The Paul Leslie Hour

Susan Birkenhead is one of the most in-demand theatre lyricists. She made her Broadway debut as a contributor to Working in 1978. Her songwriting has been featured in many productions both on and off Broadway, including Jelly's Last Jam, Triumph of Love, High Society, Hats!, Radio Girl and most recently The Secret Life of Bees. Susan Birkenhead has written with some of the best composers including Charles Strouse, David Foster, Jule Styne and others. In fact, with Styne, Birkenhead wrote two songs recorded by Frank Sinatra.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Otis Redding III is the son of the legendary Otis Redding, the King of Soul. Redding was bestowed with his father's talents and is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, performing and recording artist. Otis Redding III speaks with a sense of humility, but yet continues the tradition of musical excellence associated with the name "Redding." Like the song his father wrote, Otis Redding III is full of respect for the art of music. It's an interview with music royalty here on The Paul Leslie Hour!Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Jeff Altman is an entertainer who focuses on sleight of hand card magic. He's also had an incredible career as a stand up comic and actor. He's acted in such television shows as The Dukes of Hazzard, Night Court and Baywatch. Jeff Altman has been a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson as well as more than 40 appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman. In fact, David Letterman called him the funniest person he knows. Esquire magazine called him a "comic genius." He's influenced Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Judd Apatow and others. It's all here on a magical episode of The Paul Leslie Hour!Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Tony Oppedisano's background and passion is in music. One of Frank Sinatra's close friends and his road manager, Oppedisano could play the guitar, bass and piano as well as sing. This foundation is one of the reasons Tony bonded with one of the greatest singers in the world, Frank Sinatra. His friendship and professional experience with Sinatra segued into his work managing the comic legend (and Sinatra friend) Don Rickles. Frank Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Join us as we celebrate the 102nd birthday of the greatest American singer, here on The Paul Leslie Hour.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

On this episode of The Paul Leslie Hour, we're in the presence of a legend. For 50 years, Charlie McCoy has worked as a session player. He's in great demand. In addition to his 41 solo albums, he's done more than 12,000 recording sessions. Charlie McCoy has worked with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel as well as countless country artists. A harmonica player, guitarist, bassist and multi-instrumentalist, Charlie McCoy is an inductee of the Country Music Hall of Fame.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Singer-songwriter, recording artist Gary Morris was born on December 7, 1948. Today is his birthday! Morris has had more than two dozen chart singles, including the 1983 Top 10 song, "Wind Beneath My Wings." Most of his work could be classified as country, but he's also had a serious acting career. He played Jean Valjean in a Broadway production of Les Misérables as well as a production of Puccini's opera La Boheme. The conversation is good and true with Gary Morris on The Paul Leslie Hour.

The acclaimed jazz and pop vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli joins Paul to talk about her first major album of distinctive original songs "Dream Ago" produced by David Cook. Called an "outstanding singer" by the Wall Street Journal and "hotter than the equator" by The Village Voice, Gabrielle Stravelli is an emerging sensation in New York's jazz and supper clubs, who is gathering recognition and a following around the nation and beyond.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Bill Anderson is known in the world of country music for his unprecedented body of work including 40 studio albums, along with seven no.1 singles. Sometimes known as Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, has been awarded Songwriter of the Year 6 times, has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and is an inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Also unprecedented is the fact that Bill Anderson has had an entry on the country music charts for seven consecutive decades, something no songwriter in history has done. Some of his well known songs include “Whiskey Lullaby” recorded by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss, “A Lot of Things Different” by Kenny Chesney, “Give It Away,” recorded by George Strait and many others. 2016 saw the release of his autobiography Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Dub Cornett and Victoria Lily Shaffer are the producers of the new unscripted comedy show "Bill & Brian Doyle-Murray's Extra Innings," with a new episode every Monday exclusively on Facebook Watch. Viewers get to see brothers Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray interacting with the fans and players of minor league teams at games across the country. Behind the scenes, the producers of "Extra Innings" are as down-to-earth as America's pastime with a shared love of dogs, comedy and music. Don't touch that dial, Dub Cornett and Victoria Lily Shaffer are up next.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Elizabeth Cook had an incredible concert in Atlanta at the Variety Playhouse and the very next day she comes in for a face-to-face interview on The Paul Leslie Hour. Cook is one of the preeminent country music singer-songwriters. We talk about plenty in this episode: her Florida roots, hundreds of appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, friendship with David Letterman and the importance of honesty.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Charlie Daniels is a certifiable legend in music. Last year he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and this year he's released a book about his life. Entitled "Never Look at the Empty Seats: A Memoir," the Grammy award-winning Charlie Daniels who has sold more than twenty million albums and is known for such songs as "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is as down to earth as they come. In this interview we gain his perspectives on his life, the responsibilities of fame, his work with Bob Dylan and why he wrote his autobiography.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Jillian Cardarelli is a singer-songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts who went to Nashville to pursue her dream of being a country music singer-songwriter. In a short time, her work ethic and talent has allowed her to share the stage with the classic and contemporary singers of country music. Rolling Stone put her in the list of the 10 New Country Artists you need to know. Whether in the recording studio or on stage, it's clear that singing is what Jillian Cardarelli was born to do. Meet her on The Paul Leslie Hour! “Cardarelli's recordings blend the heritage and the modern, with her upcoming EP's tracks cut via old school full band takes at a non-Music Row studio.” -Rolling StoneSupport The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

This interview with Travis Turk was recorded on April 17, 2017. It was held onto to await the release of the Jimmy Buffett collection "Buried Treasure." It may strike you what a voice Travis Turk has. It's probably not a surprise that he has had so much success as a voice over talent. In fact, sound has played a very big part in his life. He's worked as a radio disc jockey, an audio engineer and was the very first record producer of Jimmy Buffett and as you'll hear several recordings before Buffett's debut album.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

How important is it to have fun? If you’re Mike Veeck, the special guest on this episode of The Paul Leslie Hour, it’s one of the most important things in the world. Mike Veeck applies fun to everything he does. He’s a speaker, enterepeneur, college professor, minor league baseball team owner, restauranteur and all around idea-man. His first book entitled “Fun is Good” tells how the philosophy of fun can make businesses more profitable and create a culture of creativity. There’s so much he can talk about!Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

The guest on this episode of The Paul Leslie Hour, is Vanessa Perez, a classical pianist, performing and recording artist, born in the United States, but raised in Venezuela. Perez has released critically acclaimed records and performed internationally. In this interview, she takes us into her world, a life of passion and art. Recently, Vanessa Perez has embarked on a new live performance project called “New Worlds” with German cellist Jan Vogler, Chinese violinist Mira Wang and American actor Bill Murray. New Worlds features recitations of classic American poetry and literature concurrent with performance of musical pieces. The debut "New Worlds" studio album just dropped. We hope you enjoy this inside look on The Paul Leslie Hour.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

We want you to meet a cellist named Jan Vogler, his classical music foundation, infectious passion and ability at his instrument are some of the reasons he is seen and heard performing with the most celebrated conductors and orchestras around the world. In addition to performing the cello in concert, the German born Jan Vogler is fruitful as a recording artist on SONY records, with many releases and more to come. Classical music can be blended with other performing arts such as acting, dance and even spoken word poetry. Along with Chinese violinist Mira Wang, Venezuelan pianist Vanessa Perez, American actor Bill Murray and our special guest Jan Vogler have presented a live performance called New Worlds. It’s an evening of music and literature featuring Bill Murray as singer and narrator performing American songs from Stephen Foster to Gershwin along with recitations of classic American poetry and literature. Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Melora Hardin is an actor, singer and director known to many for playing the character "Jan Levinson" on the hit sitcom "The Office," but her artistic experience is expansive! She's graced the television and film screen as well as the stage. Acting, dancing and directing are just a few of her talents. Then, there's her musical side. A singer-songwriter, she's a concert performer and a recording artist with 3 albums to her credit. It's an interview with depth yet not an ounce of pretension. Listen and find out why Melora Hardin is beloved by so many audiences.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Shozan Jack Haubner is the pen name of a Zen monk who wrote the book Single White Monk: Tales of Death, Failure, and Bad Sex as well as Zen Confidential. He joins us on The Paul Leslie Hour to talk about the dual interests of writing and the practice of Zen. Many topics are discussed, including misconceptions about Buddhist monks and the positives of being "a nobody."Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Larry Bastian has lived a storied life. Farming, being a cowboy, working as a biologist are all a part of the tale. His family had farmed the San Joaquin Valley in California since the late 1800s. Larry Bastian is known for his songs. Legendary recording artists like George Jones, Buck Owens, Tammy Wynette, and Conway Twitty have recorded his songs. Bastian is heavily associated with Garth Brooks who has covered and co-written songs with him.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Bruce Cockburn is a prolific Canadian singer-songwriter and recording artist with more than 300 songs in his catalog. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Dan Fogelberg, the Jerry Garcia Band, Barenaked Ladies, Ani DiFranco, Jimmy Buffett, k.d. lang and many others. This interview discussed many things including his most recent 33rd album "Bone on Bone."Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Hey. It's Me. A great singer cannot be limited to a singular style, like jazz or country. Singer, recording artist and actress Renee Olstead is an example of this. Known by many for nostalgic interpretations of American Songbook standards, the Texas-born Olstead is exploring the emotional sounds of country music. Her latest single "Help Me Make It Through the Night" is generating considerable excitement on the internet. The thing that is intriguing about Renee Olstead is how versatile she is. You could imagine her fitting in effortlessly on the set of a movie in LA, behind the microphone at a jazz club or a smoky Honky-tonk. Well, we're just glad she thought she'd fit in here on The Paul Leslie Hour. Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Barbara Gaines, the longtime Executive Producer of David Letterman's late night show checks in and gives an honest and compelling behind the scenes look at the wildly popular comedy/talk show. We talk about her background, the predecessor to "Late Night with David Letterman": the morning show "The David Letterman Show." We're joined by a very special surprise guest who adds incredible insight.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Nashville singer-songwriter Amanda Colleen Williams is inspiring and for the first time ever tells her entire story. A compelling performing and recording artist in her own right, her songs have also been recorded by the likes of Garth Brooks and George Jones.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Fats Domino was on my mind all day. The legendary Fats Domino passed away yesterday at 89 years old. He sold more than 70 million records and is credited as being one of the founding fathers of Rock 'n Roll. This interview from 2009 showed him to be a simple and down home kind of guy. He liked to play his piano and cook. Here is my interview and recollections of meeting Fats Domino in person at his home.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Bill Scheft has written jokes for some of the most well known people: Actors, Comedians, and even a United States President. He's written several novels including: The Ringer, Time Won't Let Me, Everything Hurts and Shrink Thyself. Bill Scheft was a writer for David Letterman from 1991 to 2015.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

Author Lawrence Grobel is interviewed about his life as a journalist who has spoken in-depth with people like Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and Barbra Streisand.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

For lovers of traditional country music (that’s me) it just doesn’t get any better than Charley Pride. I recall taking a friend of mine to see Charley Pride in concert and at one point looking over and seeing tears of joy streaming down his face. That’s not an exaggeration, but as Pride says in this interview he’s “in the business of feelings, lyrics and emotions.” If that’s what Charley Pride is selling, he can consider himself a successful salesman because of the gusto with which people consume his music.Charley Pride is honest and down-to-earth in this interview and we talk about his latest album Music in My Heart, featuring 13 new recordings and the man behind the music. It’s all here folks. Welcome to it.

Natalie Goldberg is the author of many books, the most recent being The Great Spring: Writing, Zen and This Zig Zag Life. She is most known for her book Writing Down the Bones, which changed the way we look at writing. The book sold more than a million copies and has been translated into 14 languages.Her recent book The Great Spring: Writing, Zen and This Zig Zag Life is a collection of short essays and is one of the topics of conversation in this interview. Her documentary film Tangled Up in Bob is also discussed, which is about her travels to Bob Dylan's hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota to find out about the singer-songwriter's early years. All of this is an excuse to try to get to know the author better and her perspectives may change your perspectives on "writing as a practice."

Delaney Buffett and Katie Corwin are the filmmakers behind Coffin Watson Pictures, creators of the web comedy series "City of Angles" as well as the short documentary film "The Spring" about actors who play mermaids at a tourist attraction in Central Florida.

It's the second episode of The Paul Leslie Hour! The new documentary TENNESSEE WHISKEY: The Dean Dillon Story tells the story of one of American music's most legendary songwriters. Dean Dillon has written songs recorded by George Jones, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson and many others. It's an in-depth conversation with an icon!Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour

It's the series premiere of The Paul Leslie Hour! We start the show with a true legend and icon of American Culture. We invite you on the tour bus outside of The Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia to sit down with the one and only Willie Nelson! It would mean a lot to me if you subscribed and told a friend about the podcast.Support The Paul Leslie Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-paul-leslie-hour