Author: Bill Thompson

Micky Dolenz

Bill Thompson
Micky Dolenz in upper right. Photo: NBC Television

Fifty years ago this week, NBC TV introduced America to four young men who would change the way music and television interact.

Looking to capitalize on the humongous an ongoing success of the Beatles and so many other groups,NBC assembled a team of four actors who also happened to have musical talent: Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, and, of course, Micky Dolenz who, years before, actually started in a short-lived series called Circus Boy.

After The Monkees premiered something strange happened. It wasn’t clear whether this was a TV show about musicians or musicians doing a TV show ,, or something in between.It was a strange and new hybrid that actually frightened some people in the entertainment industry.

The Monkees — the musical act — became a phenomenon, with concert tours and records. And a hit TV show.

In 1993, Micky Dolenz wrote about all that in a memoir. That’s when I met him.

So here now, from 1993, Micky Dolenz.

Micky Dolenz is 76 now. He is touring this fall with Mike Nesmith, in what they’re calling the last tour for the group. They’ll be on the road until November.

You may also like these episodes:
David Cassidy Sonny Bono

Lisa Beamer

Bill Thompson

On that terrible day 20 years ago, September 11th, 2001, countless Heroes emerged.

Some wore police, fire, or military uniforms.

Some will be forever anonymous.

But many were just ordinary Americans. Like Todd Beamer, a passenger aboard United Airlines flight 93.

Their plane was already in the air that morning when the other planes went into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

And as the passengers learned what was happening, terrorists took over there playing. And soon, a group of passengers formed a bold and audacious plan to take over the plane and support the terrorist plot to slam that playing into the US Capitol or the White House.

Beamer and others made a last phone call to their loved ones. Then Beamer Was Heard telling his fellow passengers, Let’s Roll.

Their plans succeeded, with predictably tragic results – the plane crashed at 500 miles an hour into a spot near Shanksville Pennsylvania. Everyone aboard, including Todd Beamer, was killed.

The next year, with the first anniversary of the attacks approaching, Todd Beamer’s Widow Lisa published a book about her husband, and his role in that heroic day.

So here now, from August 2002, Lisa Beamer:

You may also like these episodes:
Richard Picciotto

Tom Landry

Bill Thompson
Photo: Jim Bowen

The NFL regular season kicks off tomorrow night, September 9th, at the Dallas Cowboys take on the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Now, for 29 Seasons, those cowboys were coached by one of the most successful coaches in NFL history: Tom Landry. He was, in fact, the first head coach of the expansion Dallas franchise, in 1960.

He racked up 20 consecutive winning seasons with the Cowboys. Under whose leadership the Cowboys won two Super Bowls, five NFC championships, and 13 divisional titles.

But a string of losing seasons in the late 1980s made of done him in. One day after the new team owner, Jerry Jones, took over, Landry was unceremoniously fired.

The following year, he wrote his autobiography. And that’s when I met him.

So here now, from 1990, Tom Landry.

Tom Landry died in 2000. He was 75.

You may also like these episodes:
Terry BradshawBart Starr

Robert Reich

Bill Thompson

Hope you had a happy Labor Day Weekend 2021.

Labor Day, of course, is the day set aside to honor the contributions of America’s labor force.

Most presidential administrations understand the need for a an advocate for at Workforce in the federal government. The position of labor secretary is therefore critical.

At one of the most influential secretaries of Labor in recent memory is Robert Reich, who served as President Bill Clinton’s first labor secretary from 1993 until just before Inauguration Day 1997.

Just a few months later, in May of 1997, Robert Reich and I had one of our several conversations. He had just written A Memoir of his administration experience, a book called Locked in the Cabinet.

So here now, from 1997, Robert Reich:

Robert Reich is 75 now. He still teaches, and is active political commentator. You can even find him in Tik Tok.

You may also like these episodes:
Jimm & Rosalynn CarterMadeleine Albright

Emeril Lagasse

Bill Thompson

Got plans for Labor Day weekend? There’s a good chance you will be taking part in a cookout, to end the summer.

In fact, you may be the one in charge of grilling.

So how do you know if you’re doing it right?

Back in 2009, acclaimed TV chef Emeril Lagasse Rock his talents to grilling, with a book called Emeril at The Grill.

And that’s when I met him.

So here now, from 2009, Emeril Lagasse.

Emeril Lagasse will be 62 in October — and still loves to grill.

James Patterson

Bill Thompson

There’s a pretty fair chance that even if you only own a few books, one of them is probably a James Patterson novel.

He’s written 28 books in the popular series featuring detective Alex Cross. And that’s just one of the series of books has James Patterson writes.

He writes series novels. He writes stand-alone mystery thrillers. He writes books for young readers. He writes children’s books. And he’s written several non-fiction books.

Patterson has sold over 300 million books worldwide. That’s also made him one of America’s richest authors. Several of his books have been made into movies.

I’ve met and interviewed James Patterson several times, including twice for a couple of his nonfiction books before he became a huge best-selling mystery writer.

This interview is from nearly 20 years ago, when he had just written the 8th Alex Cross book, a mystery called for Blind Mice.

So here now, from 2002, James Patterson.

James Patterson is 74 now. He lives in Florida. To date, there have been 28 books in tghe Alex Cross series, the most recent one published in 2020. This year, however, he’s published several books from other series he writes, standalong mysteries, and books for young readers.

You may also like these episodes:
Robert B. ParkerTom Clancy

Jennifer Granholm

Bill Thompson

Jennifer Granholm was elected Michigan’s first female governor in 2002, and re-elected, to a second term, four years later.

Her work to re-establish Michigan’s recession damaged, Rust Belt economy caught the attention of leaders of the democratic party on the national level.

Last December, then president-elect Joe Biden named her his energy secretary.

In 2011, a few months after leaving the governor’s office, Granholm and her husband Dan Mulhern wrote a book together.

So here now, from 2011, Jennifer Granholm.

Jennifer Granholm is 62. She is the 16th Secretary of Energyt

You may also like these episodes:Geraldine Ferraro
Ann Richards

Roy Firestone

Bill Thompson

When he was still in his teens in the 1960s, Roy Firestone got an up-close look at Major League Baseball, as a spring training bat boy for the Baltimore Orioles in Florida.

But instead of following that career path and becoming a bat boy the rest of his life, Roy Firestone cut into television. Starting in Miami, then moving to Los Angeles, Firestone established himself as a skilled Sports commentator and interviewer.

In 1980 he joined ESPN, posting their so-called “Up Close.”

I met him in 1993, what he wrote a book called up close and in your

So here now, from 1993, Roy Firestone.

Roy Firestone will be 68 in December. He is still seen on television on “Good Day L.A.”

You may also like these episodes:
Dick VitaleJoe Garagiola

Nien Cheng

Bill Thompson

Nien Cheng was born into a well-to-do Chinese family in 1915. Her family was able to give her a college education, including post-graduate work at the London School of economics. That’s where she met her future husband.

But the time she spent in Great Britain may have been a time bomb of sorts.

In 1966, at the age of 51, Nien Cheng, by then a widow, was arrested and accused by the Chinese Communist government of being a Britiah spy.

For nearly seven years Nien Cheng was imprisoned and sometimes tortured.

After her eventual release, she came to the United States.

In the late 1980s, she wrote a gripping Memoir of her experiences, called Life and Death in Shanghai.

And that’s when I first met her.

So here now, from 1987, Nien Cheng.

Nien Cheng died in 2009. She was 94.

You may also like these episodes:
Shen Tong

Goldie Hawn

Bill Thompson
Photo: Erik Charlton

One of the most bankable female movie stars of the last 50 years is also one of the most influential figures in Hollywood.

And she got her big break when she was barely old enough to have a legal drink, 1 quickly becoming one of the most popular stars of the Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In show.

It seems like everything she has touched has turned to Gold – or, should we say, Goldie. By age 25 she already had an Academy Award, for her role in “Cactus Flower.”

Then came a long and reliable series of hit movies.

In 2005, Goldie Hawn took some time out from her acting to right a book about her life, although she’s careful not to call it an autobiography.

Unfortunately, the day I was to interview were in studio, traffic in our area was horrible. She and her media escort realize she was not going to make it to my studio in time, so we found it in.

So here now, from 2005, Goldie Hawn.

Goldie Hawn will be 76 in November.

You may also like these episodes:
Patty DukeCharles Grodin