The ALL NEW Big Wakeup Call with Ryan Gatenby

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From June 28, 2017: Guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer Ray Parker Jr. called in to promote the movie Hired Gun, which is the story of the musical talent responsible for the most famous instrumental solos in the world, who have toured with the musical legends who hired them. The hired gun community lives and breathes music, and, for the first time, its members share their incredible stories and exclusive musical performances with the world in this inspiring new documentary.

RAY PARKER JUNIOR BIO

Guitarist/songwriter/producer Ray Parker Jr. had hits as Raydio (the million-selling "Jack and Jill," "You Can't Change That"), Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio ("Two Places at the Same Time," "A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]"), and Ray Parker Jr. (the number one R&B and pop gold single "Ghostbusters"), and he co-wrote hit songs for Rufus and Chaka Khan (the number one "You Got the Love" from fall 1974) and Barry White ("You See the Trouble with Me" from spring 1976).

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From September 8, 2016: MTV and VH-1 legend Matt Pinfield called in for a chat about his memoir, All These Things That I've Done : My Insane, Improbable Rock Life.

ABOUT MATT PINFIELD AND HIS BOOK ALL THESE THINGS THAT I’VE DONE MY INSANE, IMPROBABLE ROCK LIFE

“Matt was the Man for those of us who beheld his rock wisdom on MTV. This is his life as a raconteur, a bon vivant, but most of all a fan who never lost his raw passion and burning heart and gargantuan music appetite. He makes rock & roll fandom sound like a lifelong heroic quest—which it is.” —Rob Sheffield, author of Love is a Mixtape

If you are a fan of classic 1990s MTV, Matt Pinfield needs no introduction. As host of “120 Minutes”, and before that as a DJ at the influential New Jersey rock station WHTG, Matt Pinfield helped usher in the alternative rock explosion that reached its apotheosis in the mid 90s. Pinfield started out as the ultimate rock fan and ended up with the ultimate all-access pass as a participant, eyewitness, and authority. ALL THESE THINGS THAT I’VE DONE: My Insane, Improbable Rock Life (Scribner, September 2016) is his story, and therefore also the story of the last five decades of rock.

ALL THESE THINGS THAT I’VE DONE includes behind the scenes stories of Pinfield’s encounters with everyone from Lou Reed to David Bowie to the Ramones (Marky’s nickname for Matt was Matty Ramone) to U2. Along the way, readers will See how he made inroads in the music business and how he eventually ended up gaining the trust of some of the most influential musicians in rock. One of his secrets? “No one gave me permission to do anything. I just had balls, and I knew how to seize brief moments.” (An example of seizing the moment includes a teenage Matt asking Andy Warhol for a ride to a Boomtown Rats party. He got it.)

ALL THESE THINGS THAT I’VE DONE also provides a nostalgic look at music discovery before streaming and MP3s. Matt got his records from the Woolworth’s, Grant’s, Alexander’s, Two Guys, and Korvette’s in New Brunswick, NJ. (“Sometimes, during sales, you could get LPs for like $2.49,” he tells us.) These deals helped feed his seemingly insatiable hunger for good music, which Pinfield dates to early childhood. It’s this voracious appetite paired with enthusiasm and the desire to share what he was hearing which led Pinfield to his unorthodox but wildly successful career as radio DJ, club DJ, and eventually unlikely television star. For Pinfield, it’s always been all about the music.

Packed with vivid and joyful descriptions of the concerts, music, and bands that shaped Matt (and that he helped us all learn about) and including best-of lists, favorite tracks, and artist profiles, ALL THESE THINGS THAT I’VE DONE explains how a born outsider wound up in the inner circle. Fans everywhere will rejoice!

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Kids In The Hall superstar Dave Foley called in to chat about our favorite KITH sketches and a new season of Dr. Ken.

ABOUT DAVE FOLEY

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From July 7, 2016: former Mets and Phillies star Lenny Dykstra visited the show to talk about his memoir, House of Nails.  He also talked Cubs fans down off the ledge after a recent losing streak and correctly predicted a 2016 World Series championship for the Cubs!

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From September 22, 2015: Country music legend Roy Clark, one of the best guitar players on the planet, called in to discuss a special DVD set, The Hee-Haw Collection. 

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Actor Daniel Kyri from NBC's "Chicago Fire" joined us to discuss the show (streaming on Peacock), his character, filming and living in Chicago, and his appearance at an event at the Paley Center in NYC where his bunker gear will be on display.

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From October 15, 2015: The man, the legend, the one-and-only Dick Van Dyke managed not to trip over an ottoman on his way to phone to give me a call for a fun chat about his new inspiring motivational book, Keep Moving.

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From August 27, 2015: Actress, writer, and director Lake Bell promoted her movie No Escape, co-starring Pierce Brosnan and Owen Wilson.

ABOUT LAKE BELL

Lake Siegel Bell is an actress, writer and director.

She has starred in the television series Boston Legal (2004–06), Surface (2005–06), How to Make It in America (2010–11) and Childrens Hospital (2008–present) and in the films Over Her Dead Body (2008), What Happens in Vegas (2008), It's Complicated (2009), No Strings Attached (2011) and Million Dollar Arm (2014).

She wrote and directed the short film Worst Enemy, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012, followed by her feature film directing debut In a World... in 2013, in which she also starred.

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From June 27, 2018: Comedian, writer, producer and game show host Marc Summers called me up to chat about an all-new edition of the Nickelodeon classic "Double Dare."

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From July 11, 2018: WWF legend Greg "The Hammer" Valentine gave me a call to promote a special showing of the documentary 350 Days.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional wresting featuring interviews and photographs with legendary wrestlers and rare in-ring footage! Starring former world champions Bret Hart and Billy Graham, it is a true look behind the curtains at the grueling life they led on the road 350 days a year and the effect that lifestyle had on their marriages, family, physical and mental health. 

Featuring Greg Valentine, Tito Santana, Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff, Abdullah The Butcher, Wendi Richter, Bill Eadie, Nikolai Volkoff, Stan Hansen, Angelo Mosca, Lex Luger, and more, the event also includes some of the last interviews ever done with George “The Animal” Steele, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Ox Baker, The Wolfman, Don Fargo, and 99-year-old Angelo Savoldi.