Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg

Paul Williams is one of the most beloved and respected music creators in the world today; a lyricist and composer who has won an Oscar Award, three Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, an Ivor Novello International Award and earned induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Williams’ timeless classics range from “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “You and Me Against the World” and “The Rainbow Connection” to "Touch" and "Beyond" on Daft Punk’s chart-topping Album of the Year, Random Access Memories on which he also performed, receiving a Grammy as Featured Artist. As President and Chairman of the Board of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), he is also a leading spokesman for music creators in the digital age. 

 In addition to music creators’ rights, Paul is also passionate about recovery, and works tirelessly to destigmatize alcoholism and addiction. Sober 33 years, his humorous observations of life, love, and creativity, augmented by the education and knowledge he gained through his studies and certification from UCLA as a Certified Drug Rehabilitation Counselor, has been shared in a best-selling book co-written by Tracey Jackson, entitled Gratitude and Trust: Six Affirmations That Will Change Your Life. While publicly lauded for his work as a songwriter, author and actor, most recently for his role with Billy Bob Thornton in Goliath, Paul predicts he’ll be remembered for playing Little Enos in the Smokey and the Bandit trilogy and for his lyrics to “The Love Boat” theme. 

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Jason Mraz is a two-time Grammy award winning singer/songwriter, winner of the esteemed Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and owner of his own organic home farming organization, Mraz Family Farms. Having sold over 13 million album equivalents, Jason is celebrating the 15th anniversary of his 2008 album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things, recently reissued as a deluxe 2 vinyl set.  He also founded the nonprofit Jason Mraz Foundation, which has a mission of shining for inclusive arts education, food security and the advancement of equality.

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Danny Goldberg, President of Gold Village Entertainment, has worked in the music business as a personal manager, record company president, public relations man and journalist since the late 1960s. Goldberg began his career as a music journalist writing for among others Rolling Stone and Billboard Magazine. He later formed and co-owned Modern Records (Stevie Nicks), the artist management firm Gold Mountain Entertainment (Nirvana, Hole, Sonic Youth, Bonnie Raitt, The Allman Brothers, and more), and independent label Artemis Records. He served as President of Atlantic Records and Chairman of Warner Bros. Records, as CEO of Air America Radio and Chair of the ACLU of Southern California.

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Miles Copeland, founder of I.R.S. Records, BTM (British Talent Management), Illegal Records, Deptford Fun City Records, New Bristol Records, and Copeland International Arts (C.I.A.). He has worked with The Police, Sting, Berlin, Dead Kennedys, The Cramps, The Go-Gos, Squeeze, R.E.M., The Alarm, and The Bangles, among others.

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Doc McGhee is a pioneer in the entertainment industry, overseeing the legendary careers of Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, and Skid Row. Managing the world-famous band KISS for over two decades, Doc reunited the band for their sold-out ‘96-‘97 Alive Worldwide Tour.  With products ranging from coffins, to comic books, to skateboards, to pinball machines, it’s hard to find a product today without KISS on it. Doc has had an amazing history rebranding acts such as Darius Rucker, who he led into being a country sensation, where he revolutionized the way we see country stars today by breaking through various genre and racial stereotypes. Doc has played a key role in the development, execution, and filming of live events that include the Moscow Music Peace Festival, the first stadium rock show in Russia, which was aired worldwide as a top-rated pay-per- view event.  As an entrepreneur, he created and ran the entertainment division of Home Shopping Network for five years, was a co-owner of the LA KISS Football team. 

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Steve Lillywhite, CBE is a legendary English five-time Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has collaborated with a variety of musicians including U2, The Killers, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Morrissey, The Pogues, David Byrne, XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Simple Minds, The Psychedelic Furs, Beady Eye, Phish, The Counting Crows & Thirty Seconds To Mars. He has won numerous awards including the Producer of The Year Grammy & Commander of the Order of The British Empire (CBE) in 2012 for his contributions to music.

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Bob Gruen is one of the most respected rock and roll photographers of all time. His iconic images— including John Lennon wearing a New York City t-shirt (1974), Led Zeppelin standing in front of their airplane and Sid Vicious eating a hot dog (in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London)—have appeared worldwide in every form, from magazine covers, posters, T-shirts and even postage stamps. He is the author of 15 books including "Rock Seen, John Lennon: The New York Years", "Green Day: Photographs by Bob Gruen" and a new autobiography "Right Place, Right Time."

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A vital force behind the sound of some of rock’s most powerful female artists, like Tina Turner & Pat Benatar among others, singer/songwriter Holly Knight’s iconic musical imprint is woven into the very fabric of the MTV generation. Throughout the 1980s, she composed anthems including "Better Be Good To Me, "The Best," "Love is A Battlefield," and many others that have become the soundtrack for millions of people’s lives, and created and crafted empowering odes to independence, liberation, and equality.  In 2013, Holly was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

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A founding member of The Rascals (AKA The Young Rascals), Felix is an inductee of the Songwriters, Rock and Roll, Hammond, Hit Parade, and Musicians halls of fame. Playing organ and piano with The Rascals, he frequently collaborated with bandmate Eddie Brigati to write some of the band’s most successful songs, such as “How Can I Be Sure?,” “I’ve Been Too Lonely Too Long,” “A Beautiful Morning,” and “Groovin’.” The band had 3 #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits including “Good Lovin’,” a song that the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame has included on its list of the 500 songs that shaped Rock & Roll. Their Civil Rights anthem “People Got To Be Free” became their final No. 1 track in both the U.S. and Canada. Felix went on to release six solo albums, be a touring member of Ringo Starr’s third All-Starr Band, perform with Billy Joel, record an album with Steve Cropper, and starred in a heralded Broadway musical revue, Once Upon A Dream, in 2013.

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Ranked among Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and named The World’s Greatest Living Guitar Player by Mojo magazine, Steve is a founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.’s, the Mar-Keys, and the Blues Brothers. As a songwriter, he’s co-written some of the biggest songs of all time including Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour,” Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood,” and Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” 

Over his celebrated career, Steve has worked with Sam & Dave, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, Neil Young, Rod Stewart, José Feliciano, Jeff Beck, Johnny Cash, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John Lennon, Tom Petty, and countless others. In 1992, Steve (as part of Booker T. & the M.G.’s) was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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