Not So Famous in NJ - Coffee Talk and Candid Conversations With Lucille

I met Julieanna Richardson at a Rutgers event, honoring her work in creating an archive of Black history, from the voices of those who created it. You'll be surprised by at least one famous person who refused to be interviewed. . . I know I was. 

The unacknowledged daughter of Dizzy Gillespie, Jeanie Bryson who made a name for herself globally as a jazz singer, passed away suddenly last month.  I'm revisiting our 2021 conversation, where she speaks bluntly about her father, the outsized influence of her songwriting mother, Connie Bryson, how a herd of cows were perhaps her favorite audience and her last big project, a documentary about her late husband, Colman "Coley" Mellet, who died in a tragic airplane crash.

Two years ago I was lucky enough to attend an event at Rutgers Living History Society where Juliana Richardson was honored with an Oral History Award. Her claim to fame? Her work with the History Makers, a project she started 24 years earlier to document Black history in America. . . the largest effort to record the African American experience since the WPA Slave Narratives of the 1930s. She - and her interviews with everyone from a Tuskegee airman to Barack Obama  - are fascinating.

Greg was one of my first interviews during Covid, out on my deck and sufficiently spaced apart. A former prosecuting attorney, Greg talks about how his experience in that field helped with his acting, and vice versa. So, he not only prosecuted murderers, he actually played them!

Some people give up when they face a crisis in their life. Some - like Jim Kelly - decide it's better to live.
Here's part two of our conversation. 

Barely out of his teens, Jim Kelly suffered a devastating and life changing accident that paralyzed him. His road to partial recovery helped him see life differently - and perhaps was the impetus behind his success as an educator and, eventually, writer. And, yes. I had a crush on him in high school. . . 
This is part one of our recent conversation. You can find his books at jmkellyauthor.com

Less than a week ago, Michael Kroll - husband, actor, director, friend - passed away quietly at home. His death is a huge loss to all who knew him. Michael so totally exemplifies the "best of," and I wanted to honor him by rebroadcasting our talk from 2021.

What the hell is a Tardis? What is the Dr.'s actual name? You may not find the answers here, but you will hear a continuation of our spirited discussion about the TV series, Dr. Who. The Doctor, you may already know, is a Space Lord who travels through space and time, usually with a companion and always encountering impossible situations. Impossible. . . except for the Doctor. Click through to hear our nerdy thoughts, and maybe you'll be convinced to tune in yourself.

She is a powerhouse of a singer, but that description doesn't do Bridget Larson justice. With a combination of blues, rock, country and, yes, Christian music, she hits all the right notes. Don't let the Christian music fool you. She can get downright secular!

If you're a sci fi fan - or even if you aren't - you may have watched an episode or two of Dr. Who. I've gathered a few Dr. Who aficionados to basically nerd out on this epic show, which has been around forever. The Doctor - as he is known - travels around time and space and. . . oh, just listen to Rob, Ellie, Nika, Nora and I have a completely normal conversation about our obsession.   
[Sorry if you tried to listen earlier. Production problems!]