Life in Seven Songs

From Nirvana to BB King, The Rolling Stones to Radiohead, legendary rock photographer Jay Blakesberg has been documenting music icons for nearly 40 years. His work has been published in thousands of magazines, documentaries and books, but what he’s most known for is creating a seminal photographic archive of the Grateful Dead. Here are his songs. Hey Jude – The Beatles  Black Water  – The Doobie Brothers  Wooden Ships – Crosby Stills & Nash  Eyes of The World – Grateful Dead Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) – Talking Heads  Tangled up in Blue – Bob Dylan Attics of My Life – Grateful Dead  Listen to Jay Blakesberg’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

From her groundbreaking role playing one of the first openly gay characters on television, to her iconic appearances on David Letterman — where she repeatedly made the host speechless — actor and comedian Sandra Bernhard has always been unapologetically herself. And yet, decades into her career, she says she still discovers new layers every time she performs. Here are her songs. Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris Day Stop! In The Name Of Love – The Supremes Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan People's Parties – Joni Mitchell  You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Sylvester  Lose Again –  Linda Ronstadt  Edge Of Seventeen – Stevie Nicks   Listen to Sandra Bernhard’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Lawyer Chesa Boudin’s professional life has been nearly as tumultuous as his upbringing. He was raised by family friends because his parents—members of the Weather Underground—were incarcerated for crimes committed when he was just 14 months old. Boudin eventually became a progressive San Francisco district attorney representing criminal justice reform. However, he was recalled a few years later. These are his songs. Worlds Apart (1985 Original Broadway Cast) – Daniel Jenkins Fast Car – Tracy Chapman Dear Mama – Tupac Shakur I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be – Free Nina Simone Be (Intro) – Common Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles Baby Shark – Pinkfong Listen to Chesa Boudin’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Rahsaan “New York” Thomas spent more than two decades incarcerated before being granted a commutation for his rehabilitation efforts behind bars. He shares how his life was shaped by growing up in Brownsville, “the murder capital of New York,” the music that got him through prison life and what he’s working on now. Here are his songs. Rapper's Delight – The Sugarhill Gang Survival of the Fittest – Mobb Deep Do What I Gotta Do – Ralph Tresvant Good Man – India Arie Black – The-Dream Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down – Alicia Keys Listen to Rahsaan “New York” Thomas’ full playlist on Spotify and also check out the podcast Ear Hustle about life inside prison. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Longtime journalist and media entrepreneur Kara Swisher has been covering Silicon Valley and the Internet since the days of dial-up. She’s taken nearly all of technology's titans to task with a fearless, no-nonsense style. But in this episode, she shows another side of herself: the “San Francisco liberal lesbian who loves country music and wanted to be in the military.” Here are her songs. The Last Great American Dynasty – Taylor Swift Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris Day Corner Of The Sky – John Rubinstein Landslide – Fleetwood Mac  Jesus, Take the Wheel – Carrie Underwood  Wahine ‘Ilikea – Dennis Kamakahi Quarter Moon – Cheryl Wheeler Listen to Kara Swisher’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Billionaire businessman and investor Mark Cuban is known for making — or crushing — entrepreneurs' dreams on the TV show Shark Tank. But in reality, he's a big softie. Here, he talks about getting his start selling trash bags as a kid, opening a bar before he was even 21, and betting on the Internet early. Here are his seven songs, including his life’s “theme” and a song that brings him to tears. Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry Life’s Been Good – Joe Walsh September – Earth, Wind & Fire Fame – DMX Rapper's Delight – The Sugarhill Gang Eminence Front – The Who Listen to Mark Cuban’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Today we’re sharing an episode of a podcast from our friends at PBS that we think you’ll really like – American Masters: Creative Spark.  It’s a show that interviews iconic artists across disciplines about their creative journeys in a way that is sure to inspire listeners. This episode features an interview between host Joe Skinner and Tony Award-winning actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The actor discusses the vast “spectrum of realism” in his line of work. Whether it’s the recently released Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Lincoln, 3rd Rock From the Sun, The Dark Knight Rises, Mysterious Skin, 500 Days of Summer, or one of the dozens of other projects he’s starred in, Gordon-Levitt really shows his range.  Listen to hear him unpack his creative journey, and find more episodes of American Masters: Creative Spark at https://link.chtbl.com/eOfylsfA?sid=LISS

Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the groundbreaking company leading the development of AGI—artificial general intelligence. AGI aims to create machines that can think, learn, and understand the world like humans—or even better than we can. It’s a concept with the potential to transform every aspect of life, for better or worse. But in this episode, a rare glimpse into the human behind superhuman machine intelligence. Here are his songs. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2 – Sviatoslav Richter What’s My Age Again? – Blink-182 That Was a Crazy Game of Poker – O.A.R. Opus – Eric Prydz Spring 1 – Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons Underwater – Rufus du Sol Your Hand in Mine – Explosions in the Sky Listen to Sam Altman’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Rhodessa Jones is a performance artist who turned her life as a nude dancer into a theatrical revolution. From her days in a San Francisco peep show, where she danced to Prince’s “Soft and Wet,” Jones crafted her provocative experiences into a one-woman show that shook up the theater world. Ever since, she’s used her art to empower a generation of women to share their own stories. Here are her songs. How I Got Over – Mahalia Jackson Cupid – Sam Cooke I Say A Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin Mr. Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan Soft and Wet – Prince What's Going On – Marvin Gaye A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke Listen to Rhodessa Jones’ full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

A giant in the field of politics, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich—who stands just under 5 feet tall—has spent a lifetime fighting for, yes, the little guys. He shares how dealing with grade school bullies prepared him to battle for the middle class. Here are his seven songs. Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers Chain Gang – Sam Cooke Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops Lady Madonna – The Beatles Metaphor – The Fantasticks Suzanne – Judy Collins Listen to Robert Reich’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Daniel Handler, or Lemony Snicket as you may know him, is the author of more than two dozen books, including the 13-book best-selling saga for young adults called "A Series of Unfortunate Events.” In much of Daniel’s work, terrible things happen to people. In this episode, we unpack why. These are his songs. Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" Mvt III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Ludwig van Beethoven Where or When - Julie London Let's Go Crazy - Prince Beethoven (I Love To Listen To) - Eurythmics Enlightenment - Sun Ra The Night You Can't Remember - The Magnetic Fields Main Title and Anatomy of a Murder - Duke Ellington Listen to Daniel Handler’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

The 89-year-old behind some of the world’s most famous buildings, including Apple’s “Spaceship” headquarters in Cupertino, the Reichstag in Berlin, Wembley Stadium in London and Hearst Tower in New York, shares how growing up in a working-class family and dropping out of school at 16 led to a career transforming workplaces and breaking down class barriers. These are his songs. I'll Walk Beside You — John McCormack Symphony No. 7 "Sinfonia antartica": I. Prelude. Allegro maestoso — Ralph Vaughan Williams West Side Story, Act 1: Prologue (Original Broadway Cast Recording) — Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim The Twist — Chubby Checker Prelude & Fugue No. 12 in F Minor, BWV 857, WTC I — J.S. Bach King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: Prelude While Cold Genius Rises - Frost Scene. "What Power Art Thou" — Henry Purcell Bésame Mucho — Andrea Bocelli Listen to Norman Foster’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Raunchy, risk-taking and always hilarious, Margaret Cho has had a legendary career as a stand-up comic, actress and musician. She says her success is because of all the trauma she’s survived, not despite it. These are her songs. (They Long to Be) Close to You — Carpenters Eleanor Rigby — The Beatles Doot-Doot — Freur Our Lips Are Sealed — The Go-Go’s Groove Is in the Heart — Deee-Lite Wonderwall — Oasis Chandelier — Sia Listen to Margaret Cho’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

We’ve received numerous requests from our listeners about our theme music, and we're excited to share the full track with you today! Composed exclusively for 'Life in Seven Songs' by the talented Kate Davis and Zubin Hensler, this music is an integral part of our show. Enjoy!

You may not know his name, but you certainly know his work. Sir Jony Ive is the former chief design officer for Apple, and the mastermind behind devices most cannot imagine living without—the Macbook, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and more. He joined Apple at just 25 years old, and together with Steve Jobs, transformed what was a financially troubled company into a juggernaut. These are his seven songs. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da – The Police Main Theme / Carter Takes a Train–  Roy Budd Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone –The Temptations Don't You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds Define Dancing – Thomas Newman 40 – U2 This Is The Day – Ivy Listen to Jony Ive’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Music producer and musician D’Wayne Wiggins has mentored superstars like Beyoncé, Kehlani and Zendaya, all while touring with his own Grammy award-winning band Tony! Toni! Toné!. In this episode, D’Wayne reveals how he found his sound and helped others do the same. These are his songs. Hot Fun in the Summertime - Sly and the Family Stone Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix Strawberry Letter 23 - The Brothers Johnson Imagination - Earth, Wind & Fire The Jam - Graham Central Station Be Thankful for What You Got - William DeVaughn What's Really Going On (Strange Fruit) - D'Wayne Wiggins Listen to D’Wayne Wiggins’ full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

Host Sophie Bearman sits down with London Breed, the 45th mayor of San Francisco, and the first Black woman to hold the position. London opens up about how her life was shaped by the challenges that plague San Francisco, how she’s been criticized for being outspoken, and why she says that makes her uniquely qualified for the job. Here's her playlist. Get Me Bodied – Beyoncé Candy Girl – New Edition Push It! – Salt-N-Pepa End of the Road – Boyz II Men I’m Every Woman – Whitney Houston Ex-Factor – Lauryn Hill Truth Hurts – Lizzo Listen to London Breed’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

“Life in Seven Songs” is a new podcast from The San Francisco Standard. In each episode, host Sophie Bearman brings you closer to influential figures through the music that has shaped their lives. “Life in Seven Songs” premieres on June 18, with new episodes released every other Tuesday.