FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTIN

Skip Martin
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Skip Martin, a Grammy Award winner, has dedicated his life to the rooms where music history unfolds. As former lead vocalist for Kool & the Gang and the Dazz Band, he has shared stages with the greatest artists of his generation — and built friendships that have lasted decades. Friends and Legends is the platform where these friendships are brought to life. This is not a standard interview show. Skip does not sit across from his guests — he sits beside them. These are real talks with people who were there, built something, and have stories to tell. From platinum records to personal breakthroughs. From the road to the recording studio, the journey was transformative. From the highs to the moments that tested everything. New episodes drop regularly. "Music is the sound of a soul singing." Don't play no games.

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 021 - She Laid Off 40 People, Then Lost Her Own Job - Now She's on TV in 50 Cities

    Friends & Legends with Skip MartinHost: Skip Martin Summary:Skip Martin sits down with his old friend Denella Ri'chard, the award winning host and executive producer of the nationally syndicated series Traveling with Denella Ri'chard. She grew up in Baton Rouge, caught the travel bug following her mum's bowling tournaments, and found her calling studying abroad in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994, the year Nelson Mandela became president. A career at Hilton and then as a cruise industry executive ended on 13 March 2020, when she laid off her team of more than 40 and then lost her own job. What started as a one year lockdown project is now filming its ninth season. She takes Skip from a hot air balloon over the Serengeti to a Maasai classroom with no electricity and no running water, Skip shares what he saw in Kenya, and he closes with his C words for success and the goat in the well. Main Topics:Growing up in Baton Rouge and travelling with her bowler mumStudying abroad in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994A school project on Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko and apartheidHilton, the Hampton launch and the cruise industryInviting Oprah Winfrey aboard as a ship's godmotherMarch 2020: laying off 40 people, then losing her own jobWhy 9-11 taught her travel always comes backA lockdown prime time slot and the birth of the showFrom poolside pina coladas to sharks, stingrays and monkeysA hot air balloon over the SerengetiThe Maasai children who would match any US kindergartenSkip in Kenya: the water truck comes ThursdaySkip's C words for success Intriguing Quotes:"I realized I was sipping more than I was painting." - Denella Ri'chard"When borders open, we're going to travel the world again." - Denella Ri'chard"I would put them against any kindergarten class in the United States." - Denella Ri'chard"Where are the kids? Take me to the kids." - Denella Ri'chard"The water truck will be here Thursday." - Skip Martin"One completed idea is more valuable than a thousand dreams." - Skip Martin"Success is a double-edged sword." - Skip Martin"Just shake it off." - Skip Martin Key Moments:[00:00] Skip welcomes Denella Ri'chard[01:22] Baton Rouge and a mum who bowled tournaments[02:28] Southern University and a semester in Zimbabwe[03:45] 1994, the year Mandela became president[05:03] Hilton, Beverly Hills and the cruise industry[06:07] 13 March 2020 and the ships shut down[07:18] A friend offers a prime time TV slot[08:08] What 9-11 taught her about travel[09:14] Naming Traveling with Denella[10:11] Monkeys, sharks and stingrays[10:52] One year becomes season nine[11:21] Ballooning over the Serengeti[12:37] Take me to the kids[14:58] Skip in Kenya and the water truck[16:45] Soccer on a garbage dump and the Xbox lesson[19:48] Skip's C words for success[22:43] The goat in the well[24:10] Where to watch Denella's show Notable Resources:Traveling with Denella Ri'chard, streaming on YouTube, Tubi and Apple TV+, and on local broadcast TV Connect with Denella Ri'chard:Website: https://www.travelingwithdenella.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingwithdenella/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelingwithdenellarichardYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@travelingwithdenellaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denella/ Connect with Skip Martin:Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusicYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Episode 021 - She Laid Off 40 People, Then Lost Her Own Job - Now She's on TV in 50 Cities

  2. Sep 22

    Episode 020 - 27 Years, Four Kids, One Divorce - and They Still Spend Christmas Together (Pt 2)

    Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary:Part 2 of Skip Martin's conversation with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon turns to the part nobody puts on a highlight reel: what a career on the road costs a family. Warren talks about meeting his wife in high school in Los Angeles, marrying at twenty three, raising four kids, and a marriage of twenty seven years that ended without either of them falling out of love. They are still good friends, eleven grandkids later, and still together at Christmas, birthdays and graduations. He is honest about the games and the dance recitals he missed, and Skip matches it with eight months a year on the road and the alienation that can follow a father home. It finishes on Warren's message to young people about phones, noise and keeping your circle small, and Skip's story about a goat in a well. Main Topics:Meeting his wife at Hamilton High and marrying at twenty threeTwenty seven years, four kids and eleven grandkidsWhy a marriage can end without either person falling out of loveStaying friends, and still showing up at ChristmasSkip on eight months a year with the Dazz Band and Kool and the GangThe appearances, the TV show, the radio show and the foundationThe games and the dance recitals Warren missedThe alienation of daddy, and only one side of the story getting toldTaking his two daughters to the Kentucky Derby for the first timeAll four kids going to Canton for his twentieth Hall of Fame anniversaryFifty years of the Dazz Band and a street dedication in ClevelandWhat Warren would tell young people about social media Intriguing Quotes:"We never stopped loving each other. We just kinda outgrew each other." - Warren Moon"It's a tremendous sacrifice." - Warren Moon"I missed some of their games and I missed some of their dance recitals." - Warren Moon"That is the alienation of daddy." - Skip Martin"You never get to tell your side of the story." - Skip Martin"Make that group that you have very small around you." - Warren Moon"Set your goals high, dream big and believe in yourself." - Warren Moon"The goat would just shake it off." - Skip Martin"Use that phone for what it was supposed to be for." - Warren Moon Key Moments:[00:00] Skip welcomes Warren Moon back for part two[02:07] High school sweethearts, San Jose State and the University of Washington[02:35] Twenty seven years, four kids, and why they parted[03:11] Still good friends, still together at Christmas[04:56] Skip on the grind, and what it does to a partner[05:34] Daddy's home, guess where we're going[06:09] Warren on the tremendous sacrifice[07:03] The games and dance recitals he missed[07:31] Skip on the alienation of daddy[08:35] Two daughters at the Kentucky Derby[08:59] Taking all four kids to Canton[12:14] A hundred and thirty legends back in Canton every year[13:12] Fifty years of the Dazz Band in Cleveland[16:16] Warren's message on social media and bullying[17:25] Keep your circle small and set your goals high[18:31] The goat in the well, and how to shake it off[20:40] Skip closes out, don't play no games Notable Resources:Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio, where Warren Moon is enshrined Connect with Warren Moon:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warrenmoon1/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HWarrenMoon1/X: https://x.com/WMoon1LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrenmoon1/ Connect with Skip Martin:Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusicYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Episode 020 - 27 Years, Four Kids, One Divorce - and They Still Spend Christmas Together (Pt 2)

  3. Sep 15

    Episode 020 - A Hall of Fame Quarterback's Secret He's Never Told in Any Interview (Pt 1)

    Friends & Legends with Skip MartinHost: Skip Martin Summary: Skip Martin sits down with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, a friendship that started at a Kentucky Derby buffet over a plate of pancakes and grits. Warren takes it back to Pop Warner football in Los Angeles, losing his dad at seven and becoming the man of a house with six sisters, and a mother who made it all work and is still here at ninety-nine. He talks about the long road to the NFL: junior college, the University of Washington, and a detour through the Canadian Football League when nobody at home would give him the chance to play quarterback. Skip matches it with his own fight to play the lead bugle line, the real origin of the word "cats", and the reveal Warren says he has never shared in any interview. Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Main Topics:• Pop Warner at nine, and switching to quarterback at ten• Losing his dad at seven and being the man of the house with six sisters• Why the responsibility of quarterback came naturally• Greatness doesn't come in a comfort zone• Playing for his mother, who is still going strong at ninety-nine• Being accepted, not being good enough, as the real challenge• Why he went to Canada for the chance to play quarterback• Skip playing the lead bugle line when he was told he couldn't• Where musicians' word "cats" really comes from• Jazz on the headset before every game• Warren joining Skip's song Win• The instrument Warren never mentions in interviews Intriguing Quotes:• "I never wanted to finish a day on a negative note." - Warren Moon• "All I was really looking for, Skip, was an opportunity." - Warren Moon• "Greatness doesn't come in a comfort zone." - Skip Martin• "Three buttons, brother. I said, give me that one. Sign me up." - Warren Moon• "Everything happens for a reason." - Warren Moon• "I never really felt like I was poor even though I was." - Warren Moon• "My biggest challenge was having people accept me to play." - Warren Moon• "We always had food, we always had clean clothes." - Warren Moon• "Had you not put that trumpet together incorrectly, who knows?" - Warren Moon Key Moments:[00:00] Skip welcomes NFL Hall of Famer Warren Moon[01:38] Pop Warner in Los Angeles and the switch to quarterback[02:37] Junior college, Washington, then the CFL[03:15] The Houston Oilers and a long pro career[04:17] Losing his dad at seven, six sisters at home[04:59] Six sisters and one bathroom[05:50] Greatness doesn't come in a comfort zone[06:42] Sports as the only way out[08:08] His mother, still here at ninety-nine[09:24] The biggest challenge was being accepted[11:03] Skip and the lead bugle line[12:41] Another country gave him the chance[14:01] Where the word "cats" came from[15:15] Jazz before game day[15:50] Warren joins Skip's song Win[17:42] The instrument his mother made him play[19:05] Three buttons, sign me up[21:00] Skip's trumpet that sounded like a kazoo[22:13] Everything happens for a reason Notable Resources:• Pro Football Hall of Fame, where Warren Moon was enshrined as a quarterback• Win, Skip Martin's upcoming song featuring Warren Moon and other guests Connect with Warren Moon:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warrenmoon1/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HWarrenMoon1/X: https://x.com/WMoon1LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrenmoon1/ Connect with Skip Martin:Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusicYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Episode 020 - A Hall of Fame Quarterback's Secret He's Never Told in Any Interview (Pt 1)

  4. Sep 9

    Episode 019 - They Come Home Wanting to Die - He Hands Them a Song

    Friends & Legends with Skip MartinHost: Skip Martin Summary: Skip Martin sits down with Dr. Moshe Lewis, the Juilliard-trained pianist who walked away from a career alongside Leontyne Price, Beverly Sills and Pavarotti to spend twenty years in medicine. He now treats veterans in their twenties and thirties who come home injured, in chronic pain, and convinced their lives are over, and his tool is music. Moshe explains manipulating music to pull yourself out of anger, why waiting tables taught him more about bedside manner than any lecture, and the three-step climb he takes soldiers through: learning to love yourself, learning to let yourself be loved, then extending grace to someone who does not deserve it. Skip answers with the trumpet his grandfather called devil's music, and a man on an Algerian tarmac who thought Kool & the Gang were a myth. Main Topics:• Waiting tables on 26 cent tips, and why it is the best training for medicine• Veterans in their twenties who feel their whole life ended with the injury• Why loss of value, not the injury itself, is what underlies feeling suicidal• The three levels: love yourself, allow yourself to be loved, extend grace to others• Manipulating music: reaching for a song in traffic, in an argument, in a crowded room• Music as anesthesia, and finding the childhood songs that made you happy• Juilliard, Lincoln Center and the Met, then choosing the operating room instead• Performing arts medicine, and treating dancers and singers as athletes• Sleep, the gym and libido as part of the same conversation as suicide• Skip's grandfather calling his trumpet devil's music in a Church of God pulpit• The man in Algeria who thought Kool & the Gang were a myth• Why AI can mimic the movement but has no soul Intriguing Quotes:• "Music itself truly can heal and help people." - Dr. Moshe Lewis• "They really don't feel equipped to be a parent, a father, mother, be competitive in the world." - Dr. Moshe Lewis• "We do a good job of tearing people down. We don't do such a good job of building people up." - Dr. Moshe Lewis• "Ego is edging God out." - Skip Martin• "Music is the sound of a soul singing. AI can mimic the movement, but AI doesn't have a soul." - Skip Martin• "He thought you were a myth." - Skip Martin Key Moments:[00:00] Skip welcomes Dr. Moshe Lewis, music and medicine[00:37] Twenty years in medicine, and the vets he treats[01:22] Waiting tables, 26 cent tips, and bedside manner[02:28] Why young veterans stop seeing a reason to live[03:41] Self-esteem first, then grace for people who don't deserve it[05:02] Can music work like an anesthesia?[06:04] Manipulating the music to talk yourself down[06:36] Juilliard, the Met, and walking away from it[13:35] The common thread in everybody: love[15:26] Music as the door to the spiritual[17:29] Ego is edging God out[21:09] Adopted, a Hebrew name, and a Christian household[25:02] The trumpet his grandfather called devil's music[30:34] A thousand interviews, and honouring who came first[33:40] Algeria: the man who thought they were a myth[35:12] Music is the sound of a soul singing Notable Resources:• Music & Medicine Show, Dr. Lewis's podcast: https://musicandmedicineshow.com/• California Pacific Medical Center, St. Luke's Campus, where he heads Physical Medicine & Rehab• Healing Heroes, the veterans work Skip references Connect with Dr. Moshe Lewis:Website: https://musicandmedicineshow.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theMusicandMedicineshow/X: https://x.com/DrLewisMDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moshelewis/ Connect with Skip Martin:Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusicYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Episode 019 - They Come Home Wanting to Die - He Hands Them a Song

  5. Sep 1

    Episode 018 - Avis Brown-Riley Says Life Has No Mulligans - Skip Told Her She's Wrong (Pt 2)

    Episode 018 - Avis Brown-Riley Says Life Has No Mulligans - Skip Told Her She's Wrong (Pt 2) Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Part 2 with LPGA pro Avis Brown-Riley goes to the heavy stuff: faith, upbringing, and what actually carries a person through. Avis traces her hope back to the Holy Spirit and a childhood spent travelling the country as a little Black girl facing racism head on. Skip lays out his seven C words for success, Avis answers with her three D's, and it opens into willow trees, Muhammad Ali, and Skip's near-drowning in ice-cold river water with a brother who couldn't swim, twenty yards from water that turned out to be calm and two feet deep. Then the disagreement: Avis says golf taught her there are no mulligans in life. Skip says failure is the do-over, and it's the only reason anybody gets good at anything. Main Topics: • Faith and hope as the thing Avis held onto through adversity • Being introduced to the Holy Spirit at a very early age • Facing racism and discrimination as a little Black girl travelling the country • Skip's seven C words for success, ending on a relationship with Christ • Why success is a double-edged sword, and who actually pays for it • Avis's three D's: desire, dedication and determination • The F words behind them: follow through, finish, favor and fortitude • Why willow trees survive the wind, and what that means for handling change • Muhammad Ali and taking the impact out of the punch • The river story: two teenagers, one raft, one paddle and ice water off Lake Tahoe • Mulligans: Avis says life has none, Skip says failure is the do-over • Greatness is painful, and why practice is really about being ready Intriguing Quotes: • "One completed idea is more valuable than a thousand dreams." - Skip Martin • "Success is a double-edged sword. The people closest to you pay the biggest price." - Skip Martin • "You know why willow trees keep surviving? Because they always bend with the wind." - Skip Martin • "Life is like a river. If you struggle against the current, you're gonna drown." - Skip Martin • "Your worst day could be somebody else's best day." - Avis Brown-Riley • "Not failing means you didn't try, so you're not growing." - Skip Martin Key Moments: [--:--] Avis on faith, hope and needing something to hold onto [--:--] Growing up on the road as a little Black girl facing racism [--:--] Skip runs through his seven C words for success [--:--] Why success is a double-edged sword [--:--] Avis answers with the three D's: desire, dedication, determination [--:--] Follow through, finish, favor and fortitude [--:--] The willow tree, and why bending is strength [--:--] Muhammad Ali and rolling with the punch [--:--] The river story: a raft, a brother who couldn't swim, and ice water [--:--] The sheriff, the rescue, and twenty yards to calm water two feet deep [--:--] Avis on your worst day being somebody else's best day [--:--] No mulligans: Avis and Skip disagree on second chances [--:--] Greatness is painful, and practising for when the door opens [--:--] Skip's sign off: don't play no games Notable Resources: • ABR Golf, Avis Brown-Riley's golf instruction site: https://abrgolf.com/ Connect with Avis Brown-Riley: Website: https://abrgolf.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avis.brownriley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avisbrownriley/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avis-brown-riley-1a493247 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/avisleebrown 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Episode 018 - Avis Brown-Riley Says Life Has No Mulligans - Skip Told Her She's Wrong (Pt 2)

  6. Aug 25

    Episode 018 - Four Trophies and a Father's Gift with Avis Brown-Riley (Pt 1)

    Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Skip Martin sits down at Avis Brown-Riley's Las Vegas home with the only African American woman in the world to hold four Junior World titles. Avis traces the game back to her father, the legendary Gordon Brown Sr. of Charleston, South Carolina, who put a club in her hand at seven, and to a San Diego family with more than 320 junior victories nobody has matched in fifty years. Skip answers with the story of hearing Nat King Cole from the back seat of his grandparents' car and deciding right there to make music, then hands the audience two parables: the tree whose roots grow in the dark, and the farmer with a goat stuck down a well. Part one of two. Main Topics: • Gordon Brown Sr. introducing Avis to golf at seven in Charleston, South Carolina • Winning her first tournament at eight and ranking among the world's best juniors by ten • The four Junior World trophies, and being the only African American woman to hold them • The Brown family's 320-plus San Diego junior victories, unmatched in fifty years • The 65 at Canyon Crest Country Club, still the course record • Skip hearing Nat King Cole from his grandparents' car and choosing music at seven • Skip's tree analogy, and the parable of the farmer and the goat in the well • Her honorary doctorate, and her book Building of a Champion in the USGA Library and Museum • Playing the 1988 US Women's Open, third after Althea Gibson and Renee Powell Intriguing Quotes: • "Tiger is the male, I’m the female." - Avis Brown-Riley • "I’m gonna make music so that when I die, people feel like I’m still in the car with them." - Skip Martin • "There was nobody there to see her when it was dark and it was damp and there was resistance." - Skip Martin • "Never give up. Believe in yourself. And never ever allow anyone to discourage you." - Avis Brown-Riley • "The notes on the paper are like a GPS. They’ll drive you down the road, but they can’t drive the car." - Skip Martin Key Moments: [00:00] Skip welcomes Avis Brown-Riley at her home in Las Vegas [01:11] Gordon Brown Sr. introduces her to golf at seven [01:28] Skip on hearing Nat King Cole and choosing music [02:26] The Junior World, and her first tournament win at eight [02:42] “Tiger is the male, I’m the female” [04:20] The 65 at Canyon Crest that still stands [05:17] The tree analogy: nobody sees the roots [08:13] The farmer and the goat in the well [13:55] Walking into a Japanese classroom [23:09] The lineage: Althea Gibson, Renee Powell, Avis Brown [23:39] Skip's reveal: A Boy Named Skip Notable Resources: • Building of a Champion: How I Became a Champion in Life, The Avis Brown-Riley Story, on Amazon • United States Golf Association Library and Museum, which holds her book • Avis Brown-Riley Golf Extravaganza, her coaching and instruction business • A Boy Named Skip, Skip Martin's film project, and his show at The Smith Center, Las Vegas Connect with Avis Brown-Riley: Website: https://abrgolf.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avis.brownriley/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avisbrownriley/ 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Episode 018 - Four Trophies and a Father's Gift with Avis Brown-Riley (Pt 1)

  7. Aug 18

    Episode 017 - From Project Soul to Wattstax - The Felton Pilate Story

    Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Con Funk Shun's Felton Pilate joins Skip for the backstory most fans never hear. Felton starts his own band at 16, folds it when the drummer gets pulled for bad grades, then Michael Cooper turns up at his door to bring him into Project Soul. Soul Children frontman Norman West catches the band, fires his own band on the spot and hires them instead, sending a group of teenagers from California to Memphis on $65 a week. Three weeks later they are on the LA Coliseum stage behind Rufus Thomas, playing what became the Wattstax film. Skip and Felton relive United We Funk, where five legendary groups shared one stage and one setlist, trade their definitions of what music actually is, and Felton closes with a message to old school artists about selling direct to their own fan base. Main Topics: ● Starting his own band at 16, and folding it when the drummer got pulled out over bad grades ● Michael Cooper knocking on his door and asking him to join Project Soul ● Norman West firing his band on the spot, and the move to Memphis at $65 a week ● Playing the LA Coliseum behind Rufus Thomas, filmed for the Wattstax documentary ● United We Funk: five legendary groups on one stage, no separate sets, dance steps made up on the fly ● The audience that danced three hours straight and had nothing left to clap with ● Legacy: “Straight From The Heart” as a wedding song, and the fan who had it engraved inside a ring ● Skip's gratitude to the Midwest fans, and the tree metaphor: they see the top, never the roots ● Selling direct to fans: a dollar a song, and owning the relationship instead of the platform Intriguing Quotes: ● “He fired his band that night. Hired us on the spot.” — Felton Pilate [04:44] ● “If you're 20 minutes late, you've already missed four great songs.” — Felton Pilate [09:26] ● “They've seen the top of the tree, and for them, I owe them my gratitude.” — Skip Martin [16:48] ● “My definition of music is it's the sound of a soul singing.” — Skip Martin [21:51] Key Moments: [00:06] Skip welcomes Felton Pilate of Con Funk Shun [00:54] Felton starts his own band at 16, and why it folded [02:48] Michael Cooper turns up at his door and asks him to join Project Soul [03:55] 1972: Norman West catches the band in Oregon and fires his own band on the spot [05:29] Three weeks later: the LA Coliseum, Rufus Thomas, and the Wattstax film [06:52] United We Funk: the concept of five legendary groups sharing one stage [11:12] Three hours of dancing, and the silence when it finally ended [13:37] What Felton wants to be remembered for, and “Straight From The Heart” as a wedding song [14:50] Skip on Cleveland, 50 years of the Dazz Band, and the fans who put them on the map [16:48] The tree metaphor: fans see the top, never the roots [17:53] Skip's Emmy-winning “People Get Ready” project, and the new song he's invited Felton onto [21:14] Felton and Skip trade definitions of music [23:41] Felton's message to old school artists: sell direct to your own fan base Notable Resources: ● Con Funk Shun official site: https://www.confunkshunusa.com/ ● Wattstax — the 1973 documentary filmed at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on 20 August 1972 ● “Straight From The Heart” — Con Funk Shun, from the album 7 (1981) ● “Ffun” — Con Funk Shun's No. 1 R&B single, the song that opened the United We Funk show ● “People Get Ready” — Skip Martin and David L. Cook's Emmy-winning project for St. Jude Connect with Felton Pilate: Website: https://www.confunkshunusa.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/feltonpilate/ 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Episode 017 - From Project Soul to Wattstax - The Felton Pilate Story

  8. Aug 11

    Episode 016 - Family First, Excellence Always - The Keith Harrison Story (Part 2)

    Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Two former Dazz Band bandmates catching up after this many years couldn't fit it all into one episode. Skip Martin and Keith Harrison come back for part two, trading the personal side of five decades in music: 52 years married to his high school sweetheart, family life and grandkids, staying grounded on the road, and hard-won lessons on resilience (the farmer-and-the-goat parable) and correction over ego. Keith opens up on his mother's hidden musical gift and his father's resistance to him pursuing music, and the two remember Bill Boyer, the band's longtime road security. Skip shares his own stage-fright story and a star-studded awards-circuit flashback with Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Elton John. Main Topics: ● Skip and Keith reminisce as former Dazz Band bandmates, picking up from Part 1 ● 52 years married to his high school sweetheart, and how she's kept him grounded ● Family life: four grandchildren, and the move from Dayton to Indianapolis ● Staying grounded on the road with a Casio keyboard and a four-track recorder ● Watching musical talent skip a generation into the grandkids ● The farmer-and-the-goat parable: shaking off criticism and adversity ● Learning from hard lessons — choosing to show, not just tell, the next generation ● Keith's mother's hidden gift for piano, and his father's resistance to music ● Remembering Bill Boyer, the band's longtime road security ● Skip's stage fright story and an awards-circuit flashback with Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Elton John Intriguing Quotes: ● “She pushed me into the studio and said, you're not going to stop. You better get to writing.” — Keith Harrison [02:35] ● “I'd rather be loved by the one that's gonna love me the most when I'm at my worst.” — Skip Martin [07:04] ● “In order to survive in this business, whatever happens to you, you just have to shake it off.” — Skip Martin [11:04] Key Moments: ● [00:06] Skip and Keith pick back up as former Dazz Band bandmates, continuing from Part 1 ● [01:27] Keith on meeting his wife in high school and 52 years of marriage ● [03:34] Staying grounded on tour with a Casio keyboard and a four-track recorder ● [07:04] Skip's philosophy: being loved most at your worst, not just your best ● [10:43] The farmer and the goat: Skip's parable on shaking off adversity ● [15:39] Keith's mother's hidden gift for piano, and his father's resistance to music ● [17:26] Remembering Bill Boyer, the band's longtime road security ● [20:40] Skip's stage fright story, from getting his eyes fixed to blanking out on stage ● [22:07] Awards-circuit flashback: Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Monaco royalty Notable Resources: ● No new external projects or links in this segment — see Part 1 show notes for Keith's memoir and the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame induction Connect with Keith Harrison: Facebook: search “Keith Harrison” Instagram: search “Keith Harrison” (Personal website/email given verbally in Part 1 came through garbled in that transcript — flag for a listen before publishing.) 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Episode 016 - Family First, Excellence Always - The Keith Harrison Story (Part 2)
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Skip Martin, a Grammy Award winner, has dedicated his life to the rooms where music history unfolds. As former lead vocalist for Kool & the Gang and the Dazz Band, he has shared stages with the greatest artists of his generation — and built friendships that have lasted decades. Friends and Legends is the platform where these friendships are brought to life. This is not a standard interview show. Skip does not sit across from his guests — he sits beside them. These are real talks with people who were there, built something, and have stories to tell. From platinum records to personal breakthroughs. From the road to the recording studio, the journey was transformative. From the highs to the moments that tested everything. New episodes drop regularly. "Music is the sound of a soul singing." Don't play no games.

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