Friends & Legends with Skip Martin

Host: Skip Martin

Summary:

Skip sits down with country duo Wayne & Alyssa Brewer, whom he met at the Kentucky Derby, for a fast-paced 20-minute chat about family, music and grit. Alyssa traces her roots back six generations to the original Carter Family and shares two Guinness World Records from her childhood on the road. The pair open up about splitting “the music business” from “the music,” the whirlwind around their debut single “Golden Ring” going viral and landing them a People Magazine feature, and who is more likely to change the setlist at the last second. Skip trades his own war stories — breaking through with The Dazz Band’s “Let It Whip” at Madison Square Garden and blanking on the lyrics to “Cherish the Love” in front of European royalty in Monte Carlo — before the three land on a shared lesson: anything worth being great at demands you push through the pain. The episode closes with Wayne & Alyssa introducing their baby daughter, Alayna, on camera.

Main Topics:

• How Skip met Wayne & Alyssa Brewer at the Kentucky Derby

• Alyssa’s sixth-generation musical lineage, tracing back to the original Carter Family

• Two Guinness World Records: youngest recording artist and youngest to perform at the Grand Ole Opry

• Growing up on the road from age seven

• The artists who shaped them growing up: Carrie Underwood, KISS, Queen, Boston, Deep Purple

• Separating “the music business” from the passion of the music itself

• The debut single “Golden Ring” going viral and landing a People Magazine feature

• Who’s more spontaneous on stage: Wayne changing plans last-second vs. Alyssa running late

• Freestyling and covering for each other when the lyrics slip

• Skip’s own war stories: The Dazz Band’s “Let It Whip” at Madison Square Garden, forgetting the words to “Cherish the Love” in Monte Carlo

• Why perseverance and hard work are the biggest lessons music has taught them

• Meeting Wayne & Alyssa’s baby daughter, Alayna, on camera

Intriguing Quotes:

• “Anything that is to be great, there’s pain that’s involved in it … and on the other side of that is greatness.” — Skip Martin

• “I’m in the Guinness Book of World Records twice — once for the youngest recording artist and once for being the youngest to perform on the Grand Ole Opry.” — Alyssa Brewer

• “Hard work does pay off, and you also get to have fun while you’re doing it … especially with your spouse.” — Wayne & Alyssa Brewer

• “My phrase is, don’t play no games.” — Skip Martin

Key Moments:

• [00:24] Wayne & Alyssa on meeting Skip at the Kentucky Derby

• [02:02] Alyssa traces her family’s music lineage back to the original Carter Family

• [04:00] Alyssa reveals she holds two Guinness World Records

• [07:43] The story behind “Golden Ring” going viral and their People Magazine feature

• [09:21] Skip shares his own Dazz Band “Let It Whip” story from Madison Square Garden

• [13:43] Skip’s Monte Carlo story: forgetting the words to “Cherish the Love” in front of royalty

• [17:35] Skip’s “anything great hurts” reflection on perseverance

• [19:03] Wayne & Alyssa introduce their baby daughter, Alayna

Notable Resources:

• “Golden Ring” — Wayne & Alyssa Brewer’s cover of the George Jones/Tammy Wynette classic, lead single from their debut album Alyssa & Wayne Sing George & Tammy (SGM Records, distributed via Sony/The Orchard)

• People Magazine and CMT feature coverage of Wayne & Alyssa Brewer (confirmed via awbrewer.com)

Connect with Wayne & Alyssa Brewer:

Website: https://awbrewer.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/alyssa_wayne_brewer_official

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awbrewerofficial

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@alyssawaynebrewer

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmar Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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A conversation with Dr. Dave Tolliver — founding member of Men At Large, Cleveland kid who grew up idolising the Dazz Band — on legacy, loss, the LeVert Experience, and why music is a soul vaccination.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: Dr. Dave Tolliver grew up in Cleveland with his uncle Lynn Tolliver on the radio and Skip Martin on the stage — Skip was his inspiration to start singing before they ever met. In this conversation, Dave and Skip revisit a pandemic pop-up concert with Tony Terry, trace the history of Men At Large from Boys From The Hood through Michael Bivins renaming them to a 2022 album dropped 30 years after their debut, and talk about losing a bandmate and finding their way back. Dave opens up about his new rap single Too Much Pain and his mental health story. Skip closes on music as medicine and what gets left behind.

Main Topics:

Dave's Cleveland childhood — uncle Lynn Tolliver's 40-year radio career and growing up idolising Dazz Band and New Edition

Seeing Skip perform live as a kid and Skip becoming the reason Dave started singing

The pandemic pop-up concert with Skip, Tony Terry, and a member of Surface

The story behind Skip and Dave's collaboration Someone Like You

How Boys From The Hood became Men At Large — the Michael Bivins rename story

The shift from novelty act to R&B lover-boy image and hits like Holiday and Let's Talk About It

Losing bandmate Gemini Porter and reuniting with the original partner

The LeVert Experience — Dave's current touring project with Joe Little and Marc Gordon

Love Benefits — the 2022 album released 30 years after the group's debut

Dave's rap single Too Much Pain and his personal mental health journey

Skip on music as medicine, soul vaccination, and what legacy really means

Intriguing Quotes: "A man at large is not only a man that's large in stature, but he's somebody that's large in the community. He has a lot of clout. He's a man at large." "That's a love prejudice. That's all that is." — Skip Martin "Music is a tool for change. It's a tool, it's a medicine. It's a soul vaccination, it's a healing." — Skip Martin "Once our lives are gone, we'll be forgotten in two generations. Nobody will even know who we were." — Skip Martin

Key Moments:

[00:47] Dave traces his Cleveland roots — uncle Lynn Tolliver, 40 years in radio, and a house full of music.

[02:01] The pandemic pop-up concert. Skip, Dave, Tony Terry, and a member of Surface. What happened that night and why it mattered.

[04:15] The story behind Someone Like You — how Skip and Dave came to make the record together.

[08:26] Michael Bivins hears Boys From The Hood and tells them that name has to go. Men At Large is born.

[12:42] Dave talks about losing bandmate Gemini Porter — and what it took to come back and reunite with his original partner.

[13:09] Love Benefits drops in 2022. Thirty years after the debut. The group is still here.

[18:03] Dave releases Too Much Pain — a rap single about his own mental health journey. He tells Skip why he had to make it.

[18:39] Skip closes on music as medicine, legacy, and what gets left behind when we're gone.

Notable Resources:

Someone Like You — Skip Martin featuring Dave Tolliver, available on Spotify

Too Much Pain — Dave Tolliver's rap single and video on mental health

Love Benefits — Men At Large 2022 album, available on streaming platforms

LeVert Experience — Dave's current touring project with Joe Little and Marc Gordon

Connect with Dave Tolliver:

Search Dave Men At Large or Dave Tolliver on all platforms

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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A conversation with Steph Payne — Emmy-winning singer, US Army intelligence analyst, fusion artist — on going from military intel to the main stage, why every loss is just a lesson in disguise, her father's advice that has never failed her, and the COVID project that won her an Emmy at the lowest moment.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: Steph Payne grew up in Los Angeles, served as a US Army intelligence analyst during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and built her second home in Las Vegas over 13 years. She sings across R&B, jazz, rock, and gospel without picking a lane and calls herself a fusion artist. In this conversation with Skip Martin, Steph talks about the difference between losses and lessons, the simple advice from her father that gets her through every setback, what music means at the level of a universal frequency, and the People Get Ready project that won her an Emmy and lifted her spirits at the lowest point. Skip lays in two parables along the way — the goat in the well, and the tree that grows down before it grows up.

Main Topics:

Growing up in Los Angeles and making Las Vegas a second home over 13 years

US Army intelligence analyst during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom

Lessons not losses — the reframe that protects her drive

Her father's advice: find something else and make it work

Music as a universal frequency, an outlet, an escape, a memory keeper

Steph's identity as a fusion artist who refuses to pick a lane

The goat in the well — Skip's parable about shaking off every attack

The tree that grows down before it grows up — the unseen cost of greatness

The People Get Ready project — winning an Emmy during COVID

The price the people closest to you pay for your success

Intriguing Quotes: "I went from the military to the main stage." "I don't like to call them losses. I like to call them lessons." "Find something else and make it work." — Steph's father "Music helps us be emotionally intelligent when we're not being rational." "I shake it off and I end up like that goat on top of the heap." "Success will come when you make others a priority." — Skip Martin "Music is the sound of a soul singing." — Skip Martin

Key Moments:

[01:43] Steph drops the line that names the episode — "I went from the military to the main stage" — after explaining her service during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

[04:54] Steph reframes every setback. "I don't like to call them losses. I like to call them lessons."

[05:38] Her father's advice — said once, stuck forever. Find something else and make it work.

[06:17] Skip tells the goat in the well parable. A farmer tries to bury a goat. Every shovel of dirt the goat shakes off and stands on. Eventually it walks right out.

[12:12] Skip's tree analogy. The roots grow down in the dark before the canopy reaches the sun. People only see the tree. They miss what it cost to get there.

[14:38] Steph reflects on People Get Ready. COVID. Discouraged. Borderline downtrodden. Skip's invitation lifted her spirits at the time. The Emmy lifted her career down the road.

[16:22] Skip closes — 168 tracks in a three-minute-eighteen song. Success comes when you make others a priority. The biggest lesson of his life.

Notable Resources:

People Get Ready — Legends Unite for Saint Jude (Skip Martin's Emmy-winning project)

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — beneficiary of the People Get Ready project

Connect with Steph Payne:

Search Steph Payne on social platforms and streaming services

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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A conversation with Tom Schuman — Grammy-nominated keyboardist for Spyro Gyra for 49 years, now living in Barcelona — on the music that saved a stranger's life, what it means to let the God force flow through you, and why less became his closest friend.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: Tom Schuman grew up in Buffalo — son of a jazz bassist, raised on Oscar Peterson and Sarah Vaughan — and spent 49 years as keyboardist for Spyro Gyra before leaving in February 2023 and moving to Barcelona with his wife. In this conversation with longtime collaborator Skip Martin, Tom talks about the moment he knew music was his purpose, the fan message that made everything worth it, being called a myth by a man in Algiers who thought Kool and the Gang might not really exist, and why collaboration with someone whose gifts complement your own is the only place real magic happens.

Main Topics:

Growing up in a jazz household in Buffalo — a bassist father, a singer mother, music by osmosis

49 years with Spyro Gyra — and the decision to leave and move to Barcelona

The God force — the creative philosophy Tom and Skip built their partnership around

Less is more — what Tom taught Skip, and what Skip gave back

The People Get Ready project and why it still matters

The song Innocent Soul and the stranger who decided not to end his life

A fan in Algiers who thought Kool and the Gang were a myth

When — the song Skip and Tom wrote in 10 minutes during COVID

Tom's new solo album I Am Human on Nama Music

Intriguing Quotes: "I prefer to think of it as the purest form of a universal language which can in great detail represent the heart, soul and intellect of a musician or composer." "Music is also a source of immortality. I feel like I'm going to be here a lot longer than my body because of this music." "He was crying because he thought you were a myth." — interpreter in Algiers "If I had done nothing else in my life, hearing about that made me feel like — okay, this is what I'm here to do." "We are all empowered when we collaborate with others that have gifts that you don't have." "My definition of music is the sound of a soul singing." — Skip Martin

Key Moments:

[05:30] Skip tells Tom that Tom taught him how to play less — and that less became his closest friend. Tom says Skip taught him his place. Two legends, humbled by each other.

[12:00] Skip shares his definition of music — the sound of a soul singing. Tom has been trying to find his phone notes to read his own. When he finally does, he says it's pretty close.

[21:45] Tom receives a message from a fan who says that Innocent Soul, a song Tom wrote for Spyro Gyra, stopped him from taking his own life. Tom says if he had done nothing else, that was enough.

[23:00] Skip tells the Algiers story. A man on a runway who spoke no English, arms full of albums, crying. The interpreter asks why. He thought Kool and the Gang might not really exist. The music had reached him thousands of miles from where it was made.

[19:20] Skip and Tom write the song When — lyrics, concept, everything — in 10 minutes over a phone call during COVID. That's what 49 years of combined instinct sounds like.

Notable Resources:

Tom Schuman new album: I Am Human — coming soon on Nama Music

People Get Ready — search on YouTube and streaming platforms

Let's Stay at Home — Skip Martin and Tom Schuman, available on streaming platforms

Connect with Tom Schuman:

Search Tom Schuman and Spyro Gyra on social platforms and streaming services

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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A conversation with Greg Reid — author of 157 books, dyslexic, 38 years sober, rejected by 268 publishers before his first book — on sitting on your fortune without knowing it, what Steve Wozniak said about one microchip, and why a dream written down with a date becomes a goal.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: Greg Reid can't spell, can't read in the traditional sense, and was rejected 268 times before a publisher said yes. He has since written 157 books, produced a Netflix film called Wish Man, and built Secret Knock — the most exclusive event you cannot find without an invitation. In this conversation with Skip Martin, Greg shares the parable of Acres of Diamonds, what Steve Wozniak said about one microchip, and how the founder of Make-A-Wish signed over his life rights on a single condition. Skip meets him story for story — his audiographic memory, his mother's 24-hour clock, and the reason he has never held a secular job in his life.

Main Topics:

The parable of Acres of Diamonds — most people are sitting on their fortune right now

Greg's dyslexia, 268 rejections, and the book that produced a quote shared 37 million times

Steve Wozniak on embracing what you don't have — how one microchip changed personal computing

Secret Knock — 20 years of sold-out events, zero advertising, guests including Edward Snowden and a NASA astronaut whose wife discovered signs of life on Mars

Frank Shankwitz, founder of Make-A-Wish, and the Netflix film Wish Man

Skip's audiographic memory and the movie he's developing called A Boy Named Skip

Skip's mother's 24-hour clock — the tool that reveals your true passion

Greg's 38 years of sobriety and what the S in Greg S. Reid stands for

Intriguing Quotes: "A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken into steps becomes a plan. And a plan backed by action makes your dreams come true." "We weren't trying to be cool or innovative. We could only afford one chip." — Steve Wozniak via Greg Reid "Stop looking at something as your greatest challenge. It could be your greatest blessing in disguise." "Everyone can be a hero. You do not need to be a celebrity." "First there's a dream. Then there's a challenge. Then comes victory. Unfortunately most people quit in the challenging times." "The measure of an educated man is the places he's been." — Skip Martin's mother

Key Moments:

[02:00] Greg tells the Acres of Diamonds parable — the man who sold his farm for pennies, went looking for fortune, and never knew he was sitting on diamonds the whole time.

[05:00] Greg pulls out his rejection letters. All 268 of them. He kept every one. The first book that made it became The Millionaire Mentor — and one quote from it was shared 37 million times last year.

[07:00] Steve Wozniak explains Apple's origin — they could only afford one chip. By embracing that constraint they found the shortest, cleanest path. And changed the world.

[15:00] Greg reveals Secret Knock — no ads, no speaker list, no location until the last moment. Their next guest is a NASA astronaut whose wife just discovered the building blocks of life on Mars.

[21:00] Frank Shankwitz signs over his life rights. His only wish — that his grandkids know he did something. Six years later, Wish Man lands on Netflix.

[29:30] Skip's mother gives him a 24-hour clock. Write down everything you did in the last 24 hours. Whatever you spent the most time on is your passion. Go do that.

Notable Resources:

Wish Man — available on Netflix

Secret Knock — secretknock.co

The Millionaire Mentor — Greg Reid, available on Amazon and major retailers

Greg Reid on Instagram: @GregSReid

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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A backstage moment with Terri Nunn — iconic lead vocalist of Berlin, the voice behind Take My Breath Away — on new music, a new album, a new tour, and why she and Berlin are better than ever.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: Terri Nunn has one of the most recognisable voices in music history. Take My Breath Away became a global phenomenon and it still stops a room decades later — as Skip Martin found out when they sang it together backstage. In this clip, Terri shares the news that Berlin is back with a brand new album called Transcendence, a fresh record deal, and a US headline tour running from August 2nd through September 24th alongside OMD and the B-52s. She and Skip have been performing together for years, and the chemistry between them is exactly what it sounds like — two people who love music and love each other's company.

Main Topics:

Berlin's new album Transcendence and how it came together over two years of writing

The new record deal — and what it means to be back in the studio and on the road

The US headline tour from August 2nd to September 24th with OMD and the B-52s

Skip and Terri performing Take My Breath Away live backstage — together, unscripted

What it feels like to still be doing it at this level and loving every minute

Intriguing Quotes: "We ain't done yet. We're still doing everything." "You're better than ever." "If you want to get laid, buy this album." — Terri Nunn on Skip's music

Key Moments:

[00:18] Skip and Terri launch straight into Take My Breath Away — live, unannounced, just the two of them. No setup. No backing track mentioned. Just the song.

[04:45] Terri reveals Berlin has been writing together for two years, landed a new record deal, and the album Transcendence is dropping August 2nd.

[05:15] The full tour lineup lands — Berlin headlining across the US with OMD and the B-52s from August through late September. Two legends on one bill.

Notable Resources:

Berlin — album: Transcendence, available on streaming platforms

Tour: Berlin headlining with OMD and the B-52s, August 2 — September 24

Connect with Terri Nunn and Berlin:

Search Berlin Band and Terri Nunn on social platforms and streaming services

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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A conversation with Arturo Sandoval — Cuban-born trumpet legend, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Kennedy Center honoree — on Dizzy Gillespie changing everything, what it means to teach with love, and why music is the only language the whole world speaks.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: Arturo Sandoval was born in a small village in Cuba in 1949. He heard a Charlie Parker recording as a young man and his life was never the same. Dizzy Gillespie became his mentor and the man who walked with him to the American embassy to secure political asylum. He has since collaborated with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Alicia Keys, and countless others, taught at Florida International University for 20 years, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and is preparing for a Kennedy Center Honor. In this phone conversation with his friend Skip Martin, Arturo talks about what music means, why he teaches, and what he owes to the art that saved his life.

Main Topics:

Growing up in Cuba and hearing Charlie Parker for the first time — the moment that changed everything

Dizzy Gillespie as mentor, champion, and the man who helped Arturo get political asylum in the United States

His definition of music — the only truly international language

Twenty years teaching at Florida International University — and why he still gives private lessons at home

The pedal tones session with Skip and the jam in Perth, Australia — two moments that made Skip cry in public

Collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Alicia Keys, and playing on Skip's Just Believe in Love

The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the upcoming Kennedy Center Honor — alongside Bonnie Raitt, the Grateful Dead, Francis Ford Coppola, and the Apollo Theater

Skip's origin story — seven years old, Nat King Cole on the radio, and the promise he made to his grandmother

Why Arturo says music saved his life

Intriguing Quotes: "Music is probably the only international language that everybody can understand. Everywhere in the world." "When I see the student that really got a passion and love for music, I really try my best to help." "It's a blessing from God. I'm so grateful because I got those opportunities." "Music saved my life. I owe everything to the music." "I'm going to play music so that when I die, people will feel like I'm still in the car with them." — Skip Martin "My definition of music is the sound of a soul singing." — Skip Martin

Key Moments:

[02:00] A teacher plays Arturo a compilation of Charlie Parker recordings from the 1940s. He cannot believe what he is hearing. That moment has never left him.

[03:00] Dizzy Gillespie becomes Arturo's mentor — and when the time comes to seek political asylum in the United States, Dizzy is the one standing beside him at the American embassy.

[05:30] Skip tells Arturo about the two times he made him cry in public — the pedal tones lesson that changed how Skip plays trumpet, and the night in Perth, Australia when Arturo handed him a custom practice tool and said, this is for you.

[08:30] Arturo shares the news — a Kennedy Center Honor is coming. He will be honoured alongside Bonnie Raitt, the Grateful Dead, Francis Ford Coppola, and the Apollo Theater.

[15:00] Skip tells Arturo why he plays music. Seven years old. His grandparents' car. Nat King Cole on the radio after he had just passed. The promise he made to his grandmother in that moment.

Notable Resources:

Just Believe in Love — Skip Martin featuring Arturo Sandoval on trumpet

Connect with Arturo Sandoval:

Website: arturosandoval.com

Search Arturo Sandoval on social platforms and streaming services

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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A conversation with John Elefante — former lead vocalist of Kansas, Long Island kid raised on everything from Led Zeppelin to Earth Wind and Fire — on owning your music, freeing yourself from record labels, and what happens when your fans become your record company.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: John Elefante sang Carry On Wayward Son. He fronted one of the most iconic rock bands in history. And when it came time to make his new album, he didn't call a label. He called his fans. In this backstage conversation with Skip Martin at Sea Island, Georgia, John talks about growing up on Long Island surrounded by every genre imaginable, what it really means to be independent as an artist, and how crowdfunding through Kickstarter raised close to $70,000 and gave him something he had never had before — he owns the record.

Main Topics:

Growing up on Long Island with records playing around the clock — Led Zeppelin, Earth Wind and Fire, the Jacksons, everything in between

His new album On My Way to the Sun and how it came to be

Why he didn't want to do crowdfunding at first — and what changed his mind

How Kickstarter works for an artist at his level — autographed CDs, memorabilia, gold records for major donors

Raising close to $70,000 from fans who felt like they were part of making the record

What it means to own your music after decades of getting 25 cents an album on an $18 record

The Greatest Hits Live show — John performing Kansas material on the road

Intriguing Quotes: "For the first time in my life I'm not a slave to a record company." "It was made by my fans fanning it." "Back in the day we used to have to be a slave to Polygram, Warner Brothers, Sony, Motown, whoever it is, for a pittance of a dollar. We were selling albums for $18 and getting 25 cents an album." "Everybody feels like they're part of the making of the record."

Key Moments:

[03:30] John explains how crowdfunding through Kickstarter worked for On My Way to the Sun — the rewards tiers, the community buy-in, and why he almost didn't do it at all.

[04:45] He breaks down the old label math. Eighteen dollar albums. Twenty-five cents per record to the artist. The industry that built careers on those terms is the same one he just walked away from.

[05:00] The moment that defines it all — John says for the first time in his life he owns his record. He doesn't owe it to anyone. It belongs to him and the fans who made it happen.

Notable Resources:

Album: On My Way to the Sun — available on streaming platforms

Kickstarter — kickstarter.com for artists looking to fund independently

Connect with John Elefante:

Search John Elefante on social platforms and streaming services

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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advertising.

A conversation with Ray Parker Jr. — from a six-year-old marching into the principal's office to avoid gym class, to touring with the Spinners at 13, to hanging up on Stevie Wonder three times, to writing the most recognisable theme song on the planet. And the secret? Never say the word.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: Ray Parker Jr. has seven consecutive gold and platinum albums, a number one in 18 countries, and one of the most played songs in recorded history. In this conversation with his friend Skip Martin, Ray traces it all the way back to a Detroit classroom, a $40 acoustic guitar, and a broken leg that gave him nothing to do but practice. He talks about the Spinners at 13, Stevie Wonder at 17, Clive Davis over lunch, and the phone call from Columbia Pictures that turned into Ghostbusters. A conversation about simplicity, instinct, and why the man next door should always be able to sing along.

Main Topics:

How a six-year-old's visit to the principal's office started everything — and the teacher who changed Ray's life

Trading an $850 saxophone for a $40 guitar — and why the guitar was the one

Touring with the Spinners at 13, playing the 20 Grand in Detroit at 14, and joining Stevie Wonder's band at 17

Hanging up on Stevie Wonder three times — and what made Ray finally believe it was really him

The conversation with his father before dropping out of college — and how Ray handled it

Writing You Got the Love for Chaka Khan at 19 and hitting number one at 20

Lunch with Clive Davis, the Jack and Jill story, and the pact that built Radio

A black poster on Sunset Boulevard, a phone call from Columbia Pictures, and a year's worth of rejected songs

Why Ray never says the word Ghostbusters in the song — and why that's the whole secret

Less is more — what Kool and the Gang taught Ray, and what Ray and Skip share about it

Intriguing Quotes: "The guitar was just my natural instrument. Like a message from up above saying, this is what you're supposed to do." "I repeated everything back to him that he told me. And I said, great. I don't wanna do that." "I never say the words Ghostbusters. I just say, who you gonna call? And then the answer to that is Ghostbusters. That's what made the whole thing work." "I don't believe in solos. If you can't hum the solo, I don't want it in my song." "Music is what makes people happy and what makes them smile." "My happy place is creating it. And I can see that about you too."

Key Moments:

[01:00] Ray is six years old. He walks into the principal's office and tells her he doesn't want to do gym class anymore. She takes his hand, walks him down the hall, and opens a door that never closes.

[04:30] Ray trades an $850 saxophone for his brother's $40 guitar. His parents think he's lost his mind. He hasn't. The guitar speaks to him in a way nothing else has.

[08:30] Stevie Wonder calls. Ray hangs up. Stevie calls back. Ray hangs up again. By the third time, Stevie plays him the raw rhythm track for Superstition. Ray stops hanging up.

[10:30] Ray sits across from his father and repeats back everything he said — the pension, the Ford job, the security — word for word. Then tells him he doesn't want any of it.

[19:45] A black poster goes up on Sunset Boulevard. A red circle, no words. Ray's phone rings. Columbia Pictures. They've been trying to find a Ghostbusters theme for a year. He's their last call.

[21:45] Ray realises he can never say the word Ghostbusters in the song. The moment he figures out how to get around that is the moment the whole thing works.

Notable Resources:

Ray Parker Jr. on Facebook and Instagram — search Ray Parker Jr.

Connect with Skip Martin:

Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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The conversation continues — Carolyn Griffey on how she ended up in Shalamar, what it means to carry a father's legacy when he never saw you perform, why she fights for Solar Records even now, and the real reason Skip Martin plays music at all.

Host: Skip Martin

Summary: Part 2 picks up in the deep end. Carolyn shares how she came to join Shalamar — one show in England, a terrified perfectionist who knew every lyric, and a father who heard the fee and immediately called a meeting. From there the conversation opens into something bigger: identity, legacy, the beauty standard crisis, Ghana, Black Panthers in the living room, and what it means to spend your life standing on a foundation someone else built. And then Skip tells Carolyn why he plays music. What he said to his grandmother at seven years old is something you won't forget.

Main Topics:

● How Carolyn joined Shalamar — one show in England, the lady parts, and the meeting Dick Griffey called when he heard the fee

● The Miss Black America pageant and a little girl on a cruise ship who didn't know she could enter

● Ghana, the Cube Girls, and the moment Skip's road crew realised they had been brainwashed about beauty

● Dick Griffey coining the term African-American during Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign

● Growing up light-skinned in the San Fernando Valley and fighting to prove your blackness

● Skip's C words for success — courage, collaboration, and adaptability

● The Whispers rehearsing in the garage, a steel drum full of mud pies, and Skip's first professional band

● Why Carolyn didn't take her music seriously until it was almost too late — and what changed

● Teddy Riley's warning: if we don't tell our own stories, they will

● Skip's reason for playing music — what he told his grandmother at seven years old

Intriguing Quotes: "Howard's like, sing the lady parts. I was like — you mean do the female part." "God won't let me sleep until I make sure this legacy and the stories are told correctly." "If we don't preserve our music, if we don't tell our own stories, then they will." — Teddy Riley "I'm going to play music so when I die, people will feel like I'm still in the car with them." — Skip Martin "I've already got my roses. I don't give a shit about that. I just want to keep passing on the passion." "Greatness doesn't lie in the comfort zone. Greatness comes from persevering."

Key Moments:

● [00:23] Carolyn tells the Shalamar story. One show in England. She knew every lyric because she was their biggest fan. She thought she was horrible. Howard and Jeffrey didn't agree. Dick Griffey heard the fee and called a meeting the next day.

● [05:00] A little girl on a cruise ship asks if she could be Miss Black America. Carolyn is still thinking about her face.

● [07:00] Skip takes it to Ghana — the Cube Girls, the road manager who thought it was going to be a rough two weeks, and what happened a fortnight later when everything looked different.

● [12:00] Dick Griffey coined the term African-American during Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign. Most people don't know that.

● [27:00] Skip tells Carolyn why he plays music. He was seven, riding with his grandparents, hearing a Nat King Cole tribute on the radio. What he said to his grandmother in that moment is where everything started.

Notable Resources:

● Shalamar — Facebook and Instagram: search Shalamar Friends

● Miss Black America Pageant — search Miss Black America for current information

● Bill Underwood — search for his story and work

Connect with Carolyn Griffey:

● Instagram: @iamcarolyngrifey

● Facebook: Carolyn Griffey

Connect with Skip Martin:

● Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/

● Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic

● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/

● Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic

● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic

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