where I'm going. So Mel Brooks gave her a ride to the Mel Blanc, yeah, would have been   Michael Hingson ** 26:15 fun if Mel Brooks had but that's okay, Young Frankenstein, but that's another story. It is. But that's that's cool. So did they ever? Did she ever see him any other times? Or was that it?   Ron Cocking ** 26:30 No, I think that was it. That's the one story that she has where Mel Blanc is involved.   Michael Hingson ** 26:36 What a character, though. And of course, he was the man of a million voices, and it was just incredible doing I actually saw a couple Jack Benny shows this morning and yesterday. One yesterday, he was Professor LeBlanc teaching Jack Benny how to play the violin, which was a lost cause.   Ron Cocking ** 26:59 Actually, Jack Benny was not a bad view. No,   Michael Hingson ** 27:01 he wasn't violent. No, he wasn't. He had a lot of fun with it, and that stick went straight in from radio to television, and worked really well, and people loved it, and you knew what was going to happen, but it didn't matter. But it was still   Ron Cocking ** 27:16 funny, and I'm sure during the transition they there was a little bit of panic in the writers department, like, okay, what are we going to do? We got to come up with a few shows. We got to get ahead a little bit. So the writing being just a little different, I'm sure that's part of the reason why they went back and kind of leaned on the old, old script somewhat, until they kind of cut their teeth on the new this new thing called television   Michael Hingson ** 27:39 well, but they still kept a lot of the same routines in one way or another.   Ron Cocking ** 27:45 Yeah, when they work, they work, whether you're just listening or whether you're watching,   Michael Hingson ** 27:48 right, exactly what other shows made it from radio to television with the cast   Ron Cocking ** 27:53 intact? You know, I am not up on that number. I   Michael Hingson ** 27:57 know there were a couple that did. RMS, Brooks was, well, oh no, I was gonna say Abbott and Costello, but that was different, but our Miss Brooks certainly did. If   Ron Cocking ** 28:09 the Bickersons did, I forget the two actors that did that show, but that was a really, Francis   Michael Hingson ** 28:13 Langford and Donna Michi could be, but I think burns and Allen, I think, kept the same people as much as there were. Harry bonzell was still with them, and so on. But it was interesting to see those. And I'm awake early enough in the morning, just because it's a good time to get up, and I get and be real lazy and go slowly to breakfast and all that. But I watched the Benny show, and occasionally before it, I'll watch the burns and Allen show. And I think that the plots weren't as similar from radio to television on the burns and Allen show as they weren't necessarily in the Benny show, but, but it all worked.   Ron Cocking ** 28:58 Yeah, yeah. That's why they were on the air for so long?   Michael Hingson ** 29:02 Yeah, so what other kind of acting did Gloria do once? So you guys started the school   Ron Cocking ** 29:10 well after she well, when we started the school, we found ourselves, you know, raising five children. And so I continued playing nightclub gigs. I had one, one nightclub job for like, five years in a row with two wonderful, wonderful musicians that were like fathers to me. And Gloria actually went to work for her brother in law, and she became a salesperson, and eventually the VP of Sales for a fiberglass tub and shower business down here in Santa Ana. So she drove that 91 freeway from San Bernardino, Santa Ana, all the time. But in,   Michael Hingson ** 29:47 yeah, you could do it back then, much more than now. It was a little better   Ron Cocking ** 29:51 and but in, but twist in between, she managed. Her mom still did a little bit of agency. And she would call Gloria and say. Want you to go see so and so. She did an episode of perfect strangers. She did an episode with Elliot of the guy that played Elliot Ness, stack the show Robert Stack the show was called Help Wanted no see. I guess that was an in but wanted, anyway, she did that. She did a movie with Bruce Dern and Melanie Griffith called Smile. And so she kept, she kept her foot in the door, but, but not, not all that much she she really enjoyed when John Wilder, one of her childhood acting buddies, who she called her brother, and he still calls her sis, or he would call her sis, still. His name was Johnny McGovern when he was a child actor, and when he decided to try some movie work, he there was another Johnny McGovern in Screen Actors Guild, so he had to change his name to John Wyler, but he did that mini series called centennial, and he wanted Gloria for a specific role, to play a German lady opposite the football player Alex Karras. And they had a couple of really nice scenes together. I think she was in three, maybe four of the segments. And there were many segments, it was like a who's who in Hollywood, the cast of that show   Michael Hingson ** 31:28 does that was pretty cool.   Ron Cocking ** 31:32 But anyway, yeah, after Gloria finished armas Brooks, she became married to Gilbert Allen, who, who then became a Presbyterian minister. So Gloria, when you said, Did she continue acting? There's a lot of acting that goes on being a minister and being a minister's wife, and she would put together weddings for people, and that sort of thing. And she did that for 20 years. Wow. So she Gloria was a phenomenon. She did so many things. And she did them all so very well, in my   Speaker 1 ** 32:04 opinion. And so did you? Yeah, which is, which is really cool. So you, but you, you both started the school, and that really became your life's passion for 44 years. Yes,   Ron Cocking ** 32:16 we would get up in the mornings, go do a little business, come home, have a little lunch, go back about 132 o'clock, and we would normally crank up about four after the kids get out of school, and we would teach from four to nine, sometimes to 10. Go out, have some dinner. So yeah, we pretty much 24/7 and we had had such similar backgrounds. Hers on a national radio and television scale, and mine on a much more local, civic light opera scale. But we both had similar relations with our our moms after after the radio tapings and the TV things. GLORIA And her mom. They lived in Beverly Hills, right at Wilshire and Doheny, and they had their favorite chocolate and ice cream stops. And same thing for me, my mom would take me there, two doors down from the little studio where I was taking my tap classes. There was an ice cream parlor, haywoods ice cream. And that was, that was the the lure, if you go in and if you do your practicing, Ronnie, you can, I'll take it for an ice cream so that I did my practicing, had plenty of little treats on the way, so we had that in common, and we both just had very supportive moms that stayed out of the way, not, not what I would call a pushy parent, or, I think you mentioned the helicopter, helicopter, but it   Michael Hingson ** 33:37 but it sounds like you didn't necessarily need the bribes to convince you to tap dance, as you know, anyway, but they didn't hurt.   Ron Cocking ** 33:46 No, it didn't hurt at all, and it was something to look forward to, but I I just enjoyed it all along. Anyway, I finally got to to really showcase what I could do when I was cast as the dance director in the show 42nd street. Oh, wow. And I was lucky. We were lucky. San Bernardino clo was able to hire John Engstrom, who had done the show on Broadway. The earlier version that came, I think it was on Broadway in the mid or to late 70s. He had worked side by side with Gower Champion putting the show together. He told us all sorts of stories about how long it took Gower to put together that opening dance. Because everything in the opening number you you see those steps later in the show done by the chorus, because the opening number is an audition for dancers who want to be in this new Julian Marsh show. So the music starts, the audience hears, I know there must have been 20 of us tapping our feet off. And then a few seconds later, the curtain rises about two and a half feet. And then they see all these tapping feet. And then the main curtain goes out, and there we all are. And. I my part. I was facing upstage with my back to the audience, and then at some point, turned around and we did it was the most athletic, difficult, two and a half minute tap number I had ever done, I'll bet. But it was cool. There were five or six kids that had done it on Broadway and the national tour. And then during that audition, one more high point, if we have the time, we I was auditioning just like everybody else. The director had called and asked if I would audition, but he wasn't going to be choreographing. John Engstrom was so with there was probably 50 or 60 kids of all ages, some adults auditioning, and at one point, John pulled out one of the auditioners, and he happened to be one of my male tap dance students. And he said, Now I want everybody to watch Paul do this step. Paul did the step. He said, Now he said, Paul, someone is really teaching you well. He said, everybody that's the way to do a traveling timestamp so and that, you know, I'll remember that forever. And it ended up he hired. There were seven myself and seven other of my students were cast in that show. And some of them, some of them later, did the show in Las Vegas, different directors. But yeah, that, that was a high point for me.   Speaker 1 ** 36:19 I'm trying to remember the first time I saw 42nd street. I think I've seen it twice on Broadway. I know once, but we also saw it once at the Lawrence Welk Resorts condo there, and they did 42nd street. And that was a lot of that show was just a lot of fun. Anyway,   Ron Cocking ** 36:39 it's a fun show. And as John said in that show, The chorus is the star of the show.   Speaker 1 ** 36:45 Yeah, it's all about dancing by any by any definition, any standard. It's a wonderful show. And anybody who is listening or watching, if you ever get a chance to go see 42nd street do it, it is, it is. Well, absolutely, well worth it.   Ron Cocking ** 37:00 Yeah, good. Good show. Fantastic music, too. Well.   Michael Hingson ** 37:03 How did you and Gloria get along so well for so long, basically, 24 hours a day, doing everything together that that I would think you would even be a little bit amazed, not that you guys couldn't do it, but that you did it so well, and so many people don't do it well,   Ron Cocking ** 37:21 yeah, I don't know I from, from the the first time we met, we just seemed to be on the same wavelength. And by the way, I found out as time went by, Gloria was like Mrs. Humble. She wasn't a bragger, very humble. And it took me a while to find out what an excellent tap dancer she was. But when we went to the studio in the early days, we had, we just had one room. So she would teach actors for an hour, take a break. I would go in teach a tap class or a movement class or a ballet class. I in the early days, I taught, I taught it all. I taught ballet and jazz and and and and   Michael Hingson ** 38:01 tap. Well, let's let's be honest, she had to be able to tap dance around to keep ahead of Osgoode Conklin, but that's another story.   Ron Cocking ** 38:09 Yeah. So yeah, that. And as our studio grew, we would walk every day from our first studio down to the corner to a little wind chills donut shop wind chills donuts to get some coffee and come back. And about a year and a half later, after walking by this, this retail vacant spot that was two doors from our studio, we said, I wonder if that might be, you know, something for us, it had a four lease sign. So, long story short, we released it. The owner of the property loved knowing that Gloria Macmillan was that space. And so luckily, you know when things are supposed to happen. They happen as people would move out next to us, we would move in. So we ended up at that particular studio with five different studio rooms. Wow. And so then we can accommodate all of the above, acting, singing classes, all the dance disciplines, all at the same time, and we can, like, quadruple our student body. So then we made another move, because the neighborhood was kind of collapsing around us, we made another room and purchased a building that had been built as a racquetball club. It had six racquetball courts, all 20 by 40, beautiful hardwood. We made four of them, five of them into studios, and then there was a double racquetball racquetball court in the front of the building which they had tournaments in it was 40 by 40 we moved. We made that into a black box theater for Gloria. And the back wall of the theater was one inch glass outside of which the audiences for the racquetball tournaments used to sit. But outside the glass for us, we had to put curtains there, and out front for us was our. Gigantic lobby. The building was 32,000 square feet. Wow, we could it just made our heart, hearts sing when we could walk down that hallway and see a ballet class over here, a tap class over there, singers, singing actors in the acting room. It was beautiful. And again, it was just meant for us because it was our beautiful daughter, Kelly, who passed away just nine months after Gloria did. She's the one that said, you guys ought to look into that. And I said, Well, it's a racquetball court. But again, the first moment we walked in the front door, you start. We started thinking like, whoa. I think we could make this work. And it worked for another 20 years for us and broke our hearts to basically rip it apart, tear the theater down, and everything when we were moving out, because we we couldn't find another studio that was interested in in coming in, because they would have had to purchase the building. We wanted to sell the building. Yeah. So anyway, of all things, they now sell car mufflers out of there.   Michael Hingson ** 41:02 That's a little different way, way. Yeah, social shock, did any of your students become pretty well known in the in the entertainment world?   Ron Cocking ** 41:11 I wouldn't say well known, but a lot of them have worked a lot and made careers. Some of our former students are now in their 50s, middle 50s, pushing 60, and have done everything from cruise ship to Las Vegas to regional some national tours, even our son, Christopher, he did the national tour of meet me in St Louis with Debbie Boone, okay, and he's the one that is Now a successful producer. He's his latest hit. Well, his first, what can be considered legitimately a Broadway hit show was the show called shucked, and it opened about two years ago, I think, and I finally got to go back to New York and see it just a month before it closed. Very hilarious. Takes place in Iowa. The whole show is built around a county in which everybody that lives there makes their living off of corn, making whiskey. And it is a laugh, way more than a laugh a minute. But anyway, we had one of Gloria's acting students who was hired on with a Jonathan Winters TV sitcom called Davis rules. It ran for two seasons, and here he was like 16 or 17 years old, making, I think it was. He was making $8,000 a week, and he was in heaven. He looked like the Son he played, the grandson of Jonathan Winters and the son of Randy Quaid and so he, yeah, he was in heaven. And then after that, he did a very popular commercial, the 711 brain freeze commercial for Slurpee. The Slurpee, yeah, and he made the so much money from that, but then he kind of disappeared from showbiz. I don't know what he's doing nowadays,   Speaker 1 ** 43:00 but it's, it's, it's interesting to, you know, to hear the stories. And, yeah, I can understand that, that not everybody gets to be so famous. Everybody knows them, but it's neat that you had so many people who decided to make entertainment a career. So clearly, you had a pretty good influence on a lot of, a lot of kids.   Ron Cocking ** 43:20 Yes, I over the years, Gloria and I felt like we had 1000s of children of our own, that they that we had raised together. It's really a good feeling. And I still get phone calls. We got a phone call once a few years back from from one of our students who had been trying to crack the nut in New York, and she called us like 530 in the morning, because, of course, it was Yeah, but she had just signed her first national tour contract and was going to go out with the show cabaret. So fortunately, we were able to drive up to Santa not let's see, it's just below San San Jose. The show came through San Jose, and we got to see her up there. But those kinds of things are what made us keep teaching, year after year, all these success stories. Of course, we have former students that are now lawyers. Those are actors. Well, we   Michael Hingson ** 44:17 won't hold it and we understand, yeah and they are actors, by all means. How many teachers did you have in the studio when you had the big building?   Ron Cocking ** 44:26 Gosh, at one time, we had 10 or 12 teachers, teaching vocal teachers, two or three ballet teachers, jazz teachers, and you both taught as well. And we both continued teaching all through that time. We never just became managers, although that's that was part of it, and mixing business with art is a challenge, and it takes kind of a different mindset, and then what an unstoppable mindset you have to have in order to mix business with performing, because it's too. Different sides of your brain and a lot of patience and a lot of patience. And guess who taught me patience? Uh huh, Gloria Macmillan.   Michael Hingson ** 45:09 I would Conklin's daughter, yes, and I'll bet that's where she learned patience. No, I'm just teasing, but yeah, I hear you, yeah. Well, I know Karen and I were married for 40 years, until she passed in November of 2022 and there's so many similarities in what you're talking about, because we we could do everything together. We had challenges. Probably the biggest challenge that we ever had was we were living in Vista California, and I was working in Carlsbad, and the president of our company decided that we should open an office, because I was being very successful at selling to the government, we should open an office in the DC area. And so we both got excited about that. But then one day he came in and he had this epiphany. He said, No, not Virginia. I want you to open an office in New York. And Karen absolutely hated that she was ready to go to Virginia and all that.   Speaker 1 ** 46:15 But the problem for me was it was either move to New York or take a sales territory that didn't sell very much anymore. The owner wasn't really willing to discuss it, so we had some challenges over that, but the marriage was strong enough that it that it worked out, and we moved to New Jersey, and Karen made a lot of friends back there, but, you know, we always did most everything together. And then when the pandemic occurred, being locked down, it just proved all the more we just did everything together. We were together. We talked a lot, which is, I think one of the keys to any good marriages, and you talk and communicate.   Ron Cocking ** 46:56 Yes, in fact, when after we closed the studio in 2018 it took us a few more months to sell our home, and then when we moved down here, it was only about, I don't know, I don't know if it was a full year or not, but the pandemic hit and but it really didn't bother us, because we had, we had been working the teaching scene for so many years that we basically Were done. We basically walked out of the studio. We did. Neither of us have the desire to, well, let's continue in at some level, no, we cherished our time together. We have a little porch out in front of our home here, and it gets the ocean breeze, and we would sit for hours and chat. And oddly enough, not oddly, one of our favorite things to do, we have a website that we went to that had, I think, every radio show of armas Brooks ever made. And we would sit listen to those and just laugh. And, in fact, Gloria, there are some. She said, You know what? I don't even remember that episode at all. So yeah, that that was an interesting part. But yeah, Gloria and I, like your wife and you really enjoyed time together. We never talked about needing separate vacations or anything if we wanted to do something. We did it   Speaker 1 ** 48:16 together, yeah, and we did too. And you know, for us it was, it was out of desire, but also was easier for us, because she was in a wheelchair her whole life. I was I'm blind. I've been blind my whole life. And as I tell people, the marriage worked out well. She read, I pushed, and in reality, that really is the way it worked, yeah, yeah. Until she started using a power chair. Then I didn't push. I kept my toes out of the way. But still, it was, it was really did meld and mesh together very well and did everything   Ron Cocking ** 48:49 together. That's fantastic. I'm proud of you, Michael, and it really   Michael Hingson ** 48:53 it's the only way to go. So I miss her, but like, I keep telling people she's somewhere monitoring me, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it. So I got to be a good kid,   Ron Cocking ** 49:04 and I'll hear I'll get some notes tonight from the spirit of Gloria McMillan too. I prayed to her before I went on. I said, please let the words flow and please not let me say anything that's inappropriate. And I think she's guided me through okay so far.   Michael Hingson ** 49:20 Well, if, if you do something you're not supposed to, she's gonna probably hit you upside the head. You know, did you two ever actually get to perform together?   Ron Cocking ** 49:30 Oh, I'm glad you asked that, because, well, it had been years since I knew that she was a darn good tap dancer. In fact, I had a tap dancing ensemble of of my more advanced kids, and if they wanted to dedicate the extra time that it took, we rehearsed them and let them perform at free of charge once they made it to that group, they they did not pay to come in and rehearse with me, because I would spend a lot of time standing there creating so. So we were doing a performance, and we wanted to spotlight, I forget the exact reason why we wanted to spotlight some of Gloria's career. Talk about radio a little bit. And I said, Gloria, would you do a little soft shoe routine? And because we had invited a mutual friend of ours, Walden Hughes, from the reps organization, and he was going to be the guest of honor, so I talked her into it. At first she wasn't going to go for it, but we had so much fun rehearsing it together. And it wasn't a long routine, it was relatively short, beautiful music, little soft shoe, and it was so much fun to say that we actually tap danced together. But the other times that we actually got to work together was at the old time radio conventions, mostly with reps, and that's really when I got to sit on stage. I was kind of typecast as an announcer, and I got to do some commercials. I got to sing once with Lucy arnazza. Oh, life, a life boy soap commercial. But when Gloria, Well, Gloria did the lead parts, and oh my gosh, that's when I realized what a superb actress she was. And if I don't know if you've heard of Greg Oppenheimer, his father, Jess Oppenheimer created the I Love Lucy shows, and so Gloria loved Jess Oppenheimer. And so Greg Oppenheimer, Jess Son, did a lot of directing, and oh my gosh, I would see he came in very well prepared and knew how the lines should be delivered. And if Gloria was not right on it, he would say, No, wait a minute, Gloria, I want you to emphasize the word decided, and that's going to get the laugh. And when he gave her a reading like that man, the next time she went through that dialog, just what he had asked for. And I thought, Oh my gosh. And her timing, after watching so many armist Brooks TV and listening to radio shows. GLORIA learned her comedic timing from one of the princesses of comedy timing is Eve Arden, right? They were so well for obvious reasons. They were so very similar. And if you have time to story for another story, do you know have you heard of Bob Hastings? He was the lieutenant on McHale's navy. McHale's Navy, right? Yeah. Well, he also did a lot of old time radio. So we went up to Seattle,   Michael Hingson ** 52:32 our two grandkids, Troy Amber, he played, not Archie. Was it Henry Aldridge? He was on,   Ron Cocking ** 52:40 I think you're right. I'm not too up on the cast of the old time radio show. Yeah, I think you're right. But anyway, he was there, and there was an actress that had to bow out. I don't know who that was, but our grandsons and Gloria and I, we walked in, and as usual, we say hi to everybody. We're given a big packet of six or eight scripts each, and we go to our room and say, Oh my gosh. Get out the pencils, and we start marking our scripts. So we get a phone call from Walden, and he said, hey, Ron Bob. Bob Hastings wants to see Gloria in his room. He wants to read through he's not sure if he wants to do the Bickersons script, because he you know, the gal bowed out and right, you know, so Gloria went down   Michael Hingson ** 53:23 couple of doors, coming   Ron Cocking ** 53:26 Yes, and she so she came back out of half an hour, 40 minutes later, and she said, well, that little stinker, he was auditioning me. He went in and she went in and he said, Well, you know, I don't know if I want to do this. It doesn't seem that funny to me. Let's read a few lines. Well, long story short, they read the whole thing through, and they were both, they were both rolling around the floor. I'll bet they laughing and so and then jump to the following afternoon, they did it live, and I was able to watch. I had some pre time, and I watched, and they were just fantastic together. I left after the show, I went to the green room, had a little snack, and I was coming back to our room, walking down the hall, and here comes Bob Hastings, and he says, oh, Ron. He said, Your wife was just fantastic. So much better than the other girl would have been. So when I told GLORIA That story that made her her day, her week. She felt so good about that. So that's my Bob Hastings story. Bob Hastings and Gloria Macmillan were great as the Bickersons.   Speaker 1 ** 54:29 Yeah, that was a very clever show. It started on the Danny Thomas show, and then they they ended up going off and having their own show, Francis Langford and Donna Michi, but they were very clever.   Ron Cocking ** 54:42 Now, did you realize when now that you mentioned Danny Thomas? Did you realize that Gloria's mom, Hazel McMillan, was the first female agent, talent agent in Hollywood? No, and that's how you know when the. They moved from from Portland, Oregon, a little city outside of Portland. They moved because Gloria's mom thought she had talent enough to do radio, and it wasn't a year after they got here to LA that she did her first national show for Lux radio at the age of five. That was in 1937 with with Edward G Robinson. I've got a recording of that show. What's what show was it? It was a Christmas show. And I don't remember the name of the of it, but it was a Christmas show. It was Walden that sent us. Sent   Michael Hingson ** 55:33 it to us. I'll find it. I've got it, I'm sure.   Ron Cocking ** 55:35 And so, yeah, so, so Gloria was a member of what they called the 500 club. There was a group of, I don't know, nine or 10 kids that by the time the photograph that I have of this club, it looks like Gloria is around 12 to 14 years old, and they had all done 500 or more radio shows. Wow, that's a lot of radio show. There's a lot of radio So Gloria did, I mean, I got a short my point was, her mom was an agent, and when Gloria was working so consistently at armas Brooks, she said, Well, I'm kind of out of a job. I don't need to take you. GLORIA could drive then. And so she came back from the grocery store, Ralph's market near Wilshire and Doheny, and she came back said, Well, I know what I'm going to do. I ran into this cute little boy at the grocery store. I'm going to represent him for television. And she that's, she started the Hazel McMillan agency, and she ran that agency until she just couldn't anymore. I think she ran it until early 1980s but she, my god, she represented people like Angela Cartwright on the Danny Thomas show and Kathy Garver on, all in the family a family affair. Family Affair. Yeah. Jane north. Jane North went in for Dennis the Menace. He didn't get the role. He came back said, Hazel, I don't think they liked me, and they didn't. They didn't call me back or anything. Hazel got on that phone, said, Look, I know this kid can do what you're asking for. I want you to see him again. He went back and they read him again. He got the part, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 57:21 and he was perfect for it.   Ron Cocking ** 57:22 He was perfect for that part was, I'm sorry.   Michael Hingson ** 57:27 It's sad that he passed earlier this year.   Ron Cocking ** 57:29 Yeah, he passed and he had, he had a tough life, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 57:36 well, you know, tell me you, you have what you you have some favorite words of wisdom. Tell me about those.   Ron Cocking ** 57:45 Oh, this goes back to the reason why I came across this when I was looking for something significant to say on the opening of one of our big concert programs. We used to do all of our shows at the California theater of Performing Arts in San Bernardino, it's a really, a real gem of a theater. It's where Will Rogers gave his last performance. And so I came across this, and it's, I don't know if this is biblical, you might, you might know, but it's, if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. And that's what I felt like Gloria and I were trying to do. We wanted to teach these kids as as professionally. We treated our students as they were, as if they were little professionals. We we expected quality, we expected them to work hard, but again, Gloria taught me patience, unending patience. But we knew that we wanted them to feel confident when the time came, that they would go out and audition. We didn't want them to be embarrassed. We want we wanted them to be able to come back to us and say, Boy, I felt so good at that audition. I knew all the steps I was and I and I read so well it was. And thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And so that aspect of it, we felt that we were feeding them for a lifetime, but we also were creating all of these arts patrons, all these lovers of the arts, 1000s of kids now love to go to musicals and movies and plays because they've kind of been there and done that at our studio. And so anyway, that's and whether, whether or not it was their confidence in show business or whether it was their confidence we've had so many calls from and visits from parents and former students saying, Boy, I just was awarded a job. And they said my my communication skills were excellent, and I owe that to Gloria. I was on the beach the other day, and I looked over and there was this young man and his wife. I assumed it was his wife. It was they were setting. Up their beach chairs, and I looked and I say, Excuse me, is your name Brandon? And he said, No, but he said, Is your name Ron? And I said, Yes. He said, No, my name is Eric. And I said, Eric puentes. And so we reminisced for a while. He took tap from me. He took acting from Gloria, and he said, you know, he was sad to hear of Gloria's passing. And he said, You know, I owe so much to Gloria. I learned so much about speaking in front of groups. And he is now a minister. He has his own church in Redlands, California, and he's a minister. And of all the billion people on the beach, he sits next to me. So that's one of those things when it's supposed to   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:41 happen. It happens. It does. Yeah, well, and as we talked about earlier, you and Gloria did lots of stuff with reps, and I'm going to miss it this time, but I've done a few, and I'm going to do some more. What I really enjoy about people who come from the radio era, and who have paid attention to the radio era is that the acting and the way they project is so much different and so much better than people who have no experience with radio. And I know Walden and I have talked about the fact that we are looking to get a grant at some point so that we can train actors or people who want to be involved in these shows, to be real actors, and who will actually go back and listen to the shows, listen to what people did, and really try to bring that forward into the recreations, because so many people who haven't really had the experience, or who haven't really listened to radio programs sound so forced, as opposed to natural.   Ron Cocking ** 1:01:46 I agree, and I know exactly what you're saying. In fact, Walden on a couple of at least two or three occasions, he allowed us to take some of Gloria's acting students all the way to Seattle, and we did some in for the spurred vac organization Los Angeles, we did a beautiful rendition of a script that we adapted of the Velveteen Rabbit. And of all people, Janet Waldo agreed to do the fairy at the end, and she was exquisite. And it's only like, I don't know, four or five lines, and, oh my gosh, it just wrapped it up with a satin bow. And, but, but in some of our kids, yeah, they, they, they were very impressed by the radio, uh, recreations that they were exposed to at that convention.   Speaker 1 ** 1:02:37 Yeah, yeah. Well, and it's, it is so wonderful to hear some of these actors who do it so well, and to really see how they they are able to pull some of these things together and make the shows a lot better. And I hope that we'll see more of that. I hope that we can actually work to teach more people how to really deal with acting from a standpoint of radio,   Ron Cocking ** 1:03:04 that's a great idea. And I know Walden is really sensitive to that. He Yeah, he would really be a proponent of that.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:10 Oh, he and I have talked about it. We're working on it. We're hoping we can get some things. Well, I want to thank you for being here. We've been doing this an hour already.  

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. St. Jude, founded by Danny Thomas in 1962, leads the fight against childhood cancer and life-threatening diseases. Turning research breakthroughs into lifesaving treatment for children in the U.S. and worldwide. Senior Area Advisor, Sara Alisuag, joins us with more. Sara Alisuag: At St. Jude, children with the toughest pediatric cases receive world-class care while researchers invest in cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs. Families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food, so they can focus entirely on helping their child heal. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped raise survival rates for childhood cancer in the U.S., where now 4 out of 5 children survive. While the hospital is based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude supports children worldwide, including right here in Utah. We share our research and findings freely with hospitals and doctors everywhere, including Primary Children's Hospital and University of Utah Hospitals, so more children can benefit. Locally, I'm helping raise awareness of how St. Jude supports families, children, and hospitals. From the St. Jude Dream Home Showplace to the Country Cares Radiothon in Salt Lake City, there are always ways for our community to get involved and make a difference. Derek Miller: St. Jude continues making a meaningful impact in Utah communities, supporting children, families, and local hospitals through care, research, and outreach. Learn more about their lifesaving work and how to get involved at StJude.org. I'm Derek Miller, with the Salt Lake Chamber, Speaking on Business. Originally aired: 11/7/25

Illich begins his analysis by establishing the goal of the medieval reader, which Chapter 1 (Danny Thomas) shows is Wisdom, or the First Cause. This wisdom isn't relative; it's a fixed truth, much like the huge 'S' Danny is pointing at. It rests on sentences that carry their own authority, detached from the writer—the floating sentence. But how does one acquire this fixed wisdom? Chapter 2 (Nick Nolte) answers this by stressing the necessity of internal Order and Memory. Nolte's desperate need for bread shows the necessity of internalizing the text's objective order—the reader must literally press their will, like Nolte pressing his gown, into the fixed structural lattice of the text. Finally, Chapter 3 (Mickey Mouse) reveals the practical method required for this integration: Monastic Reading. The communal act of making a meal, represented by Mickey, becomes the physical, lifelong discipline of 'chewing' the text (ruminatio), transforming the reader until they literally become the text, just as Mickey's dress transforms into verses."#KennelKelp,#HolisticHealth,#MagneticMemoryMethod,#ReadingSmarter,#BillHolt,#GrandpaBill,#Trivium,#MemoryPalace,#MajorSystem,#LifelongLearning,

Hour 2 for 10/28/25 Drew and Brooke pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (1:00). Then, Drew discusses the great feast of the Apostle Jude and how Danny Thomas started St. Jude's (27:06). Callers: My mom knew Danny Thomas (35:13), my conversion (41:34), I have been praying to St. Jude since 1987 (45:02), and I adopted b/c of St. Jude (49:15).

Grandpa Bill's Grunts & Groans,Welcome to BH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour with Grandpa Bill — a unique blend of health-wisdom, business-smarts, memory mastery and holistic living. With over 45 years in the wellness world, Grandpa Bill dives into nutrition, supplements, meditation, memory techniques (like the Major System & PAO), and practical steps for thriving in body, mind and legacy. Tune and let's grow stronger, wiser and more connected together(Hosted by Grandpa Bill – YouTube: Bill Holt @billholt8792): Welcome to the Bill Holt channel! Here you'll find full episodes of BH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour, along with bonus clips, guided memory-workshops, and Grandpa Bill's take on holistic health + purposeful living. Whether you're into brain-training, mindset hacks, kelp & nutrition, or building your legacy — you're in the right place. Subscribe now and let's embark on this journey together.What if the same techniques you use to remember a shopping list could also help you remember your wellness routine, business goals, and how you want to show up in life? Have you tried applying a memory system to your health or business?When you think of peak health, strong memory, and meaningful legacy — what's the first image that comes to mind? If you could create a “memory palace” for your life, what would it look like? “What's the one number you ALWAYS forget? Now imagine turning THAT number into an image you'll never lose. On this week's episode I teach the Major System using Grandpa Bill's 0-9 mnemonic anchors. Want sharper memory for health, business and life? Tune in. #MemoryMastery, #HolisticHealing “From kelp to mind maps: join me (Grandpa Bill) as we link nutrition, nature and memory into one powerful system. Why just eat your health when you can remember it? New episode live now ➜ YouTube: @billholt8792 #LegacyLiving, #MindBodyMemory,“Unlocking Your Health, Business & Memory: How the Major System Can Change Everything”Body:Hey everyone — Grandpa Bill here. Today I want to share one of my favorite tools — something that's helped me not only in wellness and business, but in how I live my legacy.It's called the Major System (sometimes paired with the PAO method). In simple terms: you convert numbers into consonant-sounds, then you turn those into vivid images. These images become anchors in your mind.For example:0 = soft c / s / z → I use “Chaz Bono…”1 = d/t → “Danny Thomas…”… and so on.So when you see a number like 66, you don't just see “sixty-six”. You see “Jousting championships in shining armor” (J/SH sounds). Instantly memorable.Why does this matter for your health & business? Because every goal you track, every habit you build, every legacy you plan — is a number or sequence of numbers: age, metrics, targets, dates. If you memorise them powerfully, you engage them powerfully.Want to recall your daily supplement list? Use a number → Want to remember a business target? Want to anchor your memory of a life-lesson or bodily routine? Holistic nutrition & kelp-science Memory systems & brain health Business mindset and meaningful legacy We're building more than wellness — we're building memory-rich,purpose-full lives.Want to dive in? In today's episode I'll walk you through:My full 0-9 map (you'll hear how I anchor each number)How to turn a two-digit number into an image you'll never forget A live demo: I'll pick a random number and we'll create the image together And we'll tie it back to your health/business/legacy goals Ready to remember your future? Let's get started.#HolisticHealingHour, #GrandpaBill, #MemoryMastery, #MajorSystem, #PAOmethod, #MindBodyLegacy, #BrainHealth, #KelpNutrition, #BusinessMindset, #LegacyLiving, #WellnessJourney, #MnemonicMagic,

John Garfield hosts, and after teasing with Ken Carpenter about girls, he introduces Ginny Simms. Ginny sings, Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Week. John is joined by…

From washing dishes at 13 to leading 125,000 employees as CEO of Brinker International, Doug Brooks shares his remarkable journey and the three phases of a successful life: learning, earning, and returning. In this powerful conversation, Doug reveals how losing his father at age 7 shaped his leadership style, why respect is the foundation of great leadership, and how a life-changing accident led him to discover new purpose in giving back through St. Jude's and mentoring the next generation. About Our Featured Charity: This season, Alex Perry On Fire is making a monetary contribution to each guest's charity of choice. Doug Brook's charity is St. Judes. The mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is to discover and develop cures and preventive treatments for life-threatening childhood diseases through innovative research and compassionate care. In keeping with founder Danny Thomas's vision, St. Jude ensures that no child is ever denied treatment because of their race, religion, or a family's financial situation. Your turn to start the fire. Like what you heard today on Alex Perry on Fire? Tell us about it. Want to share what has helped you on your journey? We want to hear about that, too. Comment on social, DM us or give us a call.  Instagram: @alexperryonfire     TikTok: @alexperryonfire Call: 214-506-8023 

GGACP remembers the late, great television writer Ron Friedman (“The Odd Couple,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “All in the Family,” “Barney Miller”) by revisiting this return engagement from 2019. In this episode, Ron talks about the structure of storytelling, the importance of escapism, his years-long friendship with comics legend Stan Lee and the original inspirations for Captain Marvel and the Sub-Mariner. Also, Ron regales the boys with all-new stories about Lucille Ball, Lenny Bruce, Tony Randall, Danny Thomas and (of course) Pat McCormick. PLUS: Jack Benny takes a stand! Marilyn Monroe converts! Buster Crabbe teams with Chuck McCann! John Huston tangles with Errol Flynn! And Ron kills off a beloved fictional character!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Physician-scientist Diego R. Hijano discusses his article "How humor builds trust in pediatric oncology." Diego shares how personal loss and his own cultural and linguistic experiences shaped his approach to care, teaching him that laughter can be a bridge in even the darkest hospital rooms. Through stories of playful exchanges with children, language slips, and inside jokes with families, he explains how humor softens fear, restores humanity, and strengthens the patient-physician relationship. Drawing inspiration from Danny Thomas and the legacy of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Diego emphasizes that presence, not perfection, is what patients remember most. Listeners will gain insight into how humor can serve as both a clinical tool and a personal anchor, reminding physicians that healing extends beyond medicine. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Send us a textJoin director and former child actor Moosie Drier, and author Jonathan Rosen, as they chat with Angela Cartwright from The Sound of Music!Angela discusses the making of the iconic musical, being one of the stars of the classic Sci/Fi series Lost in Space, appearing with legendary entertainer Danny Thomas on Make Room For Daddy, & much more!Support the show

Send us a textJoin director and former child actor Moosie Drier, and author Jonathan Rosen, as they chat with Angela Cartwright from The Sound of Music!Angela discusses the making of the iconic musical, being one of the stars of the classic Sci/Fi series Lost in Space, appearing with legendary entertainer Danny Thomas on Make Room For Daddy, & much more!Support the show

Keep Retro Radio going… buy us a coffee here! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/retroradioIf you like what you hear, consider giving this show a like! Liking these shows helps us to know what you like to hear more of.Take Retro Radio wherever you go! Subscribe today, and share it with your friends!———————As these shows have been in the public domain for quite some time, the audio quality of these episodes can vary. So don't adjust your dial… it's most likely the audio file itself :)Disclaimer: The content featured here originated from the “Golden Age of Radio” (1920-1962), and may contain racial, ethnic, and gender stereotypes that are incompatible with our values today. They were wrong then, as they are today. These representations do not reflect the views of Retro Radio and are presented here solely for historical, educational, and/or entertainment purposes. We denounce any form of discrimination and aim to foster a respectful and inclusive atmosphere, while still respecting the talent, entertainment value, and historical value these recordings may bring. Please approach this material with sensitivity, recognizing that they may reflect attitudes of its time. Your engagement with this content is appreciated, and we encourage thoughtful consideration and discussion.——————Vintage radio classic radioshow OTR old time radio Hollywood movie stars shows suspense detective comedy sci-fi science fiction variety music guest star

TV INSIDE-OUT is a feast for readers who thrive on backstage stories. It is a smorgasbord of showbiz flukes, flakes, feuds and felonies. A thirty-year industry veteran, television announcer and actor, Randy West, has broken the silence surrounding dozens of surprising-sometimes shocking- mostly-untold stories of celebrity dysfunction.This BearmanorMedia release exposes outrageous celebrity misbehavior, toxic dysfunctional relationships, senseless executive blunders and million dollar production foul-ups, while sparking a myriad of stunning revelations garnered from candid on-set conversations in Hollywood studios and soundstages.How and why a violently angry Jerry Lewis threatened Joan Rivers' life. How Johnny Carson's unyielding racism broke up his family. What happened the night Jay Leno was arrested by the LAPD on Hollywood Boulevard. The chart-topping pop-rock and roll act that suddenly had eight contracted appearances on CBS cancelled following a backstage argument. ―So many people in this industry go to extremes in the pursuit of success. Too often they jump the rails, Some who gain fame and amass wealth still find themselves unfulfilled. Their lives become joyless. They then come to the realization that success must be something more. It helps explain why the beloved captain of The Love Boat was ready to drive off a cliff along Mulholland Drive, and why Danny Thomas' co-star ran from her gig as his wife despite back-to-back Emmy nominations.West asserts that ―the ultimate 'a-ha moment' comes with the understanding that success is a destination most people haven't bothered to define. Few have mapped a route, and even fewer have the autonomy needed to steer their careers to that goal.‖ It's why Redd Foxx's top-rated reign as Fred Sanford ended in a fruitless search for respect and recognition through outrageous demands, and acting out with guns, drugs and sexual inappropriateness. Those who don't self-destruct along the way finally come to understand that the true joy, serenity and sense of mastery we all seek can be found more in the pursuit than in the destination. That observation is borne out in the stories of the private lives of some of Hollywood's favorite citizens-the respected pros who are loved by studio bean counters because viewers have welcomed them into living rooms year after year. Their lesser-told stories dramatically reveal triumphs and proud achievements that were realized amid the insufferable egotists, the gun-toting hotheads, the drinkers, druggers and the convicted felons they call friends.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

We travel to the Mississippi Delta and the world of Lebanese immigrants, where barbecue and the blues meet kibbe, a kind of traditional Lebanese raw meatloaf. Lebanese immigrants began arriving in the Delta in the late 1800s, soon after the Civil War. Many worked as peddlers, then grocers and restaurateurs.Kibbe — a word and a recipe with so many variations. Ground lamb or beef mixed with bulgur wheat, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Many love it raw. However it's made, it's part of the glue that holds the Lebanese family culture together in the Mississippi Delta and beyond.We visit Pat Davis, owner of Abe's BAR-B-Q at the intersection of Highway 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the famed crossroads where, legend has it, blues icon Robert Johnson made a deal with the devil to play guitar better than anybody. Since 1924 Abe's has been known for it's barbecue, but if you know to ask, they've got grape leaves in the back.Chafik Chamoun, who owns Chamoun's Rest Haven on Highway 61, features Southern, Lebanese and Italian food — but he's best known for his Kibbe. Chafik arrived in Clarksdale from Lebanon in 1954, and first worked as a peddler selling ladies slips and nylon stockings.Sammy Ray, Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University, Galveston, talks about growing up in a barbecue shack that his mother ran on the edge of what was then called “Black Town.” His father peddled dry goods to the Black sharecroppers.During the civil rights movement in the 1960s, Abe's BAR-B-Q and Chamoun's Rest Haven were some of the only restaurants in the area that would serve Black people. “We were tested in 1965,” Pat Davis remembers. “A bunch of Black kids went to all the restaurants on the highway and every one refused them except Chamoun's and my place. And everybody else got lawsuits against them.”The list of famous Lebanese Americans is long and impressive. Ralph Nader, Paul Anka, Dick Dale, Casey Kasem, Khalil Gibran and Vince Vaughn, to name a few. But the one most people talked about on our trip was Danny Thomas. Pat Davis took us out in the parking lot to listen to a CD that he just happened to have in his car of Danny Thomas singing in Arabic.“We called ourselves Syrians when we first came here,” Davis says. “And until Danny came and said he was Lebanese then we all began to realize we really are Lebanese and Danny Thomas can say it. So we're Lebanese now.”Produced by The Kitchen Sisters (Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva), mixed by Jim McKee, for the James Beard Award winning Hidden Kitchens series on NPR.The Kitchen Sisters Present is produced by The Kitchen Sisters with Nathan Dalton and Brandi Howell. We are part of PRX's Radiotopia, a curated network of podcasts created by independent producers.kitchensisters.org   @kitchensisters on Instagram and Facebook

A Salute To Heart Sunday 57-xx-xx  Guest - Kate Smith, Danny Thomas

In this weeks' podcast episode, host Kerry Lonergan chats with LAWD's gregarious property marketing identity, Danny Thomas.   Among other topics, the pair discuss:   The federal super tax and its' impacts on rural properties  SMSF rules and listings of rural properties  Interest in Australia's ag properties from US Canadian super funds China - are they turning their attention to South America? Vietnamese / Malaysian / Japanese investment in Australia Carbon Farming… is it influencing buying? Trumps tariffs and how Australian ag is benefiting More big Australian assets about to hit the market Australia's hot spots for rural properties Is there a bump on the way?     The Weekly Grill is brought to you by Rhinogard and Bovi-Shield MH-One, the One Shot, One Spray, One Time BRD Vaccines by Zoetis.    

"You Don't Have to Know the Language" - Bing Crosby; "Let's Start the New Year Right" - Bing Crosby; "Metro Goldwyn Thomas" - Danny Thomas; "Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)" - Bing Corsby; "But Beautiful" - Bing Crosby

Gary Jeff talks with Danny Thomas, owner of Happs Irish Pub to talk about their 50th anniversary and talks with Scott Schara about his civil case

Gary Jeff talks with Danny Thomas, owner of Happs Irish Pub to talk about their 50th anniversary and talks with Scott Schara about his civil case

Gary Jeff talks with Danny Thomas, owner of Happs Irish Pub to talk about their 50th anniversary and talks with Scott Schara about his civil case

Andy Cowan joined me to discuss his Seinfeld episode, "The Opposite"; his book and chapter on rejected Seinfeld plots; Danny Thomas; his idol, Jack Benny; Leave it to Beaver & The Honeymooners; going to Boston University; loving Letterman & VCR's; Nancy Sinatra and Seinfeld finale; jazz; how he tricked Lorne Michaels into a meeting; how he would "fix" SNL; Rick Moranis & SCTV; being a pre-interviewer on the Merv Griffin Show; writing spec Taxi's; ore-interviewing Orson Welles the day before he died; Whitney Houston; Ethel Merman; writing for Cheers and The Pat Sajak Show; Jerry Lewis; 60 Minutes then and now; Andy Rooney; Howie, a comic strip, cartoon, and sitcom stuck in development; Up & Down Guys; his podcast the Neurotic Vaccine; his new episode which which he considers his best

Diana and I discuss The Bellinis; Lenny (Luca Brasi) Montana; Hollywood High; auditioning for Marni Nixon Feast, Ozzie's Girls; guest starring in a memorable Happy Days, Chico and the Man, Medical Story, The First Nudie Musical, Starsky & Hutch; Paul Michael Glaser; The Love Boat pilot; Soap; audition; cast becomes family; Hollywood Squares, Dinah!; Perry Como's Early American Christmas; Barney Miller; Steve Landesburg; I'm A Big Girl Now; Danny Thomas; Martin Short; People's Choice Award; American Bandstand "Who You Foolin'?"; All Star Salute to Mother's Day; Bob Hope; Bobbie Gentry; Don Rickles; finding out her show got cancelled while On Broadway; Peking Encounter; A Foot in the Door, Night Partners; Yvette Mimieux; Patti Davis Reagan; Hotel; No Complaints; Harold Gould, Murder She Wrote and friendship with Angela Lansbury; Trapper John, MD ; St. Elsewhere; Throb playing Paul Walker's Mom; success in Germany; The Bruce Diet; Home Free; Matthew Perry, Marian Mercer; Maggie Roswell, and teaching at Manhattanville College

Support us on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/user?u=4279967Jack Benny TV Videocasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/6BDar4CsgVEyUloEQ8sWpw?si=89123269fe144a10Jack Benny Show OTR Podcast!https://open.spotify.com/show/3UZ6NSEL7RPxOXUoQ4NiDP?si=987ab6e776a7468cJudy Garland and Friends OTR Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/5ZKJYkgHOIjQzZWCt1a1NN?si=538b47b50852483dStrange New Worlds Of Dimension X-1 Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/6hFMGUvEdaYqPBoxy00sOk?si=a37cc300a8e247a1Buck Benny YouTube Channelhttps://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrOoc1Q5bllBgQA469XNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1707891281/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2f%40BuckBenny/RK=2/RS=nVp4LDJhOmL70bh7eeCi6DPNdW4-Support us on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/user?u=4279967

This week's episode is a special one as part of Podcasthon.org's global efforts to make an impact and help a non-profit organization. -------------Welcome to another powerful episode of MOJO: The Meaning of Life and Business. In this special installment, our host Jennifer Glass joins the global initiative of Podcasthon, alongside 1600 other podcasts, to spotlight and support charitable organizations. Jennifer passionately advocates for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a cause close to her heart. She shares the inspiring legacy of Danny Thomas, the comedian-turned-philanthropist who founded St. Jude with a vision of ensuring that no child is denied treatment based on their family's financial situation.Jennifer highlights the phenomenal strides St. Jude has made in childhood cancer research, drawing attention to the staggering increase in survival rates for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) from 4% to about 90%, thanks to their pioneering research and protocols. She makes a heartfelt appeal to listeners to consider making even modest contributions, stressing how every dollar can facilitate research and provide comprehensive care, including housing, food, and travel for families facing the great challenge of childhood illness.In this episode, Jennifer also shares a unique offering: the opportunity to have your name or company featured in her upcoming book with a donation to St. Jude, thereby extending your generosity into a lasting legacy. Join us as we explore the profound impact we can collectively make in ensuring no child suffers from cancer or other debilitating childhood illnesses in the future. Discover how your participation, whether through donations or spreading the word about St. Jude, can be a beacon of hope for families worldwide. Let's come together to support this life-saving mission and envision a future where childhood is defined by play and growth, not hospital stays.About Jennifer: Jennifer Glass, host of the podcast "MOJO: The Meaning of Life and Business," is a passionate advocate for charitable causes, particularly St. Jude's Children's Hospital. As part of the global charitable initiative, Podcasthon, Jennifer and approximately 1600 other podcasts are dedicating episodes to raise awareness and support for various charitable organizations. Deeply committed to the mission of St. Jude's, Jennifer expresses a heartfelt desire to see a world where the hospital is no longer needed, as she dreams of a future without childhood illness. Through her platform, she encourages listeners to join her in supporting this incredible organization and others working to make a difference.Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn and on the web at https://www.bgsicoaching.com#StJude #Charity #Podcasthon

Thank you to our GREAT podcast family members who fixed by history regarding "Hollyweird" ! And thank you DANNY Thomas for your legacy at SJCRH. Go Memphis!

One of the titans of early tv sitcoms, as well as a massively successful producer, singer, and philanthropist, Danny Thomas earned his stripes as a radio comedian (especially on The Bickersons) in the 1940s, then hosted his own radio variety show, then in the early 1950s jumped to television and began his classic show "Make Room for Daddy". After that, while Danny would continue to make tv and stage appearances (including a 1970's reboot called Make Room for Granddaddy), he also conquered the tv production world with shows including The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Mod Squad, and That Girl (starring real-life daughter Marlo Thomas). Closest to Danny's heart, though, was the word he did to establish the world-famous St. Jude Children's Medical Center, the result of a promise a young and struggling Danny made to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of lost causes. As always find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Danny Thomas? A signature theme song was a must for early tv stars -- think of The Honeymooners -- and Danny Thomas was no exception with this fine jazz version of the Irish classic Danny Boy. https://youtu.be/rAMrzvqU2RQ?si=RutT59t7anfOh3_J To get a feel for Danny's comedy style, here's a great full episode of Make Room for Daddy from season six, back before tv discovered the world was in color. https://youtu.be/sJjFeM9ZvbU?si=lGXBgUiHE9RvTDI_ Late in his career Danny would take the occasional guest spot, as he did in Happy Days in 1978. https://youtu.be/qWxNS202fV4?si=vZaFGX990ROP5vF0 As with may 1960s(ish) era tv stars, Danny was happy to be a pitchman when needed and this is a great example -- a Maxwell House Coffee ad. Sorry for the video quality, but enjoy the "Brady Bunch house" vibes of the set.https://youtu.be/sJjFeM9ZvbU?si=lGXBgUiHE9RvTDI_

TVC 672.1: Ed welcomes entertainment journalist and comedy historian Tripp Whetsell. Tripp's latest book, Norman Lear: His Life and Times, is the first comprehensive biography of the legendary, Emmy Award-winning producer of All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Fact of Life, and many other series that helped elevate the American network sitcom. While much has been written about Norman Lear, before and after his death on Dec. 5. 2023, Tripp's book shows that there remains much to learn about the legendary “man in the white hat”— since Lear himself was often reluctant to discuss his early life in great detail. Topics this segment include how Lear got his foothold in show business by way of Danny Thomas, and his roots in the golden era of variety television throughout the 1950s and early '60s. Norman Lear: His Life and Times is available wherever books are sold through Applause Books. For our listeners in Southern California, Tripp Whetsell will appear at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood on Wednesday, Jan. 8 beginning at 7pm.

National shortbread day.  Entertainment from 1990. New Mexico became 47th state, 1st boxing match was held, George and Martha Washington were married, President elect Franklin Pierce's train crashed on way to his inauguration. Todays birthdays - Tom Mix, Danny Thomas, Loretta Young, Earl Scruggs, Vic Tayback, Van McCoy, Bonnie Franklin, Kathy Sledge, Norman Reedus.  Teddy Roosevelt died.Intro - Pour some sugar on me - Def Leppard   https://defleppard.com/Mama's little baby love shortnin' bread - The WigglesAnother day in paradis - Phil CollinsWho's lonely now - Highway 101Chapel of love - Dixie CupsBirthday - The BeatlesBirthdays - In da club - 50 Cent   https://www.50cent.com/Foggy mountain breakdown - Earl ScruggsAlice TV themeThe Hustle - Van McCoyOne day at a time TV themeWe are family - Sister SledgeExit - In my dreams - Dokken   https://www.dokken.net/  

Lowell Ganz joined me to discuss how watching classic sitcoms was his "college"; his parents reaction to his constant TV watching; meeting Mark Rothman; Mark Rothman's dad giving a script they wrote to Jack Klugman and Tony Randall who gave it to Garry Marshall; getting hired, fired and rehired by The Odd Couple; "The Ides of April" and "Fear of Flying"; moving to Happy Days; writing the experimental three camera episode "Fonzie Gets Married"; going to # 1; introducing Laverne & Shirley; not realizing these characters could be spun off; test pilot scene; favorite episodes; meeting Michael McKean and David L. Lander and sneaking Lenny & Squggy past ABC; Busting Loose; giving new writers their first jobs; Cindy Begel; his skill at joke memory; The Ted Knight Show; The Lovebirds; The Rita Moreno Show; directing; going back to Happy Days; Ron Howard talks about directing; burning down Arnolds; how he personalized the news article that turned into "Night Shift";  Babaloo Mandel; "Splash"; changing Bruce Jay Friedman's original script; Oscars; Writer's Guild Lifetime Achievement Award; Red Buttons; Garry Marshall puts older writers in the room; Danny Thomas; A Happy Days episode gets Tom Hanks "Splash"; Working Stiffs gets Michael Keaton "Night Shift"; "Spies Like Us"; George C. Scott; Lowell's roles in "Splash" & "Parenthood"; Bpb Hope; Phil Silvers; "realness" of "Parenthood"; closes movie to him; unsurity of box office appeal; "City Slickers"; Rick Moranis has to drop out; Bruno Kirby will play either role; David L. Lander; "A League of their Own"; a bad review; ballplayers love it; Penny Marshall's directing"; 5 TV shows from his movies; how his characters are done to him after the movie finishes; "City Slickers II"; "Fever Pitch"; making like less misogynistic than book; ending changing to mirror real life; Mr. Saturday Night the Musical; Garry Marshall's Memorial Service"

In this episode, I spoke with Joel Brokaw about his book "Driving Marilyn: The Life and Times of Legendary Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw".Norman Brokaw was CEO and Chairman of the William Morris Agency from 1989 to 1997, but his legacy may lie in his ascent from mail room clerk to Marilyn Monroe's personal driver to agent for some of Hollywood's most iconic figures of the late 20th Century: Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Elvis (and Colonel Parker), Natalie Wood, Loretta Young, Clint Eastwood, Danny Thomas, Dick Van Dyke, Berry Gordy, Bill Cosby, Donna Summer, Brooke Shields plus many more. 

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Platinum Selling Artist Billy Squier. You heard right! One of the great singers of the MTV generation of rock! And I get to ask him where the hell he's been… and tell him how much he's missed.   In this episode you're gonna hear us talk about some pretty powerful stuff, like taking on your personal demons, and what it takes to keep your confidence up. On what Billy had to do to become a front man. We'll talk about his incredible friendship with Freddie Mercury, and hear how Freddie once saved Billy's life from beyond the grave, and much much more…   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com      Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.        

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Geddy Lee from Rush.   Have you ever tried to sing with blood gushing from your nose, down your face, in front of 20,00 people? Well, Geddy's gonna tell you all about it. In this episode you're gonna hear us break down what it takes to be the guy who had the Herculean task of playing all those insane bass parts, while singing all demanding vocals, plus memorizing all the lyrics written by Neil Peart. We speak about how Geddy and the band meticulously prepared for shows, how he became a full blown germaphobe, how he survived all those nights on the road playing three hours sets, how his voice has changed throughout the years, the importance of what key you're singing in… and how it felt to say goodbye to the band and their fans on the night of their final show as Rush. All that and much more…   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.  

We welcome back Michael Hichborn of the Lepanto Institute to discuss his recent exposé on St. Jude Children's Hospital and its founder Danny Thomas, as well as to share some of the graces from a recent and challenging pilgrimage. What lies beneath the surface of this research hospital for childhood illnesses, and why would they align themselves with such objectionable causes and organizations?   Show Notes St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | The Lepanto Institute The Lepanto Institute Charity Reports - The Lepanto Institute In Eminenti - Papal Encyclicals Vatican Doctrine Office Reaffirms That Catholics Cannot Be Freemasons Declaration on Masonic Associations Nov 26, 1983 "Membership in Freemasonry by the Catholic Faithful" - 13 November 2023  "It is Great to be a Freemason" by Danny Thomas 33rd Degree The First Catholic Mass on the Summit of Mt. Ararat | The Lepanto Institute Doomscrolling Past Christ When It's Time to Fast from the News iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Johnny Rzeznik from the Goo Goo Dolls. Johnny and (bassist/vocalist) Robby Takac formed Goo Goo Dolls in Buffalo, New York in 1986, and since then, they've had 19 top ten singles on various charts, and wrote some of the biggest hits you've ever heard with songs like “Name – Broadway – Slide - Black Balloon - and Iris,” which held the number one spot for 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay…   In this episode you're gonna hear us talk about how John grew enough confidence, persistence, and defiance to eventually become the lead singer for the band, the importance of vulnerability and gratitude, the beauty of longevity, how he keeps his voice in shape, making an emotional connection with the audience, and much much more…   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.              

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Grammy Award Winner Patty Griffin. One of the few people who can make me cry just by the sound of her voice.   In this episode you're gonna hear us talk about the often lonely, boring life a singer leads if they truly care about their voice. Patty opens up about surviving cancer and having to build her voice back from nothing. But she is living proof that it can be done! We're gonna hear about what it's like for Patty to sing with Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant, and much much more.   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com   Pang Da Hai Seed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7lWOa2Qp4M Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.              

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with the legendary Sam Moore.   Sam Moore and the late Dave Prater came together in 1961 and formed one of the greatest vocal duos of all time: Sam & Dave. “Soul man,” Hold On! I'm Comin',” Wrap it Up,” “I Thank you.” Just listen to their catalog and you'll know exactly why they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.   In this episode you're gonna hear us talk about how Sam and Dave became Sam and Dave, the nerves he struggles with before he goes onstage, the sage advice he received from Moms Mabley, the sneaky thing his manager wife started doing behind his back. You're gonna hear some stories about his various vocal collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, and something he does with a penny that I will never, ever get over… all that and so much Moore.   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.              

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Al Schackman on Nina Simone. As Nina's guitarist and musical director, she was more like a sister than anything. But this wasn't just any sister. This was the mercurial, controversial, enigmatic, “high Priestess of Soul.” And with that comes incredible stories of her immense talent and outrageous temper, her fight for what she believed when it could literally get her killed, and that voice, that voice, that VOICE!   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com   Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.            

Another one of those mind bending podcasts.  Today Jennifer Shaffer's mom stopped by to say hello, to give Jennifer a frequency or feeling for when she's around her.  Then we invited Luana Anders, our moderator on the flipside (LuanaAnders.com) to tell us if anyone had made her guest list.  Luana moderates our podcast from the flipside - as recounted in the book and film FLIPSIDE and HACKING THE AFTERLIFE it was after Luana's appearance on the Charles Grodin Show courtesy of James Van Praagh that I became aware that she not only still existed but could direct the conversation. About ten years ago, she began to help Jennifer and me access a group of individuals on the flipside that Luana knew over her career of doing 300 film and TV shows. Luana introduced me to Charles Grodin, a good friend who is godfather to our children (my wife and I). Charles was close friends with Phil Donahue, so I suspected that since Charles has shown up recently (there was a screening in NYC of a documentary about his life) I wondered if Phil was ready to chat about his life. Sometimes they aren't - if they've just crossed over and had a lifetime of not believing it was possible to do so.  However, as Phil notes - Charles visited him often in his later years to pave the way. Jennifer didn't know that Phil's father in law was Danny Thomas, nor did she know that he had made a "promised with God" to find a way to help people if God could help him in his time of need. That's where St. Jude's hospital came from, and his daughter, Phil's wife Marlo Thomas carries on that giving tradition. I know both Phil and Marlo - my wife and family have been to their home in CT, and as noted, Phil took photos of us and gave the prints and frames to us as a gift when we left. I still have them in our home. Cherished gifts. Some things to note; I didn't say the name of Vivian Maier - most don't know who she is, but I asked him about Vivian and if she influenced him at all (years after her passing, it turned out she was a preeminent photographer and her photos are now world famous of life in Chicago.) Phil reports that her demeanor influenced him in his career. He also said that his son James was one of the people to greet him on the flipside. Perhaps the most uncanny moment is when I asked him about his father in law - and his promise to God. Not something Jennifer is or was aware of - and when she's done with her sessions, she "shakes it off" and forgets pretty much everything that is said. So if it comes up again, I'd have to remind her of the fact that Phil's father in law was one of the most famous television actors of the 50's and 60's, and that his wife was "That Girl" Marlo Thomas. As we all get older, the fame of those who were before becomes a matter of history. It was fascinating to hear Phil talk about his "many life reviews" - meaning he becomes aware of all of his previous lifetimes. When asked "how many" he said "more than you could comprehend." But notably, in one of them he recalled being "mute" or not able to speak or express himself. He obviously made up for that lifetime with his career of over 7000 television shows, for inventing the format of speaking directly to audiences, and hearing what they had to say. If one takes the time to read his bio, he was as generous as the day is long - but more importantly he wanted to say that Marlo was not only the love of his life, but he continues to love her from the flipside, and reminds her that the dreams she has of him - or feeling his hand in hers - that is actually him doing that. It's why we do this work. I hope this helps someone out there on the planet who has lost a loved one. They aren't gone. They just aren't here.  Please visit Hacking the Afterlife on Youtube and subscribe.  Lots of fun information there as well.

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Jim James of the critically acclaimed, Americana, psychedelic, experimental, rock and roll band ~ My Morning Jacket. And by the way, none of those labels or genres I just mentioned can define who this man is, and what he sounds like. Because he's always changing, striving and evolving, taking his voices places that its yet to go.   In this episode you're gonna hear us talk about what he learned from Kermit the Frog and Chris Cornell. The power of reverb. Making mistakes. The beauty of making mistakes. How to connect with a song you wrote years ago. His continuing search for the spirit inside of his voice, and inside of himself, and so much more. There's a lot of things to take home with you on this one, whether you're a singer or not.   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com     Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.         

We are continuing our summer tradition at Here's The Thing, where members of the staff select their favorite interviews from the archives. This week, we revisit Alec Baldwin's 2021 conversation with actress and activist Marlo Thomas, who has been breaking barriers for women for more than five decades. She first became a household name as Ann-Marie, the lead in the television show “That Girl,” a woman who, in the late 60s, wanted a career more than a family. An outspoken feminist, Marlo then launched “Free to Be...You and Me,” which was first an album, then a book, and eventually, an Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning TV show for children that challenged gender norms and became a touchstone for a generation of feminists. Her best-selling books include a memoir about growing up an adored daughter of TV star Danny Thomas. In 2020, she released a book, “What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life,” and a podcast, “Double Date,” with her late husband Phil Donahue. All in all, quite a life for That Girl.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Emmylou Harris. A Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee. Winner of 14 Grammy Awards, plus a Lifetime Achievement Award. An absolute legend. And one of my favorite voices of all-time.   In this episode you're also gonna hear us talk about the shimmer that a song should have. What she learned early on from collaborating with Gram Parsons. How she overcame some vocal issues. The importance of a great producer. What it takes to make a confident leap of faith. And the key to great harmony singing from one of the best to ever do it. It's no coincidence that she has sung with so many legends from Mavis Staples to Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson. Roy Orbison, Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams, John Prine and Neil Young to name a few. She was in a supergroup called Trio with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt.. and we're gonna discuss all of it and much more.   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingerstalk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com    Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.          

Send us a Text Message.Legendary producer George Schlatter has saturated television with his incredible talents and humor and now I was lucky enough to have him as a guest.  He's 94 years old and has a vault of endless stories. He's most well known for creating “Rowan & Martin's Laugh- In” which ran on NBC from 1968-1973.  For two of those years it was the Number One show on television.  So popular that Richard Nixon said he probably won the election because of his cameo on Laugh In.  George has won a handful of Emmys and has created a resume so long it's hard to know where to begin.  The Judy Garland Show, Cher, Real People.  He's produced specials for Liza Minelli, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Goldie Hawn, John Denver, Shirley MacLaine, Danny Thomas and many more.  He created the American Comedy Awards, has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and produced a few presidential inaugurations. The man hasn't stopped and it was truly an honor to have him on this show.  

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Destructee, and one of the iconic founders of Punk Rock: John Lydon (PiL, The Sex Pistols).   In this episode you're gonna hear us talk about his unique approach to being a singer, and his philosophy behind the inner workings of the voice. We speak about his horrific stage fright, his false demons, and surprising shyness. How he stole some of his vocal style from Speedy Gonzalez, why it's important to shred the rulebook (and the Sex Pistols), and his continuing search for something that hasn't been sung already.   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com     Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.        

GGACP celebrates the birthday (August 1) of longtime television writer and podcast pal Ron Friedman (“The Odd Couple,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “All in the Family,” “Barney Miller”) by revisiting Ron's second sitdown with Gilbert and Frank. In this episode, Ron discusses the structure of storytelling, the importance of escapism and the inspirations for Captain Marvel and the Sub-Mariner and shares all-new stories about Lucille Ball, Tony Randall, Danny Thomas and (of course) Pat McCormick. Also, Jack Benny takes a stand, Carol Wayne dodges a bullet, John Huston tangles with Errol Flynn and Ron remembers the late, great Stan Lee. PLUS: Stump and Stumpy! Herve Villechaize's doppelgänger! Marilyn Monroe converts! Buster Crabbe teams with Chuck McCann! And Ron kills off a beloved fictional character! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Grammy Award Winning, Rock and Rollk Hall of Fame Inductee.   In this episode Sammy's gonna give you such a great vocal lesson. There's a lot to learn here, so many cool little tricks to make it work. I love when people are vulnerable and honest, and talk about their flaws, and we go deep into all of it: Montrose, Van Halen, Chickenfoot, his solo career. You're also gonna hear us talk about Sam's work ethic, the high standard he sets for himself, how Robert Downey Jr, saved Sammy's voice on tour, the surprising spiritual side of Sammy Hagar. We discuss some of my favorite vocal tracks of his, and what I think makes him such a bad ass, and so much more…   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com      Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.        

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Peter Albin (the bad ass bassist of Big Brother and the Holding Company, talking about the legendary voice of his old bandmate Janis Joplin. In the episode Peter and I discuss that place. Her wild side, her sweet side, and the tragic side, but most of all, we talk about that voice that seemed to be touched by God.   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.             

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Joe Elliott from Def Leppard. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee who has sold over 100 million records, but more importantly to me, he's a childhood hero!   In this episode you're gonna hear us talk about about being imprisoned by the songs you write when you're younger, and the solutions that can help with that as you grow older. You'll hear how meticulous Joe is about taking care of his voice, his incredible work ethic, and how he survives on the road. We talk about those iconic Def Leppard backing vocals, we journey through some tracks from the past, working with “Mutt” Lange, and the struggles Joe went through recording the greatest power ballad of all time. “Bringin' on the Heartbreak.” And we're gonna hear how Joe's been reinventing himself as a vocalist, and much, much more…   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.

Welcome to The Singers Talk Podcast based on my book of the same name. This week you'll hear my conversation with Grammy Award Winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Thom Yorke.   Through Radiohead, The Smile, Atoms for Peace, and his solo endeavors, Thom's voice has blown our minds. In this interview you're gonna hear us talk about his reluctance to even be a singer, losing your self-consciousness, the power of yoga, chiropractics, how Neil Young and Jeff Buckley changes his life, The orchestral nature of his voice, how he approaches building his vocal tracks, we talk about some of my favorite Radiohead songs, and get to hear some incredible stories, and much more…   All my writer's royalties from sales of the book benefit the kids and families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through our Music Gives to St. Jude Kids campaign. So I'd love for you to grab yourself a copy. And be sure to check out every episode of the podcast, our livestreams, and more at Volume.com/thesingers talk. And if you like the show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite streaming platforms to make sure you hear every new episode. Volume.com is the destination for live music fans, where you can watch live and on-demand performances, see exclusive artist content, listen to music podcasts, and check out live music streams from your favorite artists, venues, and hosts.   Get The Singers Talk book at: Thesingerstalk.com   Donate to St. Jude at: Musicgives.org   You can find JTG @Kingsizetheband Kingsizetheband.com   Jason Thomas Gordon is the lead singer/drummer of the Los Angeles rock band Kingsize, a screenwriter, author, and creator of Music Gives to St. Jude Kids, a campaign that raises money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through music-based initiatives. St. Jude was founded by Jason's grandfather, entertainer, Danny Thomas, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. Jason also serves as a National Committee member of the hospital's board.            

Riley shares her touching story of how a little boy she never met became the driving force behind her dedication to pediatric cancer advocacy. Listen as she talks about her work as a student researcher at St. Jude and her deep connection to Tri Delta.Discover how a beautiful coincidence led to Riley and Meredith reconnecting on the St. Jude campus and how Riley's passion influenced her college experience. She opens up about how she inspired her chapter to give back, the importance of finding your “why” in philanthropy, and ways to support St. Jude even if you don't live near Memphis.Celebrate with them as they discuss reaching Tri Delta's $100 million fundraising goal for St. Jude in just 25 years, and learn what's next for Riley, including how to follow along on her upcoming study abroad adventures. This episode is packed with inspiration and a whole lot of philanthropic heart!