Professor of Rock

I shared a video a few months back about the legendary rockstar who walked out of my interview to go eat a burrito. Well, today I have that uncut rollercoaster interview. And as we were prepping it this week, it was funny because the first thing he told me before we even started talking was that I could ask him anything. Well it’s probably the most entertaining interview I’ve ever done because He shares some incredible stories behind some of the greatest songs of all time because He was in 2 different supergroups The Byrds and Crosby Stills and Nash and a vital part of the music of the 60s and 70s but then he turns on me and tells me what for and walks out of the interview only to return about 45 minutes later… I think he was hangry, but no matter, this is a must-see interview, a train wreck that somehow has a cool ending. We get the stories of some of the greatest songs of the 60s and 70s, including Eight Miles High, Mr. Tambourine Man, Turn! Turn! Turn! and Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Teach your Children, and Ohio here’s my interview with David Crosby Warts, profanity, cuss out and all! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up… a riveting leap back to the ‘80s to celebrate 10 phenomenal songs that don’t get the credit they deserve from some of the greatest female voices ever, including some insane stories behind them. including a Natalie Merchant who was touring a London museum, was suddenly struck by a tingling, then numbness, and searing pain. She would have emergency surgery to save her life and spinal cord. In the surgery, they had to remove 3 bones from her spine & shift her vocal cords to the side. When she awoke, she could no longer sing… There’s also the eerie vocal by Bjork and a strange song that sounded like a Train Wreck, but its peculiarity made its singer a revelation. And then there’s the pivotal day when Sade would give a career-defining performance, and at the time, she was destitute and improvising a life inside an abandoned fire station. Where the building’s utilities failed—the toilet froze, nearly running a career before it began. Plus, the highest note achieved on a hit song in history by Sheena Easton, and it’s not annoying. The stories of the 80s hits by Warlock and Doro which became a one hit wonder, Heart featuring Ann Wilson with a duet Surrender to Me, the Sugarcubes Birthday, Piano in the Dark by Brenda Russell and Magic by Olivia Newton John and Rooms in Fire by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac,See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes the biggest songs never got their due on the charts. Today we're counting down the Top 10 tracks from 1979 that should have been massive hits but somehow never cracked the Top 40 even though they defined a generation, shaped rock history, and became undeniable classics—And as per usual, we’ve got some crazy stories… like Police frontman Sting who got so drunk in a Munich hotel room that the world was spinning around him—but in the middle of his drunken stupor he came up with one of the most cosmic tracks of the decade, Walking on the Moon. There's also a guitar legend Mark Knopfler who wrote the song Lady Writer about a brilliant woman on TV and used her to absolutely destroy his ex-girlfriend with some seriously savage lyrics. And we'll reveal the infamous lyric from Neil Young that would haunt him forever after it appeared in one of music's most tragic suicide notes. Plus, the top 2 songs on this countdown are 2 of the most played songs in rock history, with about 8 billion streams and listens Pink Floyd Comfortably Numb and AC/DC Highway To Hell, but were never hits. One was almost an instrumental and one is arguably the greatest riff ever. Plus the story of All of My Love from Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant's tribute to his fallen son. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next the most insane story of a hit song in the annals of insane stories of hit songs. A famous songwriter John D Loudermilk was allegedly kidnapped by three men while resting in his car waiting out a late-night blizzard. He said he was beaten for three days, and then it got worse when they found out he was a famous songwriter… That’s when they made a deal with him under duress. If he would write a song about the unjust treatment of their people, the Cherokees would let him live. Otherwise, they would take his life. There really wasn’t a choice… Now, this songwriter had written a lot of great songs for everyone from Johnny Cash to Roy Orbison, so he was confident he could write a song to save his life. He agreed to the three men’s demands to save his own life. He went about writing a song called Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) and it became a massive global smash for Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and The Raiders..After the song became massive and he had lived up to his promise… the truth would finally come out, and it would ruin his career… The truth surrounding one of the biggest hits of its time coming up next on Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They had the talent. They had the songs. They had their shot at superstardom. But for these artists, something went off the rails… Dead wrong at exactly the wrong moment—leaving us to wonder what might have been. Today we're counting down eight bands and solo acts who seemed destined for massive, enduring careers… but for reasons ranging from self-sabotage to tragedy to bad timing, it never happened. Including the La's perfectionist frontman, who actually destroyed millions of dollars' worth of his own recorded music because it didn't sound “authentic” enough. He physically destroyed them, and no one will ever hear them! Or what about the Fiona Apple who ruined her career with an out-of-control acceptance speech at an awards show? After that, her career stalled because her label refused to release her latest album… then thousands of fans mailed apples to the label’s headquarters in protest. Find out why. Plus, the mysterious hospital cover-up that robbed us of what could have been rock’s greatest frontman, Mother Love Bone's Andrew Wood. It’s our latest episode of One and Done, NEXT on the Professor of Rock.Plus the story of 80s bands that had a chance to be huge but lost their careers including Shattered Dreams by Johnny Hates Jazz, Wild, Wild West by the Escape Club, I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew and You Get What You Give by the new Radicals who chose to be a one hit wonder. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next… You’ve seen pieces of this interview over the years but here is the uncut full length version with one of the greatest rock vocalists in history. From her formative years to the her legendary years in the 70s to her fall from grace in the early 80s to the comeback in the 80s.  and the stories of all the songs are here including Crazy on You the song that put Heart and Ann Wilson on the map.  When people started calling them a Woman’s answer to Led Zeppelin along with the other massive hits’ magic man and the Scumbag record executive who harassed her that led to the Rock classic Barracuda to the Duet where the label gave her the choice to sing with any rock frontman in the business and how she learned to sing like that…a full uncut interview with rock legend ann wilson is next…Make sure to subscribe below for more interviews like this.  Let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next, the legendary Prince who wrote a throwaway song that he gave to his bandmate's solo project. He wrote it quickly, without thought, as a favor for his bandmate to give him a little something. He had just picked up an acoustic guitar and created the song in a matter of minutes. The very next day, Prince came into the studio, and as a courtesy, he checked on his bandmate, who was in the middle of recording that throwaway track. But all of a sudden, Prince heard something more. It was better than he’d originally thought. In fact, as Prince continued to listen, he knew the song was going to be a massive hit, and he knew it was too good for this side project. So he took it back. Prince immediately locked himself in the studio for several hours and transformed the little acoustic ditty into one of the funkiest hits of the 80s: Kiss. Sure enough, it hit #1, and he promised to give his bandmate a writing credit. But it never happened. We have a great story of a throwaway song that hit #1 and the drama that followed next. Let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, This group was on a tear to start the decade. Wham! starring legend George Michael and his pal Andrew Ridgely were on top of the world. but George in particular was obsessed with dominating the charts. His goal in 1984 was to score four #1 singles. And you know what, by November he and his partner had three… With time running out, he pulled out a surefire hit he wrote in the middle of watching a football game on TV. He was certain it would hit #1… and it was a holiday song called Last Christmas... However, in December he was invited to sing on a massive charity single. Band-Aid Do They Know It’s Christmas ...when he heard it, he knew it was sure to go #1. Wrestling with guilt, he secretly hoped his song would outperform this charity track. It’s the story of one of the most popular songs of the 80s with almost 3 billion streams yet the song was only a promotional single in the US. Find our if it ever got to #1 NEXT on the Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You know how much I love the stories of the great one-hit wonders of the rock era. Well, today we're starting off a new countdown series on the channel, and this one is going to be a blast… It’s the 10 best Bottled Lightning hits from a single year in the rock era. And to kick off the series, we’re targeting the halfway point of the 80s, including the story of powerhouse vocalist Alison Moyet who publicly rejected her biggest US hit, calling it weak and vowing to never perform it again and she has kept that promise… We’ve also got the supergroup The Firm featuring Jimmy Page, arguably the greatest guitarist ever, who let the lead singer Paul Rodgers play the guitar on their biggest hit, even though the singer could barely play. And then there's the song by Cock Robin that seemed innocent enough in the 80s, but whose lyrics read like a restraining order waiting to happen. The creepiest love song of the 80s, and it’s not Every Breath You Take. Plus Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill that went from millions of streams over 36 years to billions of views overnight due to one single use in a famous show… Let’s do it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have another year-end countdown today, and this one is packed with songs that have stood the test of time, including a broke rockstar Johnny Rzenik who had just been screwed over by his label and was coming off a brutal divorce and ready to quit music. But an epiphany while strumming a guitar with many broken strings gave him one of the biggest hits ever, Goo Goo Dolls' Iris. Plus the female powerhouse Alanis Morissette, who sold 33 million copies of her debut, only to lose 30 million of those fans on her follow-up song Thank U, which had a provocative video where she appeared naked & blurred. Plus Lauryn Hill, who said she wasn’t dissing her contemporary in her hit song but ripped her with a one-liner that felt like an uppercut about her booty. Plus the greatest song of the last 30 years, Bittersweet Symphony, that has been one of the most streamed and synced songs ever and the artist behind it made nothing and how a song about getting a BLEEEEP while dancing close became the #1 hit of the year… Let’s do it.To get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames go to: AuraFrames.com and use promo code ROCK at checkout.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next… The Final Single from the hardest-hitting, most epic rock band in history, Led Zeppelin. The song? Fool in the Rain. For a decade, Zeppelin ripped a hole in the ozone layer and redefined rock, but for their final magnum opus, they came out of left field with a dynamite single that was so catchy they knew it couldn’t miss. Whereas they’d had few hits because they were an albums band first and only released a handful of singles, they knew they had a sure-fire hit on their hands, and it came from their final proper studio album. Would the band that only had a few of the top 40 singles because mainstream radio refused to play them finally get a #1 hit? Fool in the Rain had the best chance yet, but it was a big gamble; it sounded nothing like their heavy sound. Let’s find out next. Regardless, Zeppelin would defy radio and sell 300 million records. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham wrote some of the greatest songs in rock history from Stairway to Heaven, Kashmir, Whole Lotta Love and Black Dog but Fool in the Rain maybe the catchiest song they ever wrote...Here's the story!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merry Christmas a little early, everyone! Today I’ve got a once-in-a-year countdown for you that I know will put a smile on your face… For this episode, we’re unwrapping a Christmas rock countdown. But to be honest, some of these tracks weren’t exactly born out of holiday cheer. One was actually written by a musical genius, Brian Wilson, to spite a hero and rival producer. Another was a duet by the Pogues that they tried several different females for years. They tried to nail this song down, finally, the producer’s wife got so fed up she walked into the vocal booth and did a perfect Take. Plus, we’ve got the story of the classic track that The King tried to sabotage in the studio. He treated it like a joke, but it ended up anchoring one of the highest-selling Christmas albums ever. There’s also Bruce Springsteen, who was tangled up in legal disputes, so he couldn't release any music. But his manager bootlegged a live Christmas recording and distributed it to radio stations—creating a major hit, but it couldn't be purchased for six years… But putting all the drama aside, I hope this episode will help you keep the good vibes going through the holiday season. Let’s do it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, one of the funniest song stories I’ve come across. Sammy Hagar was in the middle of an intimate moment with his then-wife. Ya, they were in the middle of doing it... when they were interrupted by the singer’s neighbor. His neighbor also happened to be the legendary guitarist in his band, Eddie Van Halen from the band of the same name...Van Halen... Eddie was up late, a bit tipsy, and his wife had kicked him out, but he had a no-brainer song idea that he wanted to write then and there. So Eddie interrupted the couple's session. They got a massive hit out of it, Finish What Ya Started, but the singer was in trouble with his wife. The story is next on Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up a special full-length uncut interview with one of the great unheralded guitar heroes of rock history. One of my favorites, but not only that, he’s a legendary producer, songwriter and the right-hand man of the late great Tom Petty. Mike Campbell. Mike produced and co-wrote many of the Heartbreakers' classics as well as several big hits for Don Henley, including Boys of Summer. A song that has one of the most incredible stories of the rock era. Mike thought he had written one of his best songs, but when he brought it to Tom Petty, Tom rejected it as it didn’t fit the album they were creating, so producer Jimmy Iovine told Mike to take it to Don Henley for his second Solo Album. So Don came to Mike’s house.So when he played it for Don, Henley’s reaction made Mike feel like he thought it was a dud too. Henley left without a word, but then he called back about an hour later and told Mike he’d just written the best song of his career. Putting lyrics to Mike’s Music. There’s even more to it with the Track almost getting erased forever and thenTom Petty’s reaction after it became a hit. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg; there’s the story of all of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers hits on here, and Mike does it while smoking a bowl. It was such an amazing interview, I felt like Tom was there in spirit. Discussing the greatest hits from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers including Free Fallin' , Mary Jane's Last Dance, Refugee, American Girl, I Won't Back Down, Running Down a Dream and many more. Ya know, the more time that goes by in my life, the more Tom Petty moves up in my top artists list. He’s probably top 5 for me! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oh man, coming up on today, we're getting into a topic that we’ve never covered before. It’s the stories of musicians who vanished from public without a trace. I’m not talking about One hit wonders who never had another hit…I’m talking about actual missing persons… Amazingly, some of these artists would later be found after decades of having gone missing but the others remain unsolved. Some of these disappearances are completely unexplainable, and some of these musicians have been pronounced dead… because it’s the most likely scenario. We’ll tell the story of a beloved bassist from an iconic 80s band Loverboy who was swept overboard by a massive 25-foot wave off the coast of San Francisco. And the tale of legendary bandleader Glen Miller, whose plane disappeared over the English Channel. And then there’s the brilliant folk singer Connie Converse, who packed her Volkswagen and drove off into the sunset never to be heard from again. Some of these artists would leave nothing behind but their music. But did some of them fake their own disappearance? Some people think so. Get ready for seven incredible disappearing acts… including David Glasper from Breath who had hits with Hands to Heaven and How Can I Fall and Gerry Rafferty who's 70s hit Baker Street changed everything. Both vanished. NEXT on the Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, the fantastic stories from the creme of the crop from a pivotal year in the formation of the Rock Era: 1957. Including a classic hit we all sing along to, but decades after it was a smash, nobody knows who sang it. It was recorded by two competing bands who were touring and recording under the same name, the Del-Vikings! But the two singers sounded so much alike that nobody knows who really sang it. Let’s see if we can solve it. Then there is the breakout single That'll Be the Day from one of rock’s greatest legends, Buddy Holly, who stole the lyric from a movie. He knew the song was a hit. But he was told by his producer that it was “the worst song he’d ever heard, so he set out to prove him wrong all the way to #1. Then there was Jerry Lee Lewis, who was playing to such a rough crowd that they were throwing bottles, and then they ran out of songs… Fearing for their life, they launched into a song they barely knew and had to adlib the whole thing. The crowd loved it so much that they made them play it 23 more times. By the end, they knew it would be a smash, and they were right! Our countdown of the Top 10 Songs of 1957 is NEXT…on Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next… sometimes you have to ask, is there any justice in the world? Today I’ve got an interview with Don Barnes, one of the coolest singers of the 80s. He’s a guy who doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He fronted the band 38 Special, which started out as a southern rock band, but by the early 80s, they’d transformed into a leading arena rock group. And they released some of the most memorable hits of the decade, including today’s classic Caught Up in You. It was actually a co-write between this band’s guitarist and lead singer, along with a talented writer from a rival band…when the rival band’s guitarist heard about this contribution, he was livid. To avoid a lawsuit, they gave him a co-writing credit even though he didn’t write anything. By the end of the 80s, after 16 hits, this band had a temp singer who came in for 1 album, and he delivered their biggest chart hit. Let’s do it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next a story you won’t believe. Talk about an ordeal. Today’s guest, John Parr, has a massive #1 hit in 1985 that is still huge today. It was the theme to the movie St. Elmo's Fire, but the song was actually written about the power to overcome anything and was inspired by a disabled man. It not only hit #1 but was the frontrunner to win the Best Original Song Oscar that year. But then it was pulled from contention on a stupid technicality. But in the end, it raised incredible awareness and millions of dollars for people with spinal injuries. John Parr was at the pinnacle of his career, and then someone in his inner circle betrayed him, and an ongoing litigation kept him from recording music for 18 years! He had to get a regular job to make ends meet for his family and to raise his kids. But there is a happy ending. Let’s do itSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we’re going all in on the most unlikely origin stories for some seriously legendary bands and artists. I think you're going to really dig this one... including the grieving drummer Dave Grohl, whose famous band, Nirvana had just splintered in tragedy. He left music for a time, but then, out of the blue, he secretly recorded a solo album in one week, playing every instrument himself. Then made up a fake band name FOO FIGHTERS because he didn't want anyone to know who he was… He became one of the biggest acts in rock. Then there’s the story of Nikki Sixx, who found his guitarist, Mick Mars, in an unforgettable classified ad… but it turns out he had already met him before and even had his number. He had just forgotten about him. Their band, Motley Crue, would become one of the biggest acts of the 80s and beyond. Plus, the singer Darlene Love, who was hired by one of the biggest jerks in history Phil Spector to sing lead on the legendary song He's a Rebel. The song went to #1, but it was credited to another band, the Crystals even though she was the voice behind it! Even today, people still don’t know she sang it. Plus the story of the Everly Brothers who were recorded a Country record called Bye Bye Love but they accidentally sent it to rock stations and it became a #1 rock hit and made the Everly's rock stars!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When today’s legendary band came out, they were unlike anything anyone had ever heard back in… Black Sabbath! Their music was hardcore and at first, they almost called themselves a three-word title that started with Polka, thankfully they saw a horror movie around that time and took its much cooler title as their name.. Their first record was destroyed by the critics but out of nowhere fans bought a million copies of it and they readied their sophomore record. Needing only 3 more minutes of music to finish it, the band created a track that inadvertently affected the future of rock & roll. Paranoid would change everything. It was the unfolding of a heavy metal anthem was it inspired by dark mysticism or the highs and lows of drug indulgence….find out next on Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.