Everything Fab Four

In this episode, Ken Womack talks with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham. She made her recording debut in 2014 with the self-released gospel album "Authenticities," which reflected her exploration of faith. In 2017, Cunningham joined the cast of American Public Media's "Live from Here." In 2019, she released her breakthrough LP "Who Are You Now," nominated for the Best Americana Album Grammy. Her 2020 EP, "Wednesday," featured cover versions of songs by Tom Waits, Radiohead and the Beatles, while also earning a Grammy nod for Best Folk Album. In 2022, she released her follow-up LP "Revealer," which enjoyed extensive critical acclaim. "Revealer" was nominated for two Grammy Awards and won Best Folk Album.

Legendary singer-songwriter, author, and rock 'n' roll star Ian Hunter's illustrious career is now in its seventh decade. His rock 'n' roll life has long been marked by collaboration, from the golden age of Mott the Hoople to his fabled partnership with Mick Ronson and 21st-century renaissance with his crack backing combo, the Rant Band. Over the years, Hunter has enjoyed numerous chart successes, especially Mott the Hoople's international hit "All the Young Dudes," the David Bowie composition that emerged as a countercultural anthem in the 1970s. Hunter would later recount the trials and tribulations of his life with Mott the Hoople in his autobiography "Diary of a Rock 'n' Roll Star."

During his solo career, Hunter's best known work includes the song "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", later covered by Great White, and "Cleveland Rocks," (originally "England Rocks") the popular theme song for "The Drew Carey Show."

With his latest album DEFIANCE PART 1, Hunter takes creative solidarity to an unprecedented new level with accompaniment from a truly awe-inspiring roster of special guests, famous fans, and lifelong friends. DEFIANCE PART 1 sees backing from luminaries such as Ringo Starr, Jeff Beck, Todd Rundgren, Joe Elliott (of Def Leppard), Guns N' Roses' Slash, Jeff Tweedy and – in one of his final recordings – the Foo Fighters' late, great drummer Taylor Hawkins.

This episode's guest is Barbara Feldon, a model, author and actress best known for portraying "Agent 99" on the classic '60s sitcom "Get Smart."

Feldon was born Barbara Anne Hall in a suburb of Pittsburgh and studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University. Soon after, she departed for New York City to pursue a career in acting, where a stint as a showgirl led to her appearance on the game show, "The $64,000 Question," where she took home the top prize for her knowledge of Shakespeare. The next year, Barbara married Lucien Feldon-Verdeaux, a handsome European she'd been dating, and took "Feldon" as her last name personally and professionally. Working as a fashion model led to a few TV ad spots before landing the one that would make her a household face, lolling about on an animal rug and daring all the male "tigers" out there to try Revlon's Top Brass hair tonic. That led to securing the plum role of Agent 99 in the spy spoof "Get Smart" opposite comedian Don Adams. The role became Feldon's biggest break, leading to an Emmy nomination and several film roles to boot. In more recent years, Feldon has written two books: 2003's "Living Alone and Loving It: A Guide to Relishing the Solo Life" and, in 2022, "Getting Smarter: A Memoir," which recounts for the first time the true story of her marriage and the many lessons she's learned since.

On this episode, host Kenneth Womack welcomes Grammy winner Kenny Loggins, whose songs have left a musical imprint on "the soundtrack of our lives." Over the last four decades, his chart-topping songs have included "This Is It," "I'm Alright," "Footloose," "Danger Zone," and so many more. "Danger Zone" was featured once again in Paramount's "Top Gun: Maverick," the biggest theatrical release of 2022, earning over $1.5B in box offices globally. "Danger Zone" earned over 1 million streams per day across streaming services at its peak. On June 14, 2022, Hachette Books published "Still Alright," Loggins' long-awaited memoir. In "Still Alright," Loggins gives fans a candid and entertaining perspective on his life and career as one of the most noteworthy musicians of the 1970s and '80s. In addition to his string of successful recordings, both solo and as a member of the famed duo Loggins & Messina, Kenny became the first major rock star to dedicate himself to recording music for children and families. His album "Return to Pooh Corner" remains the best-selling children's album of the last 20 years. His gift for crafting deeply emotional music is unparalleled, and it's been a part of his life as long as he can remember. His generous support of countless local organizations has made a lasting impact on the causes that are close to his heart. And in 2016, he was a recipient of the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards hosted by WhyHunger.

Pattie Boyd is an English model, photographer, and an eyewitness to key moments in rock 'n' roll history, particularly in terms of the lives and times of the former members of the Beatles, especially George Harrison. In 1962, Boyd began her modeling career, later appearing on the covers of Vogue and other leading magazines. In 1964, she met Harrison while working as an extra on the set of "A Hard Day's Night." After moving in together at Harrison's Kinfauns home in Esher, Boyd and Harrison married in January 1966.

Boyd was a regular fixture in the Beatles' lives, attending the June 1967 Our World live simulcast and joining them in Rishikesh, India, for the group's February 1968 visit to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram. In 1970, Boyd and Harrison relocated to Friar Park, the former Beatle's enormous Victorian mansion in Henley-on-Thames. By 1973, the Harrisons' relationship was disintegrating. In 1974, the couple separated, with Boyd later marrying Harrison's longtime friend and collaborator Eric Clapton, who had nurtured a long-running passion for the model.

Over the years, Harrison had written numerous songs for Boyd, including the top-charting Beatles hit "Something." In 1970, Boyd was the subject of the legendary Derek and the Dominos' album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs." The album's title track describes Clapton's unrequited love for Boyd. Clapton later composed the Top 20 U.S. hit "Wonderful Tonight" with Boyd as his inspiration.

In 2007, Boyd published her best-selling autobiography entitled "Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me." In 2022, she published her latest book, "Pattie Boyd: My Life in Pictures."

Today's guest is Hayley Orrantia, an American singer and actress known for her role in the hit TV show "The Goldbergs." The show follows the hilarious and awkward lives of a colorful, suburban family in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania in the 1980s. Orrantia is a scene stealer as Erica, the eldest Goldberg sibling, who fans have watched transform from a socially awkward, nerdy high schooler to popular, college-aged beauty who drops out of school to form a band with her girlfriends. In film, Orrantia most recently starred in Amazon/Lionsgate's holiday comedy "Christmas is Cancelled" alongside Dermot Mulroney and Janel Parrish.

Born and raised in Texas, Orrantia discovered her love of performing at nine years old, performing impromptu concerts in her bedroom. Now Orrantia is widely recognized as a successful independent music artist, who draws on inspiration from all genres to create soulful country-pop. In 2018, Orrantia conducted her first headlining tour, the Strong, Sweet and Southern Tour, hitting 22 cities across the United States.

On this episode of "Everything Fab Four," host Kenneth Womack and Orrantia discuss covering iconic songs like "Maybe I'm Amazed," her search for authenticity as an artist, working with the late George Segal, and how Lindsay Lohan's "The Parent Trap" introduced her to the Beatles.

In this episode, bassist Dougie Payne of Travis joins host Kenneth Womack to talk about his Beatles influence, the 20th anniversary of "The Invisible Band" and why "everyone needs their own Mal Evans." The Scottish band, originally named Glass Onion after the famous "White Album" song, was formed in 1990 and later took its name from a character in the movie "Paris, Texas." Payne learned to play bass and joined the band, also providing background vocals. Growing up, he says the Beatles were "always there," having had three older sisters who loved music and one who was a "Beatles obsessive." As he says, the Beatles' music "has a way of becoming part of your DNA."

Ken Womack's guest this week is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Darlene Love (born Darlene Wright). Best known for her holiday hit "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," in addition to her vocals on records by "girl group" The Crystals and her acting roles such as in the "Lethal Weapon" film series, Love's beginnings were modest, having started out singing in the Los Angeles church choir where her father was the pastor. She began working in 1962 with notorious producer Phil Spector (who'd given her the "Love" surname for recording, and who also worked on several Beatles-related projects). In light of his later troubles, Love explains to Womack, "I will say this: He was not the same guy to me back then that he later came to be." In this conversation she dives deep into her storied career, opens up about working with Phil Spector, and answers a complex question: Were the Beatles influenced by Black musicians, or did they steal from them?

May Pang is a former music executive and an eyewitness to key moments in rock 'n' roll history, particularly in terms of the lives and times of the former members of the Beatles, especially John Lennon.

After growing up in Spanish Harlem and Manhattan, Pang's early jobs included working as an old-school record-plugger and at Allen Klein's management office, which represented Apple Records and three former Beatles: Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. In December 1970, Pang was invited to assist Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono with their film projects, "Up Your Legs Forever" and "Fly." Pang was then asked to be Lennon and Ono's secretary in New York and Great Britain, which led to a permanent position as their personal assistant when the Lennons moved from London to New York in 1971. That October, Pang famously coordinated an art exhibition for Ono's This Is Not Here art show at the Everson Museum in Syracuse.

When Lennon and Ono separated in 1973, Pang and Lennon began a relationship that lasted more than 18 months. Lennon later referred to this time as his "Lost Weekend". In addition to acting as Lennon's muse, she served as production coordinator for him on such hit LPs as "Rock 'n' Roll" and "Walls and Bridges," which included "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night," John's only number-one solo hit during his lifetime.

After Lennon returned to Ono in 1975, Pang began working as PR manager for record companies. Pang subsequently authored two books about her relationship with Lennon—a memoir entitled "Loving John" (in 1983) and a book of photographs, "Instamatic Karma" (in 2008). She was recently the subject of a critically acclaimed documentary, "The Lost Weekend: A Love Story," which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival this past June.

German artist, musician and record producer Klaus Voormann, former bassist for Manfred Mann, has played on a number of iconic recordings, from Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" to Lou Reed's "Transformer" album, and with many projects of the former members of the Beatles, whom Voorman has known since their Hamburg days. The one-time London roommate of George Harrison and Ringo Starr won a Grammy for designing the cover of their 1966 album "Revolver," which has just been reissued in a deluxe remastered box set. In 2009, Voormann released his debut solo album "A Sideman's Journey," which featured the two surviving Beatles, McCartney and Starr, performing as "Voormann and Friends." His latest work involves the composition of the graphic novel "Birth of an Icon, which details his efforts behind the creation of the "Revolver" cover art. In this bonus episode of "Everything Fab Four," Voorman — on the phone all the way from Germany — and host Ken Womack discuss the evolution of the Beatles' songwriting, everyone's favorite Mal Evans, and of course, how he created the "Revolver" cover. A note to our listeners: Technical difficulties resulted in audio that's less clear for this episode, but we hope you'll stick around for Klaus' fascinating eyewitness accounts of working with the Beatles.