Stephen Davis has written nearly 20 books about music, including the legendary Led Zeppelin book, "Hammer of the Gods" and the brand new "Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks." He shares his personal memories of Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, and more.
Jen Cloher has been releasing music to critical acclaim in Australia for more than a decade, but is only now receiving the international attention she deserves, thanks to her support slot on the Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile Lotta Sea Lice tour. She is Courtney Barnett's partner in life as well as her partner in business, having co-founded the Milk! Records label. Cloher is also the founder of I Manage My Music, an organization dedicated to helping independent musicians.
Josh Kantor has been playing the organ at Fenway Park in Boston since 2003, and he hasn't missed a single home game. In this edition of Music Is My Life, Kantor discusses his musical upbringing and how improv comedy helped prime him to play for baseball fans, as well as his recent revelation that the best quality to have as a professional musician is to be a good person.
After 40 years in the music business, as one of the leaders of the B-52's, Cindy Wilson is finally releasing her solo debut! Change, on the Kill Rock Stars label marks a drastic, er, um, change for Wilson, as she trades in her "Tiiiin roof! RUS-TED!" exuberance of the B-52's for a breathier, dreamier, more psychedelic feel. She discusses how important parties have been to her musical expression, and how her latest solo work with Ryan Monahan has been a truly educational experience for her.
Lisa Roth wanted to be a ballerina. When that didn't work out for her, she studied nutrition. Then she was hired by a record label called the CMH Label Group, to be their nutritionist. That was when she came up with an idea to produce lullaby renditions of popular songs by rock, pop, and hip-hop acts. Now she's the vice president and creative director of the CMH Label Group and brand manager and executive producer of Rockabye Baby. The label is putting out "Lullabye Renditions of Justin Timberlake" on August 18th. Oh, and we almost forgot to mention, Lisa's brother is David Lee Roth of Van Halen.
Dr. Suzanne Hanser discusses her illustrious career in music therapy, and how her profession brought her back to Boston to teach at Berklee College of Music. She originally lived in Boston when she was a freshman Boston University, at the age of 15! She also discusses an emotional 180 regarding, "You Are My Sunshine."
Sam Amidon has been playing music as a career for most of his life. He takes us from his days of performing with his parents to a trio called Popcorn Behavior to his recent solo work, reimagining folk music. His latest, a collaboration with Shahzad Ismaily, Milford Graves, and Sam Gendel is “The Following Mountain,” on the Nonesuch label.
Will Dailey has sold his car for rock 'n' roll! He's also walked away from a major label deal, and walked towards the loving funds of his fans. He's currently in the midst of a new crowdfunding campaign as he makes a brand new album, out later this year.
Leo Flynn is the brand manager for the Vitamin String Quartet, the group best known for recreating classical-style versions of popular songs. With nearly 300 tributes to artists outside of the classical genre, VSQ has garnered about 4 million downloads since its start in 1999.
Divinity Roxx is probably best known for her work as the bassist for Beyoncé in her all-female band. She got her start playing with bass wiz Victor Wooten, and has established quite a solo career for herself: Not many people can rap and play bass at the same time! She began her musical journey with a clarinet, and is on the eve of furthering her education with Berklee Online.
Jazz legend Gary Burton discusses his life in music, just as he is about to walk away from it. But what a full musical life it has been: 66 albums under his name, 7 Grammy awards, and many meaningful friendships. He discusses all of this as well as some rough times playing with Stan Getz, receiving a death threat from Miles Davis, and his career-long affiliation with Berklee College of Music. His farewell tour—featuring Makoto Ozone—begins in March.
In this podcast from Berklee Online, Nathan East shares his story. If you haven't heard the name Nathan East before, you have definitely heard his bass. He has played on upwards of 10,000 songs, many of them hits, by artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Lionel Richie, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Bob Dylan, and thousands more! His new solo album, "Reverence" is out now!