The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music PodcastOne

Legendary rock n roll guitarist, singer & songwriter Ricky Byrd is this week's guest on The Jay Jay French Connection. Ricky spent over a decade playing Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - & has performed, recorded & toured with the likes of Roger Daltrey, Ian Hunter, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mavis Staples, Smokey Robinson, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Page, Dion & Elvis Costello - just to name a few. Hear Jay Jay & Ricky discuss their deeply rooted connection through all things rock n roll, and be sure to check out Ricky's recently released record "Sobering Times," available on all digital platforms and through rickybyrd.com. Sobering Times is an honest and intimate reflection of recovery delivered through his signature brand of Rock ‘N’ Roll. As Goldmine Magazine states “...The Faces and The Rolling Stones with a dash of Otis...It rocks like a b*tch. His vocals are the best of his career...early indications make it seem likely that this will be his career statement.”

Don't miss this conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music!

Produced & edited by Matthew Mallinger

This week's focus is on Jay Jay's remarkable health journey & surviving prostate cancer, with special guest Dr. Samir Taneja. Dr. Samir Taneja is a urologist & surgeon who performed Jay Jay's prostate cancer operation in 2018. Jay Jay discusses why he finds it so important to educate yourself on any health concerns that are affecting your life, & shares his experience in doing so himself.

Dr. Taneja shares his insight on prostate cancer diagnosis & methodology, and discusses the decisions that individuals who are diagnosed with prostate cancer have to weigh, differences between various treatments currently available, & why he finds active surveillance to be so important.

You won't want to miss this informative story, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music!

This week is the first guest of the new year - the prolific British record producer Steve Lillywhite! If you're not already familiar & want to look at the list of records that Lillywhite is credited on - you'll need to sit down & set aside some time. Steve has been credited on over 500 records - collaborating with the likes of U2, The Rolling Stones, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Psychedelic Furs, Simple Minds, Dave Matthews, & The Killers (to name a few) - receiving 6 Grammy awards along the way, and being made a Commander of the Order of The British Empire in 2012 for his contributions to music. Tune in to hear about how Steve began his career by learning to be the best tape operator possible, his deep love for punk music, how he became U2's go-to producer, & his advice on working in the music industry. Don't miss this insightful conversation on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music!

Produced & edited by Matthew Mallinger

This week on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music, we're revisiting another episode highlight from 2021, with guest "Supermensch" Shep Gordon! Shep is one of the most legendary talent managers in the music industry - and he has the stories to back it. Shep has run the gamut of artists he's worked with - from Alice Cooper to Teddy Pendergrass, and Blondie to Frankie Valli. Hear these two talk all things music management, and share stories from their long runs in the music industry. Be sure to check out the documentary "Supermensch", produced & directed by Mike Myers, to learn even more about Shep's story.

Produced & edited by Matthew Mallinger

This week we're revisiting a 2021 highlight, Jay Jay's conversation with best-selling author Jane Green, and author & former model Jenny Boyd. Listen to these two discuss their most recent writing projects, including Jenny's book "Jennifer Juniper: A Journey Beyond the Muse," which was released this past year. Jane & Jenny also discuss the differences between living in England and the United States, what their writing processes look like during a global pandemic, and remarkable stories from their careers, as well as being in and around the music world.

-Produced by Matthew Mallinger

Jim McCarty, legendary English musician & drummer of The Yarbirds, is this week's guest on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! McCarty has been the only individual featured in every lineup of The Yardbirds. Hear Jim discuss the band's deep blues influences & their evolving sound through the years. A few of the most groundbreaking guitarists - Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck & Eric Clapton have all been members of The Yardbirds; hear Jim discuss at length the difference between their lineups over the years, playing with these 3, & how their varying styles & personalities influenced his writing & drumming. Jay Jay has been a fan of The Yardbirds for years, & shares his appreciation for both their impact on him personally, & on the music world as a whole.

Be sure to check out both of Jim's book's: "Nobody Told Me: My Life with the Yardbirds, Renaissance and Other Stories," & "She Walks In Beauty: My Quest For The Bigger Picture."

-Produced by Matthew Mallinger