The Great Creators with Guy Raz Wondery

This episode comes out for free on May 21, and is available early and ad-free for Wondery+ subscribers on May 14.

Michael McDonald brought his legendary singing voice and songwriting talent to not one but two legendary bands: Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers, the latter of which earned him a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Michael sits down with Guy to talk about writing classic songs on envelopes and forgetting about them for years; feeling self-conscious on stage as a frontman; his solo career; what he thinks of the term “yacht rock”; and how getting sober saved his life.

Michael’s memoir is called “What a Fool Believes”.

T Bone Burnett is one of the most accomplished music producers of the past 50 years. He sits down with Guy to talk about buying a recording studio at age 17; being pushed out of his creative comfort zone by Bob Dylan on the Rolling Thunder Revue tour; building soundtracks for the Coen Brothers and True Detective; and why, at age 76, he’s the happiest and most creative he’s ever been.

T Bone’s new album, The Other Side, is available here: https://shop.tboneburnett.com/

Links from the Show: Rolling Thunder Revue documentary on NetflixTrue Detective Season 1 soundtrackBig Lebowski soundtrackInside Llewyn Davis soundtrackGeorge Clooney performing I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow in O Brother Where Art Thou? Los Lobos: How Will the Wolf Survive? AlbumT Bone’s InstagramFor more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Diplo to Jewel to Andy Garcia to Tom Hanks – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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David Duchovny sits down with Guy to talk about his wide-ranging creative life. He describes the “gut instinct” that led him to drop out of a Yale literature program and pursue acting; his iconic roles as Agent Mulder in The X-Files and Hank Moody in Californication; why he writes novels and makes music; and embracing failure as a critical learning experience in life and work.

David’s new podcast is called “Fail Better”, and his film Bucky F*cking Dent comes out in June 2024.

Links from the Show: David’s new podcast, “Fail Better”IMDb: Bucky F*cking DentDavid’s booksLive performance of his song Layin’ on the TracksDavid’s music on SpotifyDavid Duchovny Breaks Down His Career, from 'The X-Files' to 'Californication' | Vanity FairMalice, the show David was shooting in London at the time of this recording:For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Hilary Swank to Diplo – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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Lainey Wilson burst onto the country music scene in 2022 with her album Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’. But for seven years before that, she struggled to make it in the high-pressure Nashville music scene. And before that, she was a kid from a tiny town in rural Louisiana with a dream of being a country star.

In this encore episode from 2023, Lainey joins Guy to talk about how she handled the hard times, what she’s learned about the art of collaboration during the making of two acclaimed albums, and what defines her unique style – which she calls “Bell Bottom Country”.

Links from the Show: Lainey Wins the 2023 CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year Tougher Music VideoThings A Man Oughta Know Music VideoLainey’s French Bulldog Hippie Mae’s Instagram Hillbilly Hippie Official Lyrics VideoLainey’s Female Vocalist of the Year (2022) Acceptance SpeechLainey’s New Artist of the Year (2022) Acceptance Speech Tougher album (2016)Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ (2021) Bell Bottom Country (2022)For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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One of the first – and biggest – stars of the MTV era, Billy Idol is nothing short of a rock icon. He sits down with Guy Raz to share how the Sex Pistols inspired him to start a band instead of working for his dad; the stories behind the songs “Dancing with Myself” and “Rebel Yell”; his famously edgy image and lifestyle; and the workout routine that allows him to tour internationally into his late 60s.

Buy the 40th anniversary expanded edition of Billy’s album “Rebel Yell” here: https://billyidol.lnk.to/RebelYellExpanded

Links from the Show: Sex Pistols swearing on TV with Bill Grundy Generation X: Kiss Me Deadly Dancing with Myself music video Rebel Yell White Wedding Eyes Without a Face Hot in the City Billy’s InstagramHis YouTube channelFor more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oskar Eustis is the Artistic Director at the Public Theater in New York City. He sits down with Guy to talk about “falling into the avant-garde rat hole” early in his career; convincing Lin-Manuel Miranda that Hamilton was more than a concept album; bringing theater to senior centers, women’s shelters, and prisons; and why he believes performing arts are essential to democracy.

See what the Public theater has playing here: https://publictheater.org/

Links from the Show: Lin-Manuel Miranda debuts Hamilton at the White House in 2009Oskar’s TED TalkBrief profile of the Public Theater’s Public Works programShakespeare in the ParkFor more conversations like this – including interviews with theater legends like Audra McDonald and Nathan Lane – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.