Follow The Music

Blessed Be

In 1983, I was the publicist for the mini-series "The Last Days Of Pompeii," so every day that summer I took the tube to Pinewood Studios to be on the set. One of the actors I worked with was Brian Blessed, who was also starring in the musical "Cats" in the West End. On this day, I was with Brian at the studio where I had arranged for him to be interviewed by the L.A.-based TV series "2 On The Town." Then we all got in cars and headed into the West End to continue the interview at the Drury Lane Theatre where "Cats" was live on stage.

Bridge Over Peaceful Water

I had heard that there was a bridge named after singer Peggy March in Germany. So when I was in Munich with my friend Horst Stipp, Peggy and her husband Arnie drove us to the bridge so we could see it for ourselves. I mean, not that many people in the world have bridges named after them.

Chiara from Malta

In 1998, I was one of seven judges at Malta's national final in February to choose their artist for Eurovision that year. We all agreed it should be Chiara, with the song "The One That I Love." In May, I was at Eurovision in Birmingham in the U.K., where I met up with Chiara again and fellow music reporter Paul Gomez.

Taking That

I'm sure you all remember my brief stint in the boy band Take That. OK, it was for 10 seconds, which was how long it took for someone to take this photo of us.

French for the U.K.

I met the wonderful Nicki French at Mike Stock & Matt Aitken's offices in London on May 10, 1995. Five years later to the day, I saw Nicki again at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, where she represented the U.K. with "Don't Play That Song." We've been friends ever since but I bet neither of us remember what I whispered in her ear that day.

I Flew On the Wings Of Love

When I covered the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest for Billboard in Stockholm in 2000, I attended the Danish party on Wednesday night and told the Olsen Brothers how much I liked their song. On Friday, the crowd reaction to their performance of "Fly On The Wings Of Love" during rehearsal was so great, I was convinced they were going to win. At the winners' press conference Saturday night, I asked them when they first thought they had a chance to take home the trophy, thinking they would say it was at the Friday rehearsal. But they looked right at me and said, "Wednesday night, when Billboard said they liked our song."

Our Hearts Will Go On

Through his reporting for Billboard, my friend and colleague Chuck Taylor (second from right) became close with Celine Dion and her family. So when she began her residency at Caesars Palace, we not only went to the show, we were invited to her dressing room. That's songwriter Ayhan Sahin on the right and his niece Ecem Sahin second from left.

Chuck Fred and Josh

Remembering when Billboard colleague and friend Chuck Taylor and I bumped into Josh Groban.

Lunch In NYC

This was a memorable lunch at Trattoria Dell'Arte in Manhattan. L to R: Billy Joel guitarist Dennis DelGaudio, Kimberley Locke, me, Diana DeGarmo, Neil Sedaka, songwriter Ayhan Sahin and Billboard colleague Chuck Taylor.

20 Years And Counting

I started covering American Idol for Billboard during season 2, and I've continued to cover it ever since. For season 21, I visited the series' new home at Red Studios in Hollywood, former home to I Love Lucy and The Golden Girls.

Chuck, Me and Fantasia

For several years, I wrote the weekly internet show "The Billboard Radio Countdown," hosted by my colleague and friend Chuck Taylor. Once a year we broke away from the Hot 100 countdown to do a special show, going backstage during the summer American Idol tour to interview the top 10 finalists about their all-time favorite song, and then counting them down in the order they were eliminated from the show. It was always great fun. Here we are with Fantasia in 2004 for the season 3 special, recorded at the tour stop in Philadelphia.

Great Scott

I met Scott MacIntyre during Season 8 of American Idol and we became instant friends -- and then I met his family and we've all been close ever since. Scott's father, Doug, invited me over to his house for dinner and Scott joined us for a delicious home-cooked meal and a great evening of catching up with each others' lives.

Iceland Meets Palm Springs

In 1996, I met Anna Mjöll and her lovely parents at the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. Anna was singing for her native country, Iceland. We've been friends ever since. Here is Anna and her mother Swan escaping the cold of Iceland for a delicious lunch in Palm Springs. And if you've seen Will Ferrell's "Eurovision" movie, yes, Iceland hosted a boat party that year. We all survived.

Joshua Tree

Touring the famed Joshua Tree National Park with my friend Alex Panayi, visiting from Cyprus. I met Alex at my very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1995 when he sang "Sti Fotia." It is my favorite Eurovision song of all time.

Two Out Of Three

Celebrating Christmas 2022 with Joey Dee and Peggy March. Between the three of us we had two No. 1 songs on the Hot 100: "I Will Follow Him" and "Peppermint Twist."

Lost And Found

When I worked at NBC in Burbank, I became friends with Wesley Eure, who starred in Land Of The Lost and then Days Of Our Lives, although I did not work on either show. I hadn't seen him for years, but we found each other recently and got together for a Sunday breakfast and had a great catch-up with our lives.

Honoring Gene I

In 1990, Gene Roddenberry received the Jack Benny Memorial Award for lifetime achievement at a ceremony and dinner held by the March of Dimes. It was a black tie affair and I was there with several friends. Left to right: Ernie Over, Susan Sackett, Gene Roddenberry, me and Mark Hahn.

Honoring Gene II

At that Jack Benny dinner, many cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation were there and for the first time ever, the TNG blooper reel was screened publicly. Here I am with Susan Sackett and Michael Dorn.

Honoring Gene lll

Another cherished memory from the March of Dimes dinner: Susan and I with the lovely Grace Lee Whitney, who we still very much miss today.

Above Chicago with Gene & Susan

On May 10, 1991, Gene Roddenberry received the Humanist Arts Award from the American Humanist Association at their national conference in Chicago. Gene flew to Chicago from Washington, D.C. a few days earlier. Susan Sackett and I flew to Chicago from Los Angeles. Gene surprised us by picking us up at O’Hare, and took us for drinks high atop the 100-story John Hancock Center in the city.

My Voyage to the ABBA Arena

This is the view of the ABBA Arena from Pudding Mill Station, right across the street. I had just seen the spectacular "Voyage" show, which is like nothing I have ever seen before.

Distress Call

This landed on my neighbor's lawn so they decided to sell it.

American Song Contest

After covering the first live broadcast of the American Song Contest, I was invited to an after party hosted by the Swedish producers. Here I am with Christer Björkman and Anders Lenhoff, two of the Swedish producers who adapted the Eurovision Song Contest for America. I've known Christer for years, dating back to my first Eurovision and being at two of the quarterfinals for Melodifestivalen in Sweden in 2002.

A Surprise For Dick Clark

The Billboard/Airplay Monitor Radio Seminar & Awards was an annual affair with hundreds of radio professionals attending a weekend conference. I was asked to ask Dick Clark if he would host the 1998 Awards Dinner at the Pointe Hilton in Phoenix. He said yes but what he didn't know is that he was also going to honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. I was asked to give the introduction speech and bring him up on stage to present the award to him. Here I am backstage with Dick and the Billboard person in charge of the conference, my good friend Chuck Taylor.

Meeting Westlife

Early in their career, the Irish boy band Westlife had the good fortune to meet Billboard's Chuck Taylor (third from left), songwriter & producer Ayhan Sahin (third from right) and me. Or maybe it was our good fortune?!

London Rooftop

Here is the first behind-the-scenes photo from the TV pilot I wrote and helped produce, London Rooftop. With our host David Archuleta and headlining band The Grimm, we are all standing in front of a green screen. The show takes place on one of the most iconic rooftops in rock and roll history, created in part physically on stage and through virtual technology.

CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY

Backstage at the California Theater Of The Performing Arts in San Bernardino, Calif., just before David Archuleta's glorious holiday concert with the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, the only stop on David's Christmas tour with a full orchestra. Crowded into the world's tiniest dressing room with David are his publicist Ken Phillips, L.A. radio legend Jhani Kaye, my friend Mark Milett and me.

Home (Not) Alone

This was taken just before the big pillow fight broke out. OK, not really. But it was a great few days hosting my house guests Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo. Can't believe it's been eight years since I officiated their wedding!

'Love Actually' On Stage With Anthony Fedorov

My friend Anthony Fedorov stars in the multi-media stage production of the film "Love Actually" at the Wallis Theatre in Beverly Hills. The entire cast did a great job and Anthony's numbers stood out -- always wonderful to see him perform on stage. I've seen him in stage productions of "The Sound Of Music" and "Les Miserables" and a concert staging of his own musical, "Hash (tag) America."

Two Davids And A Fred

David Cook headlined a show in Salt Lake City and there was a surprise, unannounced guest: David Archuleta. David Archuleta sang "Imagine," accompanied by just a guitar, and later joined David Cook on stage for a duet of Cook's "Light On." The set was a replica of an iconic rock and roll site, a very famous London Rooftop, from the current TV Pilot "London Rooftop," hosted by Archuleta.

Bob Hope

I was the NBC publicist for the Bob Hope specials and loved working with Bob. Here we are in an NBC rehearsal hall auditioning 100 women to select 10 to appear on one of Bob’s specials. Also in the photo: Shan Tabor from the NBC promotion department.

Redd Foxx

I was the NBC publicist for the first two seasons of Sanford and Son. Here I am with Redd Foxx and NBC photographer Herb Ball at a junkyard for a photo session that took place before the series premiered in 1972. I loved working with Redd and with Demond Wilson.

Lily Tomlin

As NBC publicists, we worked as talent escorts at the Emmys. This year I was walking into the venue with Lily Tomlin and NBC publicist Kathi Fearn Banks.

Debbie and Debby

I met so many people while working as the NBC publicist for Bob Hope's TV specials. Here I am with publicist Frank Liberman and Debby Boone and Debbie Reynolds. Debby & Debbie appeared on a January 1979 Hope special.

Harold Klopper and Batman & Robin

As high school journalists, Harold Klopper and I were invited to a press conference for the Batman TV series on the 20th Century Fox lot. L to R: Burt Ward, me, Adam West and Harold Klopper.

Mr. Music

For eight years, I worked at Mr. Music, an independent record store in Culver City, Calif. Here I am behind the counter with Leonard Nimoy's second LP and my friend Marc Zicree. We were both Star Trek fans and we visited the set of the original series, an unforgettable experience. Then both of us went on to writing careers, including writing episodes for Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Live Aid 1985

On July 13, 1985, I was in a trailer at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia writing the script for ABC-TV’s three-hour prime-time coverage of Live Aid, hosted by Dick Clark. It was my first prime-time writing assignment. Thank you, Larry Klein, for telling me I had to say “yes.”

Favor and me

A few months after I bought my first home, I was ready to find a canine friend. My boss at NBC had moved from New Jersey to California with a pregnant pooch and I had my choice of the litter. I picked out one puppy, but another one came over and made it clear he was the one who was going to go home with me. He already had a name: Favor, as in he was the "favorite" of the litter. He was an Irish Wolfhound/Lab and we were together for almost 14 years. I think of him every day and miss him every day.

He Was My Favor-ite

Every dog owner believes they have the greatest dog in the world, and I certainly believed that (and do to this day) about my first dog, Favor. He was half Labrador, half Irish Wolfhound and was my very special boy.

On the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture

In 1978, Gene Roddenberry invited a few friends to appear in Star Trek: The Motion Picture as extras, including Susan Sackett and me. There were about 300 of us on Stage 18 at Paramount. We were allowed to invite other friends of ours to audition for director Robert Wise and some of my friends, including Pierre Piponnian and Ron Hamill, were selected by Wise to appear in the scene filmed on the rec deck. Susan and I didn’t have to audition, thanks to Gene’s personal invite. That’s me in front of the greenery

David Archuleta

Backstage with David Archuleta at his Christmas concert in San Bernardino with a full orchestra.

The top 14 Idols plus 1

After a long day of interviewing the top 14 Idols of season 16, senior producer Patrick Lynn gathered us in a room for a photo session

Kris Allen from Idol

You never know who you’re going to bump into at Umami Burger. Kris Allen and family and journalist Lyndsey Parker.

David Cook and Andy Skurow

Backstage at Kinky Boots on Broadway with leading man David Cook and Universal Music’s Andy Skurow. David did a fantastic job as Charlie Price. Bravo!

Frankie Valli

This was taken after a three-hour breakfast with Frankie Valli at Jerry’s Deli in Encino.

My sign on the American Idol dressing room

Every season, I am the first journalist to interview all of the finalists for American Idol. In recent years, I was given a dressing room at CBS and the Idols sat down with me one at a time to be interviewed for Billboard

Lionel Richie

Long before I was interviewing Lionel every week at the live American Idol shows, we worked together on an Academy of Country Music special for CBS. Along with Barry Adelman and Gene Pack, I wrote ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert. The special aired on April 13, 2012, and Lionel was a dream to work with.

Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young

One morning my phone rang and it was Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young calling. They asked me if I would be nervous standing up in front of people at their forthcoming wedding. Thinking they wanted me to make a toast, I said I wouldn’t be nervous at all. That’s when they asked if I would officiate their wedding. I had never done anything like that before, but of course I said yes, and that’s what we did on June 1, 2013 in Los Angeles. I guess you can tell that Diana’s favorite flower is the sunflower.

Diana DeGarmo album cover

I met Diana DeGarmo when she was on American Idol in 2004. Little did I realize that we would become lifelong friends, and that I would one day officiate her marriage to Ace Young. In 2019, she released her second full-length album, Gemini, released only digitally and on vinyl. I loved receiving my signed copy in the mail!

Meeting A New Friend

I had an idea for a summer camp to be held at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. It was a great concept and a lot of people put a lot of work into it, but it did not happen. Still, the folks at Atlantis invited me to enjoy a week at the resort and I had a great time, including my day with the dolphins.

Jessica Meuse

I met Jessica when she competed on the 13th season of American Idol and our friendship has only grown over the years. We both love Vitello's restaurant in Studio City, Calif., so when she is town, that's where we hang out.

Kimberley Locke

I met Kimberley on April 4, 2003, when six of the season 2 Idols came to the Billboard office, where I taught them how the Billboard charts work. It was all filmed for an on-air segment. Later, we both acknowledged that when we met, we knew we would be lifelong friends, and we were not wrong.

Constantine Maroulis

I met Constantine when he competed on season 5 of American Idol. I attended several of his live performances over the years and when he returned to Rock Of Ages for its final weeks on Broadway, I had a chance to finally see the show, then caught up with him after. Fun fact: we are in the Helen Hayes Theatre, the same venue (then known as The Little Theater) where Dick Clark hosted a prime time Saturday night TV series from 1958-1960.

Reigning Supreme

At Vitello's upstairs supper club with Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene after their sold-out show. After I saw their performance at the Sheraton Grande in Los Angeles, I suggested they do a show at Vitello's, and they did. Many Motown luminaries were in the audience, along with Scherrie's sister, Freda.

Gloria Gaynor

I had dinner with the great Gloria Gaynor at Spark, one of my favorite restaurants in Studio City. The place did not "survive," but during dinner I suddenly remembered something and said to Gloria, "Do you realize the studio where you recorded 'I Will Survive' 35 years ago is at the corner!" After dinner, Gloria walked over to the studio and took photos of herself standing at the entrance.

Devin Velez

I met Devin Velez when he competed on American Idol in season 12. Since he doesn't live in Los Angeles, we don't see each other very often, but we did have a memorable meal at Vitello's, my favorite restaurant in L.A.

Walker Burroughs and Rayvon Owen

After a live American Idol show at CBS in 2019, I had dinner with Rayvon Owen at Umami Burger at The Grove in L.A. and we bumped into that season’s top 10 finalist Walker Burroughs, who was having dinner with his family. Walker was a student at Belmont University in Nashville and Rayvon was a former student there, so I introduced them.

Paul Jolley

Paul Jolley was another season 12 contestant who I thought was very talented and went home too early. Here we are on the red carpet at the season finale at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

Caleb Johnson, Josh Skinner and Me

It's closed now, but I used to love to eat at The Grill on the Alley at Hollywood + Highland, which is why I'm standing in front of the restaurant after a lunch with Caleb Johnson (some time after he won season 13 of American Idol) and my good friend, the very talented Josh Skinner.

In a 'secret' Disney room:

This was a great dinner in 2013 at Magellan's, a restaurant at Tokyo Disney Sea -- a unique theme park in the Disney pantheon that you must visit when you are in Tokyo. They have a "secret room" and we were ushered in to enjoy our dinner. L to R: Me, Bobbie Kallan, Masako Matsumoto (standing), Mark Milett, Alecia Davis and Simon Lythgoe.

At The Polar Talks in Stockholm

I love attending the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm. The day before the ceremony and banquet, the Polar Talks feature leading music industry professionals discussing thought-provoking topics. In 2014, I moderated a panel on trend spotting with Ted Persson, co-founder / Chief Innovation Officer, Great Works and Universal Music's then-Nordic Senior Vice President Per Sundin.

Iceland + Eurovision: They Just Go Together!

After years of thinking how great it would be to visit Iceland, I spent five days in Reykjavik. Here I am at a late lunch with two of my favorite singers, who both represented iceland in Eurovision: Paul Oscar (second from left) and Selma (second from right). Right before this, I spent the day at the Blue Lagoon with Selma and her sister (on the left).

The Wedding Of Adam & Carly

It was my honor to officiate the wedding of my good friends Adam Wurtzel and Carly Caramanna on March 2, 2015. You can probably tell from the background that we are in Italy. As in, the Italian pavilion at EPCOT. It was a great day that began with a 9am wedding and a late night dessert party at the French pavilion and a private (wedding party only) visit to Soarin' Over California.

Ashley Monroe

For 10 years, I wrote annual Academy Of Country Music specials for CBS. Here I am backstage with Ashley Monroe, who has a successful solo career as well as a number of hits with Pistol Annies. We were talking about a mutual friend of ours.

Joan Armatrading

I have been a fan of singer Joan Armatrading for a long time, and when she performed at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, I interviewed her for Billboard.

Pre-Grammy Brunch

My friend Steve Moore started a tradition a while back of hosting a pre-Grammy brunch the morning of the live show each year. Steve introduced me to Paul McDonald before Paul competed on American Idol in season 10 and I introduce Steve (and Paul) to Jessica Meuse from season 13.

Lee Brice Takes A Selfie

Backstage at an Academy Of Country Music special in Las Vegas, Lee Brice took a selfie, with Julie, Heather, Lauren and me.

I Can See Clearwater Now

In the summer of 2015, the American Idols summer tour began with a week of rehearsals and an opening night show at the Ruth Eckerd Theatre in Clearwater, Florida, and I spent a week with the top 5, writing a series of articles for Billboard. Backstage with Clark Beckham, Rayvon Owen and Tyanna Jones.

Stefano, Haley, Anthony & Me

I produced and hosted a series of shows starring American Idols at Vitello’s upstairs supper club in Studio City, Calif. Stefano Langone gave an incredible performance and fellow Idols Haley Reinhart and Anthony Fedorov showed up to support him.

Quincy Jones

While covering the Polar Music Prize in 2016 for Billboard, I met Quincy Jones for the first time. Most people might want to talk to him about producing Michael Jackson, but we talked about his work with one of my personal favorites, Lesley Gore. And if you are not familiar with the Polar Music Prize, check it out at www.polarmusicprize.org

Mariah Carey, Ryan Seacrest & Me

Along with Barry Adelman, I wrote “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” for 12 years, starting with the 2006 show, which was Ryan Seacrest’s first year. Just after midnight, I was standing in Times Square with Mariah and Ryan and it was a magical moment for all of us. We did not know we were being photographed.

Anthony Fedorov, Jennifer Paz & Me

I first met Anthony Fedorov way back in season 4 of American Idol and years later met the love of his life, and now his wife, Jennifer Paz. They are both tremendously talented and it was fun to spend a week with them on a Royal Caribbean cruise, as they coached the young students in my friend Todd Etelson’s acting workshop.

Rayvon Owen, Kimberley Locke and Me

All American Idol finalists feel like family when they meet for the first time, and it was fun to introduce Kimberley Locke (season 2) to Rayvon Owen (season 14).

In the Captain’s chair

Trying to find a comfortable chair for the living room. This one gives me the feeling of command. Actually, I was at Rod Roddenberry’s office in L.A. and couldn’t resist taking a seat.

Wink Martindale

At a Hollywood luncheon in 2019, I met legendary radio DJ, TV host and recording artist Wink Martindale.

Friends for Sunday brunch

I was in Nashville in 2017, writing an Academy of Country Music special taped at the famed Ryman Auditorium. It was a great opportunity to meet up with friends for Sunday brunch: Ace Young, Melinda Doolittle, Steve Moore, Trudy Cooper, Diana DeGarmo, friend of Kimberley Locke and Kimberley Locke.

American Idols 2018

After interviewing the Season 16 American Idols many times, we were reunited at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles for their summer live tour. That’s publicist Ken Phillips on the left.

Sheppard

I’ve done a couple of long-distance interviews with my favorite Australian group, Sheppard. In 2018, we were in New York City at the same time, so we finally met in person, for afternoon coffee. If you haven’t heard their music, please check them out on YouTube or Spotify or Apple Music.

Peggy March

Peggy March showed me this article from a German magazine with photos of her home. I couldn’t help but notice her choice of reading matter. I approve!

Taylor, Simon & Me

Simon Lythgoe (right) and I were in Las Vegas, so we went to see our friend Taylor Hicks during his Vegas residency. Great live performance!

CMT's Next Superstar

Executive producer Simon Lythgoe (standing) asked Kristen Chenoweth, ace producer Matt Serletic and me to be the guest judges on the first episode of "CMT's Next Superstar." We taped in Nashville and I had a great time being a part of this series.

Jack Webb's Life Story in Cosmopolitan

When I was 5, unbeknownst to me, my mother submitted my photo to a modeling agency. And when Cosmopolitan magazine was doing a story on the life of Jack Webb, they discovered he didn't have any photos of himself when he was a child. Someone found my photo in the files and thought I looked like Jack, so I was hired for a one-day photo shoot where they recreated scenes from Jack's childhood, including his walk through the Third Street Tunnel in downtown Los Angeles. This was my first and last modeling job.

That's A (Season) Wrap

I first met Gene Roddenberry in 1967 when I interviewed him for my college newspaper. When I joined NBC as a publicist, I worked with him on a couple of projects and the working relationship became a friendship. I introduced him to Susan Sackett, who became his assistant. Susan, Gene and I would often have lunch, sometimes at the Paramount Commissary and sometimes off the lot. Here we are at the Season 4 wrap party for Star Trek: The Next Generation.

On The Set Of Ménage À Troi

Freelance writers were usually not welcome on the set of TNG. I always imagined it was because they didn't want you shouting out, "That's not what I meant!" Susan Sackett and I spent seven days on the set of our first episode, "Ménage À Troi," because Gene Roddenberry said we could. Here we are at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, which stood in for Betazed. (L to R): Frank Corsentino as Daimon Tog, Susan, me and Carel Struycken as Mr. Homn.

Fred Bronson Gallery

A photographic history