In the fifties, he was known for his covers of R&B tunes. But there's much more to “Mr. White Bucks” than that. By his early twenties, he was a college student (Columbia), a happily-married father, a television personality and a best-selling pop singer. He has starred in over 20 films, not to mention emceeing television variety and talk shows in the 1950s and 60s, one of which showcased a then-new band from England called Pink Floyd. He's appeared in TV programs like Rod Serling's “Night Gallery”.

We discuss the storied career of the star who started out as the emcee of a teen talent show in Nashville.

Poet Michael C. Ford was a friend of the late Ray Manzarek, as well as one James Douglas Morrison. They met at film school in the early 1960s. He was once considered for the position of bass player in The Doors. Here we discuss his brand new album, Look Each Other In The Ears, which not only features his latest poems but the last-ever musical back-up tracks by all three remaining members of The Doors. We also discuss, among other things, how he learned poetry under the great beat poet, Kenneth Patchen, his first-ever public reading in 1969, and his first appearance on vinyl on SST Records in the mid-80s.

The lead guitarist of the Jefferson Airplane and co-founder of Hot Tuna talks about his band's recent tour of Japan and his music school/performance space, Fur Peace Ranch as well as his unique “Psylodelic” sixties culture museum. We also talk about how he got involved with The Jefferson Airplane and how Hot Tuna got formed and named!

Ben Fong-Torres got his start as a professional journalist in 1968 working as a reporter for a fledgling publication called Rolling Stone. He was later made senior editor of that bi-weekly. His profiles of and interviews with Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Ray Charles and Linda Ronstadt to name just a few are required reading for music fans and students of music journalism. He currently has a book out about the band Little Feat called Willin'.

Mr. Fong-Torres and I talk about his new book, the early days at Rolling Stone, his experiences covering Bob Dylan's Planet Waves tour, his interview with Jim Morrison (only weeks before Jim's passing) and his broadcast career, begun in the heyday of free-form radio.

John Densmore is best known as the drummer for the Doors. He's currently on tour promoting his new book, The Doors: Unhinged (Jim Morrison's Legacy Goes on Trial). In it, he details the forces which ultimately drove him and the remaining members of the doors apart. One prominent bone of contention was an  offer of a considerable sum by General Motors for the use of "Break On Through" in a Cadillac advertisement, and Densmore's objections to it. John and I talk about the book and other things, like alternative energy.

His tour will take him to among other places, Record archive in Rochester, NY on Monday, April 22nd at 5PM.

Remember Wouldn't It Be Nice, I Get Around, Good Vibrations. and God Only Knows? Of course you do!

My latest guest, Al Jardine is currently playing on the 50th Anniversary tour of the band he's a founding member of, The Beach Boys. He's also got a new solo album out, Postcard from California. We discuss those things, along with environmentalism and alternative energy, two of Al's other passions.

Frank Zappa's second child and oldest son has had quite a career of his own, ranging from accompanying his dad on stage to voicing cartoon characters to playing on one album after another, sometimes with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Carmine Appice.

Today, Dweezil tours the world with a top-shelf band to introduce his late father's music to a new generation. As he is quick to point out, Zappa Plays Zappa is not an oldies band or a nostalgia act. While Frank Zappa's touring and recording alumni do occasionally grace the stage, the band is assembled from the current crop of musicians.

I spoke with Dweezil earlier this month about his tour, his career, his upcoming CD release and groovy things in general!

(Photo from united-mutations.com. All rights of the original photographer reserved.)

[Please note - the picture is from 1995, shot by yours truly. The interview is from March 14, 2012!]

This week, I spoke with Henry Rollins, former Black Flag front man, author, columnist, photographer and probably the best speaker America has produced since Jean Shepherd or Will Rogers (with a bit of Lenny Bruce tossed in for good measure).

Henry took some time out of his jaw-dropping tour schedule to speak with yours truly.