November 2024 – Now I've Heard Everything

Zig Ziglar, The Once-Broke Man Who Motivated Millions to Success

November 27, 2024November 23, 2024Bill Thompson

A baby boy born into a large and poor family in Alabama in 1926 would grow up to become one of the world’s most popular and effective motivational speakers.

His name was Hilary Hinton Ziglar – but more widely known simply as Zig Ziglar.

His first job was as a salesman for a cookware company. He quickly rose to a management position, but then discovered his true calling: motivational speaking.

While still in his 30s Ziglar began touring cities with other speakers, including the great Norman Vincent Peale.

By the 1970s Ziglar had formed his own coaching and speaking company. And in 1975 he wrote what turned out to be a phenomenal motivational book called See You At The Top.

In 1994 Ziglar published a follow-up book, called Over the Top. He and I met that summer to talk about it.

So here now, from 1994. Zig Ziglar.

Zig Ziglar died in November 2012. He was 86.

No One Has Ever Turned 50 Better Than Dave Barry

November 25, 2024November 23, 2024Bill Thompson

Reaching the age of 50 is one of those life milestones that makes a lot of people uncomfortable and unsettled.

And perhaps no generation was more traumatized by turning 50 than the forever-young Baby Boomers.

One Boomer faced the half-century mark with the same wry humor that made him one of America’s favorite humor columnists.

The forever-young Dave Barry did what he does best” he wrote about the challenges of reaching the 5-0. His 1998 book was called Dave Barry Turns 50.

Now Dave’s a little older than I am, but I’ve learned from years of interviewing him that we share many of the same experiences – and we’ve both found that Memory Lane can be full of potholes.

So here now, from 1998, Dave Barry.

Dave Barry is 77 now. His most recent book was a novel, Swamp Story, published in 2023.

How Leymah Gbowee Led a Women’s Movement That Ended a Civil War

November 22, 2024November 21, 2024Bill Thompson

If men start the wars, is it up to the women to end them

At the start of the 21st century, the West African nation of Liberia was embroiled in its second civil war. The war left thousands dead, many thousands of others displaced

A young single mother named Leymah Gbowee had enough, and formed a women’s group to press for peace,

Her movement quickly grew, and its peaceful, non-violent efforts – including a controversial “sex strike” – produced a peace agreement in 2003.

And that, in turn, led to the election of the first modern-day female elected head of state in Africa, ElLen Johnson Sirleaf.

For their work, Gbowee and Sirleaf shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. That same year Gbowee wrote a memoir called Mighty Be Our Powers. That’s when I met her.

So here now, from 2011, Leymah Gbowee,

Leymah Gbowee is 52 now. And Liberia, although still facing many challenges, continues to make strides toward full democracy.

What Was The Celtics Secret? Former NBA Great Bob Cousy On The Celtic Mysiqiue

November 20, 2024November 17, 2024Bill Thompson

He’s been called one of the 50 greatest NBA players ever. Point guard Bob Cousy played for the Boston Celtics for 13 seasons, helping them to six championships.

He was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1957, and was a 13-time All Star. Cousy was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Cousy attributes much of his personal success to the storied franchise he was part of – the “Celtic mystique,” it’s been called.

In fact his 1988 book was called Cousy on The Celtic Mystique. Late that year was when I had the chance to spend a few minutes with this NBA great.

In this interview you’ll hear reference to the Miami Heat, which at that time were in the midst of a 0-17 start to their first season in the NBA.

So here now, from 1988, Bob Cousy.

Bob Cousy is 96 now. And he still wears Celtics green as a marketing consultant for the team.

Forrest Gump’s Alter Ego: Author Winston Groom

November 18, 2024November 16, 2024Bill Thompson

Only a handful of novels ever become major motion pictures And of those only a tiny number produce a character who lives on in our imaginations for years to come.

The author of one such book was Winston Groom. He enjoyed modest success as a writer — and then a novel he wrote in 1986 was made into a movie.

Since its release in 1994 “Forrest Gump” has become one of the most popular movies of all time. It has contributed phrases that are now part of our everyday lexicon.

IN 1995 Groom continued Forrest;s story in a book called Gump & Co. Being a big Forrest fan, I jumped at the chance to talk with him about it.

So here now, from 1995, Winston Groom.

Winston Groom died in 2020. He was 77.

Why Phyllis George Decided She Would Never Say Never

November 15, 2024November 14, 2024Bill Thompson

To some young women, being crowned Miss America would be the pinnacle of their life, their peak accomplishment.

To others the Miss America title is just the first of many notable accomplishments

Phyllis George won the title in 1971, representing Texas in the pageant.

Just four years later, she was hired by CBS Sports, to co-host The NFL Today.

And four years after that, she became First Lady of Kentucky when her husband John Y. Brown was elected Governor.

Later she became a successful chicken entrepreneur

And all of these things happened, she said , because her attitude never allowed her to say never period

That inspired her to call her 2002 book Never Say Never. A somewhat autobiographical book, it laid out ten things we can all do to achieve what he dream of.

So here now, from 2002, Phyllis George.

Phyllis George died in 2020 from a rare form of cancer. She was 70.

Motown’s Mary Wilson And Her Supreme Faith

November 13, 2024November 11, 2024Bill Thompson

She was the little girl from Detroit with big dreams And along with some friends with similar dreams, Mary Wilson became a founding member of the greatest Motown girl group ever: the Supremes.

Originally the Primettes in 1959, they became the Supremes in 1961 when they signed with Berry Gordy.

It took three years before their first #1 hit record, but the Supremes racked up nearly a dozen more in the ‘60s.

By 1970 the Supremes were a different group. Florence Ballard was gone, so was Diana Ross. Mary Wilson kept the Supremes going into the ‘70s.

But perhaps her biggest success was yet to come.

It was immense success as an author. Her 1986 book Dream Girl became a smash bestseller.

And in 1990 Wilson followed it up with another book, Supreme Faith. I met her that fall to talk about it.

So here now, from 1990, Mary Wilson.

The Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Mary Wilson died in 2021. She was 76.

Honoring Vietnam War Heroes: Col. David Hackworth’s Most Important Book

November 11, 2024November 10, 2024Bill Thompson

Veteran’s Day was originally known as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I on November 11th.

So perhaps it was fitting that a baby born on Armistice Day in 1930 would be destined for an illustrious military career,

David Hackworth joined the Army shortly after World War II, and was decorated for his service in the Korean War.

By the late 1960s Hackworth had become the youngest Army colonel in Vietnam.

He helped form what became known as Tiger Force.

After the war Hackworth became a journalist and author, and in 2002 wrote a book about the ragtag battalion he was sent to lead in 1969. He called the book Steel My Soldiers’ Hearts. He and I talked about the book that spring, including his wife’s essential role in writing it.

So here now, from 2002, Col. David Hackworth.

David Hackworth died in 2005 at age 74. He’s buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Alan Dershowitz Reveals Startling Facts About Some Of Our Most Famous Trials

November 8, 2024November 3, 2024Bill Thompson

“Trials affect American history, and American history affects the trials.”

So says one of America’s best known litigators, famed attorney and law professor Alan Dershowitz.

Over a decades-long legal career Dershowitz has represented clients ranging from Mike Tyson and Leona Helmsley to O.J. Simpson, Donald Trump, and Jeffrey Epstein.

Along the way Dershowitz picked up a unique avocation: reading transcripts. And not just from the cases he was working on.

Dershowitz began reading transcripts of some of America’s most famous – or infamous – trials, from the Salem witch trials and Lizzie Borden to the Scopes monkey trial, and the Rosenbergs.

In 2004 Dershowitz wrote a book about many of those trials, based on nuggets of previously-overlooked material he found deep in those transcripts. He called his book America on Trial, and that spring he and I talked about it when he went on a book tour.

So here now, from 2004, Alan Dershowitz.

Alan Dershowitz is 86. He lives in New York and Florida.

Bruce Laingen’s Recollections of 444 Days in Captivity in Iran

November 6, 2024November 3, 2024Bill Thompson

On November 4, 1979, a group of students and militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking everyone inside hostage, including the chargé d’affaires, a career diplomat named Bruce Laingen.

The militants were demanding the return of the exiled Shah of Iran, who was undergoing medical treatment in the U.S.

But diplomatic and even military efforts to free the hostages failed, and they ended up being held in Iran for 444 days. It was only on Inauguration Day 1981 that the hostages were ultimately freed.

Years later, Bruce Laingen wrote a book, based on a journal he’d kept while in captivity. And that’s when I met him.

So here now, from 1992, Bruce Langan.

Bruce Laingen died in 2019, at age 96.