When Ben Fong-Torres’ father immigrated to the United States from China, his surname was Fong, but he changed it to Torres and posed as a Filipino in order to avoid prosecution under the Chinese Exclusion Act which restricted Chinese immigration. Ben seems to have a pedigree totally of his own making. He graduated from San Francisco State in the mid-sixties and went on to become the senior editor for Rolling Stone magazine and author of books on Top 40 radio, the Doors, the Grateful Dead, and the Eagles. On this week’s show, we talk about some of the classic interviews he’s conducted for Rolling Stone and the awards he’s won for magazine writing.

This is a replay from the Top Ten of our highest rated shows – Episode 11. Sandy Deane has been with Jay and the Americans since their inception back in the early Sixties and the hits never stopped coming – Cara Mia, Come a Little Bit Closer, Only in America, and This Magic Moment. Would you believe they were one of the bands that was on the bill when the Beatles played their first concert in the U.S. at the Washington Coliseum in 1964? I’ve got a ton of questions for Sandy and he has a raft load of ‘60s rock stories for us on this week’s show.

This is a replay from the Top Ten of our highest rated shows -  Episode 18. On this week’s episode, we’re going to meet three different stars. The festivities begin with a 1967 song written by Jim Webb for the 5th Dimension. Florence La Rue, one of their original members who is still performing today, remembers Up, Up, and Away with us. Then we’re shifting the tone to San Francisco’s Summer of Love and the Sixties music scene recalling dj’s Big Daddy Tom Donahue and Bobby Mitchell. We’re talking with Tom’s wife, Raechel Donahue who recalls not only those exciting times, but she became an entertainment reporter for CNN and is today the host of her own internet radio show. Finally, who can forget Hang On Sloopy? Our last segment is with Rick Derringer of the McCoys who’s appeared on numerous albums with Steely Dan, Air Supply, and Cindy Lauper.

This is a replay from the Top Ten of our highest rated shows – Episode 14. When Bob Berryhill and his Surfaris recorded the all-time surf hit “Wipeout”, he was only fifteen years old and they made the record for a hundred and fifty bucks in an old hole-in-the wall studio in Cucamonga, CA. “Wipeout” was originally the B side of that record; the A side was a song called “Surfer Joe”. No matter – both songs became hits in the early Sixties and this week we’re talking with Bob Berryhill, the original guitarist for the Surfaris who are still performing today.

This is a replay from the Top Ten of our highest rated shows – Episode 15. The Standells are considered by many to be the godfathers of punk rock. Their big hit from 1966, Dirty Water is today the theme song for every victory by the Boston Red Sox even though none of the band members including this week’s guest, lead singer Larry Tamblyn were from Massachusetts. Second up on this week’s show is David Logeman who’s been involved in all kinds of show biz ventures, not only as the drummer for Frank Zappa, Jan and Dean, and the Beach Boys, but arranging and recording TV soundtracks. He now heads up the Surf City Allstars Tour with Dean Torrance and Al Jardine.

Deana Martin is a world-class entertainer who is equally comfortable singing with a celebrated symphony or on an intimate cabaret stage with a swinging jazz quintet. And I must add, she recorded her most recent album at Capitol Records Studio A which is famous in its own right. She’s a New York Times best-selling author, a gifted actor, a vocalist of incredible depth and passion and a licensed pilot. But when talent is part of the family pedigree it can sometimes be difficult for the child of a famous singer and actor to forge their own individual path. Deana Martin has successfully navigated that tricky terrain and we’re talking with her on this week’s show.

This week we’re listening to a replay of one of our highest rated shows. It’s from July of 2017. We meet Tony Butala and you’ll know who he is when I rattle off a few of their hits: The Way You Look Tonight, Hurts So Bad, Goin’ Outa My Head/ Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You. Tony’s the only original member left of the Lettermen. And recently, TV legend and film star Dick Van Dyke became the first ever recipient of the Red Skelton America’s Clown Award. We’re going to hear about that and more from our first guest, Anne Pratt, the Executive Director of the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy.

Remember the hullabaloo in the early ‘60s that came from a New York City hotspot called the Peppermint Lounge. This week we’re talking with Joey Dee whose hit record, the Peppermint Twist exploded out of that steamy nightclub. After that, we’ll talk with Bob Lind who created a word picture worthy of framing in the Sixties museum with his hit tune about the bright elusive butterfly of love.

On our second highest rated show of the season, we spent an hour talking with Peter Rivera of Rare Earth. Here’s a replay of that show.  In 1970, Motown started an affiliated record label that included certain bands with white members only, and Rare Earth happened to be the first big hit-making act signed for Motown’s new imprint label The record company didn’t actually have a name for the new label yet and one of the band members jokingly suggested that they call the label Rare Earth. To the band’s surprise, Motown decided to do just that and what followed was Rare Earth on Rare Earth. And what followed THAT was “Get Ready” and “I Just Want to Celebrate”. Peter Rivera, their drummer for those exciting years, is with us on this week’s show.

Since the humble beginnings of Seattle’s Emerald City Guitars more than 20 years ago, Jay Boone has built a high standard of trust and integrity, making him one of the frontrunners in the worldwide vintage guitar market. Jay has bought and sold vintage guitars to many super stars over the years and we’re going to hear some fascinating stories about who is playing what nowadays.  I get to ask him about a guitar that I’ve kept over the years since the time I was on the road with Harpers Bizarre. It’s a  Martin D-35 with a Brazilian rosewood back that I bought new in 1967. Some fascinating stories here like the one about Jay opening his shop one morning to find Carlos Santana waiting to get in.

Who remembers the song “I Met Him on a Sunday? Well, we’re going to meet her today. “Her” is Beverly Lee who’s been with the Shirelles from the very beginning. Beverly and the Shirelles have performed on five continents and appeared before many heads of state and U.S. Presidents, But first up, we tend to think of Dawn Wells in the role of Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island, although she also appeared in various tv episodes from the early ‘60s like Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, and Bonanza. Today, she runs a business called Wishing Wells Collections, making clothing for people with limited mobility, and she’s the founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute. We talk with both Dawn and Beverly on this week’s show.

“Crystal Blue Persuasion”, “I Think We’re Alone Now”, “Hanky Panky”, “Crimson and Clover” – 23 gold records and 9 platinum albums for Tommy James and the Shondells. Tommy’s with us on this week’s show talking about his live album recorded at the Bitter End in New York City and his book, Me, the Mob, and the Music which is Tommy’s story of Morris Levy, known as the Godfather of the music business. The book is part rock and roll fairytale, part valentine to a bygone era, and part mob story that reads like a music industry version of Goodfellas.

If you’ve seen the movie Moonstruck with Cher more than a few times, you’ve heard “It Must Be Him” more than a few times. That was Vikki Carr’s million-selling gold record and she’s our guest this week talking about that and a mile-long list of accomplishments including the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation which is based in Texas and offers scholarships to Latino students who want to pursue their dreams of a college education. Do you remember what happened when she guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1973?

Dr. Joel Wallach, pioneer of the health supplement program called Youngevity talks about health issues facing the Baby Boomer generation, ages 50 and up. Doc Wallach dedicates part of his time to lecturing throughout the world on the therapeutic benefits of vitamins and minerals and on advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on behalf of the dietary supplement industry. I’m a Type 2 Diabetic, so this whole hour had my full attention.

We’re going to visit some great memories today with the chart-topping ‘60s hits from the Buckinghams. Their original lead guitarist, Carl Giammarese is here to tell us how it all began with their No. 1 Billboard hit, “Kind of a Drag”. They followed that with a string of hits including “Don’t You Care” and “Hey, Baby They’re Playing Our Song”. Billboard Magazine named them “The Most Listened To Band In America” and they went on to play The Ed Sullivan Show, The Smothers Brothers’ Comedy Hour, and American Bandstand. They’re still on the road today and we talk with Carl about the ‘60s and what they’re doing now.

Do you remember the Detroit songwriting team of Holland, Dozier, and Holland. They wrote “Band of Gold” for Freda Payne who is our first guest this week. Freda’s sister, Sherrie became one of the Supremes and her two backup singers started a group called Tony Orlando and Dawn. Second up on this show is a guy who is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and the Grammy Hall of Fame, Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals. Their Top Ten Hits from the ‘60s included “Groovin’,” “Good Lovin’,” “It’s a Beautiful Morning,” “How Can I Be Sure,” and “People Got To Be Free.”

Most people aren’t aware of what goes on behind the scenes when recording artists try to get their records played on the radio. In the Sixties, we used to call them “promo guys” and this week we’re talking with Jeff Trager, the consummate record promotion man who got all kinds of records played for Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, and the Bee Gees. He’ll talk about that and some of the fundraisers he’s put together to benefit so many causes in the Bay Area.

It may have been one of the most well-known rock interviews of the ‘80s when Dave Sholin and his crew arrived at the Dakota apartments in New York City for a scheduled audience with John and Yoko. After the interview, Dave caught a flight back to the Bay Area and Lennon stopped in the courtyard to autograph a record for a stranger in an overcoat. Later that evening, Dec. 8, 1980, John Lennon was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital. We talk with Dave about Lennon’s last interview and the heady days of radio  going all the way back to the Sixties.

Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero started out as an accordion player, but when she changed her name to Connie Francis, the hits just wouldn’t stop coming. With fifteen million sellers and a life story that has more ups and downs than the roller coaster at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, Connie talks about “Who’s Sorry Now”, which she only recorded at her father’s insistence and the many recordings she’s made in fifteen different languages. And her movie roles – remember Angie in Where The Boys Are?

Perry Botkin, Jr., through his arrangements, launched an abundance of hit records while conducting the Wrecking Crew at many of the famed recording studios in Hollywood. You’ll know Perry’s sound when you hear the backing tracks for the Lettermen, Bobby Darin, Harry Nilsson, Harpers Bizarre, and Barbra Streisand. On this week’s show, we get the stories behind all those recording sessions from the man whose charts graced many a music stand, Perry Botkin, Jr.