Stan Lynch is a founding member and longtime drummer of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, a band he played in for close to 20 years. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Stan's also written and produced for The Eagles, Don Henley and John Mellencamp. His new band, a collaboration with Texas singer songwriter Jon Christopher Davis, is The Speaker Wars who've just released their debut album. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19....
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 22
Our guest this week is a legendary singer songwriter and musician -powerhouse frontman of Grand Funk Railroad: Mark Farner. As one of the original driving forces behind the band, —Mark is the the voice of anthems like “We’re an American Band” and the epic “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home),” which he also wrote. Other Grand Funk hits include Bad Time/Some Kind Of Wonderful and their #1 cover of Little Eva’s “The Locomotion.” But Mark’s journey goes beyond the stage. From blazing trails in the he...
Jun 19, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 4Ep. 21
Little Anthony helped define the sound of early rock and soul—and at the age of 84 years old, he's still going strong. In this revealing conversation, Anthony takes us through his extraordinary life and career—from doo-wop beginnings with The Imperials to stories of his best friends Frankie Lymon and Teddy Randzzo. From Vegas residencies to his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, hear firsthand how one of soul and pop’s most distinctive voices has endured and evolved over seven decades. See ...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 20
Jim Peterik wrote the book on songwriting. Literally. He's the co-author of Songwriting For Dummies, now in its 2nd edition. More famously — he’s also the author of some of the best known songs of the last 50 years, including “Eye Of The Tiger,” which Jim co-wrote with Frankie Sullivan, for their band Survivor. Jim and Frankie co-wrote 6 more Top 20 hits for Survivor before Jim left the band in 1996. Prior to Survivor, Jim was the main songwriter and lead singer of the band Ides Of March whose s...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 19
On this episode of Rock & Roll High School, John Hall—founding member of Orleans, No Nukes pioneer, and former U.S. Congressman—shares the stories behind hits like “Dance with Me” and “Still the One,” his journey from rock stardom to Washington, and his fight for clean energy. Hall reflects on working alongside legends like Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, and Graham Nash, offering a unique perspective on the power of music to inspire change. It’s a compelling c...
May 29, 2025•52 min•Season 4Ep. 18
In this special episode of Rock & Roll High School , we sit down with the incomparable William Bell , a true icon of soul music and one of the original architects of the legendary Stax Records sound. From writing timeless classics like "You Don’t Miss Your Water" and "Born Under a Bad Sign" , to mentoring generations of musicians and winning a Grammy decades into his career, William Bell’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Join us as he shares stories from the golden era of Memphis ...
May 22, 2025•56 min•Season 4Ep. 17
For over 50 years, Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar has been rock music's secret weapon. As a guitarist and songwriter, he's collaborated with everyone from James Taylor, Carole King, and Jackson Browne to Jon Bon Jovi and Don Henley. Songs he's written include "All She Wants To Do Is Dance," "Somebody's Baby," "Dirty Laundry," and "Sunset Grill." His work as part of the sideman-supergroup The Immediate Family (with fellow superstar sidemen Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, and Steve Postell) ca...
May 15, 2025•45 min•Season 4Ep. 16
As the founder and frontman of The Lovin’ Spoonful , John Sebastian helped define the sound of the 1960s with classics like “Do You Believe in Magic,” “Daydream,” and “Summer in the City.” As a solo artist, he delivered a surprise acoustic set at Woodstock , wrote the #1 hit “Welcome Back” for Welcome Back, Kotter , and continued to craft songs that resonated across decades. A member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame , John Sebastian stands among the great...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of her self-titled debut album (which was released on May 1st, 1985), Suzanne Vega's latest album is "Flying With Angels," her first collection of all-new songs in over a decade. Emerging from New York City's folk-music scene of the early 1980's, Suzanne has become known worldwide for her detailed songwriting, incredible live performances and for creating memorable characters in her songs like the victim of child abuse in "Luka," the narrator observing her surrou...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 14
An all-new interview with iconic blues rocker George Thorogood. Known for his high energy boogie-blues sound, George is celebrating 50 years of making music in 2025. Putting his own unqiue spin on classic songs - like Move It On Over - Who Do You Love and One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer as well as crafting classic originals like I Drink Alone and Bad To The Bone, George’s music has introduced the sound of his heroes - Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley,, Howlin Wolf, John Lee Hooker and even Hank Williams ...
Apr 24, 2025•59 min•Season 4Ep. 13
If you made a venn diagram and one circle included only musicians skilled and talented enough to jam and record with some of the greatest players of all time: Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, Allen Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, Billy Cobham. And the other circle included only hit record producers who have produced at least 9 Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles, there would only be one name overlapping both circles and that’s our guest this week: Narada Michael Walden. As a drummer, Narada has play...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Roger McGuinn is best known as the frontman and leader of the influential 1960s folk-rock band, The Byrds, and for his signature Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar playing. The Byrds achieved many firsts: they were the first rock band ever to be signed to Columbia Records; they were the first major label band to fuse folk and rock; and they were the first band to record what's now known as alt-country with their seminal 1968 album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. The Byrds all-time classic hits incl...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Curt Smith is co-founder, co-lead vocalist and bassist of the legendary duo Tears For Fears. With over 30 million albums sold worldwide and performances to countless sold-out audiences, the band represent an inimitable intersection of pop palatability, clever and cognizant lyricism, guitar bombast, and new wave innovation. The duo’s hit making DNA - as heard on songs like "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," "Shout," "Head Over Heels," and "Mad World" - remains embedded within three generations ...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Scottish-born singer/songwriter Al Stewart pretty much invented the genre of historical folk rock, weaving real world events into cinematic tapestries of song. As he mentions in this episode, Al will sometimes open a world atlas, point to a random spot in the world and write a song about it. His passion for history and the accuracy of which he writes has led to such aural history lessons as "Road To Moscow" and "Nostradamus." Perhaps best known for his run of hits in the mid-late 1970's like "Ye...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 9
In 1965, when Peter Noone was only 17 years old, his band Herman's Hermits had 7 Top Ten singles in America in one calendar year alone! With songs like "I'm Into Something Good," "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter," "There's A Kind Of Hush," "I'm Henry VIII, I Am," "Can't You Hear My Hearbeat," and many more, Herman's Hermits became one of the most successful acts of the post-Beatles British Invasion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Along with his two teenage classmates from London’s Central High School, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek, Gerry Beckley formed the band America in 1970 - with the name being a nod to the three Americans living in London. Incorporating three part vocal harmony and with all of the band members contributing to the songwriting - America signed with Warner Brothers Records in 1971. Their self titled album debut would ultimately feature two of the band’s signature songs - the #1 hit A Horse With No Name an...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Gary Kemp wears many hats. As a founding member and principal songwriter of the band Spandau Ballet, Gary’s songs including “Gold,” “Only When You Leave,” “Through The Barricades,” and the all-time classic “True” have become part of the soundtrack of the last 40+ years. His work as an actor includes lead roles in 1990’s The Krays (alongside his brother Martin) and 1992’s The Bodyguard, alongside Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Gary’s Rockonteurs podcast with his friend and band-mate Guy Pratt...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Randy Bachman is the co-founder of two of classic rock’s greatest bands The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. With over 120 platinum gold and silver album and single awards from all over the world, Randy’s songs are known everywhere by listeners old and young - songs that have sold over a combined 40 million singles and albums. Between 1969 and 1970, The Guess Who sold more records than the entire Canadian music industry combined, and Randy followed that with another string of massive hits...
Feb 27, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Tony Orlando has spent an incredible six decades in entertainment. From signing his first record deal at the age of 15 years old to segueing to the other side of the desk as a successful music publisher working for the legendary Clive Davis to accidentally becoming an even bigger pop star with the accidental pop group Dawn, Tony's career reads like something out of fiction but it all happened. Still going strong today, Tony hosts "Saturday Nights With Tony Orlando," heard worldwide via WABC New ...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Chris Difford is a founding member and primary lyricist for the UK rock band Squeeze. Celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band in 2024, Squeeze has spent the past half-century recording some of the most notable albums of the New Wave era and beyond with songs, including "Tempted," "Pulling Mussels From Shell," "Cool For Cats," and "Annie Get Your Gun," that have all become worldwide favorites. Working alongside his Squeeze co-founder and its principal music writer Glen Tilbrook, Chris' music...
Feb 13, 2025•55 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Since 1969, Billy Gibbons has been the lead singer, guitar slinger and principal songwriter of the legendary Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. With his signature smoky growl, 1959 Gibson Les Paul and instantly recognizable chest-length beard, Billy's music has become one of the soundtracks to the history of rock and roll for over six decades. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, ZZ Top have sold over 50 million records and performed close to 2000 live shows. In this episode, Billy...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Chaka Khan is a true musical icon. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, Chaka is now celebrating over 50 years of musical excellence. Honored with 10 Grammy Awards, her hits have transcended music genres, embodying the essence of pop, soul, jazz, gospel, classical, and funk. Her career took off in Chicago with the group Rufus and skyrocketed via the Stevie Wonder-penned hit "Tell Me Something Good." This success laid the foundation for an illustrious solo career, beginning wit...
Jan 23, 2025•45 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Paul Williams is one of the most beloved and respected music creators in the world today; a lyricist and composer who has won an Oscar Award, three Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, an Ivor Novello International Award and earned induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Williams’ timeless classics range from “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “You and Me Against the World” and “The Rainbow Connection” to "Touch" and "Beyond" on Daft Punk’s chart-topping Album of the Year, Random Access Memories o...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Jason Mraz is a two-time Grammy award winning singer/songwriter, winner of the esteemed Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and owner of his own organic home farming organization, Mraz Family Farms. Having sold over 13 million album equivalents, Jason is celebrating the 15th anniversary of his 2008 album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things, recently reissued as a deluxe 2 vinyl set. He also founded the nonprofit Jason Mraz Foundation, which has a mission of shining for inc...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Danny Goldberg, President of Gold Village Entertainment, has worked in the music business as a personal manager, record company president, public relations man and journalist since the late 1960s. Goldberg began his career as a music journalist writing for among others Rolling Stone and Billboard Magazine. He later formed and co-owned Modern Records (Stevie Nicks), the artist management firm Gold Mountain Entertainment (Nirvana, Hole, Sonic Youth, Bonnie Raitt, The Allman Brothers, and more), an...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Miles Copeland, founder of I.R.S. Records, BTM (British Talent Management), Illegal Records, Deptford Fun City Records, New Bristol Records, and Copeland International Arts (C.I.A.). He has worked with The Police, Sting, Berlin, Dead Kennedys, The Cramps, The Go-Gos, Squeeze, R.E.M., The Alarm, and The Bangles, among others. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Doc McGhee is a pioneer in the entertainment industry, overseeing the legendary careers of Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, and Skid Row. Managing the world-famous band KISS for over two decades, Doc reunited the band for their sold-out ‘96-‘97 Alive Worldwide Tour. With products ranging from coffins, to comic books, to skateboards, to pinball machines, it’s hard to find a product today without KISS on it. Doc has had an amazing history rebranding acts such as Darius Rucker, who he led into being a countr...
Sep 14, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Steve Lillywhite, CBE is a legendary English five-time Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has collaborated with a variety of musicians including U2, The Killers, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Morrissey, The Pogues, David Byrne, XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Simple Minds, The Psychedelic Furs, Beady Eye, Phish, The Counting Crows & Thirty Seconds To Mars. He has won numerous awards including the Produce...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Bob Gruen is one of the most respected rock and roll photographers of all time. His iconic images— including John Lennon wearing a New York City t-shirt (1974), Led Zeppelin standing in front of their airplane and Sid Vicious eating a hot dog (in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London)—have appeared worldwide in every form, from magazine covers, posters, T-shirts and even postage stamps. He is the author of 15 books including "Rock Seen, John Lennon: The New York Years...
Aug 17, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 10
A vital force behind the sound of some of rock’s most powerful female artists, like Tina Turner & Pat Benatar among others, singer/songwriter Holly Knight’s iconic musical imprint is woven into the very fabric of the MTV generation. Throughout the 1980s, she composed anthems including "Better Be Good To Me, "The Best," "Love is A Battlefield," and many others that have become the soundtrack for millions of people’s lives, and created and crafted empowering odes to independence, liberation, a...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 9
