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Also check out Wesley's New Show REMEMBER AGAIN
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Bill Medley and Bucky Heard - The Righteous Brothers |
Robin Curtis - Lt. Saavic |
Grace, Wesley and Barbara Luna |
JG Hurtzler |
7PM EASTERN TIME EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
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Hi. Hello. How are ya? Welcome to "FlashBack with Wes Britton. FlashBack are lively,
surprising interviews with entertainment insiders - from actors to
musicians to comedians to writers to comic book creators to experts in all
manner of entertainment history! |
About Your Host Dr. Wesley Britton is the author
of four non-fiction books, Spy Television (2003), Beyond Bond:
Spies in Fiction and Film (2005), Onscreen and Undercover: The
Ultimate Book of Movie Espionage (2006), and The Encyclopedia
of TV Spies (2009). Starting in fall 2015, his science
fiction/ mystery/ espionage series, The Beta-Earth Chronicles,
debuted with the ground-breaking The Blind Alien. Throughout
2016 to 2019, 4 sequels followed, including The Blood of
Balnakin, When War Returns, A Throne for an Alien and
The Third Earth. |
Check out Wes' new Encyclopedia of TV Spies trailer everyone is so jazzed about: https://youtu.be/p3aLmKfnVto
SHOW ARCHIVES/PODCASTS
Listen to past shows below. 2 Ways to listen:
1. Left Click date to "Stream" show (it will play like the radio) or . . .
2. "Right Click" on date then select "Save Target As" (or similar i.e. "Save Link As" etc,) and a copy of the show will download to your device which you can then play anytime.
Marshall Chess
Back in the ‘50s, Leonard, Phil, and Marshall Chess created a record company that changed the world. Chess Records gave us Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Howling Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy . . . who all influenced the Stones, Yardbirds, Cream, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn . . .
In 2024, Marshall Chess is back at it again with his new “Chess Project” album on Czyz Records and his new Chess Records Tribute Channel on Youtube. Marshall sits down with Wes Britton to talk about his new projects and history of both Chess and Rolling Stones Records—along with generous samples from “Chess Project”
Larry Tamblyn "I'm gonna tell you a story/ I'm gonna tell you about my town; I'm gonna tell you a big fat story, baby Aw, it's all about my town."
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Bruce Cockburn
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John Paizis
More rock-and-roll for adults-plus a haunted, surprising trip into nursery rimes just for the holidays.
Flashback with Wes Britton offers a trick-or-treat bag full of Halloween goodies, especially our interview with John Paizis, the main motor behind Mother Goose Re-Animated, a ground-breaking, star-studded Modern Version of Classic Fairy Tales with very dark settings that are creative, starkly original, and surprising in a new art book featuring actors and participants with a variety of disabilities. The book celebrates diversity, is infused with themes of inclusively, empowerment, and diversity, and offers fresh takes on timeless tales. Just wait till you hear John read aloud old rimes in unexpected, twisted ways on FWB. We surround John’s conversation with new music from Randy Riviere, The Cold Stares, Beth Harte, and some original comedy |
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October
19, 2024 Show
Kent Rasmussen Flashback with Wes
Britton showcases some quirky Halloween specials this
October, starting with our Sat. Oct 19 broadcast. Mark Twain
scholar Kent Rasmussen dives into his collection, Mark
Twain’s Macabre and Mysterious Tales where you meet talking
skeletons tired of their graveyard’s neglected condition,
the ghost hoax of a petrified man, cannibals following
Robert’s Rules of Order, and riding a comet to heaven where
mysteries to contemplate include-if you’re in heaven for
eternity, what are you going to do with all that time? More
treats for your early trick or treat bag include prog rock
Refestramus’ new “Zombie Love” and Valentine Wolfe’s take on
Edgar Allan Poe’s “Dream Within a Dream”. |
Annie and Rainforest Guitar by Richard Barnes Photography |
October 12, 2024 Show Annie Haslam This month, prog-rock, symphonic rock pioneers Renaissance are performing their final "In Gratitude" tour in the eastern U.S. Group leader Annie Haslam says it's time to call it a day and discusses the groups 55 year history on the Oct. 12 broadcast of "Flashback with Wes Britton." This revelatory, sometimes emotional retrospective is a special hour of FWB for all fans of what Renaissance has given us all these years from "Scheherazade," "Ashes are Burning," "Mother Russia" to "Northern Lights." Join us for this celebration. |
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October 5, 2024 Show Tina Cole Hawaiian Eye. My
Three Sons. The King Family. |
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September 28,
2024 Show Will Keck Entertainment reporter Will Keck isn’t exactly a household name, but most of the celebrities he’s dealt with over the decades are. As he shares in his When You Step Upon A Star: Cringeworthy Confessions of a Tabloid Bad Boy, his career began as a seriously “cringeworthy” investigative reporter for the National Inquirer. He conned his way into the Nicole Brown household after her murder and spent a night in a tree so he could spy on Dean Martin’s funeral. He evolved over the years working for TV Guide and the *Hallmark Channel* and left such hijinx behind. His stories range from getting scolded by William Shatner to encounters with Dallas stars to Desperate Housewives to, well, check out Wes Britton’s next conversation with Will on “Flashback with Wes Britton” |
Nathaniel Williams
Concluding our trilogy of explorations into 19th century creators of proto-science fiction, Mark Twain scholar NATHANIEL WILLIAMS comes to "Flashback with Wes Britton" to discuss his book, GEARS AND GOD; TECHNOCRATIC FICTION, FAITH, AND EMPIRE IN MARK TWAIN'S AMERICA. He'll describe fantastical and imaginative stories by Washington Irving, E. A. Poe, Mark Twain, Frank Reade dime novels featuring boy inventors in the Old West, even Tom Swift. Expect an hour of surprises and revelations as well as new music from Mitch Woods and Kenny Wayne Sheperd.
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Kieran O'Driscol Continuing our
three-part dive into the influence of 19th century literary
creators of proto-science fiction, horror and imaginative
fiction with influences we see every day, Kieran O'Driscoll
from the North American Jules Verne Society comes to
“Flashback with Wes Britton” to talk about
the many worlds of Jules Verne. While many think of Verne as
a pioneer in sci-fi, he never described himself that way. He
saw all his amazing journeys as “imaginative fiction” and
they include a wide panorama of literary genres.
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September 7, 2024 Show Beginning our three-part deep dive into how 19th Century literary creators of proto-science fiction paved the way for many fantastic tropes we’re familiar with today, author Mark Dawidziak talks about his book, A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe on the Sept. 7 edition of “Flashback with Wes Britton!” Expect many surprises about what you thought was the true story of Poe’s life, death, and literary legacy we promise will change greatly by hour’s end! Plus new music by Irishman Hank Wedel and experimental visions from Valentine Wolfe.
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David Spencer I Spy. The Avengers. Get Smart. The Invaders. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Star Trek. The Addams Family. Monk. Alien Nation. These were but a few of the TV series spun off into tie-in novels explored in David Spencer’s indispensable The Novelizers: An Affectionate History of Media Adaptations & Originals, Their Astonishing Authors — and the Art of the Craft, a book David discusses on “Flashback with Wes Britton” network! |
Star Trek: Discovery. Pan’s Labyrinth. The Shape of Water.
Hellboy. Hocus Pocus. Fantastic Four. What We Do in the
Shadows. |
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Rock for adults on the next
“Flashback with Wes Britton” |
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August
10, 2024 Show |
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Start off August with a Marx Brothers double-feature on
“Flashback” and “Remember Again” with Wes Britton” on the
ArtistfFirst Radio Network! |
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Dean Butler Dean Butler's new PRAIRIE MAN: My Little House Life & Beyond goes behind- the-scenes of Little House on the Prairie beginning with the season when he was cast as Almanzo Wilder, Laura Ingalls’ love interest. So expect a lot of Little House stories; plus Dean describes playing "Moondoggie" Griffin in the 1986 "The New Gidget" comedy series. Hear it all when he stops by "Flashback with Wes Britton" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network. |
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Robin Curtis We first noticed Robin Curtis in 1984 when she took over the role of Vulcan Lt. Saavic on Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and her reprising that role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. In 1993, she became one of the few actors to work with both the cast of the first two Star Trek series when she portrayed a criminal Vulcan disguised as a Romulan (Tallera/T'Paal) in the two-part episode, "Gambit," in Star Trek: The Next Generation. On the July 20 "Flashback with Wes Britton," Robin tells you all about her Star Trek work along with other roles like appearing on the original Macgyver and The Equalizer. Robin will be signing autographs and greeting fans at the Shore Leave con, July 26 - 28, 2024 at the Wyndham Lancaster Resort and Convention Center in Lancaster, PA.
Plus: check out the new tunes by Brock Davis and Ruthie Purvis Smith |
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Barbara Luna
Barbara Luna's career in Show business began when she was 9. Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein noticed her and began grooming her for stardom, beginning with her singing in South Pacific. Then came The King and I, The Flower Drum Song, Zorro, Frank Sinatra and Spencer Tracy, and portraying The Captain's Woman, Lt. Marlena Moreau, on the classic Mirror Mirror episode of Star Trek, the original series. That's just a taste of the stories Luna will share on this edition of Flashback with Wes Britton.
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No Star Trek fan could have a more enjoyable hour than hanging with J.G. Hertzler on “Flashback with Wes Britton!” John is as entertaining a personality as you’ll ever hear with his hilarious stories of playing 3 species on Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and Star Trek: Voyager! In addition to presenting General Martok, we debut a new song called “Captain Kirk” by singer/songwriter Ruthie Perves Smith over a month before her new album comes out! So it’s an exclusive debut for Star Trek fans on The ArtistFirst Radio Network. |
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Celebrate 50 Years of the Fabulous Thunderbirds on June 29 on "Flashback with Wes Britton" when T-Bird main man Kim Wilson tells you all about the band's fantastic new album, "Struck Down," debuting this weekend on Stony Plain Records! It's the band's first album in 8 years with guest stars like Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, and Billy Gibbons-- you'll get to be among the first to hear a generous sampling of their incredible, hot blues/rock performances on the next FWB Find out more about ordering your copy of "Struck Down" at-- |
Back in 1986, actor Daniel Kash played Private Spunkmeyer in Aliens! He'll tell you all about that film and many other roles on the next "Flashback with Wes Britton" On Sat. June 22 and Sun. June 23 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Dan will take you behind the scenes of not only Aliens but The Expanse, Robo-Cop, and The Stain with memories of Mike Myers and working with James Cameron! He'll also dive into his appearing at the Horror on Main fan con the last weekend of June in Harrisburg, PA where you can meet him live, in person! Find out more about the Horror on Main con at the end of June and how you can meet Daniel Cash in person at:
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8 Days in the Woods: The Making of The Blair Witch Project by Matthew Blazi
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Vanilla Fudge. Cactus. Jeff Beck. Rod Stewart.
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In Memory of Roger Corman: April 5, 1926 - May 9, 2024 (aged 98) Most of our June shows on FWB will feature a series of guests who will be appearing at this year’s Horror on Main con in Harrisburg, Pa, the weekend of June 28-30! First up will be Canadian horror filmmaker, composer, director, and producer Chris Alexander who’ll not only talk about his own "strange cinema" created in Toronto, but we’ll take a deep dive into his book * Corman/Poe: Interviews and Essays Exploring the Making of Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe Films, 1960-1964*! That means a lot of discussion on Poe, Corman, Vincent Price, and Boris Karloff as we look at the nine Roger Corman Poe films including interviews with the recently passed master himself! Plus we frame the hour with new music from supergroup Black Country Communion, Italian progressive group Kirlian Camera, and the experimental Karen Haglof!
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The Memorial Day edition of “Flashback with Wes Britton” is an hour full of love and family and artistic commitment with two talented ladies!
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Pat Boone and Michael Learned |
Lee Purcell and Anson Williams
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1000 Different Stories and 1000 Different Failures
Pete Turner Taking a step out of entertainment history for one week, on May 18 FWB features areal spy who will take you behind the lines in the Middle East, especially Afghanistan, to share what happened there before the fall, what the citizens believed and knew, what we should have done better. He didn’t spy in casinos with leggy women, but met with dirt farmers, agents of the Taliban, shopkeepers and the people who were forced to live with a war they didn’t start. Pete Turner spent years as a counterintelligence spy for the U.S. Army traveling to many countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Germany, and Iraq. He now uses his extensive knowledge and experience in geopolitics, tactical-espionage, and travel in his current project, a nonprofit organization called International Institute for Nonproliferation Studies IINPS - www.groundtruthcenter.org “The inception of the IINPS aims to tackle issues identified in US foreign policy, particularly the challenge of connecting day-to-day operations with strategic objectives. Diverging from conventional institutions, the IINPS distinguishes itself as a multidisciplinary organization grounded in practical experience rather than theoretical academia. It brings together a diverse range of seasoned professionals who have firsthand knowledge of the recurring and foreseeable failures of US initiatives abroad. This underscores the notion that the United States, due to its incapacity, inadvertently fosters instability. Paradoxically, despite contributing to this instability, the US often rejects this outcome as implausible. Policymakers and planners dismiss this harsh reality, unwilling to acknowledge their failures, as accepting such a notion seems inconceivable to them.” Founder Pete Turner expressed his motivation, stating, "I initiated this venture out of frustration with the recurring, avoidable mistakes in our approach. My goal is to break the cycle of history repeating itself.” Hear just some of Pete’s surprising and revealing undercover stories and what is going on with the new IINPS |
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May 11,
2024 Show
We hope you enjoyed the May 4 dive into
the history of the Firesign Theatre with
founding member, David Ossman. On this program, we go
even deeper with fellow Firesign alum, Phil Proctor. |
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May 4, 2024
Show
“Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand
Me the Pliers!” “We’re All Bozos on This Bus!” “Nick Danger,
Third Eye.” |
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April 27, 2024 Show Back in 1980, The
Kings had a massive hit with their "This Beat Goes on/
Switching to Glide" double A-side which topped the charts
for 23 weeks in the U.S. and Canada! In 2024, The Kings are
back with their *The Longest Story Ever Told* album which
they'll tell you all about on FWB with Wes Britton and
Karina Kantas! We'll play some generous samples from their
new album as original members Dave Diamond (bass, lead
vocals) and Mr. Zero (guitar) dive into Kings history, talk
about appearing on *American Bandstand* with Dick Clark, and
share how Alice Cooper's producer Bob Ezrin contributed to
their first recordings after his two years working with Pink
Floyd on The Wall. |
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April 20,
2024 Show Paul Robert Coyle In *Swords, Starships
and Superheroes: From Star Trek to Xena to Hercules: a TV
Writers Life Scripting the Stories of Heroes*, scriptwriter
Paul Robert Coyle takes you behind the scenes of how
such action-adventures are made and has many stories he'll
share on the April 20 edition of "Flashback with Wes
Britton" on the ArtistFirst radio network! |
Bill Mumy The April 13 edition of “Flashback with Wes Britton” features a new conversation with Bill Mumy, yep Will Robinson himself, highlighting his new album, *Gulley*, his new memoir, his old radio show, how he became involved in the new *Lost in Space* and his work as producer of the History Channel’s *Ancient Aliens!* We’ll play you a generous sampling of new and old Mumy music along with a sneak peek into an upcoming show featuring the rockin’ band, The Kings! So what does Will Robinson think about ancient alien theory? The official Bill Mumy page: http://www.billmumy.com/ |
The April 6 edition of Flashback with Wes Britton
is part one of our tribute to the '60s San Francisco psychedelic sound! Our guest will be Big Brother and the Holding Company drummer, Dave Getz, who'll take you back to the days when he worked with Janis Joplin before we dive into his solo album, *The Dave Getz Breakaway* chockfull of BBHC connections! And we'll play two samples from that bluesy, rockin' disc for ya!
And stay tuned for the debut of Remember Again with Wes Britton, a special broadcast continuing our tribute to 60's California rock and roll. |
This edition of “Flashback with Wes Britton” will be a musical special with a touch of class.
Speaking of messages,
jazz-fusion guitarist Brian Tarquin wants to share his
support for soldiers and veterans with friends like Jean Luc
Ponty and Eric Johnson on the new, dazzling Beyond the
Warrior’s Eyes album! *Beyond The Warrior’s Eyes*s mission is to
support the charity, “Hope For The Warriors,” who provide medical
care, mental health counseling, professional training and education,
physical conditioning and transition services for wounded, ill, and
injured Marines and Navy members. |
James Bond will return--at least, on the March 23 edition of "Flashback with Wes Britton" on the Artistfirst radio network! Until EON gets around
to producing a new 007 film, you can enjoy diving into past
Bond projects that never saw the light of day, thanks to
Mark Edlitz, author of *The Lost Adventures of James Bond:
Timothy Dalton’s Third and Fourth Bond Films, James Bond
Jr., and Other Unmade or Forgotten 007 Projects.* Mark's
book spins out detailed storylines to two un-produced
Timothy Dalton scripts, asks actor Toby Stephens about
playing 007 on the radio, and dives into the never produced
Raymond Benson *Casino Royale* stageplay. Among other
things. Like more than you need to know about the animated
James Bond, Jr. series. Since Mark's conversation with Wes
Britton is very much a tribute to Timothy Dalton, we thought
we'd encore the first interview actress Jeannine Bisignano
gave anyone, ever, where she shared Her memories of the 1989
Licence to Kill shooting set and shared Timothy Dalton
stories with Wes Britton you haven’t heard before including
her scene with a plastic shark, *Ruthless People,*
*Brothers,* and her upcoming projects. |
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“The
Man Who Murdered Music” |
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Charles F. Rosenay |
Mark Arnold |
Charles Rosenay & Mark Volman |
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Marc Cushman Go Now. Nights in White Satin. Story in Your Eyes. Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band. Launching our new
series exploring Rock and Roll hit makers from the ‘60s, the
next “Flashback with Wes Britton” explores a
decades-spanning band called The Moody Blues-Denny Laine,
Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas, Grahame
Edge, Patrick Moraz. Unless you’re one of those gents, no
one, and that means absolutely no one, knows more about the
history of The Moody Blues than researcher Marc Cushman,
author of the long-overdue two volume history of the band,
*Long Distance Voyagers.* Marc dives deep into the history
of the Moodies on Flashback with Wes Britton” |
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February 24, 2024 Show
Ellen Bry The name Ellen Bry
might not be a household name to you, but she’s been part of
your life for a long time now. So Ellen has a ton of
Hollywood insider stories to tell you on the next episode of
“Flashback with Wes Britton” on the ArtistFirst radio
network |
Photo By James Franklin, Courtesy of Loose Gravel Productions |
Flashback with Wes Britton once again offers two legendary Hollywood stars on the ArtistFirst Radio Network! First up, Prairie Bitch Nellie Oleson, really actress Alison Arngrim, takes you back to her childhood on the set of *Little House on the Prairie* and wants you to know how you can meet her and the rest of the show’s cast during this year’s 50th Anniversary Tour around the country! The lady has some funny tales for ya- Read about Alison
Arngrim’s comic *Confessions of a Prairie Bitch* at- Then, we offer Part Two of our in-depth conversation with Oscar-winning singer, actor, and dancer George Chakiris as he shares even more behind the scenes tales of *West Side Story* and working with the likes of Catherine Deneuve and Lana Turner! Hear these star-studded memories. Check out George
Charkiris’s *My West Side Story* memoir at: |
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Ron Dante
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Rod Stewart once sang
“Some guys have all the luck.” Well, two such lucky gents
highlight the Feb. 10 “Flashback with Wes Britton” on the
ArtistFirst radio network! |
George Charkeris
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Two Comedy
Giants on the next “Flashback with Wes Britton” on the
ArtistFirst radio network! |
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Retro Rock
and Retro TV on the Jan. 27, 28 edition of “Flashback with
Dr. Wes Britton!” |
Barry Livingston |
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You can’t find a more vivacious and engaging personality
than actress Charlotte Stuart who will entertain you and
keep you laughing. |
A Beadle-bag as created by Charlotte Stuart |
Comedy Classics and Classic Chart Toppers.
We honor two past guests who have left us in the past decade
in these encore conversations. Then, in one of
his last interviews before he passed on April 30, 2015,
singer Ben E. King (“Stand by Me,” “Spanish Harlem,” “Save
the Last Dance |
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In Loving Memory of Patty Duke a.k.a. Anna Pierce December 14, 1946 - March 29, 2016
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Kingsley Amis. John Gardner. Raymond Benson. Charlie Higson.
Anthony Horowitz. |
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“You’re way ahead of your time,” producer Norman Lear once told comic actress Geri Jewell before casting her as the first visibly disabled character in network TV, as Geri on The Facts of Life. Born with cerebral palsy, Geri has a lifetime of funny and poignant stories she tells in her stage performances and her books like 2011’s I’m Walking as Straight as I can: Transcending Disability in Hollywood and Beyond.” Geri tells many of these stories including her time with Lear and Facts of Life, her work on HBO’s Deadwood, and the day she decapitated Big Bird on Sesame Street! Plus her lifelong activism for the handicapped and gay populations. Plus her upcoming projects including a new coffee-table book of her magazine columns with an introduction written by Norman Lear.
Leading us all into the
world of Geri Jewell is singer/ songwriter Tabi Haly’s new
song for the disable, “Hello World, We are here, We are
strong, And we are more than what we probably let on.”
Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Tabi knows of what she
sings so she sets the stage perfectly for Geri’s interview. |
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“I am
the God of Hell-Fire and I bring you-Fire!” |
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The festive Dec. 8 edition of “Flashback with Wes Britton” offers comedy from British TV writer and novelist Richard Sparks and then a deep dive into the meaning of an often overlooked holiday celebration, Kwanzaa.
First up, we dive into The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, Black Adder, and working with John Cleese when writer Richard Sparks remembers his days as a British TV comedy writer before switching gears to create his new sci-fi adventure, New Rock, New Roll. A new page-turner of a stocking stuffer, especially for gamers. Then, two guests come on board to discuss a new holiday song, “Kwanzaa’s Pure Light.” Lyricist Eileen Sherman and singer Yocontalie Jackson tell you about the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa and why the celebration is meant for everyone, not limited to a cultural heritage or religion. Welcome to a new window of Unity and hear a new seasonal musical classic!
Learn more about Richard Sparks and New Rock, New Roll at- https://richardsparks.com/
See the new video for “Kwanzaa’s Pure Light” at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQgdiFkvEMyOcOwhydrL0-g
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The Dec. 1 edition of “Flashback with Wes Britton” is a double-barreled sci-fi blockbuster!
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The Beatles. Bowie. Jeff Beck. Elton. Lou Reed. Duran Duran. Supertramp.
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Have a rockin’, spooky
dance party with “Skeleton Sam” and a band called
Lvcrft on the Halloween special of “Flashback with Wes
Britton” our special guest this
week-likes the graphic look of vowel-less names and wants
you to “Scream for Halloween” pretty much every day of the
year cause, as you’ll learn, “Every Day is Halloween” when
the spirit(s) move you- |
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Blockbuster radio listening comes your way this Friday over ArtistFirst’s “Flashback With Wes Britton!”
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Reclaim the wonder of your life with the wisdom of Dee Wallace on this Friday’s Flashback With Wes Britton!
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“For Your Love.” “Shapes of Things.” “Over under Sideways down.” “Heart Full of Soul.”
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The Blues is Alive and Well,
Kickin’ and Cook The Blues is Alive and Well, Kickin’ and Cookin’ on this week’s “Flashback with Wes Britton”
First up is piano player Mitch Woods touting his new Friends Along the Way, a two-disc collection of duets and trios with friends like Van Morrison, TajMahal, Elvin Bishop, Charles Musselwhite, Ruthie Foster, Marsha Ball, John Lee Hooker, Cyril Neville, James Cotton, John Hammond, Maria Muldar . . . and more. Need I say anything else to whet your appetite?
Then, the Queen of Blues Guitar, Joanna Conner, tells you all about her hot new Best of Me disc with stories to tell about her years in Chicago, on the road, in the studio, and yes, we play you a few samples.
Billy J. Cramer concludes our deep dive into "The British Invasion" this Friday on online radio's "Flashback with Wes Britton!"
If you're a Baby Boomer and dug the rock of 1964, then Billy J. Cramer isn't a new name to you. He had huge hits like "Do You Want to Know A secret," "Bad to Me" and "Little Children," many given to him by Liverpool buds John Lennon and Paul McCartney. It was Beatle John who suggested Billy add the J. to his name-in honor of his new son, Julian. Billy worked with George Martin and championed his late manager, Brian Epstein, until Brian was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was then Billy's seriously cool album, "I Won the Fight" was released. Hear all sorts of first-hand British Invasion stories.
Part 2 of Flashback with Wes Britton’s tribute to the British Invasion
continues with two gents who were there-Peter Asher and drummer Andy White! Peter is best known for being half of the hit-makers, Peter and Gordon, who were given chart-toppers by Liverpool buds John and Paul (McCartney lived with Peter’s sister in the Asher home), being managed by Brian Epstein, produced by George Martin, and then a manager/ producer himself for folks like James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. Hear more Beatle connections when you learn George Martin called on drummer Andy White for the Beatles first recording session. Martin wasn’t yet convinced Ringo could do the trick. So it’s Andy you hear on the first versions of “Love Me Do” and “P.S. I Love you.” Andy has lots of other stories to tell like touring with Marlana Dietrich, recording for Herman and the Hermits, and especially his career in Scottish bagpipe bands.
September is British Invasion Month on “Flashback With Wes Britton!”
First up, this Fri. Sept. 1, author Gene Popa joins Wes Britton to discuss his new book, British Invasion '64 - The Year That Changed Rock & Roll Forever! In the conversation, Gene and Wes remember The Beatles, Dave Clark 5, Animals, Stones, Cilla Black—a book you don’t want to miss if you love all that truly Classic Rock!
Then, our later September shows will feature vintage interviews with folks like Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon,” Billy J. Kramer (The Dakotas), Jackie De Shannon, and Andy White, the drummer who played “Love Me Do, and “P.S. I Love You” when George Martin wasn’t sure Ringo Starr was a good studio drummer.
Special Guest: Alan Paul
Take a deep dive into Southern blues/ rock with the Allman Brothers and Robert Jon and the Wreck on this Friday’s “Flashback with Wes Britton!”
What made the Allman Brothers 1973 album, Brothers and Sisters, so special?
That’s what rock journalist Alan Paul set out to answer in his new Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the '70s. Based on many participant interviews in the Allman saga, Paul gives us a generous ride into what made that period so influential and so much more than “Rambling Man.” Fun for Deadheads too. Then, Robert Jon demonstrates what a new generation of Southern rockers are doing. In particular, he’s the front man for a group called Robert Jon and the Wreck who have a new rockin,’ affirming, energizing CD to share with you, Ride Into the Light. We’ll play two upbeat tracks from the album for ya.
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August 11, 2023 Show Dulcie Taylor Rekindle your '60s
folk-music vibes with singer/ songwriter Dulcie Taylor as she
introduces you to her newest release, Edges of Silver this
coming Friday on "Flashback with Wes Britton" over the
ArtistFirst radio network. Dulci not only channels a wide well
of Americana influences, but her lyrics are honed by a poet
who's been around and felt deeply. She shares lots of
insightful stories and we play two popular samples from
Edges. On, this week's "Extra" is another short reading
from Wes Britton's futurist sci-fi novel, Return to Alpha. It
dovetails nicely with Dulcie's "Halfway to Jesus," a comment
on global warming. After the initial broadcast, the show will
be archived at the ArtistFirst website for streaming and
downloading any ole time you like. |
The Nighthawks
Photo by Linda Parker |
August 4, 2023 Show Mark Wenner from The Nighthawks For over 50 years, Mark Wenner has sang and played the harmonica as leader of the legendary and award-winning Nighthawks blues and roots rock band. On Friday’s “Flashback with Wes Britton,” Mark shares his memories about blowing harp on the road in the days before the blues got big in the late ‘70s, tells stories about the many greats he knew and worked with, and gets into the Nighthawks latest releases. That’s 50 years of the blues and old-time rock ‘n roll. |
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Anson “Potsie
Webber” Williams While the SAG actor’s strike is ongoing, Anson can’t share any stories about his Happy Days days. But a man of Anson’s wide-ranging talents and interests has lots he can talk about from his marriage this year at the age of 72 to his directorial work to telling you all about his favorite charity, The Doors of Change benefiting homeless youth and the Concert of Hope supporting that organization this year.
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Jeannine Bisignano Her first interview, ever, since appearing as a stripper in 1989’s Licence to Kill!Recorded before the SAG strike commenced, Jeannine Bisignano’s historic interview Shares her memories of the Licence to Kill shooting set and tells Timothy Dalton stories you haven’t heard before! Who should be the next film 007? Jeannine Bisignano thinks she knows and is starting her campaign here at ArtistFirst radio!
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Tony Romero First up, meet keyboardist Tony Romero of Red32, "The Space-Age Steely Dan" crossover prog-rock Band. They're gaining major critical and popular respect as their music touches on mankind's future in their dynamic debut album. What does Red32 mean? We'll tell you. What does the group predict for us all? We'll share that with you too. Get the CD here: www.red32.bandcamp.com |
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Monster Mike
Welch
a kick-ass blues guitarist and vocalist who got his nickname
from a gent named Dan Aykroyd some
30 years ago. Since then, Boston based Monster Mike has been
playing blistering leads and pumping out powerful blues vocals
which we'll talk about in between to knock-out samples of his
recent work! |
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July 14, 2023 Show Ruta Lee CONSIDER YOUR ASS KISSED
by legendary entertainer Ruta Lee is a glittering ride through
classic Hollywood history! |
Inaugural Broadcast:
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Peter Macon For three seasons (so far), Peter Macon played Moclan Lt. Commander Bortus on Seth MacFarlane's comedy-drama, The Orville. For "Flashback," Peter takes you behind the scenes, shares some alien makeup secrets (including an invasion of ants in his mask!), and offers some thoughts about a hoped fourth season. Plus, get some sneak peeks into next year's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" and hear how you can meet Peter this weekend at the Shore Leave Star Trek con in Hunt Valley, Maryland!
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John Billingsley For five seasons, John Billingsley played Denobulan chief medical officer Dr. Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise. For "Flashback," John will entertain you with his engaging memories of Enterprise, his favorite episodes, his love of fans and his hope that someday he'll star in an unlikely new series, "Old Fat Phlox." (That should give you a taste of his personality.)
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